Originally Posted by
spencejm
So what do you think? Buy a cross bike and swap to road tires for long paved road rides or a road bike and swap to heavier tires for the trail?
Most road bikes won't accept very wide tires. I think 28 mm tires is max for most road bikes, and many can't even accept those. It's also a pain to install fenders or racks on road bikes (that's why I bought me a cross bike and not a roadie). I think a cross bike with thinner tires or a touring bike would be a good choice for you.