I laugh at this sort of thing too, especially when people say how it dulls the trails. Which to me means that people want them to be terrifying and sketchy instead of fun... Weird... actually bizarre to me.

I'd say using their logic, yes you're over-biked.. But if you're happy then who cares.

For me it just means that you would have had more fun on that particular trail on a lighter, more responsive bike.

Eg a V10 is a great bike but you'd have a more enjoyable ride in Thetford on an Anthem.

Overbiked= you look too poor or too slow to be needing that bike.

I'm sure the same people who overuse that term obsess about tyre pressures and unsprung mass in their water bottle.

I'd rather be in a position where I have suspension left rather than using every bit on every ride (ICE)

Lacking skill or ambition to push yourself to use the bike to its potential* nor trails to warrant it.

* perhaps 50% of it's potential rather than full as we're not all pro riders!

It is the opposite of under biked I suppose and neither are bad things if that is what you are happy riding.  I am pretty much under biked all the time as I could have a faster bike that is better suited to what I am riding on but I have tried those other bikes (geared road bike, geared and single speed CX bikes/hardtail MTBs) and at first they feel great and are a bit faster as they are the 'correct' bike but I soon get bored of them and go back to my under bike and I ultimately just enjoy it more.

I would consider overbiked when the weight/drag/position etc detracts from the ride for the rider. It's an entirely subjective test in the eyes of the rider.

Riding back lanes on an XC race bike is a bit dull for example, seriously dull on a hardcore hardtail.

A day ride in the Peak District on a downhill bike would be unpleasant

Riding a fully laden tourer on a Sunday chain gang

Underbiked, same issue in reverse. E.g. road bike round CYB.

Skill compensation/ use of abilities isn't a factor to me. If that's the case I've always been overbiked. I don't think I've ever owned a bike that couldn't have had more done on it by a more skilled rider.

Skill compensation/ use of abilities isn’t a factor to me. If that’s the case I’ve always been overbiked. I don’t think I’ve ever owned a bike that couldn’t have had more done on it by a more skilled rider.

But that doesn't mean a skills compensator doesn't mean YOU can't ride more tricky things. My Status allowed me to ride things at Dyfi I wouldn't have ridden on my Fuel... Sure, my lad would get down harder on both, but that's really not important is it ? It's what the bike give YOU as the rider, not what someone else could do on it.

The Trek Fuel 9.8 i had is WAY better than the Status... but i'd rather be on the Status without doubt.

Partially related to your OP, I sometimes ride my Bird Aeris 9 locally.

160/180mm with a coil shock and Zeb, it's pretty heavy and plodding and the chassis is very solid.

It can make trails feel easy, but it's the lack of pep and responsiveness that gives me the "overbiked" feeling more.

Also, while it's pretty good for more challenging riding in the UK, it has only really felt lively when I was going pretty fast in Pila, Verbier etc.

I took it on the Tour of Mont Blanc (no lifts) and deffo felt overbiked for that.

Those who say overbiked do you also say overcar’d, overvanned, overphoned, etc?

Maybe it's like doing the school run in a Ferrari, I dunno.

But that doesn’t mean a skills compensator doesn’t mean YOU can’t ride more tricky things. My Status allowed me to ride things at Dyfi I wouldn’t have ridden on my Fuel

That was (sort of) what I was trying to get across with more of an emphasis on you're not overbiked just because you don't use (most of) it's abilities.

Similarly to you there's stuff I'd ride on my FS that I wouldn't willing take an XC bike down. Not because the bike (my underlying skills) can't but because the bigger bike is more confidence inspiring.

Riding anything more than a steel single speed fixie is overbiked, well it was 20 years ago on here 😁

For me, it’s the pointlessly big, heavy bike with unnecessary tyres to ride (mostly) basic trails, which are faster & more fun on something more appropriate.

Usually it’s ego justification, can only have one bike, so I ride something inappropriate for 95% of things I normally ride, because y’know that 5% is so important.

