Can I use a road bike for commuting 11 miles each way without SPANDEX I am thinking of getting (investing in) a road bike for my 11 mile commute (total 22 miles each day).  I want to continue wearing normal work clothes - meaning hiking pants and a T-Shirt.  I plan on using the Spiderflex seat (taken from my Mountain Bike) on a road bike.



The Spiderflex eliminates any seat pain, and there is no chafing, ever.
Can this be done? Does anyone do something similar?
Yes, absolutely.

Clothing is mostly an issue of personal preference.  Performance fabrics and things like spandex don't make that much difference for short stretches, and their advantages become more pronounced and valuable the longer you ride. 

11 miles is somewhat of an intermediate distance; in regular clothes you'd be totally fine, assuming that the weather and the road conditions won't make your work clothes sweaty or dirty by the time you get there.   For commuting to work, I'd make the decision more on the basis of road conditions and comfort.