What if, instead of having heavier frames and tires, one selects an all-carbon (or aluminum) frame with similarly light racing-style wheels, and replaces the seat with a more comfortable one? There are rear racks which fit on racing bicycles.

Provided with the condition that bikes can be brought into the workplace, theft would be less of a problem.

Is road-cycle-commuting recommended?

honestly, a proper road seat IS comfortable. if you want to commute on a roadie, go steel or aluminum, as you're more likely to find lugs for a rack on those. the jack-of-all-trades seems to be the cx (cyclocross) bike thanks to drop bars, somewhat aggressive position/geometry, and the ability to fit fatter tires.

how are your roads? give it a shot. if you get a road bike and don't like commuting on it, you have a road bike. hooray! road bike! /red stripe commercial impression

I commute on a road bike, it's awesome. They're super fast, and that's how I want my commute. Aluminum frame with carbon fork/stays/stem. 700x23 slicks.

A lot of it comes down to load. I ride a steel touring bike, which at 30 lbs is a good deal heavier than a true roadie, and has much less aggressive geometry. But riding that thing without a load, it's still a fast ride. Even though you can get a rack for a roadie, adding panniers does nasty things to your aerodynamics, and usually adds substantially to the load, all but negating the impact of the lighter frame. Additionally, low spoke count wheel and heavy panniers don't mix all that well, and you may run into trouble with such a setup.

To get the benefits of commuting on a roadie, you need to keep your luggage to a minimum, and carry it in such a way that it's not drastically changing your aerodynamics - a small saddle bag or a messenger bag probably. Plenty of people do it, and depending on where, how, and why you ride, it may work very well for you. Otherwise you'll just have an expensive bike that performs like a mid-range bike.

All I own are road bikes.

Both my "commuter" road bikes (aluminum) have racks and 32-spoke wheelsets. One has full fenders year-round, and the other uses quick-release fenders in the three seasons, and full fenders in the winter.

My "club ride" road bikes (one steel, one titanium) both commute too, just not on days that are wet, or when I need the panniers.

Lights move from bike to bike as required, although my primary commuter also has a dynohub and lights.

I started commuting on a vintage steel road bike then moved to an Al road bike with CF forks. It's got fenders, rack, panniers, lights and horn plus I went with 700 x 28 tires and heavy-duty tubes so it isn't exactly the lightest road bike out there but it is a very comfortable and capable commuter.

I've commuted on steel, carbon, and aluminum. All I own are road bikes (except my CX bike, which is like the world's comfiest road bike with 28mm slicks).

I have a dedicated aluminum commuter (Trek Soho) and a carbon-frame road bike with skinny wheels (Specialized Roubaix).

To my great surprise, my commute times are nearly equal on the two bikes. I attribute this to the large # of intersections I have to stop for...

I've switched from a MTB to road for commuting and don't want to go back, the only thing is that I have to be more cautious about potholes.

If ya wanna go fast hey man its all about your preferences. I put a rack and set of panniers on my 77 Schwinn Volare with some of the twitchiest characteristics of any bike I've ever ridden but it sure is fun and fast. No heel strike but its really close.

Road bikes do have comfortable saddles, what would be more comfortable? I don't understand. A fat rear saddle is only needed on upright bikes.

The BG Specialized Avatar is a very comfortable saddle.

Yes, I recommend it. I love commuting on my road bike. Fast, fast, fast. No racks and panniers either, I just use a backpack. Nothing that isn't required by law gets attached to my road bike.

However, when you say, "instead of," I would say "in addition to." I also have a foul-weather bike with full fenders for those wet days when the road bike isn't the best option.

But yes, if your goal is to burn up asphalt, get a road bike. Anything else like a cross bike or touring bike, you'll probably regret it, wondering what you're missing out on. Avoid getting a cushy seat though. Stick with a good road-bike worthy saddle. Search the Road Biking forum for saddles, and you'll get tons of recommendations.

I commute on and old lugged steel road bike. With 700x28s the ride is pretty comfortable while still being fast. Wearing a messenger bag and being in a low position kind of sucks though. I like commuting on my girlfriend's bike which is essentially the same as my Bianchi, but can support a rack and milk crate. The position is more relaxed and I don't have to worry about getting so sweaty because of the bag. I'm probably just as fast on her bike as I am on mine...

Speaking of which I think I'm going to start taking her bike from now on. It's starting to get very hot and humid mid day.

I started commuting with my Alu/Carbon road bike recently. All I did was to put fatter tires that would fit within the frame and brakes. Also added P-clips as my roadie doesn't come with braze-ons. Works well so far.
For wet days, I ride my hardtail mtb with discs. It makes me appreciate my roadie more especially on climbs.
If your commute is on stretches of tarmac, the road bike is the weapon of choice.

I ride my road bike to work about 90% of the time in the summer, a little less when snow or ice threaten.

I commute by both road and tourer. Once or twice a week I'd use the tourer to take in a few days-worth of clothes so i could use the road bike the rest of the time. Much depends on how much gear you have. Rather than a rack, a Carradice saddle bag might be a perfect answer for you, and would enable you to use the road bike every day. personally I wouldn't recommend a backpack - sweaty and alters your centre of gravity.

And everyone else is right about the saddles, if you get one that suits you a road saddle is comfortable.

I love using my road bike to commute. It's definitely my favorite. I'm able to keep everything I really need (like regular shoes, pants, shirt, etc) at my desk at work. I have another "commuter" bike I use sometimes, but riding my road bike is just more...fun. :-)

I commute on my powertap-equipped Calfee.

I regularly commute on road bikes, although I don't own any plastic ones. The main problem with commuting on a pure road bike is finding a way to carry all of your gear. I ended up buying a touring bike for most of my commuting after using a racing bike for two years. However, I still ride my racing bikes to work at least once a week, more often than that during summer when I don't have to carry so much clothing.

Not a problem at all... In fact the company across the street (Competitive Cyclist) has a high percentage of its employees commuting on some very high-end Cervelo racing bikes ;-)

It depends on how much stuff you have to haul and how good the roads are. If the roads are bad, then something that can take a wider tire might be better than a pure road bike. A Surly Crosscheck would be fine in those conditions though too.

There are lots of ways to haul stuff on a bike, even if they don't have mounts for racks. I will say though that hauling a lot of stuff on a speedy road bike does take some of the fun out of riding them.

You can commute on anything that moves. I've even seen people commuting on skateboards and push scooters. Just get the right tool (or weapon, if you prefer) for the job. Commuting on a high-end race bike is like driving a Ferrari to work - you can do it, but its not very practical. Wear and tear costs go up the more expensive your ride, and that applies to cars as well as bikes. An ordinary road bike is a great option for commuting in most conditions.

Before getting my Touring bike, my Motobecane was my everyday rider.

Are they hiring? (I'm on my Cervelo today. )

+1 Almost, to a T, my situation.

I do have a dedicated commuter with rack & trunk bag, that I use when I need to carry a lunch and/or extra clothing, etc. But when such is not the case, I like taking one of my more racier bikes!