So my commuter/ beater bike is on its last legs. I'm thinking of saving up some money and get a decent bike for work and maybe for credit card touring.

I've been looking on here and surfing online to see what's out there. It seems a lot of people here likes the Surly LHT. But is there other bikes I'm over-looking? If I go custom, I thought it would be nice to go Canadian (local) like Marinoni's Turismo or Sportivo. Anyone has these frames?

The problem is I'm 5'1" and to find a bike that's small enough is pretty hard. I thought of the Jamis but they don't make my size. I'm riding a 44cm Ruby right now but I'll need a work horse come fall/ winter with all that rain and snow.

And all these different types of steel: Columbus Sona, Surly's CroMoly, Reynolds 953, etc... what does it all mean? Is one better then the other? Would spending more money on a Marinoni vs on a Surly gives me better steel too?

Thanks!