Originally Posted by
Supernose
Honestly, I've never been on a bike where I've had to learn forward that far, and it looks REALLY uncomfortable on your back. Though, I suppose it could be comparable to riding a crotch rocket, minus having something to support my gut.
From talking to people at work, my goal isn't to get anywhere particularly FAST, but just to get there. Hence why I was pointed in the direction of a Commuter. If you don't mind my asking, why wouldn't I want to be sitting upright for that long of a ride? Or why is leaning forward better?
Well, when I say road bike, I'm not talking about a racing bike necessarily. There are lots of bikes that fit into that category including "flat bar" road bikes which typically have you sitting up a bit more. There are also traditional drop bar road bikes that place the bars level with the seat or sometimes higher.
People's opinions vary so I hope some others will weigh in on this too so you can get other perspectives. Imagine yourself sitting bolt upright for an hour. At 12 miles, my guess is that you'll be on the road about that long. How comfortable is your back going to be? If you can lean forward a bit, your arms can help support some of your weight and just as importantly, help your body absorb some of the bumps. If you're sitting straight up, all the bumps are going to be felt in your back.
The other problem with sitting more upright is that you're increasing wind resistance, - making yourself work harder to maintain the same speed. If you're not going particularly fast it's not as much of an issue, - unless there's a headwind.
I'm not recommending that you get a bike that has you hunched over like a racer, just something in between that and a cruiser.