Thanks for the frame company suggestions. I knew about Nashbar but not Origin 8 or Titus. I'm in the US (just a few miles from the Titus office, actually.)

Regarding your questions, I'm thinking steel frame for comfort. I test-rode an aluminum frame and noticed the increased vibration/transient transmission right away. I'm about 200 lbs and I carry a couple of laptops back and forth to work occasionally, so I'll have a rack and at least one medium sized pannier most of the time. Fenders are a must due to rain. 99% of the time I'm on flat smooth roads. No curbs. I put the Nashbar touring bars on my old bike and really liked them. The variety of hand positions is great. I'd likely put those on the new bike.

I found a Voodoo Nakisi for $500 on Craigslist that might fit the bill. I'll have to ride it to checkout the funky geometry and to see if a large is large enough. It's 58cm and I'm 6'3".

Thanks also for the thoughts on the IGH. I was thinking I'd have a double on the front with an infrequently used small ring just for steep hills. When I'm tired, it's nice to be able to slowly spin up something without having to provide all that torque.