You don't need the soul of a poet to feel the pull of the open road. But if you're going to make it home alive, you'll need more than a flute and a pair of sandals. You'll need a bike that's outfitted for adventure and ready to take on nearly any situation. We review five bikes purpose-built for your next big ride, whether it's road, off-road, or a little of both, plus packs shorts and more.

Mudhoney

I'm: Into Van Halen, scented candles and adventure rides in California's Sonoma County
You're: Not a cheap date, but tireless and up for nearly anything
We'll: Explore the California coast, grinding up 1,000-foot grades and searching for strands of old-growth redwood.

Seven's Mudhoney is equally at home on paved ribbons, gravel truck roads and smooth singletrack. The 3/2.5 straight-gauge titanium Mudhoney cyclocross frame, with its balance of durability (Ti doesn't rust) and value, should withstand any amount of mud and masochistic meanderings. A steel Vicious Cycles fork with rack and fender mounts adds maximum comfort, value (it costs $245 less than the Wound Up carbon' cross fork option) and a dash of flavor. Shimano's lower-end, black 9-speed 105 group lacks the jewel-like fit and finish of the Japanese giant's top- ranking Ultegra and Dura-Ace groups, but the function is superb and mud damage won't be too costly.

The Mudhoney is fast on pavement steady on dirt and manageable on singtetrack. We explored California's soggy winter coast between Jenner and Stewart's Point an area so rugged that even the original settlers, Russian fur trappers, were driven out. A tribute to Seven's custom geometry, the bike proved plush enough for excursions on logging roads, but snappy enough for tailwind stretches down the rolling coast road.

Improvements? The fork's blades could be slightly stiffer; they chattered under heavy braking. A 12/32 Shimano XT cassette would increase the gearing range, a necessity for rough dirt climbs and singletrack sessions.