You answered your own question: "Nice road bike+clipless shoes and pedals+breathable clothing+nice saddle".

Not everyone wants to ride hunched over, sitting on a 2x4, on a skinny-tired road bike, feet lashed to the pedals, in wannabe Lance Armstrong attire. Many people would prefer to ride in street clothes and not end up sweaty at their destination. Electric assist bikes can offer this where standard bikes can't.

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but that's where I think people aren't understanding. With a good setup, those strange looking saddles are very comfortable, you DON'T ride hunched over (it's all about the fit) and you don't have to dress in racing tights. There's a lot of cycling clothing that looks just like normal, it just breathes better.

I will grant you clipless takes getting used to (no, not those awful toe-clips with straps, those ought to be banned for safety) but once you figure it out you find you're going much faster than before, and not working any harder for it.

I honestly think cyclists may be their own worst enemies. Courier riders are AWFUL in that they break laws right and left, and racers are, admittedly, a little (read: a lot) nuts. There's room somewhere in between those two extremes for most people who commute less than 20 miles to work.

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