I sometimes borrow my wife's old road bike. It is very inconvenient to use, because it lacks a chainguard, rack, and fenders. It's also not well suited for riding in office clothing, and the need to change cancels out the speed benefits on my fairly short routes. Also, there are not enough places on my route where I need the drops. However, it manuvers perfectly well - it's a fine bike. The narrow tires even work fairly well in snow, as long as it is no more than a few inches deep and wet enough that they can bite down to the pavement. If I had a long, fast commute, it would be ideal with a few modifications like more durable tires. My hybrid has the same hassles without the offsetting benefit of speed. For a lot of commuting situations, a road bike works fine.

Paul