Thank you for all the information thus far. While I’m not a big fan of the “off-road” biking, “on-road” biking around where I live is just plain dangerous. I like the idea of riding on fire trails or “rails to trails,” but can’t limit myself to those -- who doesn’t like speed sometimes?
Some conclusions or basic principles I’ve drawn from reading all the information and links attached to this or similar questions. Please feel free to correct a misunderstanding.
1. While almost any bike is a good bike for almost any style of riding, more time on an improper bike leads to stress on the bike and or rider.
2. Wheels are a good thing to pay attention to, reasonably.
3. Bikes seem to be marketed on ideas, and in turn whole-heartedly defended or repudiated.
4. Comfort in the parking lot doesn’t necessarily translate to comfort at 100 miles. Fitness and practice leads to that.
5. There is a “component-spec/ fanaticism” symbiosis: the more you pay attention to one, the more it feeds the other.