Tried to do everything with a hybrid and two sets of wheels for the last three years, but found it was really limiting the kind of trails I could tackle off road - just too stable and limited tyre choice. Now keep the hybrid just for road and have a hardtail to complement it, and gotta say I'm having way more fun off road now - though the MTB sucks big time on tarmac! Never felt the need for an ultralight roadie...so I'd say two bikes is the sweet spot for me.
Bike Forum
Any one use one bike for everything
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Posted 12 months ago #
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For about 15 years I used one bike (Giant-mountain-bike-£300-job followed by a Kona Explosif....that's two bikes....I know, but I didn't use them at the same time!!!) for everything. Did about 150 miles per week commuting to work plus off road rides. At one time I did have two sets of wheels, one shod with Spesh nimbus commuter tyres, but after being caught in the snow and having the worst, coldest, longest commute ever I gave that up and just used mtb tyres for everything.
Since then I became a bike aholic and now I have 7 bikes. Up until last year when I went out with a lady who was doing the Fred Whitton they were all 26" mtbs. Now I have a 700c hybrid/cx thing which eats the road WAY better than a mountain bike.
BUT
I still prefer mountain bikes and even on road rides on them I'm not craving for a 700c bike.
Keep the two. Having several bikes does tend to keep you interested.
Posted 12 months ago # -
Being drawn in the direction of just using the hummingbird for everything with two sets of wheels. I have tried road bikes in past but just prefer the mountain bike set up. I relies not as quick but that does not really bother me to much and i regularly ride of road on my way home when able.
Posted 12 months ago # -
I used to have one and now I have three. Yes you can make do with one, but if you ride xc, downhill, dirt jumps and road then it is more fun with a few different bikes.
Posted 12 months ago # -
I have 3 bikes - Giant Defy for the road, Cotic Soul for trail/xc/razzing round the woods etc and a Specialized Pitch for when the terrain gets a bit more demanding or i want to push it more.
Even with 3 bikes i feel compromised at times, missing from my collection are a 4x style bike and a dh bike but i cover most bases with the 3.
The idea of one bike to do it all is a moon on a stick scenario imo unless your riding is limited to one style. You can do it all on one, i'd choose my Cotic Soul if i had to only have one but hopefully i'm never put in that situation!Posted 12 months ago # -
I used to have a road bike, an everyday commuter type bike (fixed) and a singlespeed On One Inbred. I sat down and thought about it recently and tried to work out what I liked and what I didn't, as its the commuter that gets the majority of the work. Being 6ft5" means I can't commute on an MTB even with the post right up, I just find them too small. I came to the conclusion that I liked singlespeed but liked having the option of gears at a future date. I also wasn't too bothered about suspension and enjoy riding rigid, so I consolidated to an On One Pompetamine (the availability of future gears as its got guides for a hub gear) and built it up using most of the parts from my Inbred and building some new wheels, though still based around singlespeed Pro2's from the Inbred.
It's a really great crossover bike, perfect for the sort of riding I do (primarily rubbish London roads due to commuting) but also capable off road with clearance for about 42c tyres at the weekend. Also, the feeling of Mono Mini's in central London is second to none to be reassured.
Posted 12 months ago # -
not really tbh I suppose you could have a road bike that you can take off road if required ..like the poster above...but you are compromising massively IMHO unless you love rigid off road riding or dragging suspension forks everywhere on road.
Posted 12 months ago # -
The Pompetameanie's a nice bike but it's only a do everything bike if your idea of everything is not very everythingy.
Posted 12 months ago # -
CF Roadie/cotic soul/glory.
jobs a good un.
Posted 12 months ago # -
many moons ago I had a sh#t job and not much money, so economics dictated that I could only have one bike. Orange Clockwork - couldn't drive so no car, worked shifts so no bus/train. Used to run worn out nobby tyres as semi slicks during the commute and then remove the mudguards and rack and fit decent tyres for the weekend rides/races.
So it'svery doable , but to be honest its a proper pain in the ar#e - getting back from an epic ride on a sunday evening knowing that before you go to bed you've got to clean the bike,change the tyres, fit the mudguards/racks etc. 'cos you're back out on it at 5am, can be a bit dreary, especially mid winter when its raining.I've now got a better job, 5 bikes (can drive but choose not to).
TBH - two bikes is probably the best option, one to fuel your passion (either very nice road bike, or very nice mtb etc.) and one for the daily grind ( in my case a Kona Sutra, for the commute, shopping, and some camping trips and a Sanderson Life for real off road riding etc. Theother 3 are more sentimental value , Clockwork that I've had for ever is now SS, Scott racing hardtail,son uses it and cheap road bike on turbo trainer - probably gets more use as a clothes prop TBH)Posted 12 months ago # -
The Pompetameanie's a nice bike but it's only a do everything bike if your idea of everything is not very everythingy.
I completely agree. Living in London at the moment made me try to be realistic, however, and it fits basically everything within 80 miles of my house. Anything beyond it's means and I'd just put everything back in the Inbred for the weekend (convenient spare wheelset).
Posted 12 months ago # -
Gone from 4 to 1.
The bike I have now suits 95% of the riding I like to do.
Started to feel a bit silly having thousands of pounds worth of bikes, sitting in my studio, not being ridden much.Posted 12 months ago #
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