I have a C'dale CAAD8 cross bike. I am a year round commuter but I also like to go on group rides once in a while. Sometimes I have a rank/panniers on, sometimes I don't. If it is going to rain for a few days I will put fenders on. Just rode 100 miles and 50 miles back to back at Bike MS. It pretty much does everything I need.
Yeah, sometimes I get bike envy when some high end cervelo flies by, but I bought what I could to fit my needs the best, FWIW