Here goes, I have a cannondale Habit lefty that hasn’t turned a wheel in over a year now. Wife had two spinal operations so I’ve found it difficult to get it to the trail centre. I have advertised the bike several times and then changed my mind in the hope that things would improve. I built up a Salsa Vaya recently and can ride it direct from home when I can. So in short should I sell it or hang fire?
Sell.
Says me who has a ramin plus I've upgraded and used twice lol
Always liked a cannondale though 😉
Swap it a change can help sometimes to spur you to get out when you get a chance
That’s what I keep telling myself then I walk out and see it sitting next to the Vaya and tell myself I’ll get out on it soon ( am I kidding myself). I’ve spent over £500 on upgrades on it so will be taking a massive hit 🙁
Find the time to take the Habit for a decent ride, then decide.
Cant be as bad as the over 2k I lost on my shand 🙁 I bought the ramin plus for bikepacking upgraded it and did two 7 mile runs. Still not gone bike packing either. Ironically I keep looking at 29er full suspension and looked at yours ads a few times but I couldn't sell mine lol
Unless you need the cash then keep it. You'll get a chance to ride it again sooner or later and remember why you bought it in the first place. Hope your wife recovers well soon.
I agree with Joe - I've not ridden mine in over a year either, small family, long working days and apathy all combine to mean the road bikes get (marginally) more use. Still keeping it though, I'll get back out on it!
Don’t need the cash , just running around in my head that it’s sitting there loosing value, but with the upgrades it’s an awesome bike and to replace with something similar will run me around 2k. I think the fact that I’ve had an offer for it is making me wobble!!
Trouble is keeping a bike too long and it can end up either hard to shift or worth nowt what with the ever changing standards. If it can be sold now for a decent amount just save the money if you can do without the cash and buy a used one when you feel like riding/get time to ride again .although I'm keeping mine now as it didn't sell after a couple of attempts
@firestarter that option is where I’m leaning towards at the moment, buying a second hand frame to build up in the future, probably a 29er
The best bike to own is the one you can ride from your door and enjoy your local area the most. It may not be the most full-on riding but it's the best for most of the basic goodness that riding brings.
I no longer own anything that needs to go somewhere else to be the 'right' bike. It all works equally well from my front door or anywhere else I might take it (Ilive in Herts, hardly MTB mecca but it's actually got great riding, on the right bike). Having to drive to ride is a buzz-killer PITA for me, you just can't be as opportunistic.
Trouble is keeping a bike too long and it can end up either hard to shift or worth nowt what with the ever changing standards.
That's the consumer trap of built-in obsolescence and it's never been so evident in cycling. 2 fingers to it. Buy bikes for keeps. Buy bikes where it doesn't matter - rigid bikes mainly, with threaded BBs. Or just don't care - you can get QR wheels, good hubs can be adapted, thru-axles aren't needed in many places/uses, brake mount type makes no odds as long as the brake works and most parts will last for a lot longer than you think with a bit of preventative maintenance, assuming you buy with durability in mind in the first place. A lot of bikes are way too complex now as a way of justifying all this 'tech' and standards BS. The basic enjoyment of riding a bike doesn't need any of it.
I'm really enjoying my Arkose for mixed on and off road. Like mtbing from the early 90s, and all from my door. I'm not sure I'll be using my MTB any more. So I say sell while your bike is worth something.
"That’s the consumer trap of built-in obsolescence and it’s never been so evident in cycling. 2 fingers to it. Buy bikes for keeps. Buy bikes where it doesn’t matter – rigid bikes mainly, with threaded BBs. Or just don’t care – you can get QR wheels, good hubs can be adapted, thru-axles aren’t needed in many places/uses, brake mount type makes no odds as long as the brake works and most parts will last for a lot longer than you think with a bit of preventative maintenance, assuming you buy with durability in mind in the first place. A lot of bikes are way too complex now as a way of justifying all this ‘tech’ and standards BS. The basic enjoyment of riding a bike doesn’t need any of it."
Hurrah to that jameso. All my bikes have obsolete standards now. They still work fine.
I say keep the bike. Just for those days when you do get the chance to ride it.
If you want a 29er buy that too.