With modern trail bikes being so good now, and genuinely capable of doing nearly everything, I’m amazed it’s still a thing.

Yesterday I went for a ride on my 170/160mm bird am through the woods of Sheffield, wheels on the ground etc. Cleaning it after I thought I love this bike! But am I over biked?

Is this all you use it for? If yes, then you probably are. Was it fun? If yes, then does it matter?

For me it’s about if the bike affects your enjoyment of the ride. I have one full suss bike that does all my non local riding. It’s a Transition Sentinel that’s 160/150mm travel and weighs 35lb. Not bothered about climbing speed and it fits and handles better than any bike I’ve had. Up Dunkeld, Laggan or Nevis it’s an absolute weapon, even with me on it. Like the OP, Sunday’s ride was a flatter, rolling ride on XC trails in the woods. I’d probably have been quicker on a downcountry bike but it wasn’t  racing and I still had a blast.

Big bikes are so good these days, I think a lot of how they feel comes down to tyre choice. Being over tyred is the new over biked.

Overbiked = using a trolley when all you needed was bread and milk and a basket would of surficed

An original mini makes 70mph on a B-road feel like flying by the seat of your pants. A new large luxury saloon car at 70mph feels very quiet, comfortable and numbs the sensation of speed.

It's about feedback levels imo and it's subjective.

It’s about feedback levels imo and it’s subjective.

Think you have it there and explains why I ride what I do as I like a lot of feedback when cycling while others may not want that as it may mean less comfortable.

I believe the solution is to have more bikes in your stable, so you have a bike for every occasion.

You don't always need 160mm travel but if you only have 1 bike then that is all you can ride,

where as if you have a bmx, a dj bike, a gravel bike, an xc bike, a trail bike, an enduro bike and dh bike you have all bases covered

Usually it’s ego justification, can only have one bike, so I ride something inappropriate for 95% of things I normally ride, because y’know that 5% is so important.

Or your post might say more about your own ego than you expected?

Who cares what OTHER people ride.

An original mini makes 70mph on a B-road feel like flying by the seat of your pants. A new large luxury saloon car at 70mph feels very quiet, comfortable and numbs the sensation of speed.

It’s about feedback levels imo and it’s subjective.

Nail + head, for me at least. I bike for fun and don't want to be going balls-out at high speed to get the same thrill level I can get on a smaller-travel bike.

yup pootling around with heavy tyres, heavy bike on trails or surfaces that are more efficient on a lighter built bike. Same for minor obstacles, that on a lighter bike may require some rider input, but on a burlier bike can just be steamrolled.

The same can be said about climbs, why waste the additional energy getting a bike to the top of the hill if you don't need that much bike to get back down it and enjoy it.

A couple of mates take their MTBS out on road rides, I couldn't imagine anything worse, prime example of being overbiked. a gravel or road bike will be faster, zipper and generally more fun in that situation while using less energy.

Now some of this might be moot depending on what you get out of riding. I ride for two reasons, the exercise and the technical challenge (it's like a computer game to me), yes i want to get down the trail and get a PR, but if that was my primary driver i would be riding something like an Orbea Wild on super gnarly tyres everywhere.

Carrying a load of unnecessary kit/weight that you’ll never really need on 95%+ of what you do.

See Range Rover as car comparison.

I've swapped between hardtail, 120mm full-sus and 160mm/170mm full-sus for boring XC and full on DH.

You can have fun on all of them and the XC was simlar speed on all. Just change the tyres and you've got 99% of the benefits anyway. The weight difference is kind of trivial.

So it's nonsense IMO

(having said that not sure I'd take a hardtail to dyfi again)

A couple of mates take their MTBS out on road rides,

I'm doing that about 11am. Specialized 160 Status 🙂

In the extreme i'd say it's taking my Rallon to the pump track. absolutely no fun at all.

