Originally Posted by
tjspiel
Further, while a bike with a very upright riding position might make a fine commuter under certain circumstances I don't understand what it is about that riding position that makes it better for commuting than any other style of bike intended for road use. I do understand that some people prefer that riding position.
If you're not trying to average over 15-20 mph, aerodynamics isn't a problem -- but being able to see, especially in city traffic, is more important, and an upright position makes it easier to see what everyone else is doing. Plus, it's easier on the rider's neck than even riding on the hoods of a drop-bar bike.
"Commuting" is a broad term, but so is "mountain biking" -- yet there are specialty breeds of mountain bike, so it's not difficult to imagine that there would also be specialty breeds of commuter bike.