just remember Lee, there are all kinds of cross bikes geometry wise, some are pure hard core cx racers, while some like my Tricross is much closer to a tourer/randonneur type bike. My 2010 Tricross has the same chainstay lengths as my old touring bike, and it rides quite well with an aft load. Specialized specifically brought in a more aggressive cx bike in '11 (Crux I think) that is really more of a pure racer. The Tricross is still around and is very much an inbetween bike that is well suited for people like me who use it more of an all around bike.