700 x 35's or 32's will let you go on dirt roads, fire roads, hard trails, and do just fine on the road. My wife has a Trek hybrid and we do 20 miles rides in the country all the time. I ride my mtb. so she can keep up with me and when we go down hills she passes me due to the better tires. We do dirt roads down in LA (Lower Alabama) with no problems. The suspension fork on her hybrid is a waste and just adds weight.
Do you have any pictures of your Raleigh?
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