Not to beat a dead horse, but a proper cross bike can be exactly what you're looking for (and this coming from someone that regularly commutes on 26" tires). My single speed cross bike can get over or through anything. With semi-knobbies, you can trek across any gravel or sandy strewn stuff, and still have lower rolling resistance than pure knobbies when out on the pavement. No way your friend's bike should have been "all over the road" unless there was something else going on with the bike. Oh, and FTR, you will need to learn how to negotiate pot holes when there is no way around them--getting familiar with the bunny hop will go a long way to prolonging your wheels...