i want to pick up a bike to ride for when the trails are soggy this winter. can you ride a cross bike on pavement without much penalty? what are the disadvantages bet a cross bike vs a road bike when riding on pavement? if i was going to do a serious ride w/roadys i could always throw some skinny tires on there . any other things i should consider? like how the geometry would affect the ride. if i did get a cross bike id prob ride it off road only 15% of the time.40% of the time in either central or prospect parks and the rest on crappy nyc roads. the reason i'm leaving toward the cyclo-cross is that i'm a mtber at heart and tend to be a little rough.but then again some time on a road bike may make me smoother.