Commuting - What am I looking for?

I just had my bike nicked in Bristol, and I'm gutted, because it was The Perfect Bike.

My bike started off as a Giant Escaper (23" frame), but I had a new front mech annd cogs fitted, so it was a lot heavier than normal. I also had slicks on it, Shimano XT front and rear gearing.

It was the perfect bike: A relatively light-weight bike that was strong as anything, and could be used for road trekking (I did a few long-distance charity races), short trips in the rough (shortcuts across grass and gravel, mostly - stuff where road racing bikes would not be happy) and commuting, without looking too conspicuous.

Now, I am vaguely considering to build something similar, but I don't know what I am looking for. Is there a bike that does all this right from the factory, or do I need to get something bespoke built?

Any help warmly appreciated.

i looked and looked for a good, inexpensive commuter bike to use instead of my cannondale r400 road bike. i found that kona fit the bill for me. their prices werent outrageous and i wasnt able to find any negative reviews on them. in fact i found two postive reviews on the bike i got, the smoke. pm me with any ?'s

A cross bike sounds like it'd fit the bill. I've got a fixie cross bike (see my sig), but you can get a cross frame (Surly & Soma) and build it up however you want. Make sure it has braze-ons for a rack and fenders.

If you're looking to build, a lot of people like that Surly Crosscheck. I'm impressed by the Specialized Tricross too and plan to get one.

Jamis Aurora looks like a very nice bike. I've been looking into a cross bike for purchase sometime in the future (when my current commuter, a 90's roadbike has had enough). The two that stick out for me are the Surly Crosscheck and the Jamis Aurora. The Aurora seems very reasonably priced for what you get.

I'm also looking for the perfect lightweight city bike that can cope with potholes but still shave enough time off my 17 mile each way commute to be worth getting as an upgrade from my 7 year old steel MTB. BIKE (opposite Habitat) have been really helpful, getting Marin and Ridgeback models in to try with no obligation (they also do Kona).

Mud Dock do Trek - the flatbar Pilot at £600 is very light but might not be strong enough. However as it is good value to start with then adding stronger wheels etc might not work out any dearer than a more expensive brand such as Kona or Cannondale.

Both BIKE and Mud Dock do free servicing for the life of the bike (as do Psyclewerx near Clifton Down shopping centre). Johns Bikes in Walcot Street are highly recommended by my cycling friends and seem to be the only people in the area who do Cannondale - the Bad Boy or Road Warrior range might be strong and light enough for what you need.