
I'm looking to purchase a new bike for riding on bike paths and trails, mainly for increasing fitness. I currently have a 2000 or 2001 Avanti Agressor Pro MTB (I can't remember the exact year) and whilst it does the job quite well, I feel it's a bit of overkill for the task, and it's a rather heavy bike which might be slowing me down a bit. Obviously rider weight plays a big impact too (I'm 5'8 and ~80kgs), but I can't help but feel frustrated climbing hills on the paths and watching everyone else whizz past! I am reasonably fit so I wouldn't say strength (or lack of) is the cause for this. My usual tracks are the Dandenong Creek, Ringwood-Belgrave, and Ferny / Blind Creek trails.
So I've been researching various options:
a) A flat-bar road bike (preferable to drop bars due to pre-existing back/neck injuries)
b) A hybrid bike with suspension
c) A lighter MTB
But I can't really figure out which would be the best option? Having ridden the Gardiner's Creek Trail, option a) or b) would be a no-brainer, as the path is nice and smooth. But my usual bike paths are not in the same shape, with cracks and other deformations scattered throughout the journey. I guess I've been lucky that having some suspension has smoothed out the bumps a bit. Although I've seen many road bikes use these paths, but I'm not sure how comfortable the ride would be in some places (particularly on gravel sections) with rigid forks?
I did go to the LBS to try and get some answers and maybe a test ride or two, but the only staff member I saw was too 'busy' doing whatever he was doing, and had no interest in serving me! So I walked out. Fortunately it's not the only one nearby, but in the meantime I thought I'd get some ideas as to what type of bike would be the best option. After that I could maybe drill down into specific bikes. I would like to spend no more than $1000.
Thanks in advance!