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Hi,
I have two. An orange clockwork which was built to use all my old 26” bits. I prefer the other hardtail which is a sick 29” and fits me better.
The 26” wheels are on a 27.5 frame and before lockdown I though it would be a non starter to try and sell it as a bike plus the 26” bits would be worth very little. So I bought a new group set, had the fork serviced and bought new tyres. So that’s £400 in.
Is it worth having two very similar hardtails?
Ones a 160mm fork, ones 150mm. Both on trail 2.3 tyres and both on xt brakes. I would, and have, happily ride both on my local trials, in the peaks which is as far as I would get in a day, I’ve bike packed on one, the other would be just a massive good. For wales or a trail center I would ride my full suss. I have a road bike to commute on and get the road miles in on.
My son is 7 months old I thought it would be useful to have a dad bike. Is it?
Would you sell the orange or keep it?
1. Outdoors, never, indoors on Zwift, often
I'd sell it now. Bike stuff and Oranges in particular seem to be making strong money. If you keep it you'll feel compelled to use it even though you have another similar bike you prefer
Used to love HTs, then bought a FS to complement the HT. Realised FS were so much better, bought a shorter travel FS to complement the big FS, realised having two was daft, now only have one FS, which does everything.
Sell.
Depends what riding you want to do. I'm happy with just the one, a Whyte 900 series, which puts a smile on my face for local trail riding and the odd Wales trip.
3 Hardtails (2 of them are hardnoses too)
1 Full suss.
Ride them all regularly.
Get rid of the orange and buy another slack hardtail. Two is better than one.
I’m running fully rigid scandal way more fun/capable than a gravel bike.
And 27.5 transmitter with 140mm fork it’s fun.
I've got too many, but have been riding them all recently.
Most used is a Soul, now running 1x11 and with a lightish XC build:
Next up is one I build up mostly from spare parts I had lying around as I wanted to try out a 2x10 set-up (although it was still on 1x10 in this shot). It's fairly light (although could do with lighter wheels) and quite fast so has been seeing a fair bit of use since I built it:
Also have an Inbred, currently on 1x10 but I've got an Alfine set-up coming for it and it'll then be my winter bike.
Final one is a BFe, which gets some use but not as much as the others - probably because it's a lot heavier than the rest and the longer travel forks aren't really necessary in the Pentlands:
I've got a few full-suss bikes as well but of late have been riding the hardtails more.
Three at the moment, all 29ers. One Ti frame shortly to be built up as a bling lightweight bike once parts start to become available again, one steel framed one which I got in February, built up a bit more chunky, which I have battered round the Peak during lockdown, and one slightly old school carbon framed XC one which is awaiting repair having been my only mountain bike for the second half of last year and been hammered into the ground. I need a minimum of two- one for riding and one in bike hospital.
For me, the question. 'How many hardtails do you own and regularly destroy?' would have been easier to answer
1, its my only MTB.
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One. More than the fs.
I have a brace of Cotic BFe :o)
One is my main MTB; Lime Green, dropper seat post and 26" wheels with 160mm travel forks. I do all my serious mountain biking on it.
Second is Blue, set up rigid with 26" wheels and singlespeed. I use it for riding to the pub/shop, messing about in the woods and practicing a few skills; wheelie/manual/bunny hops etc...
Ads678, I like that.
I've a 456 ebb that I have lent to a mate and a rigid Kona I use for pub/family pottering, both 26". I just use the 29er full suss for everything.
Two. Lightweight 120mm 29er for commutes and big days out. SolarisMAX 140mm 29er for rougher stuff and parks. I ride it better than a FS and doubt I'll ever buy another.
One , a fatbike which has been my main bike for 2.5 years....makes me smile.
One (rigid) bike, 2 wheelsets. Fat 26 and regular 29er
Only have one hardtail ATM.
First time that's happened in a long time.
I do have another frame on the way though which I'm going to swap all the bits over onto.
That'll leave me with a spare frame and enough bits to build it back into a bike...
Do I really need two super slack hardtails? Not really but it'll save me having to swap between 29er and B+ wheels on the one bike.
Two but they are both fully rigid. A Cotic Solaris Mk1 and a Singular Puffin fatbike.
