I have a Jake the Snake and ride with a guy who has one (though he still rides on the road with his knobby tires). When I got Jake, I was a die hard mountain biker, looking to ride some road, but not wanting to be completely locked in. I have ridden it on some gravel rail trails and dirt back roads. It was fun, but it's a rough ride. I love the versatility of the Jake and I smoke people on rough downhills because it provides such a steady, solid platform, and I never feel like the bike will wash out from under me even though I have slick tires on it.

Fast forward a season and a half. I moved to a place with amazing dirt and country roads and tons of climbs. My mountain bike starts collecting dust and I'm out riding Jake all the time. I sign up for a century at the end of August and slowly start putting in the big miles and long rides. Now I'm reminded that I'm on a cyclocross bike and not a road bike. The bike is heavy for climbing and I feel every bump in the road because the aluminum is so stiff. Also, the geometry is different. An hour-long all-out red zone effort for cyclocross racing is much different than sitting on a bike in the same position for six or seven hours. It's been rough on my body and I've since started shopping for a carbon fiber road bike.

This, of course, is just one experience and as a cross bike, the Jake rocks. It would be a faithful commuter or the perfect companion for a muddy ride or for 20-30 miles of blazing dirt roads, but for my century, I'll take a road bike any day.

Feel free to PM me with any questions, etc. Good luck in your search!