I only had space for one bike and I needed a bike to do a long trip. I have since discovered the comfort and convenience of sturdy, upright urban bicycles that can be left outside year-round, and I also came to the realization that heavy bicycles are comfortable for long trips too. The pressure to go with a racing bicycle is partly due to the fact that a significant number of bike shops in North America cater to the high-end racing culture. The economics make sense -- there are plenty of wealthy men and women (mostly men) who will readily spend several thousand dollars on racing bicycles and the gear that comes with the racing culture. There is nothing wrong with this of course, but it is nice to have choices and not be pressured to buy a racing bicycle and all sorts of unnecessary gear when all you need is a reliable city bike to run your errands in your regular clothes. The problem is that because there have historically been so few stores selling sturdy commuter bikes, they aren't well recognized, and thus there hasn't been much demand for them. Thankfully recent trends seem to indicate a growing appetite for everyday commuter bicycles, so everyday urban bicycle shops should be popping up everywhere in the coming years. Here in Toronto I frequent Curbside Cycle which specifically caters to the everyday urban commuter. Even some of the racing bike shops here in Toronto seem to be adding commuter bikes