Insurance claim but which bike to go for....cross or road

[BeeGT]

Two bikes stolen, a basic but sentimentally valuable LeMond Etape (sora/2300 groupset) used for occasional commutes (15 mile each way) and several London-Brightons and a brand new Orange RX9 which I'd just started some summer cyclocross races on and would have used instead for commuting as the tyres are better able to deal with the rough roads in and around London.

I have £1300 to play with via the insurance company's nominated website. I don't really want to top it up with much money of my own so I'm thinking about securing the best bike I can for that money, rather than buy both a road bike and cx bike in the £600-£700 pricepoint. I don't do any serious road riding so the following choices of replacement cyclocross bike stand out:

Cannondale CAADX 105
Spesh Tricross Elite Disc Tiagra


I'm assuming that for "my type" of road riding these would be capable if not very fast, but...

the Giant Defy 1 105, and
CAAD8 105

both look extremely good value road bikes and would leave me funds for pedals, computer, etc, and I could always use my MTB for the occasional cyclocross race.

any words of advice out there, can you have too many bikes..?

[Jimbo.]

In answer to your last question: no. Never. Ever.

In answer to your others: hmmmm.

I had a CAADX 105. It's -very- good: rides nicely, stable, comfortable, stick some road tyres on it and it serves well as a road bike. HOWEVER, it's a very high/upright riding position, and the CX-specific 36/46 chainrings, whilst very nice to use due to the small gaps, may leave you a little short. As a result its slower. Which is handy, as the OE canti brakes are at best acceptable.