I have a Tern Verge D9 with 451 tires and a modified standard Birdy monocoque disc brakes with a MTB 10 speed. The Tern rides well on paved roads but is squirrely on anything less than a decent paved road. Because of the recall issues, I check my hinge regularly but I don't really have peace of mind when I ride the bike. If I had known about the recall issues before I purchased my Tern or my wife's, I would not have done so.
Eventually if I save enough and happen to be passing through Asia, I intent to try to get a Birdy R20 if I can find a good deal or a good used version to replace the Tern. As for the Birdy, it has Jack Black tires, so it's a really stable ride and you can take it on almost any surface. It's a decent gravel grinder. The design of the frame gives me a lot of confidence but it's mainly used by my son, so that's why I want a R 20 for myself. I need to find a good replacement for my wife too.
If you head on over to the Global Birdy Community on Facebook, you'll see photos of modifications people have had done to their Birdys to mount various front mounts. Also some photos of people carrying various large and odd shape cargo on their Birdys
Another good bike to consider is the Downtube 9FS. I had considered it at one point, it's a good deal and you get a lot of bike for the price.