The cyclocross bike some some cool aspects, but if you have to pay to change anything about it then your adding $$ to get where you really want/need to be. Not sure how the gearing is as it is set up, it should shift and work really nice as long as the range of combinations is wide enough to keep you happy for awile. A RKI may have a better eye for chainring and cassette sizes to be able to better advise you there.

Bill