I have one bike/frame but 3 forks (120/140/150), 4 wheelsets and numerous stems/bars/seatpost/saddles etc.

This way I can have a top-line brakes/drivetrain setup, without spending absolutely loads and barely using them.

I’ve got 3 bikes,

Enduro
456ti
croix de fer

I’ve just sold the 456ti frame so am on one mountain bike now and one road bike

Couldn’t contemplate one bike only. One mountain bike only is going to be tough.

Why would a 5″ full suspension bike be a compromise at fort william? Am I missing something?

I have a hardtail and went to Antur Stiniog and rode all the blacks etc. Certainly a compromise in terms of speed but not fun, it was awesome. But I can take the same bike on XC rides, dirt jump sessions, the bmx track and it’s good at all those. You might WANT a different bike for all that but you don’t NEED one.

I would have one superbike that I was totally in tune with, rather than a number of bikes that took a while to get used to each time I switched

I’ve just sold the 456ti frame so am on one mountain bike now and one road bike

What! But you’re the guy that hates his Enduro?

I’m still confused by those saying a single bike is a compromise. It only *is* if you think that way. My 28lb 5 Spot may not be the fastest bike uphill, but I’m pretty strong and can keep up with most on xc race bikes on it.

Plus, its a real hoot down hill. The only compromise is in your head, just enjoy what bike you have and enjoy the ride.

i’m with you on this, ‘cept my one bike is now a bfe with nice long forks.
but then, the “it’s the rider not the bike” camp often gets short shrift in this fantasy stw land of bottomless pocketbooks and cavernous sheds where quivers of bikes are swapped around, depending what’s being ridden, be it trail centre or “natural” trails or towpath or whatevs.

ride wot ya brung.

end of.

(insert winking emoticon – or one of your own choosing – here).

I’m a fan of N-1 when N>3. Had many bikes at one point, it’s over-rated. Better to have one or two bikes that you’re totally in tune with, pay attention to and always run perfectly. Easier to afford nice / durable kit for just one or two bikes also.

I know no bike is ideal for everything, but that’s more of an attitude thing. I ride one of my bikes (my main ride) in places that it’s not best suited to, I’m happy accepting the challenge, riding some stuff slower etc. It’s all compromise somewhere and I’d rather ride a bike I love on less than ideal terrain than have the ‘perfect ride’ for that day but it actually being a kind of bike that leaves me a bit cold. If you’re not really into committed DH or DJ stuff, I don’t see the need for more than two MTBs and I could be totally happy with just one.

depends on how you ride, one very expensive road or mtb, not really interested, but one of each ok. Beyond that for me not interested in multiple bikes.

The way i ride, the reasons i ride for, having dozens of bikes would simply mean having dozens of bikes in bits or unused. I have two frames in the attic as it is!

njee20 – Member

But if he doesn’t go to Fort William or race XC it’s a moot point.

Avoiding the compromise doesn’t mean it’s not there.

chamley – Member

Why would a 5″ full suspension bike be a compromise at fort william? Am I missing something?

I think you’re missing having ridden the track on a 5 inch bike and a downhill bike tbh! I have… There is a little bit of a difference.

Avoiding the compromise doesn’t mean it’s not there.

I bet your bikes are all a compromise – none of them any good at riding a team pursuit. Just because you avoid the compromise doesn’t mean it’s not there.

Better to have one or two bikes that you’re totally in tune with, pay attention to and always run perfectly.

There is that too. I’m sure something more freeride might be more fun some of the time, but given when it’s important I’ll be riding the XC steed, I might as well get used to riding that fast in as challenging terrain as possible.

Putting any bike costing more than £1000 through the horrors of a British winter would be just too painful on both wallet and soul, so multiple bikes here.

aracer – Member

I bet your bikes are all a compromise – none of them any good at riding a team pursuit. Just because you avoid the compromise doesn’t mean it’s not there.

Not mountain biking though, so hard to see your point- none of them are very good hang-gliders either.

