The LHT comes with a 48/11 high which is a 117" gear as does the Cross Check. It'd be easy enough to swap out the Sugino for a normal road bike crank (Talk to me later, I might even have 1...or 2...or 3
). My commuter bike had a 52/40/30 triple paired with an 11-34 which give a range of from 127 to 31 but I hardly ever used the 127" gear. A 117" is still pretty tall.
The LHT is a touring bike so it's got a longer chainstay to move the load back and still keep it within the wheels. This slows its handling down a little but makes it a more stable ride. It's frame is a beefed up a bit to handle the task of hauling heavy loads over long distances. With a longer wheelbase it's a more forgiving ride too. It has 3 water bottle braze-ons rather than 2 and a mid fork braze-on for mounting a rack on the front (not too important for commuting but it is for touring). The wheels are tougher - and heavier - and the tires are a bit wider which makes for a more comfortable ride on rough roads. It could probably take something even wider than a 35 (like a 41) if you want to really float over stuff.
Other bikes to consider are the Bianchi Volpe (Turin) which is a cross bike. The Fuji Touring (Cycle Analyst and Turin) which is a touring bike with a bit shorter wheel base than the LHT. The Randonee at REI which is similar to the Fuji. The Jamis Nova (cross) or Aurora (short touring) at Salvagetti's on Speer. A little further up the price range would be a Trek 520.
All of these bikes - except the Randonee - come with a 52/11 high gear.
If I were to personally rank them as commuter bikes without wanting to do unsupported touring on them, I'd go
1. Aurora
2. Trek 520
3. LHT
4. Fuji
5. Nova
6. Randonee
7. Volpe
8. Cross Check
The LHT, 520, Aurora and Fuji are kind of a toss up. If you ever thought of loading the bike up with gear and hitting the open road, the LHT wins hands down.
The other's on the list aren't bad bikes and they would all be worth throwing a leg over and taking a ride. They are all in the $900 to $1000 price range, except the Trek which goes for closer to $1200.