DS, Crosstrail, or cross bike?
 

My quest for a new ride has evolved from entry level road bike to something more of a "jack of all trades" type bike. I was admiring the DS 8.4 and possibly a Crosstrail each for about $800. I just happened to be in a Performance bike and saw a 2011 Fuji Cross 3.0 cyclocross bike for the same price. Hmmmm...have any DS/Crosstrail owners explore the cyclocross route and decide the multisport bikes were the better choice? I like the drop bars on the Fuji but I like the discs on the DS. I am so confused

I originally had an Insight 3 flat bar road bike (hybrid) and was also looking for an "all purpose" bike. I chose the Trek 8.4 DS because I like to ride on singletrack through the woods but not technical stuff. The DS fit what I was looking for and the way I have it set up is a very comfortable bike to ride. I changed the stock tires for Geax Evolution 29 x 1.9 because the stock tires washed out in the loose sand I encounter from time to time in Florida and they roll very well on paved surfaces (haven't tried them on sandy roads yet). I occasionally look at the Specialized TriCross Sport but more as a touring bike than an all purpose bike mainly due to the limitation on the tire width but there are people who race them and ride them on unpaved roads.