Swung by a bike shop this weekend just to poke around. Not really thinking I'd spend any money. Maybe get a new pair of shorts, or a light jacket for cooler weather.
Didn't last long - I saw a 2014 Marin Lombard Cyclocross bike for sale for a heck of a good deal - $500 off it's MSRP. Brand new. My size. I've been thinking about getting a bike like this for daily commuting, winter riding, rough road riding - etc. Basically any sort of stuff where my road bike would have a tough time, but where my mountain bike would be over-kill. So I ended up walking out with it.
I've ridden it about 100 km so far. And it's been brilliant. Took it on some rough gravel, a little grass, and a bunch of bad roads. Ate it up wonderfully. At the same time it's quick and agile on well paved roads. Sort of feels like the Subaru of bikes. You can't take it where you'd take a Jeep. And you can't fling it around like a Miata. But for day to day driving in all weather conditions, on all roads, it's perfect.