Single speed bikes are out of the question. I know that some people like them for different reasons (weight, simplicity, fashion), but I don't believe it can be useful in my situation. I use my commuting bike for everything, that includes some touring and longer rides (100 km). A single speed has not advantage as soon as you have hills, even worse if it's a fixed gear. In Montréal, we have lots of hills with the mount Royal and and the small hills downtown, plus there on my commute I cross the Jacques-Cartier bidge which is a good climb (50 meters vertical). So I'm looking for something with a triple crank (I've ruled out bikes with a double crank) and a wide range cassette (11-32 or something similar).
I'm not convinced about drop bars for city riding. I'm an used to be a bike messenger and rode a flat bar back then. The maneuverability and the quick reaching of the brakes are important to me because I sometimes ride like I did back then. On drop bars, the best maneuverability is with the hands on the brake levers, but braking is not as fast or powerful in that position. The best position to brake quickly is with the hands in the curve of the bar, but maneuverability is not as good in this position. For long rides, drop bars can be good, although I never rode some for a long ride.
I checked out the Giant FCR series because I can get them at a discount at an old shop where I worked. The FCR3 is underequiped for my taste and I don't trust the wheels on the FCR2.
I quickly checked out other Marin bikes and no model interests me. The Muirwoods 29er seems nice, but the tires are too big. I have some 1.5" right now and want something narrower. The rims seem too wide to take narrower tires.
I don't really want or need an electric bike. I prefer to pedal by myself and I don't need the assistance. Plus, the battery and motor add lots of additional weight, which I don't want.
Thanks for all your feedback.