One, a 27.5+ steamroller of a bike. I don’t have a FS any more.
One, a last gen Cotic Soul. It’s my only bike so gets used for everything.
Just the one, a Voodoo Hoodoo. It's been an absolute godsend to have it during lockdown so currently it has been my most-used bike by a long, long way. I bought it to see if I wanted a decent HT to compliment my FS bikes and the answer is yes. Was originally going to get an Solaris Max to replace it and demote it down to my commuter bike but being made redundant has thrown that out the window. Will be replacing one of the FS bikes soon as it's proprietary shock is slowly dieing and no longer available so the Voodoo will get it's fork, wheels and drivetrain as upgrades and continue as a winter/family/pootle bike for when any of the FS bikes would be overkill.
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Yeti Big Top. Was used a lot during lockdown, as riding from the doorstep to get to the trails would've been a bit heavy going on the full sus. (Got a rigid 26er too, general duties bike.)
Can't get rid of the Big Top, cos then I'd have no Yetis left 🙂
None. All my bikes are rigid or FS.
The rigid hardtail is my go to bike for Ridgeway riding. The Fatty is for Weymouth and general coastal duties.
The FS for the occasional exciting rides.
2x rigids, one SS (Kona Unit) and one fat bike (Calibre Dune).
I'm thinking about a new F/S, then I'd be tempted to swap the parts from the old one on to a Marino frame and possibly sell the SS.
I used to have a HT (BFe) alongside full sus. Never rode it in the end, FS is just plain better than that sort of bike (for me).
That said, If I owned one, I could see myself riding a racy hardtail on quick blasts.
One HT (Big Dog) , one FS (short travel 29er). No room for anything else.
Considering a swap-able rigid fork for the HT, but spending the money converting it to shimano 12 speed first...
Just one, a clockwork 129 (now 29 evo, but it's the same frame). It does get ridden but not as much as I'd like. Something like 80/20 fs/ht for my rides I'd guess.
I've been tempted to get a short travel 29er frame like a smuggler or segment and swap the bits over.
In your scenario I'd likely sell the orange I reckon.
got 2 (26 soul & simple) but only really ride the simple.
Got a couple that are ridden fairly regularly.
A 2012 BFe that's gone through a fair few iterations and is now my singlespeed dog walking bike.
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And my mk1 Sonder Transmitter. Got the frame from Alpkit for just 100 quid when they were selling them off. My go to ride for the local woods where I don't really need a FS. A genuinely capable all-rounder.
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2 an original DMR trailstar that I loved as a single speed but has a 26.8 seat post and I hate riding without a dropper these days so it lives on the Turbo (not used since the start of lockdown and won’t be again until the winter, although at some point I must do an FTP test on it soon) and my Airdrop Bitmap I built for for last winter but it is so much fun I ride it 80% of the time now, still love my Geometron but the Bitmap is fun everywhere not just when it’s very step and rowdy.
A couple of weeks ago I had three: a Ragley Ti with an oversized headtube and a curved downtube. A winterised Mmmmbop. And a Sonder Transmitter with a unique, pre-production, anodised grey frame.
The Sonder was my main mountain bike and got ridden a lot. The Ragley Ti is just ace and has a new model Pike up front thanks to the oversized head tube. Get taken out on fast and long Peak rides. The Mmmmbop was set up with full Mudhuggers front and rear and used to come out in winter slop, but really wasn't getting used much.
Anyway... now down to just the one hardtail, the Ragley Ti. Sold the Mmmbop as a complete bike and de-built the Transmitter as I've just taken delivery of a shiny new FareMAX frame and needed the bits for that, plus there seemed to be too much overlap.
So... currently N minus 2 until the Cotic gets built, which may take a while given that I'm still post-viral krank 🙁
1 - Mk1 Dialled Alpine still ridden regularly, largely because it's on the rack in front of the FS!
Have a very '90s' 26er hardtail which I keep alongside my FS. Used every week, and it's still the bike I'm quickest riding up the big hill on.
I guess I'm going to have to sort the forks at some point. They're regularly serviced, but the stanchions on the 14-year-old Revs are now very worn. Parts might be an issue 😂
To the OP, I'd keep the hardtail that's more current standards-wise if you like them equally.
