Originally Posted by
slcbob
Like so many terms these days, CX and touring do mean something but are so broadly, generally, and/or inconsistently used that you can never be quite so sure what they mean.
+ a lot.
Originally Posted by
slcbob
...so just make the list of stuff that is important to you and find the bike that has it...
A couple of things for OP to check: will you be riding year round, in every kind of weather? If so, it would be good to be able to fit full fenders, the kind that go round the tyres. Also, if "every kind of weather" in your case means periods of ice and snow, your bike should be able to take studded tyres. There aren't many narrow studded tyres around.
Obviously, a touring bike should have mounting options for all kinds of racks and plenty of heel clearance with panniers. But if the bike you're looking at is bumper stickered in the CX category, you should check for all that. Heck, it doesn't hurt to check in any case. If the bike has additional CX brake levers and you plan to use a handlebar bag, check for clearance. Moving the brake levers around later to make room for handlebar bag is possible of course, but it's a bit of an unnecessary hassle.
--J