I think I might have come to the end of trail – has anyone sold their only mtb and regretted it?

I have just the one MTB which I like very much – A Cannondale 29er with Lefty, decent spec, light, perfect for the mincing and ‘off road audax’ I like. For me, the fit is perfect, it’s comfortable, fast, stable and so on. It’s one of my all-time favourite bikes.

Only thing is I barely ride it – twice this year, a total of 250km. I *might* ride it once more. 2015 I rode it 4 or 5 times maybe.

Since becoming a Dad it’s way too much mud and faff for even a local ride, never mind an away day. Number 2 is on her way in February so even less time to ride next year.

I ride road on the reg and otherwise am enjoying my riding more than ever. I could sell the bike and build a nice all weather winter road bike – probably a CAAD 12 disc (already have an adequate winter roadie, but brakes are garbage).

Should I sell the MTB given I barely use it? Logically I should, but my hearts really with he big off road epic, however occasional (once next year?) and I’d like a crack at the South Downs double, or maybe GT 24. And, older wee ones = MTB.

Thoughts and perspectives?

Other info: Also have ‘fast’ road bike, Audax bike, Low spec CX, winter road bike, commuter. One in one out policy. And due to 2 young kids, probable house move in the coming years expensive ‘unfunded’ acquisitions are a no no.

Could you just rent a mtb when required? Or I know my local mtb shop offers a service where you pay a fee and can trial as many bikes as you like over a month within reason!

Definitely keep it unless you don’t want to ride it in the future. Little ones get older, and eventually may even join you getting muddy.

I’ve been there. It does get easier, though mine are now 5 & 3.

Having said that, my road bike nerve has gone and I can ride the MTB from the door if I’ve got an hour spare.

I don’t ride my MTBs that much but enjoy the times I do. Having said that never thought of selling them so I guess your situation is different to mine.

All I can say is that off road is way better for riding with kids than on-road so it would be useful for when they are a little older. I’d hold on to a bike for them even if not for yourself unless you want to flog it and buy a cheapy instead.

Stick a Weeride on it and take the little one out. My younger one is 17 months and gets so excited when he sees my bike helmet, dashes to point at his and shouts that he wishes to join me – unfortunately most of the time he can’t because I’m off to work or on a proper ride!

Second hand values are pretty low so unless you are skint, keep it. You are likely to have more regrets selling than keeping.

Keep it. You’ll not recoup what it cost you and you will get the odd ride on it. I’ve got a full suss that I barely ride but I’d lose 50% if I sell it. On the few occasions that I ride it in the right location, it makes perfect sense to keep it.
Just sell the winter road bike and replace it with what you want.

Thanks for the replies so far.

It has helped clarify my thinking – I’m now wondering why I even asked the question.

What would LD do?

Tell Cheryl that he’s keeping the bike, and pester her to letting him buy a new frame on spurious safety grounds.

Kids may restrict your time riding, but not stop it.
IME, being able to head off and have some adventures is one of the things that makes me a better dad.
Your kids, from a young age, need to see how you balance life. That does not mean they get you 100% of the time.

If it pleases you, if you benefit from it, keep it and ride it when you can. And decide to ride more.

Depression/anxiety put an end to my MTBing. I got sent a prototype frame to test, I rode it about five times then just gave it to my mate to ride. Then I built up a nice Cotic SS which I rode once (on the road); ended up selling that about four years ago. No regerts.
Have kept up the road cycling though; you only need a five minute urge to ride then you’re out the door. MTBing is mentally too hard. Although mates keep trying to persuade me to get another MTB; I probably will at some point. But not till it’s sunny.
But, if you’ve got the space and don’t need the money, just keep it. You probably won’t get a great deal for it if you sold it.

I would Hang on to at least one MTB… circumstances do change with time.

I’ll admit having kids has made me a bit more of a “Convenience based Roadie” it’s the standard excuse of road bikes providing minimum faff riding right from the door, CX/Gravel bikes are also very good for similar reasons and provide a bit of muck…

Of course now the kids are getting older (7 & 4) and some of my time is freeing up at weekends/evenings so I’m getting the odd chance for away days and night rides.