Keep the Orange. With a 7 month old you’ll need a bike you don’t mind getting scratched up by child seat or trailer mounts. Also means you can leave the kiddie bits attached permanently and still have a bike to ride just for you, if you ever get a chance!
3 hardtails. 2 in this pic. And a pair of retro rigids.
The BFe is really a moveable lot of spares and a hardcore pub bike, the Holeshot is for the pump track but i haven't been for weeks. There's <span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">a 2008 Giant XTC C1 hanging up on the other side of the garage.</span>
The retro bikes are 1991 Marin Palisades and a 1995 Trek 970, and they never get ridden (they're not garage Queens, it's just they ride shit. Member meet your heroes).
The HB.160 gets ridden 99.9% of the time.
1 hardtail. Its my one and only mtb.
Do you need the space or money? If so sell it. If not keep it.
I have several road bikes, could easily sell one, but not desperate for money or space so happy to keep more than one type of the same style of bike.
Also if you keep the orange you could use it in worse conditions and keep other bike for best.
I currently have two hardtails.
A 2008 Cotic Soul, currently in singlespeed guise with a 100mm fork:
I rode it a lot over the latter parts of lockdown on my most local trails, which are as you see in the picture, in combination with some moorland singletrack. I also use it for general "popping down the shops" type duties.
The other is a 2019 NS Eccentric Alu Evo with fairly large 27.5 tyres and a 140mm fork:
The NS is a much more capable trail bike, and I'm riding it for pretty much everything currently.
They're different enough that I'd ride them for different things, and enjoy them for different reasons. I wouldn't personally build up two very similar bikes as I think I'd just end up riding my favorite all the time. YMMV though 🙂
In re: a "dad bike": I use the Cotic for this too, it's somehow more fun for slower-speed wobbling about with the kids on their bikes. I don't have a childseat attached or anything like that.
Some great pictures up above!
4-1 for sell vs keep!
I am short of space, if I keep it the orange will have to live in bits as it gets in the way of fixing or extracting the other bikes.
We are looking at moving in the next year so hopefully I’d end up with more bike space for trailers and the like
Dad vine is useful but your orange has quite a lot of high end stuff on it so you could possibly sell it and get something for less money (especially if you sell now and buy in January / February). My rad dad bike is a old rigid 90s MTB with guards and rack. Runs nice (used to be my "touring bike) but of little value to anyone but me.
I have 2. One is a Stanton Switchback singlespeed which I ride loads and then I have an old battered Gary Fisher 'Dad' bike. I'd say your Orange is a bit too nice for a 'Dad' bike lol
I have a Cotic Soul 27.5 which I ride most, only use the FS for steep and techy stuff in Tweed Valley. I have ridden both a 26" and the 27.5" Soul for those duties happily, the FS just takes the sting out on some trails.
Also just bought a 29" Ramin to build as a trial for"Gravel" duties, and a spot of bike packing as I just can't on with drop bars off road. However, it really blurs the lines between all my bikes and I might end up selling all of them and buying a Ti 29er HT for everything.
Space aside, as long as they have different uses.
I have my XC Carbon HT with 100mm and a DJ as well as the Enduros.
The XC has been great during lockdown riding from the house and it’s also good for piss boring places like Swinley where a gravel bike is more appropriate and any full suss just a waste of time but I can pop over, have a quick blast and get some exercise and it fits the Saris less hassle than a FS as well. Before lockdown I was riding it to failure (seeing how big a drop before it snapped) but I’ve now bonded with it again.
I do keep wondering if I could replace it and the DJ with a more aggressive HT (I’m not doing tricks) but so long as they serve separate uses and I have space ... neither is worth selling.
Soul - 26"er but with carbon forks and 700c wheels
Solaris Max
Vitus eSentier
And they all get ridden every week.
One.
(*warning may contain stealth ad content*)Currently own 1 hardtail Stanton Slackline Gen2, although despite loving my time with this bike I've got to admit to myself.... I just prefer riding my Swarf Contour...for everything. Coming to a Classifieds near you*soon*