Why might i take that bike I hear you ask? We ride to the park, there are MTB trails and the pump track there, and I can't help push the 5 year old along on a BMX i can't sit down on.

a V10 is a great bike but you’d have a more enjoyable ride in Thetford on an Anthem.

1.Says who?

2.Define enjoyable

Mostly I think,  said by folks who want to tell you that you're doing "it" wrong. Which mostly means, "You're not doing something in a way I approve of" It's the same thing as walkers asking you if you're allowed to ride here.

Overbiked = using a trolley when all you needed was bread and milk and a basket would of surficed

Maybe, but that statement implies choice at point of use. The flip side would be only being able to use a basket for every shop, including your weekly shop with mystery item from the middle of Lidl you didn’t expect to buy.

If you only have one bike, get out, ride it and enjoy.

If you have multiple, chose the one that you want to ride on a certain route/terrain. Then get out, ride that one and enjoy.

**** what everyone says or thinks!

It's definitely a preference thing.

I quite like riding on the ragged edge at times, it's fun, but as I do not have amazing trails on my doorstep, I achieve this by riding my cx bike.

However if I'm doing a long distance bike packing ride, with long hours in the saddle then I prefer to be 'overbiked' as a safety precaution.

IMO, if you're not having fun out on the trails then you're probably overbiked. A lighter, shorter travel, more responsive bike will always be more fun to ride IME, just be prepared to crash once in a while.

I used to only have one bike, so was often under and over biked. I had to get on with it as I didn't have any other choice if I wanted to ride a certain route or trails.

Definitely a first world problem 😉

1.Says who?

2.Define enjoyable

Mostly I think, said by folks who want to tell you that you’re doing “it” wrong. Which mostly means, “You’re not doing something in a way I approve of” It’s the same thing as walkers asking you if you’re allowed to ride here.

Exactly why I posted my response. It often comes from a place of perceived superiority and/or ego.

Sadly more and more gatekeepers of 'the way' in off-road bicycling.

I bet Thetford goes pretty well on a gravel bike, TBF

Some of my rides involve being over and under biked on the same ride.

But that doesn’t mean a skills compensator doesn’t mean YOU can’t ride more tricky things. My Status allowed me to ride things at Dyfi I wouldn’t have ridden on my Fuel… Sure, my lad would get down harder on both, but that’s really not important is it ? It’s what the bike give YOU as the rider, not what someone else could do on it.

The Trek Fuel 9.8 i had is WAY better than the Status… but i’d rather be on the Status without doubt.

I've read this a few times and can't work out if it's complete bollox or stating the obvious. I think it's actually both. 🙂

Talking about being overbiked ( or indeed not overbiked) at Dyfi on a Status is completely ridiculous ( or stating the obvious).

I sometimes wonder if over bikes is confused with undersprung.

Sounds like the OP has it right with travel to spare after a blast in the woods, but if you have a 6" bike wallowing around a blue trail using all the travel, I might call that over bikes. If you were sprung in such a way as you were only using half of it, that might be better.

Have you had a car that you didn't give a crap about that you would drive like you stole? Responsibly of course.

Have you had a hardtail that you could skid and slide around, properly ringing its neck?

Have you had a short travel full sus that would feel fun everywhere because you were always inches from getting spat off it intot he weeds?

The above is all being underbiked, it's getting the maximum from the gear you have, getting your money's worth.

Being overbiked is the opposite, like having a healthy bank account, it's nice, but it doesn't give you the fear to crack on and earn some monies.

It's safe, but perhaps boring?

I am pretty much overbiked at the moment, used to ride a 5010 which was hilarious everywhere, but a bit limited in terms of set up options, I now ride a stumpy evo which is far far more capable, ever so slightly not as much fun on my usual trails, but it has a wider setup window so you can tweak it (geo, cockpit, suspension, tyres) to really excel depending on where you're riding.

