One of the other threads kickstarted my regular internal debate about what bike I’d have if I could only have one. Even if it was just for mountain biking this is a toughie, but I – and loads of us on here – ride road too, whether it be for sport, fun or commuting.

So – taking all your riding into account – what would your ONE bike be?

I think I’d have one of the new breed of gravel bikes that has room in the frame for chunky(ish) tyres. I love road riding as much as mountain biking and would feel cheated if I had something that was hard-work on road. I’m getting too old to be going the speeds my full susser allows me to go anyway 😆

my ragley td-1 would be the last bike to go if i was forced to sell my bikes.

If i was building a custom bike there are a few minor details id change but the geometry isnt one of them.

ive toured on road , ive toured offroad , ive done the commute on it , ive ridden some enduro Gnar on it and not been near last (in an actual race) ive raced 24 hour races on it and ive raced short track.

Its hands down the best bike i ever bought.

One bike! Wash your mouth out you flithy animal 😆 😉

Honestly though a gravel type machine. Probably steel. Likely a Surly badge.

But if we are talking from current bikes then I would say my KM Ops (although the Pugs would be hard to say goodbye to)

My Cotic Solaris 😀

I don’t road ride. I used to do only freeride(?) and the easier downhill tracks. But now I’m getting into shorter more technical xc loops as well.

I can’t imagine anything (I could afford) that would be a better compromise than my 456 with heavy duty wheels and forks, 27 gears and a dropper.

1×11 intrigues me though..

I’d give up road riding before making some horrible worst-of-all-possible-worlds compromise like a gravel bike.

So a short travel, slack-ish, full-sus 29er – and I’d have to demo them all to choose which one.

My Remedy 29 could do all the mountain biking I do, and I’d just stop commuting/riding on the road.

I’m a roadie who enjoys a spot of mtb’ing on a mountain bike. I’ve tried the gravel thing and cx but it’s not for me. I would just give up any off roading and stick with a killer road bike and live with race blade longs for winter.

tricky, I’m pretty happy with my N=2 pairing of full sus trail bike and cx bike with ‘gravel’ tyres… I’d probably have to split the difference and have a hardtail 29er trail bike (and 2 pairs of wheels)

It would be my speedball as its bloody epic, but I would cunningly give my jones to my fiance, then I could just ” borrow” her bike for ride now and then 😀

I’d give up road riding before making some horrible worst-of-all-possible-worlds compromise like a gravel bike.

This…

So a short travel, slack-ish, full-sus 29er – and I’d have to demo them all to choose which one.

I’d have a hard time choosing between a HT and full sus if we’ve got to go down to one bike, but similar priorities for sure. Starling Murmur with both 200×57 Enduro shock and 200×51 XC shock, internally travel adjustable fork between 140-160, 2 sets of wheels and tyres etc. Would probably be where I’d end up. Come to think of it… Only having one bike doesn’t sound quite so bad after all! 😆

My Stumpjumper FSR. I love it and it is the go to bike pretty much all of the time now.

My Mason Definition … 🙂

I’d keep my FS trail bike Foxy Carbon XR. The Road bike and Hardtail would go – the latter reluctantly. I’ve come to the conclusion an MTB can do what a road bike does, keep me relatively fit….
It’s grins for me and the Trail bike gives me the most.

I think I would have to say a 29er HT, not that I wouldn’t be tempted to go with a Grrrravel/CX type bike, the majority of my riding is currently done on a CX or a Road bike… But on a nice day when the trails are calling I know I’d struggle to enjoy attacking singletrack and jumps on a rigid, drop-barred machine with tyres under 2″ I think a good 29er would strike the right compromise for me in that respect.

A Bokeh with two sets of wheels.

I had this actual dilemma when I quit motorbikes and was treating myself

I thought I wanted a hand made gravel / tourer with rohloff rather than the Jones spaceframe I’d often dreamed about

Turns out after a year I was wrong I now have a Jones as my one bike instead

And a ramin plus with spare 29er wheels an ss Kona cinder cone and a boardman hybrid as you do when you have one bike 🙂

What made you quit motorbikes if you don’t mind me asking?

My Kona Abra Cadabra is still my go to bike whether it’s a cross country bimble or trail centres or whatever.
It’s just so comfy to ride in all conditions. Climbs so well and never feels heavy.

Just don’t tell the wife as she will ask about the other four

A couple of my friends were killed and then my Mrs mates dad and son were killed all within a short period of time so the Mrs and the daughter weren’t fans and with the bike accidents I attend at work being mostly fatals I decided to let her win on this occasion. I do miss it though and sometimes think of getting another

Interesting that some of you have tried the gravel/CX route and not been impressed. I might have to rethink my answer…

Part of the dilemma is that where I live now, the road riding on my doorstep is fantastic, but not so much the mountain biking. If I really could only have one bike, it might be a road bike…

…BUT if I lived only 30 minutes up the road where the doorstep mountain biking is a lot better, it might be a different answer.

