I seem to be searching in vain for a very small, preferably women specific, road-based bike for winter road riding, occassional gravel paths and future summer touring duties. Would need to have options for taking panniers, mudgaurds, wider tyres etc, and also not weigh a ton! I'm only 5 ft, so bike size is crucial, along with things like barswith very short reach and drop, and short (say 165) cranks.

so, opening this up to the collective wisdom of STW – is there anything out there? Would prefer 'off the shelf' as a custom build would be out of my price range (plus our cr*p cycle to work scheme restricts me to buying through Halfords – although they 'say' they can order any bike …)

You could do worse than looking at islabikes

kona sutra?

Dawes Galaxy?

Sutra is right on what you want but is relatively heavy.

Marin Lombard would be my current recommendation. RRP on a 2010 model is £750. If you're after the very smallest size, you may still find a 2009 model somewhere. If you're feeling flush, then the £999 Marin Toscana would be a nice upgrade.