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.

Tricross seems like a nice bike. Looks like it has fender eyelets and rear rack eyelets. Internal cabling is nice, carbon fork is standard, base model is 8 speed, $400 more gets you Tiagra. Aluminum frame is probably nice, but you may enjoy steel more. Selling you what's on the floor is sometimes ok, other times not.

Masi seems nicer with the a steel frame Speciale CX and eyelets for fenders and racks front and rear. Better touring bike perhaps. The more i commute, the more I want a touring bike. Looks great and the LBS sounds like they want to better serve their customer. I probably wouldn't mind the Uno since I'd have money for a second set of wheels and would just swap my Ultegra components over.

The KHS, well, I'd pass personally. Probably be fine and to the job, but it's an ugly frame with sloping top tube and bent rear stays, not as high end as the Masi and low mix of components. Price is in a different ballpark though so it depends on your budget. Did I mention its ugly?

I'd consider your budget and what you really want to do with it. If you really want one single bike you can put road wheels on and go fast on, put knobbies on and hit light trails, and then throw fenders on and do some commuting/touring then spending a little more for the best you can afford is critical.

I'd go for the Masi for 30 miles a day of commuting.

Truth be told, I'm actually leaning more towards the Masi Speciale Commuter. It's a SS, but that is another realm that I've been wanting to experiment with. And I can play with the drive-train options with this frame. I'll either go with a simple 1x9 or look into going the IGH route. That will add $ in the long run, but at least it will be with components of my choosing. Hell, I might even swap out forks and run a disc up front.

Will you be carrying any type of load? Some 'cross bikes will have short chainstays, and if you're using a rear rack and panniers, you may experience interference between your feet and the panniers.

I like the look of the Masi Commuter a lot, and the frame gives you a ton of options. It's like a Cross Check without the canti brake bosses.

There is another thread about the Masi and this is what I wrote about that bike:

I have this bike for my daily commuter. It comes with 32c tires and I have fenders on it. It is true you can turn it into a multi-speed bike if you want, including IGH, but more important is the forward facing rear dropouts for single speed. These are preferable to rear facing and fenders because when you have a flat tire you don't have to remove the fender to get the rear wheel out.

The bike is heavy, but what do you expect for the price. I lightened mine up by putting on a White Industries crank, pedals and SS freewheel. I also replaced the seat post with a Thomson, seat to a Specialized Avatar, bars to Raceface drops. Also put on a Sachs chain and Ultrega brake pads and shoes.

The most important things for me in any bike is the handling and this bike is not a sports car, it is a truck at best. It loves to go straight and takes a lot to throw into a corner. This is what I want and expect in this style of bike, I don't want a quick handling or twitchy bike for commuting. It is perfect for me. I would have liked a little longer top tube as I am really between sizes for the Masi's but what can you do. The bike may fit you better. All in all I like the bike.

You are obviously referring to the dreaded heel strike- which I am familiar with on the current bike. Solved that by going to a backpack. Then traded panniers for a mess bag. Having the weight on my back lends itself better to my multi-modal commute. I'll probably incorporate a rack trunk when the temps start climbing.

ETA: The Commuter has the same geo as the Randonneur, sharing the same chain stay length of 465 mm, as opposed to the CX Uno's 432. Somehow I just don't think heel strike would be an issue...

Yeah, the versatility of the frame is one of the main attractions for me. I can't afford a Surly or Salsa, but I think I could do worse if I opt for the Masi.

I remember your post from that thread. The fact that it handles like a truck isn't a negative right now. If I truly wanted a more spirited, possibly lighter weight ride in the same price point, I'd opt for the Redline Metro 9. While I am trying to find something that will be speedier than my current bike, I'm also trying to keep cargo hauling options open. My mess bag works well for my current multi-modal, but if the distance between work/home becomes manageable, then I'll probably want to give panniers a try again.