Road Fan
I'd like to show a pic but am a Luddite and cannot manage the utilities on this site. Please no helpful hints, you won't live long enough to teach me. If you are interested enough you could PM me and I can manage to send as an email attachment.
The bike in question is a '60 Bernard Carré. Salient features for rough roads include 65mm fork rake and 44cm chainstay. Currently has 27mm tubular rear and 30mm front. Also original to the bike Araya 16B rims, which have now been in continuous production for at least 62 years. Flat rims and tubular rims contribute a lot to ride and are plenty strong enough to bash if well built. These are original build. This is not a touring bike, not even likely a rando bike. A race bike for what roads were like when it was built. Moto Grand Touring is not a race bike but still had great features for comfort into 70s.
Early morning email to me tells that my friend went back to the LBS that gave him the demo and got another one that performs just fine. Though he is now thinking custom steel. No reason new bikes can't work. Also no reason to believe that just because a bike is new or modern means the designer had a clue.