As my background is more MTB than Road, my solution is a 23lb rigid fork MTB framed bike with 2.1" semislicks. The wide tires deal with the dirt better and I give up very little to cyclocross bikes on asphault. I do give up the top end gearing though as the best I have is 32/11. Here in CT though there are few enough flat places for that lack of gearing to matter.