Woops, forgot to answer your question about gearing. Since I ride the cyclocross bike offroad and in cyclocross, I put a triple on my cyclocross bike. I ride only a double chain ring on my road bikes, so this will give you an idea that I wanted more gearing on my cyclocross. Dirt gives you more resistance thus the need for more gears and it also can give you much steeper hills (with the added resistance of dirt) so more gears are essential, at least for me.

My husband actually runs only one chain ring in front on his cyclocross cause if it is too steep, he runs, but he is an animal. I prefer to ride some of the stuff he runs.

spoke