Originally Posted by
MRT2
Some of what you are describing sounds pretty rugged (almost mountain bike terrain frankly) and not at all the sort of terrain you would enjoy tackling on a true road bike with 23 or 25 mm tires. So at the ver least, if you go with a drop bar bike, get one with clearance for at least 28, and preferable 35 mm tires. You have a bunch of options, from cyclocross/gravel grinders, to adventure touring, to dual sport hybrids. You just have to decide what works best for you.
yeah, that makes sense. so i'm not totally off base in my "wider tires equates to more rugged bike construction", at least as far as within the same maker, i.e. a Specialized bike designed for 25c tires is probably not intended to be as 'rugged' as a Specialized bike designed for 32c tires.