Best bike for paved + dirt roads?

[Barry Gross]

Hi,

I'm looking for advice on a bike purchase - intend on doing 20 - 40 mile
rides on mostly paved roads with some rough spots and occasional hard
packed dirt with some washboarding. Informed opinions would be greatly
appreciated. Do mountain bikes with bar extensions work well for road
riding? What about road bikes with front suspension?

Thanks,
Barry

[Pardee]

I commute to work daily, about 20 miles round trip. Due to my job I have
to carry, at least, a briefcase full of things and sometimes more. I have
chosen for the past 10 years to ride a mountain bike with no suspension.
It's a little heavier, but I am out there for exercise, not for speed
anyway. I have mostly paved roads also, with a stretch of hard packed
dirt. I like the feel of the solidness of the bike and the extra
stablility the wider tires provide. I should mention too that I do some
winter commuting as well and I feel more stable when I hit the occasional
ice or snow on the road.

--
Pardee
North-central Indiana
pgu...@family.kconline.com