I have been reading the hybrid forum, when in truth this the forum I should have been reading. This is some cool stuff you all do here.

ride bikes, carry stuff
pedaling is pedaling, watts are watts...
effort is effort

More is done in this forum, you design and build.

Yes, effort is effort, however, most are not willing to put forth the effort that utility cycling requires.

Tell me about it. I have started riding at lunch with a co-worker and brought in my Xtra to ride. After swapping out the mtn bike tires for slicks and taking off the racks/bags, I was good to go for the 15 mile ride. He was drop jawed that I could ride such a beast. Usually my bike is 60+ lbs before I load anything and I was down to 30 or so for my lunch ride. But compared to his 10-11 lb (I'm guessin) road bike, mine was still a tank. In fact he has dubbed it the lead sled. But you know what? I was able to keep up with him easily until about mile 12. Not bad since I dont regularly ride more than 3 miles at a time. But when you are used to carrying 100+ lbs of stuff on a 60 lb bike over hill and dale, a 30lb bike on flat roadway is a treat

Effort? It was all fun for me, although I noticed that after I started utility cycling losing weight was MUCH easier, especially when I started pulling a trailer.