Hi chaps,

There’s a few threads doing the rounds that all have a lot of comments about people on ‘inappropriate’ bikes.

How many of you have bought a bike that’s only suitable for a few rides you do each year, and would be better off on something different. And… Why did you go down that route?

No sneering involved, genuinely interested from thread mutterings

Ricks

take a look at those “gnarmac” threads – 🙄 ( 😉 )

(honestly, though, I tried riding a crosser in the new forest: horrible IMO)

Completely inappropriate

Patriot when I could get away with no suspension at all

I’m 48 & still ride my BMX occasionally, my wife thinks it’s inappropriate…

I build up a 4k am bike late last year. However all the riding we have started doing since march is more pushup or uplift, so I got a dh bike, right tool for the job and all that.
Not really sure what I’m going to use the am bike for now to be honest apart for 1 or 2 enduros a year.

My bikes were always overbuilt and some times were never the right tool for the job. A big sort out and now both bikes are suited to what they do.

My 160mm bike is theoretically overkill for what I ride but I love it and I don’t care!

My gnarmac bike is a All City macho man disc, which is probably the most appropriate bike for me. My inappropriate bike is a Surly Krampus but by Jove it’s fun.

Maybe in other people’s eyes, certainly not in my own.

Is a fat bike ever appropriate?

My Pitch wasnt, it was great on trips away but rubbish in the SE.

What I really need is a 100-120mm 29er.

may I suggest looking in here

about 99% of MTBers i see/know local, all on gnarpoon weapons, none of them ride enduros, none of them ride any further away than Sherwood, even my tallboy with sids is overkill for round here, (lincolnshire)

Slightly overbuilt 160mm AM/enduro/trail bike.

Could quite easily get by with my old 130mm HT on local stuff, but the compromises I have to make with the big bike are so small IMHO (lose a little on the flat and really right twisty stuff, but faster, easier and more fun everywhere else) that I tend to ride the FS most of the time. The HT really only comes out when the other one’s broken or I fancy a change/sharpening up session.

On really special occasions, the pretty much original 2001 Trailstar with its barely effective 80mm Z4s gets an outing. If I was brutally honest, that’s all I really need for the local woods.

EDIT. I’m not too far away from dirtyrider geographically in the grand scheme of things (certainly no big hills or rocks round here), and most of us do ride big old 160mm machines. To be fair though we all do a couple of enduros a year, and regularly travel out to ride the Peaks, Wales, etc.

My only bike at present is a (rather lovely) hardtail. It’s perfect for local stuff and Welsh trail centres, but I’d like a gnarpoon for uplift days and bigger stuffs (no idea what I’ll get though)

I’ve got a full sus carbon xc bike that I bought around 5 years ago, at the time costing well into superbike territory. Max recommended weight is 80kg. I’m currently 93kg. I’ve not even sat on it for about 3 years, and probably done 300 miles on it in total.

The bike that actually gets used is a 160/150mm beast that is way over specced for the flatlands of Fife.

I ride in the peak with 160mm travel. I had just as much fun on my old 130mm bike, though the bigger one is fun in different ways. I like it. It’s that ‘inappropriate’?

Judging by how many folk didn’t return a “Hi” or nod to me at the trail centre the other day, me?

Fat bike, we’ve only had 2″ snow on one day for the last 3 years & I live as far from a beach as you can in the UK. Been riding it for 8 months & sold my FS coz I never use it

Only in the context of current trends, 26″ wheels, 4″ travel, 1 1/8 headset, QR front and back, 3 x 9. But still rips down trails and gives me mucho smiles 🙂

Me – 160mm enduro bike, super gravity tyres, 203 rotors etc etc. Built for riding and racing abroad and as my only bike, I wanted to spec it in a way that I never have to think about it.

Always funny to shake down someone who pulls the usual “overbiked” bullshit.

At the end of the day if someone is out on their bike enjoying them self, that’s good enough for me.

@colournoise… Not convinced the Peak requires 160mm 😉 if it makes you smile and it isn’t unmanageable for climbs it’s all good though.

Went out for a spin on my cx bike. Completely inappropriate considering it’s bone dry out there for now!

