Raleigh Furley

For the price, it’s hard to find a more versatile or fun bike than the Raleigh Furley. Its steel frame is the same one used in several other Raleigh models, and gives the bike a chameleon-like character. With drop bars, disc brakes, and a single-speed drivetrain, the Furley works great on gravel roads or doing the commute jitterbug (the frame mounts make it easy to attach racks and fenders). Toss on a derailleur, some lights, and spare spokes (yup, the frame has a place to store them) and you’re ready for a long-haul touring machine. This could be the affordable, one-bike solution to meet many of your needs.