I’m looking for a mtb for all disciplines, natural trails,trail centres, biking with the family, camping/center parcs trips.
I sold my on one inbred last year and haven’t replaced it so far, bought a new road bike so been concentrating on that.
But I’ve now got the itch again for mud/dirt and knobbly tyres.
So I need a bike that’s not overkill for trips/weekends away with the family, but on the other hand needs to be trail proof.
I like the look of the orange crush and nearly bought one last year but decided to get a road bike instead.
I’m guessing a full suss is overkill so hard tail is the way forward I think,
29 or 27.5 140mm travel max.
If I had the money I’d have a full suss and a hard tail but I haven’t so need to choose
Any ideas?
Anyone else in this predicament?

Parkwood in either 27.5 or 29 or a Codeine in 27.5

This thread offends the rule of n+1….
2 sets of wheels make a big difference at times

Bird Zero TR? I am seriously considering one for exactly the same reasons, I also want to do a bit of XC on it!

If I could only have one bike it would be my Stanton slackline, but everybodies riding requirements are different.

Bird Zero TR.

Sherpa!

140mm travel max

Less; 120mm max.

I have a Cotic BFe for exactly this reason – I can and do do all my riding on it 8)

Anyone else in this predicament?

Yep, constantly. In a while I will have enough saved up to get something a bit special, to me at least, but I can’t ever decide what – the custom steel frame I’ve always hankered after, or a bang up to date FS of some sort. A constant dilemma!

Fat bike. Does everything you requested and makes you grin and whoop everytime.

a decent HT with 120mm and a dropper would be my thoughts. I did just this for a while with my Soul, although after 2 yrs of it being my only MTB i added an Anthem SX last Spring.

If I had to go down to one MTB (shudder) it would be my Solaris with a nice light set of 29er wheels and a set of 27.5+ (chubby) wheels.

instant hit – Member
Fat bike. Does everything you requested and makes you grin and whoop everytime. go on and on and on about it like a broken record

Fify

HT is sounds like your best option, but everyone is going to recommend what they have (me too)

ANY HT will pretty much be fine – just buy what you fancy

I was in similar position earlier this year. Had a 150mm Kona full suss and a SS HT. Sold both and opted for a titus rockstar. 100mm fs 29er with dropper post. So far very impressed – comfortable for all day efforts (Strathpuffer) and fun for ragging around Glentress.

I’ve got the old Bird Zero, it does everything from nursery runs to enduro races. I tried a Nukeproof Mega and a Vitus Sentier recently and preferred the Zero on the bumpy stuff.

ANY HT will pretty much be fine – just buy what you fancy

This.

A 140mm travel 29er seems to work well as my one MTB for everything.

STW rule. Recommend what you’ve got. BFe, although strictly speaking mine is 26 but the 275 I am sure is equally fine

Going to be doing this for the year CX for ‘training’ and other sensible things, and a single MTB a Santa cruz highball (ali) to cover everything else, but mainly 12 hour racing and training for that.

STW rule. Recommend what you’ve got.

+ berate something you’ve never tried, see fat bike replies ^

+ berate something you’ve never tried, see fat bike replies

Tried one way before they became fashionable 😉 still wouldn’t be my ownly bike.

If I could only have one, it would be a 120mm travel full sus 29er, but if I couldn’t afford that, would be a 29er HT like a Stanton Sherpa. Wouldn’t bother with B+ wheels myself, I see the appeal but prefer the outright speed a fast 29er gives. 100mm is all the fork you need on a 29er HT really, maybe 120 at a push. A set of 2.3 Maxxis Minions for off piste trail riding, and some fast rolling 2.2’s for XC duties, and of course a dropper post… Short stem and wide bar to complete it.

For a fun (as opposed to racing) bike the Bird Zero TR would be the first thing I’d probably be considering.

Though I do rather like the look of the new Ritchey Timberwolf…

Bit too much travel for at 140mm for a trail bike though IMO.

+ berate something you’ve never tried, see fat bike replies ^

Just like any other religion. Blind faith and weirdness with stary-eyed over reaction if anyone dares question it 😉

And fwiw, though I don’t own either, I like the idea of a frame that’d run either 29er or 650b+ depending on your mood.

IMO 120mm 29er or 27.5″ 69/68 degree HA should cover everything, happily unless you’re racing a lot, which you would mean you’d probably discount plus or fatbikes too as they’re too slow, unless your so good you need to slow yourself down so you don’t win by miles 😉

In the op’s shoes it would be roverpigs suggestion. Not necessarily that bike and model. But based on the best features of my 456 and my fs bike, I would say 29r hardtail, trail rather than race oriented and preferably with some rack mounts and a spare rigid fork for family trips where suspension is wasted.

A 140mm travel 29er seems to work well as my one MTB for everything.

If I wanted a bigger bike, I’d probably go for something like a Trans Am 29 with dropper.

MK2 Solaris.

If I had to choose one do it all bike I think it’d be one of these.

I kinda want one anyway!

I’ve got a Bird Zero TR built up with 1 x 11, decent wheels and 130mm Revelations and it’s great fun, nearly as much as my T-130 Works.

It rides really well and has been used for XC/Trail/family riding and will be going to Swinley soon.

Battlecat? If I was going to get just one bike that would fit the criteria (as hinted above) 29 or 650+, 140mm fork optimised

This thread offends the rule of n+1….

Surely it is an n+1 thread

I think the OP meant one do it all Mountain bike. The road bike is staying?

The road bike is definitely staying. Some decent shouts there, def gonna look at the bird. Still like the crush.

Thanks all

+1 BFe, with a 130mm fork.

I went down this route a few yrs ago and bought a nice genesis latitude made out of Reynolds 853. Lovely it is but horrendously unfashionable now with 26″ wheels, 27.2 seat tube etc. Really lovely bike and at the time was a soul alternative head vs heart decision. I think it looks nicer than the soul when they changed the seat tube and put that tapered head tube on it. I much prefer riding it over my previous orange 5 but do have an escapade for bridle way duties and am getting a bit 650b+ or fatbike curious…. N+ 1 – it always comes back….

I was going to suggest a Surly Troll, but the 1 1/8th headset is putting me off that rather.

EDIT: Karate Monkey has the tapered steerer, but loses some of the braze-ons.

🙂

I dropped into Westbrook cycles yesterday, the new cannondale range looks ace, the beast from the east with the 27.5+ wheels and the habit look awesome. The + wheels maybe overkill for me though

In the spirit of recommend what you own – I’d say Solaris

El Mariachi is pretty good too, but mine is rigid and SS

In your position, I’d probably keep my Solaris. I used to tow my double trailer with my Solaris (before getting a gnarmac bike)