Bokeh, Merlin CR64, tiFargo, tiBrompton.
That sounds like 1 bike, to me anyway 😉

That was my thinking stilltortoise but it turns out I’d rather drive to better trails or just ride to them on the mtb

Similarly to Northy, my Bronson can do all the biking that I love.

A FS is the true do it all bike.

Mr Tortoise you have answered your own question ! Move house. Bigger storage for more bikes.
Of my current bikes, OO 456 ti evo would be the keeper

i effectively done this already, i got myself a Santa Cruz Stigmata and i ride everywhere and over every kind of terrain with it… it’s amazing and i love it so… road bike is now used for commuting only (the stigmata was being used for that too, but it’s too nice for that so some self control has been exercised) and the HT has been sold and the FS doesn’t really get a look in… the Stigmata was excellent on the Hope Pre Peaks, fast on the roads, fast on the climbs, a giggle (though not fast as such) on the descents… what’s not to love?!

i can ride all day from my door and have an absolute blast with it, whereas riding something the justifies a FS means 3ish hours of driving… ergo, i rarely use the FS

you can fit narrow tyres to an mtb, whether its fs or ht, not ideal, but doable,
you can’t fit properly big tyres to a road bike, so for me it would have to be some kind of rigid or HT 29er.
i personally would discount a fs bike as my only one as i like to go camping on it, and a rear rack is a necessity for me.
ymmv of course, it’s always interesting to hear other’s responses too.

Probably a slightly shorter travel bike than I have now. Or maybe longer.

Right now, I have a trail bike (enduro weapon, gnarpoon, mince tank) that in the last two years I have
-ridden DH
-ridden to work
-raced 100 km XC
-raced enduro
with nothing more than changing tyres and very occasionally pedals.

If my soul was shallow and devoid of life I’d even ride some CX on it.

I’d rather quit commuting and road riding entirely than have a CX or road bike be my only bike.

Either a 29er or 27.5+ hardtail and several sets of wheels

I would really be torn between getting a straight-up road bike or a CX.

Probably the latter, as I would still have the option of hitting the trails.

Interesting that some of you have tried the gravel/CX route and not been impressed. I might have to rethink my answer…

It’s not that I’m not impressed by gravel bikes, they’re extremely capable and adaptable and would basically cover 85% of my riding, but that remaining 15% only an MTB can really address…

A rigid steel 29er MTB frame with rack and mudguard braze ons and flared drop bars. Basically a monstercross but MTB rather than cross geometry.

Banshee Spitfire

Been DHing at Stiniog, been to the Alps, been down Pila, been all over Scotland, been along loads of Canals and roads, BPW, etc etc.

Having a road bike and a DH bike too is better though.

Banshee Spitfire

Been DHing at Stiniog, been to the Alps, been down Pila, been all over Scotland, been along loads of Canals and roads, BPW, etc etc.

Having a road bike and a DH bike too is better though.

#edit, it must be the best as I got a double post

Cannondale slate, with a sneaky spare set of wheels

steel 29er for me. good for all the stuff i do. touring/pottering, and a bit of offroad.

my present solaris would suit.

My Niner SIR.9
I’ve ran it in a few guises, 100mm forked hardtail, fully rigid whippet, plus wheeled behemoth.
It’s the only bike I’ve never grown tired of & would be the one I’d grab in a fire.
The Puffin is a close second though, currently Fat but I’m cobbling a 29+ wheelset for a laugh. It’s not quite got the feel of the Niner but it’s not far off. That Sam bloke knows how to spec a steel hardtail. It it were a bit lighter, with a bit of the Niners flex, it would be a keeper.
The Five would (will…) be the first to go. I always wanted one, I had one, it’s a great bike but it’s intended riding is just not my thing anymore.

A CX/Gravel bike.
A Jack of all trades, master of none.
Impressed with the alloy GT Grade I have. Two sets of wheels = quick changes between road/ muddy stuff.

But really, one bike is not “ideal”.

Of my current selection, I would keep my fully rigid Yeti ArcC which is now sporting a Whisky carbon fork. Without anything else silly on it, it weighs 20.2lbs so with different tyres it would be OK on the road and can still go offroad on the ‘it’s not exactly gnar’ off road that is the bread and butter of most of Britain 🙂

Blank canvas would be …

650B tough (probably steel) hard tail, 140mm fork (ideally as simple as the old Fox Vanillas), 1*11, 200mm/180mm rotors and reliable brakes, dropper.

Basically my 456 but a bit lighter, built to a better standard of finish and 650b so I can easily get decent spare wheels and tyres.

Shit on the road, good enough for an all dayer in the hills, not a chore on towpaths/railway lines etc., great for a trail centre blue/red route/quick blat ride, good for riding with the family.