Thanks for all the tips. I tested the following bikes: Marin DS-1; Fuji Traverse 1.7; Diamondback Hanjo Metro, Trek Ds1, and Giant Roam 3. Ended up buying the Giant Roam 3. Primary reason: the shifting was quite forgiving to my relatively untrained hands - more so than the other models that I tested. I also liked the tire width - the 38 mm seemed just right for what I intended to do. One other option that I really liked is that one can lock the front shocks, that I don't believe I saw in the other ones. I have now put in about 50 miles, and I could not be happier. Ascending / descending on trails (I have done about 25 miles of trails) were quite nice. On the road, also, it did serve well. I tried riding on a cobbled street - which wasn't as uncomfortable as I expected. I did have to request two mods to the bike right after my test ride. I had to raise the handle bar a little; and get a more comfortable saddle. Again, I do that all the responders for their comments.