I’ve read this a few times and can’t work out if it’s complete bollox or stating the obvious. I think it’s actually both

Then you completely mis-read and mis-interpreted the whole post.

Carrying a load of unnecessary kit/weight that you’ll never really need on 95%+ of what you do.

See Range Rover as car comparison.

Yes and I am sure you drive a 107 for that reason.

I think the time I met another rider on my local trails and I was on a rigid singlespeed and he was on a long travel e-bike, is the perfect example of being under and overbiked. Yeah, we were both riding the same trails and both having fun, but we'd both have been better off with a hardtail.

How about gravel bikes with all them bags? When they're only riding for a few hours.

Over bagged?

To me the term means having 'too many' bells and whistles and/or travel (and the associated weight) for the use it's currently engaged in.

Obviously that varies by use, my Stumpy is often a bit more bike than I really need, my rigid MTB is less, other times either bike is bob-on.

One thing I have found I quite like from previous experiences is upping the fork on an "under-bike" i.e. 130mm rear, 150mm front seems to work as a nice in-between setup.

Like most things, there is the correct tool for the job, and then there is the tool with which you can still do the job. Do you need a 160mm suspension bike to ride to the corner shop for milk and eggs? No, but you can. Of course not having a basket on the front means you need a less optimal luggage system like a rucksack. Or reverse, can you ride that shopper round the forest? Probably a few times before it might snap, but your tools might bounce out of the basket on the lumpy bits.

If your bike reduces the technical challenges to an extent that you wish they were harder, then you are over-biked. Otherwise, ride on. BTW I ride a fixed wheel road bike most of the time. For many that's under-biked because people like/need gears. On a hilly ride with a headwind, it's the wrong bike. I also ride a rigid steel single speed MTB. For most of my rides, it's appropriate and gives me the right level of technical challenge. But when the route is black, I tend to sack as I'm definitely under-biked!

Yes and I am sure you drive a 107 for that reason.

I live in the countryside and drive i3, one of the lightest, smallest electric cars which will take 4 people (which happens several times a week) comfortably .  I also ride a Spur.   I could buy a 4x4 for the two days a year where it's snowing/flooded or a Sentinal for the one local descent that it might make a difference for, but why?  I practice what I preach.  🙂

 It often comes from a place of perceived superiority and/or ego

Well quite. If you feel like you want to tell some-one that you think they're overbiked, here's a handy chart to think about before you do...and while this is aimed at women, mansplaining to other men is just as common IME

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20180727-mansplaining-explained-in-one-chart

where as if you have a bmx, a dj bike, a gravel bike, an xc bike, a trail bike, an enduro bike and dh bike you have all bases covered

That's a rookie list 😉 You seem to have left off TT bike, shopping bike, folding bike, track bike... to name but a few extras in the garage.

I sometimes wonder if over bikes is confused with undersprung.

This is one key factor - how well the suspension works for the intended use. A long travel bike can work almost as well as a short travel one in pedally trails if it was designed to. The amount of travel is not the definitive limitation in making that work.

A lot of the 'downcountry' bikes that I see, in terms of the basket/trolley analogy, are like having the capacity of a basket, but with the weight and size of a trolley. I think underbiking is much more likely now driven by trends - having too little travel but with otherwise the downsides of a big bike in terms of geo, weight and drag.

I think one of these people may be overbiked.... at least he has his helmet which he can quickly put on in case of an accident.

I rode a 29er To HT most of the time on local roads and lanes , just think of all that resistance training 💪💪💪

Roadies fly by me like I'm stood still 🙄

I keep promising myself a pair of Gravel Kings to make life easier but I need to wear out the knobblies I've got first 😔😔😔

mansplaining to other men is just as common IME

Especially when it comes to bikes! We all know someone who does it.

I think it means that you had a bike that was so big/heavy it sucked the fun out of the ride, such as a DH bike on a flat trail whereas a hardtail or short travel full sus would have been fun.

