I bought my Kona Jake as a reward for weight loss and couldn't be happier with it. Rails to trails, gravel, road riding, a few muddy spots after a rain, doing a century in August. I see zero reason for a skinny tired race bike in my future. If you want an all around bike, it's really hard to beat a cross bike. I find myself saying all the time "I'm sure glad I didn't get a roady". Obviously some folks are road bike folks and some are not, my other bike is a hybrid and I think it is wonderful too where a lot of folks would laugh at it.