Nice idea.

Liked: Specialized Armadillos. A bit wooden-feeling, but no flats in Boston. I hope I don't encounter too much ice.
Civia Hyland. A very nice, upright-riding bicycle. The more weight on the rear (panniers), the better it rides. Kind of stiff when it's just me.
Shimano Alfine 8 hub. Damn. This is one nice-shifting hub. I ran an SRAM i9, i3 and Alfine 8 this year (i9 was stolen, i3 just plain broke). The shimano outperforms the other two, even if it performs worse on paper.

Didn't like: The Civia front basket (with bamboo slats) has a weird design that loosens the top nut that holds it (and the fender) on. Not worth the cost- the Paul somebody-or-other model looks a lot better. However, the integrated lock holder and front light mount are pretty slick.
SPD 324, clipless/clip pedals are not worth it. Go one way or the other.