Iltb-2. Got a little chip on your shoulder? Why the anger? I don't understand why you continually make snide remarks about lycra-clad cyclists, racing bikes, etc. Nobody is forcing you to wear lycra or ride a racing bike. Bike shops by and large offer what sells. If there was a huge market for your vision of commuter bikes, somebody would be selling them because it would make them money.

Your arguments remind me of people who rail against GM and other car-makers for selling SUVs. Although I abhor SUVs, car companies are in the business of making money. They make what sells, so the American public at large is to blame -- not the car companies -- for all the SUVs on the road. There actually is a wide selection of excellent fuel-efficient vehicles offered by various car companies, and they are starting to sell much better now that gas has gotten so expensive.

The same is true for commuter bikes or bikes with practical features like eyelets for racks and fenders, etc. Cyclists who want that sort of bike can find it if they do a little research. In my previous post, I listed some fine examples -- Soma Smoothie, Salsa Casseroll, various Surly models, Rivendell Bleriot, Kona, etc. If you want a bike like that, go to your LBS and order one, or buy on on-line. What's stopping you? Instead, you whine and call other cyclists names because they don't share your particular tastes in a bike.