Rough riding on secondary roads?

[Liteitup]

It's all about suspension travel.  The GS is like riding a magic carpet on rough roads compared with R/RS

It's no slouch on the open road either. It's pretty nice to be able to stretch out standing on the pegs and not be over the front wheel.

In re OP's secondary roads; in my experience the GS is much better than the RS on what we call "paved goat paths", county roads in various states of repair and disrepair. We don't look for gravel, but we don't turn around for it either if it connects our route. I could never get comfortable on the RS in gravel, I could do it but it wasn't pleasant. The GS shines in gravel, it's not even a contest.

There's no perfect bike. But I'm still looking .