Originally Posted by
kevrider
a cyclocross bike can do what you're asking. i'm sure you can find one that takes fenders and they can handle singletrack. i know Bianchi Volpe's have mounting holes.
I ride a crosser on singletrack. It's fun, but not the same way as an MTB. You have to make sure you hit every tree root right or you'll spill - such are the limits of 35mm tyres. And if you want to take reasonable drops or you can ride fast over rock strewn tracks... well, just get another type of bike that can take fatter tyres and maybe a suspension fork.Otoh, on the terrain it will handle a crosser is tremendous fun - it will zoom along like a rocket, but you'll have to concentrate every moment of the ride.
I'd definitely consider a 29er with Salsa Bell Laps (cyclocross drop handlebars) as a best of all worlds bike. There are ways of getting the gear changing to work.