The best bike for... everything?

[Swan]

I'm looking into getting a new bike, but I don't even know through which type I should look. Most websites list bike types as being for this OR for that, and hybrid seems to come the closest... but I don't know if it could hold up against some of the rougher patches I often come across.

I bike for both short and long distances (from 2-20 miles), and on an equal variety of very hilly terrain.
This is what I encounter on a daily basis:

Paved roads
-pocked with craters
-smooth and new
-brick and tile
-loose gravel
-large, jagged gravel
-designated biking lanes

Wood-slat bridges

Off-road
-soft beach sand
-thick, slushy mud
-dirt roads
-forest paths (roots, rocks, sticks, and pits)
-biking trails
-grassy areas beside roads

Please keep in mind that I ride over all of this each day, and that the area is nothing but hills...

Speed isn't an issue for now, but I'm sure that one day (and probably soon) it will be. But is there a bike to accommodate all of these terrains? I'm usually on the pavement sections for about 2/3 of any given ride, but that other 1/3 can be a huge pain. I'm starting out on a Granite Peak Roadmaster right now and it just isn't cutting it... but I'm not too interested in an Entry Level bike, either, as I've heard I'll just grow out of it in a year anyway.

I'm pretty sure I'm looking at either a hybrid or a mountain bike, but if anyone can confirm one way or another which one I should focus on, I'd really appreciate it.

[Swan]

I'll look into all of the links, thanks!!

The only problem I can see is that in order to get onto pavement, I first have to go through dirt roads (which turn to slush in the rain). This isn't a problem if I drive, but when cycling it can be a problem. I live in rural country-side Florida, where at least 1/2 of all roads are paved with dirt... so you can maybe see my dilemma!

[indysteel]

What Muirenn said. I'd go with a cross bike like the Cross Check but for the sand and mud.

[Swan]

The area here is very rainy as we're just off the coast, but because of all the hills and road angles the water doesn't keep to the roads too much. I road through a light rain today, for instance, and wouldn't mind riding through a downpour so long as visibility was alright... but that probably wouldn't happen terribly often...

I will definitely call the closest few LBS to see if they have any in store I can ride

[tulip]

What kind of hills are we talking about? The reason I ask is that you mentioned hills and then you mentioned Florida. The two just don't go together in my mind, but I could be very wrong.

The Cross Check seems like an ideal bike at first glance, but if you really have true hills, you might need a triple chainring. If they are just Florida hills, however, you probably don't. In any case, the Cross Check doesn't come with a triple chainring off the rack, as far as I know.

There are other cyclocross bikes besides Surly, so just keep that in mind. Jamis, Redline, Bianchi to name a few. The main thing is that the bike fit you. I'm currently riding a 2003 Jamis Coda and I put 700x35 cyclocross tires on it and it works great in all kinds of conditions. It has a triple chainring, which I really appreciate since I live on top of a very steep (in my world) hill. I only wish it had drop bars, but that is cost prohibitive so I'm making do with flat bars at the moment. It's a great bike and I'm very pleased that I've resurrected it.

[Swan]

Hi, tulip! Thanks for your input. The part of Florida I'm in has both steep hills and "invisible" hills as the land hasn't been cleared or settled for city/town life yet... we're just a tiny village on a bunch of rolling hills with some steep cut-offs. I'm actually right by Falling Waters, which is famous for its sinkholes... and those sinkholes haven't stayed within park property lol

There are very few flat stretches aside from the highway (which is approximately ~18 miles from my house). I don't mind installing a triple if I need to, but I'll keep in mind the other sellers and models as well!

[zoom-zoom]

Ooh ooh...I wish this bike had been around for 2011, when I got my Redline Conquest. I would kill for disc brakes on a CX bike (the low-rent cantilever brakes on my bike are nearly worthless). And if I could only have one bike, it would be CX.

[Swan]

Hello, zoom-zoom! Thanks for the bike recommendation. Is there anything in particular that would make the Redline Conquest stand out over the other bikes previously mentioned? I read into it but so far can't tell what makes one bike better than the next for my needs.