Ride my 100mm xc hard tail 29er everywhere. It’s the perfect bike for my local trails and races, fits like a glove, and has improved my riding no end since switching from a 150mm full susser. Got some funny looks at bpw when I took it on the uplift, and have had a fair few comments from riders who think trails are impossible on anything other than a big all mountain rig. In so many other people’s eyes it inappropriate. To me it’s perfect.

+1 Notter.

vincienup – Member

@colournoise… Not convinced the Peak requires 160mm if it makes you smile and it isn’t unmanageable for climbs it’s all good though.

True enough. Before I got the Alpine I rode it on the HT. The big bike actually climbs the techy uphills better and means I can hoon the rocky descents rather than mincily pick a line down.

My most used “bike” is inappropriate for every single ride I do on it.

Sorry for the hijack… Scaredypants, what was so wrong about it? Currently considering a cross bike vs a gnarmac bike, mainly for New Forest/fire roads/Tarmac, and am leaning towards a CAAADX…

Sorry for the hijack… Scaredypants, what was so wrong about it? Currently considering a cross bike vs a gnarmac bike, mainly for New Forest/fire roads/Tarmac, and am leaning towards a CAAADX…

There is nothing wrong with it – a cross bike is perfect for riding around the New Forest. There is no faster bike to use.
The forest is pretty much fire roads and compact single track. I used a single speed cross bike for 2 years as my only bike before moving to a fixed brakeless track bike to add a bit more excitement to the ride (yes the forest is that lacking in anything challenging)
Currently back on a SS rigid MTB as it is just more fun to ride but I can’t match the speed I did on the track bike.

When it comes to riding fire roads and the like there really isn’t that much difference between a track bike, cross bike or road bike if you put the same tyres on all of them and any differences go after a couple of rides.

I thought a gnarmac was a cx bike? 😯

I ride my Cotic BFe 95% of the time and a Soul would probably be more suited (but was more expensive so I got the BFe). My Covert is holidays only and aside from a few tune up rides recently will be getting its first serious work next week for 3 years. It’s not so much that’s it’s unsuitable that I’ve been unable to ride it much as I haven’t been able to take the sort of “away” trips to do the bike justice or do any enduro events where it would be faster than the HT

For the 1st time in my life I’m pretty much spot on. Used to have a 160mm coil forked bike and it was perfect for the yearly alps trip and big mountains but most of my riding was small mountains and trail centers – over biked for sure.

When I got to Whistler I deliberately bought a 140mm bike because a) I didn’t want to be tempted to ride it in the park too much and b) I thought that most of the trails outside the park probably wouldn’t need a 160mm bike. I was half right, all the trails in the valley are ridable on 140mm but on some of the double blacks like Crazy Train a slightly biker bike with a slacker head angle would of made things a tad less hairy!

I have two bikes in regular use. Either is too much for what I do with it but I don’t care, I’m riding a bike and enjoying it!

For reference I have a Santa Cruz bronson for all mtb activities and a kinesics cross light for the really gentle/road stuff.

I used being overbiked as an excuse to buy a cx bike – am hoping it will improve my fitness eventually, once I get off the internet and stop drinking Malbec

Probably tomorrow then

Using my giant trance x1 to cycle around a flattish circuit of road and gravel wasn’t using it to the full potential for sure

I rode the Enduro2 the other week, went straight to a job in Thetford. Changed the tyres at the side of the road and rode the Thetford trails at 13.9mph average.

Loved every second and had a manic smile on my face the whole time.

If i’m smiling it’s appropriate….

Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

Here’s a new meaning of ‘inappropriate’ Inappropriate bike for Glentrool Forest (Spesh Allez with skinny tyres) Inappropriate clothing to ride a road bike & inappropriate body shape/mass index to ride anything!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/vTEyrD]Minigaff trip 018[/url] by jimmyg352, on Flickr

Me – 160mm enduro bike, super gravity tyres, 203 rotors etc etc. Built for riding and racing abroad and as my only bike, I wanted to spec it in a way that I never have to think about it.

Put 180mm rotors and ‘normal’ tyres on then for riding in the UK.

I’ve loads of bits/pieces and pretty much can build either of my bikes up for anything from XC to full-on Enduro. Although living now somewhere rocky the really lightweight kit has been pretty much destroyed.

fallsoffalot – Member
Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

Better to just have the correct bike.

I just find that running out of travel/brake force/grip is what makes biking fun. There is no inappropriate bike, just different bikes.

+1 bombjack