I hear ya/know the area well
Your roads are probably almost as bad as ours here in SW Ontario
If anything like the same, I'd go with the FCR as an 'everyday/commuting' bike; tire capacity would also allow you to ride deeper into the winter/start up earlier in late winter/spring. Pretty usable bike, really; you could always go for a pure road bike later, if and when time/money/inclination allow.