Decided to give the wife some quiet time and took the girls to a couple of the LBSs. When asked what kind of riding I'd be doing, I responded commuting 12-30 miles a day. First shop tried to sell me a road bike, but I told them I wanted more clearance for wider tires. Then he pointed out the CX bikes, with the Tricross being the best "fit" for my purposes.

Shop #2- I went in and inquired about CX bikes or any relaxed road bikes that had wider tire clearance. When prompted for the purpose (commuting), the guy didn't even try to sell me what they had on the floor. Instead, he pulled out the Masi catalog and pointed out the Steel category. He recommended either the Speciale Randonneur or the CX, with the CX Uno coming in second. He also agreed with me that the Commuter wasn't a poor choice either, though it wouldn't be as appropriate for a longer commute that had rolling hills (he actually knew the area I'd be riding).

Shop #3- is my primary LBS. The owner was slightly shocked that I was now considering CX (or anything with drops) instead of hybrids. He pointed out a Giant TCX2 (what he had on the floor), and didn't even try to take me to the catalogs that has his other brands that he normally carries: Kona, Felt, and KHS.

I pointed to a Flite 220 that he has and asked if that would work. He said it should and that it could take some wider tires, like up to 32 on the stock rims.

My problem now is figuring out if I want to spend my limited budget on a complete, entry level roadie (KHS) or opt for what I suspect to be a much nicer frame (Masi). The Flite 220 and the Speciale Commuter are about equal in pricing.