am thinking of getting a cyclocross bike, had a look at a few websites and theres a lot of choice under £1k!! Any reccommendations to start me off?

I *think* i'd like a triple as i live in the lakes, and also is it worth the extra for disc brakes – most seem to just have normal rim brakes, or will i not be hammering down rough stuff fast enough to need them (manage ok on the road bike brakes, but wondering if worth it for discs on a crosser).

I'll be using it for cross stuff and winter training. Where do i start!!! Specialized, Focus, kona, canondale etc!!

also anything to avoid (like what brakes, wheels etc are rubbish?)

Cheers

No real need for discs, as far as brand goes – which one matches your socks, shoes, t-shirt, aspirations?

Kinesis are good as are Ridley.
Froglegs or tektro cantis are fine for braking.
Konas are good, jake the snake ok but a bit weighty,major jake a step up and a better race machine.
Triple or compact should be ok for lakes.
Shimano gives a wider gear range over Campag and the levers work better should you want to fit mini v brakes as is the rage at the moment it appears.
Tyres for lake district?……..michelin jets pumped fairly hard or the damned heavy landcruisers.

A compact is only ever so sightly taller geared than a triple, and allows you to hold your head ever so slightly higher!

Disks might make sense if you intend to ride in mega mud, but brake power isn't going to me an issue otherwise.

I've found that having disc brakes on my CX bike gives me confidence to go faster, because they're more predictable in the wet than rim brakes.

Have a Focus Mares disc which is is solid and fun to ride.

Might be worth a look at the Giant TCX 1 – retails at around £1000

Focus are spot on IMHO..

( and the frame is made by Kenisis, so thats a bonus…)

Got a 2005 Cross Expert, and love it..

Love my Kona, only got a Jake, but it's great, use it all the time… trying to put road tyres on it at the moment, gone through 3 inner tubes in the process and still not done… might just stick with the extra resistance training

I don't see much point in discs and you wouldn't be allowed to race some races with them.
I also wouldn't get too low gearing as it gets quicker to pick it up and run with it.
The thing I would look out for the most is mud clearance.
Make sure it's not an out and out race frame with not bottle mounts, although you don't see them so much now. Also can make a versatile machine if it has rack mounts!

mine has bottle mounts… handy for a cage and to put a bottle in, when cycling to the course for a warm up

[edit~ if it was a 1000 quid though, I'd want it to be more of a racing one though, and no bottle mounts]

I'd been seriously contemplating a Cube, largely on looks it has to be said. If the prices haven't changed from last year then theyc ould be a steal.

I got a kinesis with canti brakes and a compact (34-50) double. I only use it for commuting to work, it's faster on the road than an mtb but copes off road on the way home. I like it, can't say I've tried any others though