Originally Posted by wunderkind

That Carmel look more like a comfort bike. If you are riding far, you'd want something with a more aggresive frame geometry. If I have to choose b/t this bike and a mtb, I'd get mtb hardtail.
But if you plan to just bumble about at the nearest bike paved path or boardwalks, then the Carmel will do the trick.
Better yet, get a performance hybrid. It's almost like a road bike but with straight bars.