I scaled back to just one MTB (plus three drop barred bikes), its a nice simple HT, easier to look after, relatively worthless if I sold it now (26″), plus when I take the kids out riding the MTB is a better bike to use tow path bimbling and child towing add to it’s duties a little, so I might as well keep it.

If you don’t need free up the cash or space and you still like the bike, I’d say Keep it, even if it only gets used a handful of times a year.

Right now the front runner under my own one in one out policy is the fixed roadie commuter, could be tempted to replace it with a Revolution Cross 0 or something more off-road capable…

How much will you get for it? Sometimes bikes get to the point where they just aren’t worth selling unless you really need the space.

road bikes providing minimum faff riding right from the door

Come and live in the Pennines 😛

New cables and calipers for your brakes on the winter bike, keep the MTB. Your winter bike isn’t meant to be nice, and won’t be nice for more than a ride, so stop thinking about getting something nice for the winter bike.

The only issues you’ll have with the MTB are getting out of date (you’re a dad, get used to it) and things seizing up whilst in storage. If you clean and lube everything nicely before putting the bike away, things aren’t likely to seize up.

When the kids start riding, off road is probably a better place to start (although you’ll probably be able to ride it all on a road bike…).

Finally, if it fits well and works nicely for you, a rented bike won’t do that very well (unless you spend the first hour of any ride faffing with saddle position, possibly moving spacers on the steerer tube, and swapping stems.)

Being a dad is a poor excuse tbh.

I sold my only MTB with no regrets at all. But that was because I never rode it and never even thought about it.
But in your shoes I’d keep it, you still hanker for it and you lose nothing by it being sat there.

Unless you’re racing it, I’d shift the CX before the 29er if you’re looking to create space for something new. The 29er gives you so much more versatility and it’s as timeless a bike as you’re going to get in a market that strives for the opposite.

OTOH you would get some money for it – new leftys are prohibitively expensive, so a good one would see decent money second hand. I’m also a fan of moving stuff on as times / you change – saving objects for a rainy day just leads to a mountain of cluttering stuff in your life.

I’m in a similar situation. Being a new dad has meant I’ve only been out 3-4 times since May. There’s zero riding from my door so even a “quick blast” means an hour there and back in the car, so it’s pretty impractical. I have thought about selling the bike, it’s an expensive item to just have sat doing nothing, but I know I would regret it, is not for a lack of wanting to go out! I hope to get out a bit more next year, plus if I sold it, I would never be able to justify spending a couple of grand on something so “frivolous” again!!

What is this ‘being a parent means you don’t get out’ thing?

Get out and stop making poor excuses.

Before you ask, I’ve been there three times, including a spell of three under age of 4.

Thanks again for the replies – couple of things:

– Being a dad and not riding: I ride plenty but only on the road. It’s more a mental thing whereby MTB means I need to clean the bike/clean clothes, clean floor as mud now on floor, clean washing machine as mud now in machine etc. It adds 30 minutes to a ride which can either be riding time or back on domestic duties. Two year old loves the bike trailer – we’re going some bigger off road adventures during the holiday…

– How much would I get for it – not a lot realistically. £5-600 maybe? The dent in the top-tube won’t help… The CX I would sell but it’s very scruffy and kitted out with Sora. I might get £200 for it so not worth getting rid of – I race (very) occasionally.

– Don’t need the money, I’d just be frittering the proceeds away on nice but non essential bike stuff. At the same time I’m not in a position to sell it now, and then buy a similar type new bike in a couple of years (circa £1500). It would be too hard a sell to the Office of Budget Responsibility.

– Renting a bike – could do this, but realistically I know I never will. If going a ride is going to cost me £50-£100 for rental it’s just not happening.

I’ll probably keep it.

I’ve not got kids, but every other bike would go before an MTB for me. Even if I was only pootling around town on it, it is too much a part of who I am to not have one. I’ve had some bike comings and goings over the past 12 years of ‘serious’ mtbing, but have never been without one. Keep it and use it when you can.

What he said.

I was the other way, I sold all my vinyl record collection to fund my first “proper” mountain bike, now that is something I do regret doing. 🙁