A very eloquent thread and I totally understand and applaud anyone getting on their bike, I suppose my concern (although that's hardly the right word) remains that you've got a very high spec mountain bike which is crying out to be sent across country for a day, but which is just being used for commutes. Ditto with the cross bike, my impression is that you feel happier spending a lot to get proper quality stuff, while that's fine, if you get a pricey CX bike it really will feel underused if you just slap a pannier on the back and commute with it.
I just want to observe really that there are stacks of great commuting bikes that don't cost a huge amount of money and aren't made of carbon or other exotic materials. Just in case anyone who's reading the thread and is newish to cycling and is thinking 'OMG I've got to spend thousands'.
By comparison I, who am getting older too, and am inherently unstable, took my chunky aluminium hardtail out over Frodsham yesterday and around Delamere Forest and up to Pale Heights and back to Chester. It's way not as classy as your bike but it just begs to be taken off-road. I had such a good time that I'm seriously considering Cyclescheme-ing a £1000 mtb after Xmas.
Stu
