I've had mine three years and love it. I rode a couple of different brand "rode" bikes before I bought mine. It has 32's and I'm about to change out to 28's, maybe even 25's. I bought it because of the kind of riding I do - all on pavement, but I want to get a little recreational use out of it if I want - ride with the grandkids at the park, wear my tenny shoes if I want, go off road IF I want (but never will). With a rode bike, you don't have a lot of options. I did the HH100 on it and had a respectable time. I was maintaining about a 19-20 mph pace the first 30 miles. I didn't get a flat either at the rest stops due to slightly bigger tires and a lot of luchk! My friends say I'm losing about 1.5 mph with the 32's, but it's probably my weight - I'm a big guy. My opinion: it's pretty much a rode bike with different brakes and tires. Has the drop down bars, and you can't tell it's not a straight rode bike without taking a good look. Really glad I have THIS bike - I think cross bikes are gaining in popularity because they're versatile.