Originally Posted by
chelboed
You will eventually beat the crap out of the crosstrail.
That's not necessarily true. The Crosstrail frame, at least on the 2007 model that I have, is very much trail-capable. I believe the frames may have changed somewhat in 2008. But if the original poster has the 2007 model, he's got a solid frame that, imho, is every bit as capable as, say, a Rockhopper.
You can make the Crosstrail more trail-worthy by: 1) Changing the stock 48/36/26 chainrings to 44/32/22. 2) Swapping in a pair of 29er mountain-bike tires. I sometimes run a pair Specialized Fasttrak 29x2.00 on mine. 3) Possibly swapping in a cassette with a 34-tooth cog.
The Crosstrail is a fun bike when you set it up 29er-like.