I dunno - I don't ride "off road" - I got the front sus MTB because Exeter's roads are full of potholes, and at the speed I ride, they come up too quick to take evasive action!  Also, there's a semi-drop curb that I have to cycle up/down to get round the back of my house, so the extra strength of the MTB wheels/forks is (to this paranoid user!) very worthwhile.

I might have to have a little chat with my local bike shop re the Shimano hub though - my derailliers are a pain in the arse!  (They are actually OK at the mo - some clicking yesterday must have been dirt in the sprocket)

BTW, I've done 1040 miles on mine since August '03, but I only ride to commute at the mo (and that's down to 3.9 miles a day at the mo).  Oh - and I **hate** cycling in the wet, so avoid that like the plague!  Maybe with disc brakes though, I'd be less of a wuss!