Peter, I live in a town in VT with virtually no paved roads so a lot of my riding is on dirt roads and nearly all of them, at the least, begin and end with a couple of miles of dirt roads. Tire size capacity is certainly a big variable in choosing a frame. I ride 35's (actual) when I will be on dirt roads most of the time and really like the combination of comfort, grip, and responsiveness. I don't think you necessarily need anything bigger than that, but there are times, like winter, when having the ability to put a big studded tire on is nice.
If I were in your place, and could afford it, I would leap at the Atlantis. You can run Jack Browns for cruising around the many great paved roads in the Adirondack Park and go bigger if you want to ride dirt. Upstate NY soils are noticeably sandier than VT, so bigger may be a help. Also, Don't let brake choice drive the decision. I rode side pull almost exclusively for 25 years but have gradually switched over entirely to cantis and center pulls because they work so well and give better fender clearance. If you spring for the Atlantis, also go for a nice set of Paul's Neo Retros. They are very easy to set up, at least the second time you do it, and will last as long as the bike. Sometimes life doesn't present us with any good choices, this is one of those times when there isn't a bad choice! Enjoy, michael -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rbw-owners-bunch/-/0JFbqwzG_CUJ. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
