I think it all depends upon the commute. I ride a 10 to 12 mile round trip, and I would not want to use anything else.

I also have a hybrid and my wife's road bike available, and I have used all three. The drops are nice only if you don't have a traffic light every 500 feet or so. In that case, they are wasted.

In fact, the commuter biker is the fastest of the three under these conditions, because the internal gears allow shifting when stopped. I've also found derailleur bikes to be fragile and maintenance-intensive. I need a bike that I can treat like a car -- take it to the shop every three months or so and not have to fiddle with it.

Internal brakes (no brake dust to get on your suit) and a chainguard means one can just hop on and go -- no preparation or special clothing required. That further cuts block to block time.

I agree that they are suited to short trips. However, I'd raise the definition of a short trip from >3 miles to perhaps >8 miles.

Paul