Ditto to acidfast7. Look at the videos of Amsterdam bike commuting. People wear suits and even long wool coats. They all ride hybrids/urban commuting bikes and no one rides like racing athletes.
I think commuting in Europe and US is really apple and oranges. The average distance europeans travel is significantly shorter. Btw try riding those cruiser at "leisurely" speed on a US road and see if the cagers don't give you a mouthful, let alone dangerous.