Great Lakes - Michigan Metro Parks - Which Trek to Use?

Never been to a Michigan metro park, but received a map of their 13(?) parks yesterday. Here's a website that describes these metro parks, and where you can order maps:
http://www.metroparks.com/activities/biking.php

Although many in this forum have several bikes, one each for a particular ride, do any of you just have one beater bike bike and one high dollar road bike ... but have more than one set of wheels/tires for the high dollar bike?

One reason I'm targeting a Trek Pilot is that is appears to be a happy medium between comfort and road-efficiency. The wheel/tire set that comes with the bike would be great for club rides, but would the following [Pilot 5.9] combination be practical for metroparks or MUPs?
Wheels = Bontrager Race X Lite (too thin for traction in Michigan metro parks?)
Tires = Bontrager Race X Lite, 700 x 23c, folding (too delicate for park riding?)

Do any of you have more than one set of wheels/tires for your high dollar bike ... one for parks & MUPs ... one for club rides/century ride ... and is this a realistic approach for trying to have the "best of both [off-road & road] worlds"? If this is a realistic approach, could you recommend a good wheel/tire set for the Pilot 5.9, for doing rides in metroparks and MUPs?

If it is not practical to keep a set of metro park wheels/tires (or just a set of metro park tires) for your road bike, which would be a better off-road bike for casual riding ... mostly on pavement ... but also some on unpaved areas ... in Michigan metro parks: Trek 7.7 FX fitness bike or Trek X02 cyclocross?

To me the question is, are you going on metropark roads, metropark paved MUPs, or metropark unpaved mountain bike paths? If the first two, any good road wheels should be ideal, just depending on your preference for skinny tire (22mm) or fatter tire (say 28 to 35 mm). I would even be tempted to take the road bike off road on a set of cyclocross tires, but call me crazy (join the club!).

I don't have a new high dollar bike, I have a team of high-end classic steel bikes. I can keep one set up as classic '70s road racer, one as a classic British sport0tourer, one as a moderniish do-it mostly commuter, et cetera. For your Trek Pilot idea, check with the shop as to whether the frame allows you much clearance for big tires up to and including say 34 mm 'cross clinchers or tubulars. You might want to target a frame more oriented towards cyclocross racing, then get a set of nifty road wheels as the second set-up.

What club do you ride with? I see you're located Downriver, I think that's a real nice group of pedallers! I'm thinkign of joining the Ann Arbor Bicycle touring Society, since I'm located out West here.

What club do you ride with? I see you're located Downriver, I think that's a real nice group of pedallers! I'm thinkign of joining the Ann Arbor Bicycle touring Society, since I'm located out West here.
I joined a couple of clubs, but haven't participated anywhere: Clinton River Riders based in Fraser, and AABTS based in Ann Arbor. Still working out logistics when weather and time permits. What kind of British

I'm wondering if the Trek Pilot would accommodate wider (more comfortable) wheels, as mentioned by you and others. Based on that, and based on my hobbit body size, I'm leaning more towards a custom bike: I'm 5'3" with short legs relative to my height, and my pubic bone height is 29". I've been given a lot of thought to both the Serotta Ottrott custom bike, and also to the retrograde styles of the Rivendell bikes.

If I may ask, is anyone familiar with these bikes or possibly have one, that could provide comment?

I joined a couple of clubs, but haven't participated anywhere: Clinton River Riders based in Fraser, and AABTS based in Ann Arbor. Still working out logistics when weather and time permits. What kind of British

I'm wondering if the Trek Pilot would accommodate wider (more comfortable) wheels, as mentioned by you and others. Based on that, and based on my hobbit body size, I'm leaning more towards a custom bike: I'm 5'3" with short legs relative to my height, and my pubic bone height is 29". I've been given a lot of thought to both the Serotta Ottrott custom bike, and also to the retrograde styles of the Rivendell bikes.

If I may ask, is anyone familiar with these bikes or possibly have one, that could provide comment?

'Rad, I have a 1980 Woodrup Giro in 53 cm sizing. Full db 531, hand made in Leeds, takes 700C or 27's. I have a fairly modern Campy drivetrain, 21 speeds friction shifted. It has an upgrade to 9-speed indexing in its future. It's similar in geometry to the classic Trek sport-tourers, with long chainstay and fairly low trail. Very cushy and stable ride. Also a classic Masi, a Mondonico, and a Trek 610, all early '80s bikes. I just put 32 mm tubular cyclo-cross tires on the Trek.

Price difference between a Rivendell and an Ottrott is huge, you know.

You'll probably just have to work with the dealer to see if wider wheels will fit on the Pilot, but I'd still challenge if you really need wider tires. The upper Pilots, like the Specialized Roubaix, are oriented to excellent comfort with skinny tires.

BTW, I'm not converted to the wider tire craze. I like them a little wider, but I don't see going bigger than 28's for my uses. I really like tubulars, anyway.

Road Fan