Ah-ah-ah... I said "or at least sub-genre", and besides the "Commuter" line, "street" is broken down into several other sub-groups, including "Fitness/ Commuting/ Touring". Further, if I walked into an LBS and said "What kind of commuter bikes do you have?" the salesman would very likely know to show me something with fenders, probably a rear rack, flat bars, possibly lights, and a more upright riding position. Similarly, if I asked for a road bike, he would show me something with a much more aggressive riding position, drop bars, and no unnecessary add-ons. If we only recognize genres when manufacturers declare it to be one, are we seriously going to take "street" as a genre exclusively from Jamis, "asphalt" as a genre exclusively from Kona, and "recreation" as a genre exclusively from Cannondale? if that's the case, then what makes a bike a "road bike" is "the manufacturer lists it in their 'road bike' line", and we can end this discussion right here. Otherwise, I would contend that "road" and "commuter" are genres that the industry recognizes.

Right. So why are contentions of "it's how the bike is used" or "well you could put skinny tires on a mountain bike" getting any traction around here? A road bike is a bike designed to approximate, if not perfectly match, a racing bike. It may differ a very little in design, but not a great deal. That's what everyone knows it means. That's what it's used as here. Why is this even a serious debate?