But in reality it’s usually people being elitist or snobbish.

Run what you have and like. Prior to switching back to a hardtail (for financial and family reasons) I rode pretty much everything on a 170/160 Orange Alpine as it was what I had.

Unless you're doing uplifted riding then a proper XC race bike is probably the fastest bike for any given ride (a bit slower downhill but much faster uphill). However most typical riders would probably feel under-biked on such a bike. So is being over or under biked about speed or fun?

Who cares what OTHER people ride.

All of us presumably as we're using cycling forum!

mansplaining to other men is just as common IME

Are you mansplaining mansplaining here?

I live in the countryside and drive i3, one of the lightest, smallest electric cars which will take 4 people (which happens several times a week) comfortably . I also ride a Spur. I could buy a 4×4 for the two days a year where it’s snowing/flooded or a Sentinal for the one local descent that it might make a difference for, but why? I practice what I preach. 🙂

Delighted for you. It sounds like the perfect choice for you. But probably not for someone else. The same applies to bikes.

It doesn't mean you don't have fun or you're not allowed to do it, it just means you're not on the best tool for the job in hand. It's not gatekeeping, it's simply an observation.

I demo'd a Spec Enduro. Absolutely loved the thing, but I didn't buy it because once the gradient mellowed out it felt dull. It ate up bumps and didn't carry momentum like a smaller travel bike. Too much bike for the majority of my riding therefore being overbiked would be less fun.

Likewise with being underbiked. I'd still ride everything at Dyfi, Revs (rip) etc on my trail bike. But it would be slower, more dangerous and less fun than DH bike. I'd be knackered sooner and do less runs.

 I think underbiking is much more likely now driven by trends – having too little travel but with otherwise the downsides of a big bike in terms of geo, weight and drag.

Interesting. I've not tried a 'downcountry' type bike and had pondered if they could live up to the hype. Rare to see anything critical on the current flavour of the month.

@doc1988 - we used to do that but got fed up with trashing all the XC bikes and components because they just weren’t up to being battered over rough trails, jumps and drops better to have a bit mor3 weight and set your suspension up for whichever type of riding you’re doing that day. I mean everyone goes out and buys the top end forks/shocks with 42 different adjusters on them so why not pop a bit more air in for an XC day and add a bit more compression or rebound to suit an XC or DH day?

I love riding short travel bikes and hard tails, but if I could only have one bike to do everything (unlike now where I’m not doing anything more than family and trail centre rides) I’d have more travel rather than less.

Overbiked means that I can ride a red trail without too much walking and enjoy every minute of it rather than struggling round in a state of trepidation with risk of major injury 🙂

Then you completely mis-read and mis-interpreted the whole post.

Can you elaborate a bit then for my elucidation?

I often ride the same trails on my HT as I do my 180mm FS ebike and did on the Capra I had before that.

Enjoyment is similar whichever bike, just ridden slightly differently.

Sometimes you can just overthink things

DP....

It’s mainly people talking shite! Of course there’s probably a better bike for the job sometimes but why would you let it bother you! I think most modern bikes are pretty decent all round except the extreme ends of the spectrum. A random bloke sitting on a bench on the ride home once told me how over biked I was and knee pads were excessive! How the flying F did he know where I been or what I’ve been doing. I bit my lip and carried on 🤣

Delighted for you. It sounds like the perfect choice for you. But probably not for someone else. The same applies to bikes.

I'd imagine that the same is true for a lot of people when it comes to cars AND bikes and possibly even houses.  Many people buy a bike or car based around the extreme cases of what they do/think they might do, but then end up with something compromising for the 95%+ of the nominal usecases.  That loss of optimality has a cost.  Surely, that cost would be better served by being the other way around?  95% optimal, 5% compromised?

