AMEN!!

This is why, while purists and hipsters may scoff, i think steel frame conversions make the most sense for urban riding. Slacker road geometry will let the frame absorb more impact heading over bumps, and sit you more upright where it wont hurt the taint and hands so much. All else being equal, steel gives a smoother ride where you wont cringe every time you hit a pothole.

However i would like to set the record straight on aluminum. The "harshnes" of aluminum is not because the material itself doesn't absorb vibration. The ride of an aluminum bike is mostly a consequence of aluminum having a fatigue limit and the tubing gages required to accommodate this and make the frame durable.

Unlike the alloys of steel used in bike frames, no matter how lightly you bend aluminum, if you do it enough times it will eventually fail. This is why you never see springs made of aluminum, and the pop top on a beer can will fall off even if you just slightly bend it a few times. If kept bellow certain limits, steel can bend or "cycle" an infinite number of times.

So, aluminum bikes must have much less flex for the same loads as steel bikes if they are going to last more than one ride. This means very large tubing diameters. Big tubes mean little flex, and thus a harsh ride, but great power transfer and handling characteristics.

Steel could be made to have just as "harsh" a ride as aluminum if the tube sections were increased, but this isnt done because (among other reasons) its harder to draw steel into the tiny wall thinnesses that would allow for a reasonable weight bike with big tubes. Aluminum is just plain easier to work and weld into crazy buttings, and steel cant be replaced in terms of flexibility and comfort, so its the material of choice when durability and comfort take precedence over weight and performance.