Quote Originally Posted by Regina View Post
I have a flatbar road bike for commuting, as I wanted it for low-speed control in a city. Bar-ends were the first accessory I put on it, however, so I could have a variety of hand positions, since, yeah...a flat bar can be hard on longer rides. With the bar ends, I routinely do 40-50 miles rides without a problem. A friend of mind did a century (100 miles) on a flat bar road bike with bar ends and she had no hand problems, either. So....if you don't find a 'cross bike you like, and opt for a flatbar bike - I think bar ends are a definite "gotta have".
FYI, my flat bar terry classic also had bar ends. I think the problem was also the angle of my wrists, just couldn't get as many positions that didn't cause wrist strain even with the bar ends. In terms of control, just don't go too narrow on your drop bars, get them either shoulder width, or slightly wider to improve control. I really like the bianchi volpe. Its designed for BOTH touring and real cyclcross, so I think it gives you the max versatlity. I was very impressed with the one I saw, and its definitely in your price range (even below your max).