Oh mine are all rigid old standards it's just seemingly harder to sell them on these days
I was set to bid on a trek frame and forks the other day to fit my spare stuff on but it was 15mm front 142 rear so no good for my old crap so it's swings and roundabouts I suppose
I had this recently.
bought a susser with my inheritance from my grandfather, cube ams 130, 2012. 26” wheels.
did about 600 miles on it as I bought a cx bike shortly after it and it suited my riding more.
its a great bike, but I just wasn’t using it.
couldn’t bear to sell it, so i stripped it, the shock fits my ebike, so does the seatpost. Brakes went on my surly.
Gave the wheels/gears/fork to a mate, at least someone will use them.
I’d say if you’re not using it, get rid.
if you decide in the future you want another thnen buy a new one.
nothing is sadder than an unridden bike.
Time restraints have me as more a roadie these days, especially as I'm doing the RttS with a friend.
I'm missing the dirt, probably dust the Solaris off for a dawn raid soon.
i have a 26" 160mm travel mtb (2014 orange alpine 160)... it hardly gets a look in these days, last time i rode was january... i can ride my cx or road bike from the door be gone for a whole day if required and return home with a big smile on my face. or i can have a 3 hour ride and still have the rest of the day to do with as i please.
to get the most from my mtb i have to drive for the best part of an hour each way.... and for a (decent) trail centre i'm driving more than riding...
that said i'm heading to the peaks on tuesday (cut gate/ladybower/etc) on my mtb and i know i will have an absolute blast.
there's no point trying to sell my mtb now as it's not worth a fraction of what i'd want for it so it'll see out its days being a fair weather/special occasion toy. everything on it is serviceable and after all, it' hasn't become a "bad bike" just because new tech/geo/standards have come on to the market.
Same dilemma for two of my bikes:
Fat bike; only gets ridden when go to beach or it snows so maybe 10 times a year. Old frame (2013) so not worth a huge amount - lives in the loft when not used.
Full Suss Turner Sultan 29er; Only full suss I have used for trips to Scotland and Wales and the occasional ride round Swinley. Again not worth much. Lives in the house rest of time.
I wont sell either though, unless really need the cash, as when I do ride them they make me smile - that's what bikes are for, yes?
Certainly some differing views I have this at the moment that I can ride from home
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And I’ve had an offer of £1400 for this
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Im still torn about what to do and to cap it all I’ve had an offer of a salsa horsethief which I’ve had before and really liked but it’s as a frame only and I’ll need all the parts to build up
Individual riding preferences, life circumstances, health etc can change a lot. I have a low threshold for moving bikes and frames on if I'm not feeling the love.
It's more economic when you can use most parts to build a new bike around a different frame, although this has become more of a ball ache for MTBs recently with the changing standards pointed out above.
Personally, I'd just take the cash for the Cannondale. Selling it doesn't mean giving up MTB'ing; you can just take your time to choose a replacement and consider exploring some other riding styles or cycling niche. You might want to have a go with a sharp-angled road bike / bike-packing 29er / XC whippet etc etc.
Decision made(nearly). Sell and see what life throws at me. Then if needed or wanted grab another MTB.
Jameso, I agree!
If you take the cash, you might end up building a lesser MTB with it unless you add to it. I'd sell it if you have no MTB plans any more. But if you are going to ride MTB still it seems like a great bike to keep. I say, make time for it. A year ago I barely touched my MTB and rode my road bike. Now it's flipped. You don't need to head to trail centres or gnarly terrain to enjoy the MTB.
Keep it, or at least replace it with another toy, unless you really need the cash.
If you sell, will you psychologically always have a little bit of you which regrets it and wants to "blame" your wife's illness?
bikes should be ridden, not kept stored away gathering dust.
sell it, buy a bike you will use.
i cant ride on rough terrain anymore, i sold my cotic solaris, and bought a cube nuroad. perfect for riding from the door on easier terrain.
Ton that’s what I did in buying the Vaya, I think I’ll probably buy a 29er frame so that at least psychologically I’ll still have the option to have an mtb
Well I walked out to my outhouse today , wheeled out my Habit in the glorious sunshine, set the box out and looked closely at it , it’s a cracking bike and I couldn’t do it, so it’s staying and I’m going to make time to get out
Sell it and blow the cash asap . .
Literally a habit then....
Jameso - all right. I'm down to simple no suss bikes with steel frames. the simple (ish) life, bikewise.