I love my 'cross bike, too. Took her out this morning and had a great time, despite the cold temps. Agree with SheFly about the versatility. My bike handles remarkably well on pavement, too, even with 'cross tires. If you're thinking about winter riding, you might look for a bike with disc brakes. Rim brakes can be dicey in snowy weather-- happened to me last year when I was riding one of my road bikes--rims froze & temporarily couldn't stop! Got disc brakes on my 'cross bike and I like them a lot. Also, they work much better in rain than rim brakes.