i've got three bikes in my stable and i use all of them for commuting depending on weather factors.
- 17 pound titanium road bike - this is my go to commute bike whenever weather conditions are nice and dry. by far the most fun pony to ride in my stable; so light and so fast.
- 28 pound steel MTB turned hybrid - this bike has fenders and it gets taken if the morning is dry but the forecast calls for possible rain afterwork. not as fast, but still fun to ride from time to time
- 26 pound 20" steel folding bike - if it's raining in the morning, but the forecast calls for dry weather in the afternoon, i take this bike folded on the train in the morning then ride it home. i will also ride this bike in the morning if the forecast calls for truly nasty storms afterwork because then i can just fold it up and ride home on the train (CTA doesn't allow full size bikes on trains during rush hours). the least fun to ride, but by far the most flexible bike i own because i can always fold it up and duck into the nearest CTA station if bad weather arises anywhere along my commute.
none of my bikes have racks because i prefer to commute with a backpack, so that issue never comes into play in deciding which bike to ride. and all of my bikes are outfitted with dual sided clipless/platform pedals, so the footwear situation is moot as well, i can wear any kind of shoe with any of my bikes.
bottom line, i totally understand the allure of commuting on the fastest bike available. i commute on my road bike far more often than my two foul weather bikes, but it's very nice to have the flexibility of the other bikes because living in chicago, we have many days that are not "road bike days".
Last edited by Steely Dan; 07-22-10 at 07:45 AM.