Not to ask a silly question, but have you considered a single speed?

They are incredibly resistant to salt spray and road gunk in the winter.

They are less expensive than geared bikes, by a good margin.

Even with rim brakes, they usually have ample fender clearance. There are multiple disc brake frame options as well.

20-23 mph cruising is very straight forward with 47-17 or 47-16 gearing.

You can run it fixed in warm weather, and have yet a different experience.