My point with the Range Rover was that having an enormous, heavy, 4WD, luxury limo means that in most usecases it's carrying a shed load of gear which makes it compromised in some way to the other usecases.  Going off road is messy, why does it have shagpile, double glazing and full leather.  Doing 80mph on the motorway with something that has the aerodynamics of a portacabin is expensive.  Carrying and using a full 4wd system for something which will possibly never go off road is expensive, etc.  In a car, the cost of that is just cost (maybe enjoyment depending on where you sit on driving fun), but on a bike, that's often the other way around, you pay with enjoyment (that sludgy, sappy felling) and a lesser extent cost.  Maybe these days, with ebikes, that's also swapping more to the RR side of things where the cost is just cost,  not enjoyment.

In both cases, you're paying a price for carrying unused capability based on a possibility of those more extreme cases.  We do this in Aerospace for safety and those extreme cases really drive the design and heavily compromise the rest of the operational spectrum.

A random bloke sitting on a bench on the ride home once told me how over biked I was and knee pads were excessive!

Yeah, I've had this a few times over the years. One young bloke who joined us for a ride started criticising some of the boys for wearing elbow pads, and then later having a go at all of us for wearing MTB helmets. He was wearing a skate helmet and cotton tee, the rebel!

I still remember a ride in FoD. One rather large bloke, standing at the side of a climb, told me that I should have bought the carbon version of the bike I was riding. He was sitting on one, sweating profusely and about to have a cardiac. I can't remember whether I replied, but I was still moving and he wasn't, regardless of frame material.

For a year or so, I rode a Trek Scratch. It was bought specifically for a trip to Whistler and was a perfect bike (to me) for that purpose. The rest of it's time spent riding the Surrey Hills, I was definitely over biked. It felt like I was riding an arm chair and made rides a little dull/too easy.

My happy place is around 140mm on the back, 160mm up front, but I enjoy getting a bit twitchy tech. I've not been back to Whistler but plenty of BPW laps with the big bike boys, some burly Alpine riding a couple of summers back, and all but the lumpiest Surrey Hills has to offer (I've kept away from Northern Monkey, not my bag), I'm happy that I'm now justrightbiked.

Oh, and run what you brung. Be happy. And don't believe anyone who tells you what you should be riding. It's your ride!

My current MTB is a 100mm travel (well think its about 20mm at the front currently) 26" wheeled. Its definitely left me under biked at times, but that could be more to do with the Geometry ?

Ive been looking at ebikes and cant understand why they are all predominantly 150mm travel + maybe the extra weight means you get through more travel, or its the aspirational sales thing of more travel = more gnar sales even if it gets used on a canal tow path?

I would love to ride a modern 120mm / 140mm / 150mm / 170mm and see where the sweet spot is for the type of riding I do.

170mm must trade off going uphill and single track, or maybe it doesnt?

I guess back to op, if he uses all 170mm of travel most rides hes not over biked. If hes only half the travel then yes over biked and compromised.

Mmmm, over biked; IMHO it means that you've got a bike that is outwith your skill level to fully utilise at the present time, however if it helps you progress to be a better rider then crack on and you'll soon be justrightbiked as stany says above.

I can highly recommend a 160mm singlespeed 29” hardtail as it allows you to be simultaneously overbiked AND underbiked in almost all situations!

^^^^^^ 😂😂😂

My bike is 170/170, I'm probably "overbiked" 75% of the time.

I value downhill performance so I'm happy to work a bit harder on the uphills.

Where it does suck is flatish undulating terrain but I think that's down to the tyres I run more than anything.

Having one bike is always going to be a compromise, it just depends where your priorities lie. It's nice having a bike that can do a xc ride one day and downhill the next. Is it optimal at either of those things? not really but it's far from terrible.

If you're having fun you're on the right bike.

In my yoof I worked in a Halfords Bikehut, I remember a bloke wanted the heaviest, worst made bike possible (think fake triple clamps and 25kg of steel) for the reason that: It gave him a better workout on the road.

