In last few years, I have toyed with the idea of getting a bicycle that suits my current needs - not going to label it as my last bicycle! 😉
I would like to have a touring/gravel (or whatever is current description) bicycle that can fulfill the following:
1. A more upright sitting position than typical road bikes,
2. Frame/fork geometry to allow stability (as in not too responsive/twitchy like some of my road bikes),
3. Able to accommodate tires up to 42 mm (I’ll probably use 32mm more often),
4. Belt driven (suggestions on belt versus chain),
5. internal gears hub [(Rohloff versus Shimano?) - I have never used a bicycle with hubs containing internal gears]!
6. Disk brakes (hydrolic versus mechanical)
7. Choice of frame material/supplier (I’m somewhat uncertain about carbon frames but feel more comfortable relying on various metal options).
8. I would prefer if the bike doesn’t weigh a ton (a ton in my bicycle world is about 30-32 lb).

Given the above list, I wish I could also say that cost is not an issue but to a degree, it will be. However, I do have several decent road bicycles that can be sold because some of them are barely getting used, the least used one is an old Waterford that was not inexpensive in its time (a couple of decades ago). I would probably save a couple and get rid of the rest.

I don’t see myself as trying to set any personal records of speed at this point. I’m more inclined to go relatively longer distances comfortably with as little worry about repairing a broken bicycle in the middle of towns that are miles away from me when it happens. Initially, I’ll limit the distance to under 70-80 miles per day for each of day trips. Once I’m feeling a little more adventurous, I’ll begin longer multiple days trips.

Suggestions?