Originally Posted by
MTP55
Wr have plenty of gravel roads, public trails, both paved and dirt. Would eventually like to take ourselves north for some different scenery. We live in Michigan.
For gravel roads and trails I favor a bike with wide tires and no suspension. Here's an example from Kona that I happen to like:
https://www.konaworld.com/dew.cfm
Those 47 mm wide tires on the Kona Dew will soak up a lot of rough pavement if you run them at lowish pressures. Going without suspensions means you don't lose energy to a bobbing front end. I run a Priority bicycle with rigid fork and the same tires on local singletrack.
The best thing is to visit some shops and get a feel for what's out there. Suspension is an option that you might prefer. I really do favor wide tires on gravel though. They are good for stability and bump absorption. Just MHO.