I would guess yes that most of my riding would be on pavement in the outstart. Due to my fitness level, I won't be able to do much whether it's pavement or dirt.

I will be riding some sidewalks (no one ever walks on these sidewalks) and it's always rough around the man hole covers b/c the pavement is always at several different levels. On a road type bike, it can be an unpleasant jarring experience and these areas occur every several hundred feet. So, part of the desire for wide cushy tires comes from just riding those areas. I do have some trails within a reasonable distance from home.

In a nutshell, I just want a relatively inexpensive bike that I can keep in the truck and ride when the opportunity presents itself no matter where I might find myself. So, I'm kind of leaning towards a mtn bike, but I realize the FX bike could serve the purpose and it already has a rigid fork. Since none of the entry level mtn bikes come with a rigid fork, seems like my best bet is an older used model.

When I inquire at the Trek stores about a replacement rigid fork, they give me the price range of $75 to $100, but I want to see a picture of what would work. If it would make the bike look hideous, then that may change my mind totally. I just don't know how to figure out what measurements that I need to take into consideration when looking for a rigid steel fork for the 26" wheels. I know the stock one has 75mm of travel, but that's about all I know.