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I've been commuting for about 15 miles each way on a hybrid with flat bars for this winters commute and I'd like buy my first proper bicycle. All of my choices are in the ~$1500 range since hydros are a must and my primr candidates are either the Trek AL 4 which is a CX bike or the Merida scultura disc 400, a proper road bike.
The dilemma I'm facing where I need advicd is whether the performance differences between the two are significant enough to warrant a 2 season setup. I live in northern Europe with freezing conditions for about 4 months of the year with almost the entire commute being on decently maintained(salt-laden) bike paths and Ideally I'd like to use the CX during the summer with slicks and swap them for studded tires during the winter.
Is it feasable to use the same CX bike for all season commuting with two sets of tires or should I get a road bike for the summer and keep my hybrid for the winter?