>>1211141Really depends on your preferences, where you live, etc. Road bikes are great on dirt roads that are reasonably firm and in good condition - sand and gravel are no problem as long as your tires are wide enough that you aren't constantly sinking into the surface.
>>1211136Looks like a very basic crankset where the rings are permanently riveted to the crank arms, so you'd probably need to replace the whole crankset as a unit. The cheapest way to get higher gears would be to go to an LBS that has used parts or a bike Coop and get an old double crankset (an extremely common component) that you can swap in.
