Originally Posted by
LabRat2k3
There is a third option, cyclo-cross bikes. They are closer to a road bike, but with wider tires, many even have drop bars on them.
+1 ... I've got a Kona Jake CX bike ... freaking love it. Right now I'm using it as my commuter, hoping to race CX this year or next (more than likely next). It's very much in line with a "road bike" but with some differences (canti brakes - or discs today for some, clearance for wider tires, it's a triple so it's got lots of gears) ... The only thing I've done so far is swap tires to a little more commute friendly and puncture resistent tires.
The other option is to go with a hybrid and put bar ends on it to provide other hand positions.