I think my question would be: what feature of a touring bike would make it unsuitable for town riding? My Long Haul Trucker was my touring bike and my commuter for years, and now my Troll serves the same purpose. The Trucker I would pretty much ride "as is" the whole time. The Troll gets set up a little differently when I'm touring. But really, if I'm happy loading it up and riding it all day, I'm probably happy riding it across town.