Okay I'm just getting back into the sport of cycling. I used to ride often, but my bike got stolen, I was broke, blah blah blah, couldn't replace it, haven't ridden seriously for a few years. I have a cheap ($150) Giant mtb so I want something for long rides now. However the roads here are ****ty, the sidewalks are ****ty, and I can't imagine not having to take the bike across some rough terrain every once in a while.

It seems like cyclocross bikes have a fair amount of added durability, as compared to road bikes. I like that. I'm willing to sacrifice weight savings for that. However, I haven't found any cyclocross bikes quite within my price range. Closest is the Redline Conquest 24 (http://www.redlinebicycles.com/modul...conquest24.htm) which goes for around $600. Next I've found is the Jamis Aurora, which goes for around $630 I guess. And then the Surly Cross Check and Kona Jake, each for around $700.

On the other hand, I can get a Trek 1000 road bike from my LBS for $500ish...and the Fuji League from another LBS goes for even less...

Soo...my question is...will I be able to find more affordable road cycles out there cuz they're more common....or are there other cyclocross models that are more affordable that I don't know about??

And does the Redline Conquest 24 suck?

Any help much appreciated. Thanks!