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I do it is a Cube 29er xc bike with bar ends and I switch between two sets of wheels. Off road is Lakes and Dales and I keep up with my friends mostly. On road it is pootling with my wife on her ebike mainly. Regularly do 30 miles and occasionally up to 65 miles but only average about 15mph.
I am very happy with the setup
I actually meant for road/gravel/bikepacking
Um.... you can really easily do this on one bike.
Literally no single bike, ever, in the history of all bikes ever made, could possibly be capable of being used on the road for 100 miles or used on a downhill course? None? Ever?
Well not in the kind of way that any even vaguely normal person would find enjoyable, which I think is the point no?
Currently running my 3T Exploro for road and unexpected gravel by using 32 panaracer gravel kings on 700c and 47c wtb horizons on 650b.
Conditions are very dry here and there are zillions of miles of d roads which are sometimes tight for 2 cars to pass. I use the 650 when it’s likely to be very rough or I want to ride rutted paths or pootling or deep gravel and use the 700 for the quick rides and long er mountain roads although running the 32 does give me a bit of overlap and comfort.
I suppose it depends on the bike and what you’ve got to ride.
I’ll probably sort out a real road bike on 25’s but tbh I’m more than happy on the one at the moment.
Well not in the kind of way that any even vaguely normal person would find enjoyable, which I think is the point no?
Yeah, you're right... I suppose any vaguely normal person would rather staple their nipples to a burning building than do 100 miles on a road bike 😂
I’ve only ridden a road bike twice (although I did commute in London on a MTB with slicks about 20 years ago - how is it that long ago?!!) My almost 20 year old Brompton is the only bike I’ve owned in the last decade or so that rolls fast on tarmac and it’s as aero as a barn door and little comfier. The point I’m trying to make is that I’m used to hauling big knobbly low pressure tyres around - pumped up to 30+ they feel quite fast on tarmac, compared to their usual 20-25psi range.
If I rode road bikes I imagine I’d find my MTBs quite annoying to commute on due to the comparatively massive drag and bouncy bits and weight but ignorance is bliss (and they’re rather fun too!) Rode in today on my Levo with the power off (forgot to charge it) but it was fine. Hillbilly 2.6 on the front!
The more bikes you have, the more often you know you’re not on the perfect bike.
Yeah, you’re right… I suppose any vaguely normal person would rather staple their nipples to a burning building than do 100 miles on a road bike 😂
Thank you I needed a giggle after today and that just hit the nail on the head perfectly!
As for one bike if I did such an abysmal thing it would be a nippy, reasonably light alloy hardtail but I'd want 2 sets of wheels 29r racey and some 650+ tougher build and tyres for lumpier days
As it is I have an FS and gravel bike that are in use and I'm falling over an old 456 and road bike that are being ignored.
Well not in the kind of way that any even vaguely normal person would find enjoyable, which I think is the point no?
LOL why ? Commuting doesn't have to be about speed, if it takes 15 mins to commute or 17 mins, does it really matter ? Or an hour vs 1hr 10...
Non-road bikes are not THAT slow compared to a road bike... they'll do the job and get you to work.
Sure, they won't keep up with the fast road-crews on a Sunday morning run, but heck, if you're that serious you've got a winter/summer/good/bad bike anyway and this discussion isn't for you.
I've commuted loads on 150-160mm FS bikes, they get me there fine and dandy and a damn sight more comfortable than a rattley harsh road bike 🙂
Commuting doesn’t have to be about speed, if it takes 15 mins to commute or 17 mins, does it really matter ? Or an hour vs 1hr 10…
I feel the same about my general riding. I ride on my own so does it really matter if I take 2 minutes longer over an hour by riding my bike rather than a geared gravel bike, no.
I’m down to two bikes (from five or six). A Diverge for road/gravel/light XC. And a FS for MTB trails only. I can’t see myself getting that down to one bike out of choice.
Do I ride everything on 1 bike? Yep, shopping, touring, gavel, MTB, bimble, road etc I can and do ride all of those (and more) on my MTB. Or my commuter. Or my Gravel bike.
Do I have just one bike for all disciplines? Nope, three bikes (as above) that all have different capabilities and not much, if any, overlap.
I'll tend to pick the most appropriate bike for the job, but i don't restrict myself once i'm out, why would you?