"My bike was thought out by me to be a 50/50 road/offroad bike" ... makes perfect sense to me! My main bike prior to my getting the Sirrus last year was a Giant Rainier -- designed as, and marketed as, a hardtail mtb. That is what it was, until I got through with it. I turned it into what was -- and still is -- a 'hybrid': road cassette (12-25), mixed surface tires (currently Vittoria Randonneur) and some other changes/upgrades to shed weight etc.: a "50/50 road/offroad bike." That's what I wanted -- that's how I've set it up -- that's how I use it. I purchased the Sirrus because I also wanted a more precisely-focussed 'road bike.'