And yes, all my bikes are compromised as all rounders, that’s the entire point I’m making! No one bike can do everything well, so either you have to do less things, or you have to accept it doing lots of things less well, but either one is a compromise. The more bikes you have, the less compromises you have to make but there’s still choices.

One bike owner here -100mm 29er. Had four and now I ride more and tinker less – wearing aldi gear.
(Well done fresh goods friday)

Currently own four bikes :-
2004 100mm full suss Mount Vision
2009 140mm full suss Wolf Ridge
road hybrid Boardman
Singlespeed Mango for commuting.

About to buy my first proper road bike as well. Thing is, i bought the Boardman 3yrs ago as a general purpose road/commuter bike and its done the job of getting me into road riding – something – i had never fancied/understood before – but now i have hit it’s limitations.
Whilst i can hit a 17/18mph average on it i have real trouble keeping up with my mate, and its blooming heavy.

So, a new road bike it is, not sure if the Boardman will stay as a winter hack/girlfriends bike or be sold on yet.

I don’t earn a lot of money by anyone’s standards and i keep bikes for a long time, so having several is spread over some 10years of riding.

One mountain bike – an Alfine/SS steel HT. Suits all my riding and I’ll take it anywhere. Not the lightest, not a lot of travel on the front, but it’s a lovely ride. I’ve ridden my son’s FS, but I prefer the HT.

Road bikes, however. Well I have a Super Bike, if that’s what they are called. I’ve raced it, commuted on it and sportived on it. But I still need two others – at least 😉

A fixed wheel commuting road bike with proper mudguards and a rack for normal day-to-day commuting and wet training
A winter and race bike for salty roads,bad weather and crash fest crits!
(A cyclocross bike may be a fourth, and a folder is a nice to have.)

So for road, no chance. For off-road, a super-bling custom singlespeed would be enough for me (Niner SS carbon, probably) because that suits my riding.

I said last year i wasn’t gonna buy anymore bikes,its July an ive added 3 more

Multiple bikes definitely.
Gets to a point where a £4000 bike isn’t twice as good as two £2000 ones, especially if they’re for wildly different purposes – one road, one FS for example.

I’ve got 6 bikes. One I want to sell, in fact I’ve advertised it a couple of times and although it gets loads of interest and several people have viewed it, when it comes to the parting with money bit, they don’t!

But other than that, the bikes are all very different. One MTB, a CX bike set up as a do-it-all, a road bike, a SS road bike (commuter/winter trainer) and a track bike. If I stopped riding track then that’d be the first thing to go but it gets loads of use at the moment.

1x basic specialized 29er city/ghetto/shopper ride (if it gets nicked no worrys) bike
1x full suss XC
1x full suss small frame 17in (pump track/bmx ) stylee
1x charge mixer custom 700cmx shoreditch poodle
1x 2013 road bike
1x vintage gios road bike,which im gonna sell (hope no buys it though)
if you love riding all terrains you do need a few bikes,4sure.

If less is more, imagine how much more more is….

The true benefit of multiple bikes is that there is always a project or ‘what if’ scenario.

It is different for different people.

Live in a flat and like using one bike for everything? All good.

Have a big shed, and like having 15 bikes suited to each purpose? Fine

Are competitive and need a particular bike for the race? Get it!

Something in between? Why not?

The beauty of being human is we are all different. We all like different things. We all have different priorities and viewpoints and skills and endeavors. None of them are really ‘wrong’ if they work for that person.

Vive la difference!

After a quick head count ive got
a 456 evo
a c456
a sovereign mk1
an imperial
a supreme mini
and a faith..

x+1 where x is current amount currently owned

Just my Nomad, does everything.

I have several bikes
1 x FS 29er carbon tallboy ltc
1 x HT 29er 2 souls QH
1 x SS 29er rigid Curtis
1 x Steel road bike Kona
1 x CX Ritchey Swiss Cross
1 x SS HT 26″ Curtis

I ride them all except the 26″ Curtis now, I have no intention of selling any, but I may strip the 26″ of its parts, dip, polish and lacquer the frame and hang on my office wall.

All the mtb’s get ridden on the same trails, just at varying speeds.