Originally Posted by
bradtx
CX bikes are probably the most popular style of a versatile road bike in N. America. Capable of fast club rides, commuting and light-medium touring.
But why bother? My
touring bike can do all of these things, too. Granted, it's 5-10lbs lighter than the steel boat anchors that most tourists ride. But it doesn't suffer from the compromises that many CX bikes offer (double cranks, less than ideal gearing, etc). If the OP is going to move away from the idea of buying a road/race bike, he might be better served by buying a dedicated touring bike or frame.
The Raleighs that were mentioned earlier along with the Novara Verita are good non CX candidates.
The Verita is a cool-looking bike! But can it handle larger tires? Specs say that it comes with 700x25 tires. They also say the bike comes with Shimano's mid-reach BR-R650 calipers... but the REI pictures sure don't show a lot of extra clearance around the fender and tire! When carrying any sort of load, I'd want 700x32 or larger tires.