Originally Posted by pdlamb

My answer to the "do anything" bike question is a touring bike. It's a road bike, it's heavy enough for (halfway decent) dirt roads, it'll take nice tires -- 32-35 or sometimes more, you can put a rack and panniers on it to get the load off your back, it gives you a good excuse for going slow up the hills with a pack of riders but doesn't slow you on the flats. But YMMV.

I want to address the "you'll feel every bump in your shoulders" nonsense. If you do, it's because you've locked your wrists and elbows. Keep them bent, relax the arms and shoulders just slightly, and you'll wonder where those bumps are.

(And please, please, insist on a decent ride before you buy! Give them a credit card or driver's license if you must, ask for a nice route, and take the bikes out for a mile or five.)