There are trade offs, of course. I mostly ride around on road bikes. However, sometimes I would borrow my daughter's hard tail mountain bike. It was a gushy ride, but slow compared to the road bikes. Not sure what you have against a gravel bike. I have one and it is pretty nice for riding around the city. You get some advantages of a road bike, like multi hand positions and lighter weight. I have 700 X 35 tires and with the lower pressure they glide over most bumps. I would suggest you test ride a hard tail, full suspension and gravel bike. See which one appeals to you the most.