No amount of my trying to persuade him toward a hybrid worked. I'm pretty sure the same bloke came back months later after said terrible purchase and wanted a 56(!) outer ring as well so he could buzz across town. I must have quoted him for a DA TT ring or something for a laugh.

Ebikes tend to have more travel because they’re heavy already so there’s not really any downsides to more travel. You want it less wallowy? Then set it up with less sag.

I totally get longer travel ebikes, the only reason I'd own one is so I could get an many runs as I could without needing an uplift. And the motor compensates for the chunky tyres and extra mass.

A term use by some to judge and pigeon hole you as a individual to a 'norm' and conformity of expectation. Often added is skill compensator or steamroller.

But this post

Oh, and run what you brung. Be happy. And don’t believe anyone who tells you what you should be riding. It’s your ride!

This!

Personally I have ridden 100mm full suspension on a Fred whitton, ridden a full suspension up col de tourmelet, ridden a rigid fat bike downhill ( very slowly) all the time being told I was on the wrong bike by 80% of people, the other 20%got it

What you ride is up to you, I have had significant skeletal issues and sometimes needed a sofa or skillzz compensator to feel.ok riding. So the person out on the road with the 170/160 mm full suspension maybe recovering from something, o only have one bike or is wonderfully and blissfully happy.

Overbiked: When the weight, travel or drag factor of your bike is detrimental to your own enjoyment of the ride you are on.

I think of it thusly:
Too much travel for the terrain.
A bike that massively outperforms the rider.

It means that having ridden Laggan on my old Cube 26" wheeled XC hardtail, and subsequently having built up an Ibis Ripmo AF, which I now ride exclusively (commuting, local blue & reds at Haldon, bridleways etc, plus summer hols in the Cairngorms or Inners, (often pushing up, then riding down), I am over-biked. Am I riding it to its limit? No - I'm a 55 year old with a healthy dose of The Fear after almost breaking my neck in an xc race 10 years ago. Do I care? No. I enjoy riding my bike thanks, if you're offended/concerned, that's your business. Over-biked? No, probably just over-thinking it.

"IMHO it means that you’ve got a bike that is outwith your skill level to fully utilise at the present time,"

Never ever thought of it like that.

"When the weight, travel or drag factor of your bike is detrimental to your own enjoyment of the ride you are on."

This is how I've thought about it.

My two thoughts - Firstly, I'd say it's harder to have a ride ruined by a 'big' bike now than it used to be. I bought a 140/130mm FS in 2022 and have some regrets - On some of the nurdly natural stuff I ride a bit more travel would probably make sections ridable that aren't and I honestly don't think the extra travel would impact my enjoyment of the rest of the ride like it used to. It might just have made the bike a bit more 'will probably tackle the unknown that might be ahead along this mystery path".

Secondly - A lot of folk have bought gravel bikes in the last few years and use them (in part) to ride what they used to use a mtb for. That has to be an example of acknowledging they'd have a bit more fun with a bit less bike.

edit - the site's naused up again inst it? It's doing that thing where the quote tool only appears when you edit and not when you initially post.

‘A bike that massively outperforms the rider’

Pretty much any bike for me, never mind the 200mm DH midlife crisis bike I’m planning.

‘Over bagged?’

My lunch won’t fit in anything smaller.

Not sure what triggered this thought 😉

But overbiked could mean a bike that out-performs the purchaser's wallet.

These days.

A lot of folk have bought gravel bikes in the last few years and use them (in part) to ride what they used to use a mtb for. That has to be an example of acknowledging they’d have a bit more fun with a bit less bike

Or have bought into marketing hype....which could be said about all the bike industry from freeride to enduro, xc to down country. To ebike or not.

Know plenty of riders who bought gravel bikes and do not get on with it.

The types of bikes we ride are driven by marketing, either buying in or rejecting the mainstream see single speed or lovely handcrafted bikes.

As above ride and enjoy whatever your bike of choice is.