I don't think either would be best for "fitness" or ride/friend rides. I think you would be better off with a flat bar road bike, such as the Specialized Sirrus or the Giant Rapid. The nobby tires and road-ish geometry of a cross bike would put you in a much more aggressive position than you may want. Are you looking to take this bike off off road? Or just on some dirt paths? A flat bar road bike would give you enough tire width to do packed dirt paths with no roots.