Thanks for all the replies, it's good to see that you all think the bikes are good deals. Soooo....

I ordered the Mares Cyclocross for $975 shipped! I'm usually apprehensive about buying a bike without riding it, but the geometry seems legit and the bike is well reviewed. It will be my first CX bike, and I'm really excited. I thought about adding some fire road blasting and winter snow rides to my training schedule. I think I'm going to have a lot of fun with this thing.