So I've been thinking of buying my next bike soon, maybe in early summer as a present for commuting all through winter. ;3 Right now I have a Trek Allant, and it's a very nice commuter bike for $500, but I want something different.

I want some drop bars, but I'm having trouble finding bikes with drops that also have eyelets for fenders and a rack (I need these). So far I have found the Kona Sutra and Trek 520 which are touring bikes, and I'm not sure if I want a touring bike for a commuter (plus according to some reviews I've found they're quite heavy). The other bikes I've found are the Civia Prospect, Kingfield, and Bryant. But I'm hesitant about these bikes because I'm having trouble finding reviews of them online.

Does anyone have any Civia bike? They seem like a small company that makes primarily commuter bikes. Plus I would like to know more about the carbon belt driven IGHs, which the Kingfield and the Bryant have. From what I read about IGHs they're heavy and lose a lot of power to friction, but I'm pretty sure they were talking about chain-driven ones and I don't know if the belt drives would be different.

Salsa cycles also have two drop bar commuters, the Vaya and the Casseroll, but they don't list the MSRP of their bikes on their site, so I have no idea how they compare in price to the others.

There is of course the beloved Surly Crosscheck and LHT. I know a lot about these ones, but I would like to know how they stack up against the other bikes I have listed.

Are there any commuter orientated drop bar bikes I've missed? I also have access to shops that sell Specialized and Giant brand bikes.

The bike that I'm liking the most despite never actually been on a bike with drops is the Civia Prospect. It's not that expensive compared to the others, and I quite like its aesthetics. ;D I'm also wary of the IGH ones because I honestly don't know much about them, especially because of the belt drive.

Also, what's the biggest different between bar-end shifters and brifters? Is it being able to leave your hands on the handlebars and shift at the same time? Because my current bike has finger triggers and like those. I know the brifters are more expensive, but I'd rather pay up and be more comfortable.

This bike will be for spring/summer/fall all weather commuting (I have another bike for the winter) and would basically be in place of a car. I don't have a car and I would like to keep it that way. Which is why I'm not afraid to put in the $$$ for a nice bike.