15 years ago I was a serious road racer. Then mountain biking consumed me. I've commuted by bike most of that time and my commuter reflected whatever else I was into. A rigid mountain bike with slicks took me to work for about 10 years on a daily ride of 10-15 miles each way. It was pretty fast, great for urban riding and ****ty roads and hardly ever flatted. I'm back to a road bike now but prefer tires >28 for their softer ride and ability to take abuse. I don't think they are noticeably slower for commuting. I despise backpacks and prefer a rack but many road bikes have chain stays too short and my feet will hit the bags. In rainy Seattle I love fenders. So as far as road bikes go, cyclocross bikes work great IMO. (Are those still counted as road?)