I had a singlespeed hack bike that started out life as a singlespeed MTB and then became a singlespeed slick tyred commuter. I split it up last week after realising that whenever I rode it I would rather have been on one of my other bikes.

Sure I’ll now spend a bit more on drivetrains on the other bikes, but it’s nice riding a bike that I like rather than a bike that I tolerate.

Saying that, my mountain bike is now hardtail so there is less maintenance involved after I fell out with the bushing play in the back end of my Anthem.

@tomhuges – it definitely wasn’t a stupid question. I think a disproportionate amount of wear and tear takes place in certain conditions (typically winter) so it makes total sense to have a hack bike if your budget allows (eg HT with cheap drivetrain, wheels and brakes for worst of winter weather XC, eg like April !).

This

stumpyjon – Member

Never understood the whole having a winter & summer bike. I’ve a decent FS & decent HT, I choose which one depending on where I’m riding and how I feel, weather doesn’t come into really.

and this

butcher – Member

What I’m struggling to understand here is where you would ride your bike?

If you’re seriously into racing, then I think that’s fair enough keeping an expensive bike finely tuned and in tip top condition just for that.

Otherwise a trail centre seems the perfect place for it. It’s probably less muddy there than most other places, so unless you ride it around the block a couple of times once a month, there’s not really anywhere more forgiving to ride it…

I don’t see the point of hack bikes. I just have bikes, they are made to be ridden so I ride them.

Having said that my race bike gets much less use than my others cos it’s set up for racing and is hence not as suitable for the local trails, but it’s still had plenty of use.

They’re bikes not works of art – ride them.

If you don’t like your bike getting dirty, stay at home and watch TV.

I think this thread highlights the differnce between roadie thinking and MTB’ers thinking. The OP claimed to have a road background, this best bike thing may even make sense on the road, I’m not sure? Mountain bikes get muddy and f*cked up, fact.

I agree if you race bike you may have it for that reason and that reason alone. The price of drivetrains has come down so much now thanks to our European cousins shipping them over nice and cheap, I mean you can get a complete SLX train for about 100 Euros and thats going to last atleast two years. Do we really need XT / XTR / X0 above SLX, no really? It’s probably harder wearing anyway……..?

1st rule, don’t ride in wet sand (Cannock)

2nd rule Ride it like you stole it

Mountain bikes are hack bikes

Op why not just walk?

The weather/ likelihood of trashing a component doesn’t dictate if I ride my HT or my much more expensive FS, terrain and how I feel does.

They’re robust “mountain” bikes FFS, generally designed to be ridden through crud and over rocks etc

Got a five which I thought was great for blatting over the chase until a couple of years ago when a gritty November night wrote off the shiny xtr rear mech.
When I went to buy a replacement mech and saw the price (130 or so quid!) , there was also a new ss29er on sale at £400 odd quid.
Got it me self as a chrimbo pressie and never looked back. Fives been ridden 8/9 times since. Although obviously it doesn’t look as ‘cool’ its shedloads more fun, lots less faff and cheap(er)

I keep my race bike for racing. The tyres are fragile, the transmission and forks expensive. For training/rides I have an XT level bike and a singlespeed for when it’s really horrid, both are rigid and fitted with more durable tyres. No point trashing suspension and a £150 XTR cassette over the winter when I could trash a £50 XT one instead.