Thinking about the answers in this thread, which are all pertinent, it occured to me that some people might ride differently depending on whether they're commuting or riding for other purposes (fitness, touring, etc.). When I commute, I want to get to my destination as quickly as possible, but when I'm touring I tend to pay more attention to the way I ride. Other people might have different riding styles, regardless of their journey's purpose, which they apply due to their cycling background, for greater efficiency, or because of other personal factors.
I was half kidding/half serious with the Swiss gearing remark. When I ask a Swiss salesperson why there are 30 gears on a bike powered by a DD hub I usually get an answer such as "for the same reason as you have those gears on a mountain bike". When I remark that it's a city bike, I usually get a blank stare followed by "You know, sir, this is Switzerland, and we have mountains". Now anyone who says that gearing is an essential aspect of cycling is certainly right, but I'm left wondering just how many of those 30 gears are actually being used on a city/trekking bike (given the DD hub).
I've been curious about this for a while, not only due to my personal experiences, but also based on my personal observation of Stromer riders in general. I live in a hilly area and often have the opportunity to see them go by. Their riders almost always have the same demeanor: they're going uphill relatively fast but yet their pedaling cadence is slow in comparison. At times it almost looks as if they're they're coasting uphill. This looks so odd and surreal that it has remained imprinted in my brain. But I also realize that when I'm the one riding the bike, I'm basically doing the same thing. That's why I was so interested about the OP's original comment.