Ok this may be long winded but stick with it, I’ll try to be brief!

I love push bikes, always have and always will. I am currently without a bike after selling my Cotic Soul and CX bike earlier on this year as I needed space, cash and was not using them. Now I’m without a bike all I want to do is go for a cycle.

Been eyeing up many bikes from Cotic Escapades to Bird Aeris’s’s’s and everything inbetween. In an ideal world I’d have both but that ain’t an option so it’s 1 bike, I have had road bikes, full bouncers, hardtails, CX bikes, BMX’s and a Brompton, however I always get the “well I’m not using it so I may aswell sell it” voice in my head.

In reality I would probably only use it off road once a month at best, perhaps a dawdle in the woods in the better weather in the evenings aswell. I’m definitely a fair weather cyclist, don’t mind riding in the cold but in the rain and wind just does bugger all for me. I’d head out most weekends for a local ride, I’m not interested in setting records for doing the local cycle path loop. I sold the road bike as I always felt I was kicking my own arse to ride further and faster which took away the enjoyment. I liked the CX bike but I struggle to get comfortable on drop bar bikes, I get the numb hands on any bike but especially on drop bar bikes (really bad on the motorbike, but that’s ok because everybody know motorbikes are cool)..

So I guess I’m asking how to justify dropping near £2k on a Bird Aeris when it will never actually be ridden in anger that often.. I know I could go cheaper etc but a bike has to excite me and look good which the Aeris does IMO. It needs to be fun to ride which is the whole point in cycling right?

Anyway, what’s the justification from your perspective? Do you actually ride your off road bike off road on a regular basis? If not how do you justify spending a good amount of cash on one? Or do I just need to buy a cheap hybrid and accept I’m a wimp/stingy fecker who is destined to ride cheap bikes for the rest of my life?

Ps.. This may or may not be me looking for Internet strangers to justify buying a fun looking bouncy bike.. In orange because everybody knows they are faster.

Couldn’t you get two secondhand bikes (one road, one off-road) for the price of that £2k bike, and spend the change on a trip somewhere warm and sunny?

Nothing wrong with having a bike that you don’t use to its full capability or as much as you could; hardly anyone does that, it’s just a matter of degrees. It’s only really an issue if you buy something you can’t afford or that’s fundamentally unsuitable for you. And suitability’s in the eye of the beholder too. Lots of wrong decisions work out great and right decisions turn out terrible. My Soda was a right decision, I barely rode it. My Dune is a terrible decision, I love it.

In conclusion; orange bikes.

Someone posted recently something along the lines of buy a bike for the riding you do, not what you think you’d like to do which sounded pretty sensible to me

Fatbike! 🙂

You don’t sound too disimilar to me and my advice would be to buy a new bike cheap in end of year sales from Pauls etc. This gets you a new bike and saves you a lot of money which kind of counteracts the little bit of guilt that is telling you that you don’t need such a bike.

I was about to post a thread like this as well.

I have a CX bike, tinkered with it until it fits me fine, comfortable on the road for around 50km or so, have a good selection of tyres for it – scary death tyres to heavy soul destroying ones – changed bars, seats, etc.

Really like it, and it does pretty much what I want, yet I hanker after something more.

I think I want a road bike, as most of my riding is on the road, or shagged roads around here – mix of red clay, dirt and stones

Maybe it’s a gravel bike, but one that is more comfortable for longer in the saddle, or simply just a road bike and save the CX thing for when I know I will be going on poor roads.

I still want a fatbike, but I know the road going would be better for me, other than that I’m stuck. Do I need one, not really.

It doesn’t sound like an aeris is the bike you’ll get the most use out of. Once a month for a pootle round the woods?

Why not get a cx frame and just build it up with normal mtb bars? I’ve got mine like that at the moment as it’s easier to take my daughter out on the loct with a set of renthal fat bars on there. It’s actually great fun to ride. I think the guys at Transition ride their CX bike with mtb bars. There’s a vid on their website. My only problem is I find myself doing silly things on it, riding it like an mtb and then running into a rough section and panicking about the forks snapping!

Or to be honest a Jones or a Stooge sounds like it would work for you.

And Quirrel – Sounds like you want a Cannondale Slate! Review on the radavist now.

My first thought was a CX bike but reading further, maybe not. How about a fast, XC biased hardtail? Flat bars, bar ends, 29er, that kind of thing. It’ll not be too bad on the roads, will be good for a blast in the woods and will give you a few hand positions too help that too.

If that were me I’d probably go for a reasonably lightweight 29er. Quite efficient on roads, but with the capability to head off when the urge takes you. I’ve a few bikes but stuck 3000 miles on mine in a couple of years… So it’s definitely the bike I reach for most often.

On one have some cracking deals on lurchers at the moment. £800 for a full build.

Sounds like you need to spank a tonne of wedge on something nice and be happy with keeping it for high days and dry days. That’s it: keep it!

I have the opposite problem to yours. Ten bikes. Couldn’t bear to part with any of them. I ride all year around and have a selection to choose from, which keeps things interesting.

I even have a bike that never sees mud – a blinged up carbon 2011 Ibis Tranny in ‘candy apple green’. Still feels special – cos its only been used on lovely days – and is an amazingly fun playful bike I look forward to riding each spring, as the trails dry out. I don’t really care if it’s not bang on trend for 2015 – because it suits precisely the type of riding I like to do.

In the winter I have a range of bikes I don’t mind getting trashed. It sounds like you don’t need one of those..

I think you need a 29er hardtail. They cover ground so well and the more modern geometry ones are very capable and fun off-road.

There are plenty of bargains about both new and used.

Here’s a nice s/h one, others are available…
http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1883656/

😉

PS. I really do think you need a 29er HT, not just puffing my ad.

Thanks for all the responses so far. I hear what your saying about a HT 29er but I’m a short arse so ride a small. Most small 29er bikes look rediclous IMO of course. I couldn’t stomach owning a Lurcher, looks like a squatting dog! A bike has to look good, I like the looks of the Stooge mind you.. The Jones are a bit pricey to be honest, I was hoping to have bouncy bits at both ends so I can shred more gnaar.

It would be once a month for a pootle in the woods, it would be once a month used properly off road and more regular visits to the local woods.

I have been riding steel hardtails for years and just fancied a change but maybe it’s a case of if it ain’t broke…

I’ll look into the Stooge today though.

Ps.. Nice stealth ad.

Oh here’s a thought.. Maybe I should enlist BartyP to “design” me a frame then get all stroppy when people suggest viable alternatives.

Just buy a bike that you’ll only ever realise 60% of the potential of, like the rest of the people here (myself included) If you like it go for it.

I’ll echo JoeG – stop fannying around and just get a fatbike 🙂

I am intrigued by fat bikes..

I’ll just leave these here then:
http://www.on-one.co.uk/c/q/bikes/mountain-bikes/fatty-trail

https://www.canyon.com/en/mtb/dude/

😀

And Quirrel – Sounds like you want a Cannondale Slate! Review on the radavist now.

Yes! Yes I do! I dribble every time I see them being reviewed

1981miked – Member
I am intrigued by fat bikes..

In that case, Calibre Dune from Go Outdoors. Grab one. Quick.