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currently have a full suss and I did have a Road bike which I tried to like but hated the main roads but enjoyed it when I took it on Gravel roads and quiet country lanes. So sold the road bike.
So quite fancy a cx bike or should I go for a hard tail 650b or 29er.
Something with hub gears and softish, easy rolling tyres.
A rigid 29er would be spot on - more comfortable if you decide to take a rougher route, but you can still put slicks on for road rides.
Whilst it's not fast on the road, I find my Surly Krampus (with an Alfine 8 speed hub) is great to pootle on country lanes and gravel stuff, as well as its more natural offroad environment. And no external gears to get glooped up with mud or corroded by salt. The advantages of both single speed and geared bikes.
Full sus is as much a winter bike as any other. My bikes aren't seasonal. But n+1 is always a worthy aim.
Hard tail of any sort is a good complement to a full sus to mix it up. Consider also single speeding it, rigid or a fat bike or 'plus' bike.
CX is just daft to me. Road bike off road and get off to carry it when it gets tricky. I don't get it. Just ride on the road (which is utterly mindnumbingly dull for me, not to mention deadly in traffic), or get a bike suited to off road conditions.
Get a CX bike, they're ace 🙂
I just find my full suss too bouncy on the road. But I'd like something that I can ride my regular trails on and won't be a complete Bob fest on the country roads. One thing I disliked about my road bike was I hated not having disc brakes and feeling like my wrists were going to end up fractured going over a slight bump.
Fit a shock with a lockout?
Not sure going CX would make it 'that' much more comfortable, I'd suggest a 29er Hardtail, with lockout for extended roads use age maybe?
Or just use my missus's hardtail a Rockrider 560. Just her bike is a medium and mines a large. She is 5ft 9 I'm maybe a inch or two taller.
I bought a s/h CX bike recently and really like it. Never been a big fan of road bikes but its a bit more relaxed geometry and copes with a lot of abuse over rough stuff.
Def go discs though as I've got cantis and they scare the crap out of me
Not sure going CX would make it 'that' much more comfortable, I'd suggest a 29er Hardtail, with lockout for extended roads use age maybe?
CX bikes are ridiculously capable these days, especially with tubeless tyres and disc brakes, but one thing they aren't is comfortable! They're also noticeably slower on the road than proper road bikes. If you know you want a CX bike then go ahead and get one, but my experience is they often get bought as the n+1 bike, but then don't get ridden much before getting sold on again.
I got a winter n+1 bike last year and went singlespeed.
Copes with the mud and lack of cleaning better and gives a different perspective to riding.
It's also cheaper, silent and allows you to appreciate the nice days when you are spinning out.
As mboy says, CX bikes are jack of all trades and master of none. Buy the bike for the riding you do. Not the riding you think you would do. You say you enjoyed gravel roads and country lanes, but there are plenty of options. Personally, I think the 2016 Giant Defy 2 Disk looks very capable and would be a much nicer ride than some of the faux-cross bikes about. Geometry is well suited to rougher roads (ask Degenkolb), clearance for at least 28c tyres, can take a rack and mudguards for winter. Another mtb will see you choosing between your other bikes for other off-roads rides. I try and keep the overlap between bikes down for this reason.
Failing that, buy a touring bike. Now that is an unfashionable name for a bike who's qualities are most definitely back in fashion!
For your stated use then a CX bike sounds right. I find that mine is about 10% slower on road than a true road bike so slower but not hugely so. Something like the Pinnacle Arkose - http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pinnacle/arkose-three-2015-adventure-road-bike-ec071307 or the Genesis Croix de Fer - http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/adventure/multisport/croix-de-fer-10 I've the Genesis and done a 100 miler on it without problem and definitely not uncomfortable!
Your wrist problem (ooerr!) sounds like technique rather than anything else.
Boring? You are riding a bike - by definition it's not boring 😀
So I've decided between either a Giant Defy 1 Disc or a Merida Cyclocross 300.
Now to avoid me whacking someone on a section of road I have problems on I use a short cut which is a gravel road which gets slightly muddy like a fire road. I won't kill a Giant defy will I?
Didn't really give road cycling a proper chance last time. The things that put me off was the brakes and other road users.
You won't kill a road bike on a bit of gentle off-road.
What you might want to consider, though, is tyre clearance (including clearance for guards). If you've got the option for 35-42mm rubber then it opens up a lot more possibilities. You can put narrow slicks on anything…
Havea good look at Specialized AWOL? Not race-oriented, looks much more adventuresome imo.
*Edit: ah just read yr update, pls ignore 😳
....faced with the same conundrum as the OP, I opted for a rigid 29er carbon MTB (on-one Lurcher) running CX tyres on Stans Arch wheels. It's pretty light, but capable enough for most off-road. Gearing is 2x10 with large enough gears for fastish on-road, and low enough for all but the steepest off-road.
It mainly gets used on gravel tracks, light off-road, and as my commuter bike too!.
I bought a large and run a 40mm stem, which gives me a good level of handling for road and off-road.
It was also pretty cheap. Bonus.
Get a CX bike, they're ace +1
But I'd qualify that by saying go for something a bit more relaxed rather than a full on CX race bike.
My previous CX Orbea was pretty scary offroad (Quantocks) especially the canti brakes in the wet.
My current CX Whyte still amazes me with the abuse it takes.
http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Merida-Cyclo-Cross-300-2015-Cyclocross-Bike_74428.htm
Thinking of going for this?
I'm looking at doing exactly this in the new year.
That Merida looks good VFM.
Pinnacle Arkose seems to have a bike at each pricepoint.
Planet X have the London Road .
Verenti (Wiggle) have the Substance if you want a budget friendly steel option.
Add a couple of hundred quid to your budget and there are even more options.
Well ordered the Merida would of spent more but got 2016 holiday to save up for. Should be here next week.