winter / cross bike alu or steel ?

steelwheels

i need a winter bike and was thinking of building a cross bike as i have a notion to ride some cross races
i have been offered an old empella bonfire aluminium frame and fork and also a reynolds 531 steel frame and fork
for riding on the road i reckon i would prefer the steel frame, but the aluminium frame would be lighter so maybe better for cross
just asking for advice or ideas especially from cross riders that might be riding steel or anyyone with an empella that uses it for riding on the road

Monty Dog

Assuming they are both the same (right?) size..there is probably little in it. Does either have a carbon fork - a carbon fork on the steel frame saves a big chunk of weight. If you plan on running skinny tyres for the road, the aluminium frame may feel a little harsh as they tend to be 'over-built' to withstand the rigours of cross. From a cross racing perspective, key things to look out for are clean cable routing and wheel clearances. FWIW I have a Kuota Kross carbon cross bike which is massively stiff and needs 28mm tyres to make it vaguely comfortable for the road.

steelwheels

the alu bike has alu forks and the steel bike has steel forks, so sounds like the alu bike would be very harsh on the roads round here as the roads are not nice smooth tarmac but mostly quite rough

the steel bike will be heavier, i reckon fully built will be at least 21lb maybe over 22lbs but will definaletely be more comfortable on the road

so neither is ideal ?

should i hold out for an alu bike with carbon forks, is that the best option

i know i want it do do both cross racing and road training, but as more time is spent on the road it will need to be comfortable