Originally Posted by
phulin
I've found that a cyclocross-ish bike is the right mix for me. It might be a good idea to take a look at the Tricross, or Trek's CrossRip. There are many companies with less-widely-available models as well.
^^^ this
It's taken me 5 years of commuting, and at least as many bikes, to finally come to this conclusion.
Have a look also at Kona Jake and Norco Threshold (which is what I have, but it may be hard to find in the U.S.)