Sorry to bump up an old thread, but there's a bike I found a long while ago that wasn't mentioned here:

Novara Element, from REI:

http://tinyurl.com/3b362f
(I used tinyurl.com because the original url was really really long)

It's a disc brake equipped cyclocross bike with Tektro cross-top levers for people that like riding the top/flat part of the drops. I like the specs, except for the fork (I assume it's aluminum) and the front derailleur (looks to be below Shimano Sora level). Still, the gearing sure is nice...low enough for me to climb most hills unloaded

Mostly, I just like cyclocross-type bikes for commuting; the LeMond Poprad and Redline Conquest were mentioned here, but not the REI bike.