So, out of curiosity after I read a lot of "which bike is best" threads and the frustration that ensues in the replies, I am going to ask that question, but with a different spin.
If you were only allowed one bike (for whatever reason, cost, space, spouse!) what would you go for? Be it hardtail or full suss, what sort of bik? i.e. fast racy style or more stable, and what sort of travel? Would you sacrifice speed on flatter rides to be able to fly on descents etc?
Just curious..
Full suss, relaxed, 120mm .... oh hang on, that's my current bike 🙂
Seven cycles Sola.
It would have to be a CX bike.
Can ride road, trails, everything on it.
Wouldn't be much fun on a lot of trails, but if only 1 bike for the rest of my life... well, that wouldn't be much fun at all.
Personally I'd go for a rigid or HT 29er. That way it would have a reasonable turn of speed on the road with a tyre swap, but at the same time fully useable off road too.
Up until 6 months ago I would have said a good steel hardtail. With my new found love of the road I now think a CX bike.
+1 for CX i've been riding a SS CX for the last couple of months since my mtb got nicked and I'm seriously considering not bothering to replace it as I'm riding 90% of what I used to on my mtb. If I do it would be a 29er...
As I ride Mtb and road you'd think a cross bike would be my choice. But I couldn't keep up with off road rides on it and struggle with group road rides as well. I'd give up road riding an have a lightweight short travel mtb, at least I could ride cross with it come winter.
A 1975 MV Agusta 750 Sport
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Ah, I left something out, I had not really thought of road bikes as I hate riding on the road (too amy years driving and seeing how cyclist are treated!) I was meaning one "mountain bike", but maybe including everything might net more interesting results.
If you are allowed just one bike
i would cry.
If you were only allowed one bike
What sort of twisted mind came up with that idea? Have you gone mad?
I'b be keeping my Stumpjumper FSR and the hard tail, rigid and road bike would have to go 😥
My Cotic Soda as its brilliant
Something vaguely Hemlocky I guess- a big bike that can ride small stuff without making it feel rubbish. Something I can do XC loops and downhill races on.
But I would miss having a specific road-use bike very much and tbh there'd be no good argument for not having one- not space nor cost, since it could live outside and it costs nothing to run.
orange 5, I am surprised it took that long to be suggested
Surly Cross Check, absolutely awesome. Fit some road tyres and its great on the road, fit some off road tyres and you can go off road. Stamp the pedals hard and you get about 2 inches of travel aswell. Its a true do it all bike.
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I have a short travel full suss in my 2004 Mount Vision, a longer travel 'all mountain' bike in my Wolf Ridge and a road type bike in my Boardman Hybrid.
I'd choose the Wolf Ridge in a heartbeat. It's simply much better for playing around on than the Mount Vision even though it's slower uphill etc, and i'd just have to give up road riding!
1150GS for me.
Cycling on the roads for puffs, so are CX bikes.
If you are allowed just one bike
i would cry.
Welcome to my world...
What sort of twisted mind came up with that idea?
Obviously you're not married. Or you are, and your wife is a saint.
First world problems 😆
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A hard tail MTB. Most fun = Best bike
I have only ever run one bike at a time anyway
Cannondale Bad Boy Rohloff, not that they seem to make it any more, and in carbon with the option of a belt drive. I ride a rigid Rohloff bike in the winter and a geared hardtail in the summer. I commute off road all year round so I want something that needs as little maintenance as the rigid bike but with a bit of suspension for longer rides.
Obviously you're not married. Or you are, and your wife is a saint.
well, my wife is a saint but that has nothing to do with what bikes I may or may not have
as long as they're affordable, why would she have any interest at all?
5 ish push bikes and 4 motorbikes here 🙂
cx
Scott Genius, 150mm Full Suspension with handlebar lockout that locks rear suspension and shortens front suspension.
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If you were only allowed one bike
MADNESS
I would either have a 456 with 140 forks
or a FS [ orange 5 type] and tolerate it being overkill most of the time
I dont care about your rules I am having a separate road bike as if not i would have to ride rigid off road NNNNNNOOOOOOOOO
My SIR9. I've only had two proper rides on it & its brilliant.
What sort of twisted mind came up with that idea?
Obviously you're not married. Or you are, and your wife is a saint.
Yes. I am. Yes she is. And you need to grow some balls 🙂
Easy - Jones Spaceframe
Disc-braked CX bike for sure.
But ONE bike? What a ridiculous concept...
Singular Swift, love it
The one I have now. Transition Covert.
Works best at riding up and down mountains - anything else is not really mountain biking.
My Last Herb FR (or the new 160). as per [url= 
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A Jones. Easy.. It could replace all my bikes from the winter road bike through to the CX bike and the MTBs. Pretty much has, there's dust on a few of them already. I'd miss the light road bike, but not that much.
I'm in that position. In 2010 had a 100mm carbon hardtail, 100mm FS and 140mm FS.
Sold them all and went to a single FS. Luckily it's adjustable from 88-129mm at the rear and has a 110/140 Talas fork so it does all the things the 3 bikes did before.
Nah, struggling to imagine it. But if I had to, something like my 456 Summer Season but a good bit lighter (ti?) and with an adjustable up-to-150mm fork. I've lived without a full-suss in the past but I couldn't live without a hardtail.
I do - this:
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One bike to rule them all! My lovely giant STP with u-turn folks would be and is my only bike. You name it, it does it. Dirt jump, DH, cross country, road commute to work, bmx track. Cross bike isn't do it all, it's just road and bridleways, you're missing all the fun stuff!
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/54176781@N00/6936440889/ ]Manchester Indoor BMX track[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/54176781@N00/ ]2manymikes[/url], on Flickr
I only have one bike (mainly due to London-living-space issues) and it's a 140 mm full-suss (Zesty). For the kind of cycling I enjoy (XC/trail with a slight emphasis on the bits that point downwards) it's a good compromise. I do look a tool pootling along the occasional canal but such is life.
A 120 mm bike would probably be just as a capable and if I was forced to choose a different bike tomorrow I'd want to try a Transition Bandit, maybe even in 29er flavour (I'm 6'2").
I understand the calls for a cross bike but that's only really the best compromise if you love road and off-road equally and I suspect most people prefer one or the other.
timmys - MemberI understand the calls for a cross bike but that's only really the best compromise if you love road and off-road equally and I suspect most people prefer one or the other.
It's not even that- it's the best compromise if you love road and want to do a little undemanding offroad.
It would be a steel hardtail with 140mm u-turn forks and high volume squishy tyres. I ride a bit of everything on my mtb - xc, trail centres, DJ, DH and at a push skateparks (obv would prefer a bmx for that). Trailstar w/Pikes ticked most of the boxes for me but its just a bit short on the top tube for longer rides. Still considering jacking in the full sus and buying a Surge with the money!
Northwind - Member
It's not even that- it's the best compromise if you love road and want to do a little undemanding offroad.
CX bikes can be ridden on most stuff you'd ride a (XC) mountain bike on, albeit a lot slower and in some discomfort. I've ridden some very rocky / rooty trails on a cx bike, though the Mendips did prove to have trails too far - two of us had 12 pinch punctures between us in one two hour ride!
Obviously cx bikes aren't nearly as capable as mtbs off road, but in a one bike scenario I still think they are an acceptable compromise.
