I have two bikes in my fleet that were road bikes converted into city/town bikes.
1984 Shogun touring bike, converted to 650B. I originally built it up as a 650B randonneur-type bike but it never planed well with its touring-spec tubing (Tange 9/6/9) and I wasn't happy riding it on long rides. But after swapping out the bars for VO Postinos and throwing a VO porteur rack on it, it became a really delightful commuter / around-town bike with just the right seating position and just about the right frame rigidity for handling loads now and then. the cushy 42mm rubber keeps my teeth intact on these horribly bumpy Boston roads. I've been commuting on it and making PO runs for eight years in this configuration. It's got a mix of new and vintage parts-- VO Zeppelin fenders, VO Porteur rack, VO Postino bars, mixed-vintage Shimano 105 8-speed mechs with Paul Thumbies, vintage TA cranks, and dynamo lighting with SP hub and internal wiring. The taillight is a Soubitez Catalux 6 retrofitted with a modern LED with standlight. The VO rack was modified with a welded half-circle tubular brace and crown bolt to mount directly to the fork crown instead of using that flimsy adjustable rack tang that allows too much rack twist, and also a welded headlight mount.
And my 1972 Jeunet 630, converted from noodly Reynolds 531 road bike that definitely planed to 3-speed 700C porteur that doesn't do a very good job as a city bike. The bike was never a good candidate for proper conversion to 650B or for carrying loads, with a low BB and not a lot of room under the crown for more rubber, and too flexy a frame to handle any loads as a true porteur-type bike. The Shogun is so much better at being a porteur and all-around town bike. I had to make do with 700x28s on the Jeunet and a lot of careful hardware trimming under the fenders to avoid rub. HOWEVER, if I'm just cruising without any load, it's quite spritely and fun! Ubiquitous 3-Speed SA-AW, Honjo fenders, lots of mixed French parts (including an "Aludur" chain guard and a retrofitted 40's Soubitez taillight, Belleri porteur bars, MAFAC racers, TA cranks, Lyotard 460D pedal), dynamo lighting. Had to use an interesting mix of parts to play with the French threading, for example a Shimano UN72 BB with French Phil rings... I may eventually ditch the front rack and throw on some drop bars and try it as a road bike again (but keep it as a 3-spd).
