I’ve got a decent commuter, but my MTB is old, heavy, and needs work and expensive replacement parts, so I’ve been thinking of buying something new – simple and light, purely a fun bike. This is made difficult as nobody seems to have any stock of anything anywhere.

I’m not even sure what I want. It’s flat where I live, what I really like is messing around on the street and blasting through local woods and wastelands. I think what I’m really after might be described as a ‘flat bar gravel’ – maybe something like an Orange Speedwork – but there doesn’t seem to be much available like this.

Planet X seem to have a lot of stock, but nothing that really seems to fit what I’m after. I’m also worried by not being able to try anything, usually I just sit on a bike and know if it’s right. I had just about settled on a Whippet: https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBOOWHGX/on-one-whippet-sram-gx-mountain-bike when I saw this: https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBOOVAGX/on-one-vandal-sram-gx-titanium-mountain-bike If the Vandal had rigid forks (I assume the suspension is where the extra 2kg comes from) I think I’d go for it.

Any thoughts? Would it be easy to sell on the Rockshocks and replace them with something rigid and carbon? Have you seen other bikes available anywhere that might be what I’m after?

unable to think rationally

Thinking rationally is overrated. Just buy it. If you don’t like it, buy another bike. Just keep buying more bikes until you find one you like.

Is there much difference between a communter and a flat-bar-gravel bike?

It’s not much of a logical leap from a “flat barred Gravel bike” to a 29er HT.

The differences being bigger tyre options, suspension forks and geometry that will suit the application when you are able to head to some tastier trails.

I’m a big fan of gravel bikes, but TBH OP it sounds like you might just want a ‘sensible’ 29er HT (and maybe a couple of sets of tyres)?

thols2
I like your thinking

eddd
My commuter has drop bars and is 2 x 11. If I buy a ‘fun’ bike then I’ll add mudguards and possible a rack to the commuter.
The ‘flat-bar gravel’ I’d like to be light and simple, nothing more than a bottle cage, 1 x 11 or 12.

Honestly unless you really care about speed on road just get a rigid or HT 29er. I’ve been through this, had a couple of gravel bikes and now have a Stooge Dirtbomb. The Stooge, overall, is compromised way less than the gravel bikes were. Not that much slower on the boring road bits and miles better everywhere else.

I would buy a dirtbomb based on nothing more than the name, it looks great. Stooge seem to have nothing in stock though.

A rigid 29er fits what I want, both the bikes I linked are 29ers. Rigid seems hard to come by though – any suggestions anyone?

What about Sonder or Brother?

Ragley Big Al 2, I bought one a few weeks ago and love it, it’s brilliant at most things and very nible. I swapped the tyres to 2.25 Racing Ralphs.

I’ve got the same worry on an Ebike, and I’ve not even managed to decide whether its hardtail or full suss.

I was going to suggest the Orange. What about that Stooge one too?

Titus El viajero sounds about right to me – in stock too.

I’ve got the same worry on an Ebike, and I’ve not even managed to decide whether its hardtail or full suss.

Most folk you see on HT eBikes look like they’d have been better off buying a commuter eBike AKA an eBike.

what I really like is messing around on the street and blasting through local woods and wastelands.

I do the same thing regardless of what bike I’m riding. It’s what I used to do on my BMX – I would think an adult BMX would be ideal. Rigid Hardtail with either 29 or 27.5+ if you want a bit of cushion. Not too extreme geo. Maybe a Sonder Frontier, Nordest Sardinha, Genesis Longitude, something along that line?

Great suggestions here, thanks.

Unfortunately many of them are unavailable, some say they won’t be aviable until next year. I’ll have a good look through. Keep the suggestions coming please – I’m especially interested in rigid rather than hardtail.

Brother do a 500 a-c fork, it’s a bit like the longitude one, with mounts. The length means it be should fine on any Hardtail intended for 100-120mm forks. You could go with anything from a voodoo bizango/Vitus nucleus? At the low end to a pipedream Sirius/Solarismax, whatever takes your fancy (that is in stock!)
The Breezer Thunder comes with a rigid fork and looks the business.

I’ve got the same worry on an Ebike, and I’ve not even managed to decide whether its hardtail or full suss.

Most folk you see on HT eBikes look like they’d have been better off buying a commuter eBike AKA an eBike.

Understandable, but then you end up with something like a….a Cube Kathmandu ….Gahhhhh 😯 with its grandparent styling.

When what is needed is something to go shopping on, or bike packing(touring in old money) and you can bolt on a rack, or commute the long way in, or even have fun in the woods. The do it all.

And unfortunately not all suss have that ability, maybe not without some expensive topeak strap on.

and you can bolt on a rack,

Dunno about ebikes but in another thread it came up that a very small number of hardtails frames come with rackmounts. Dropbar gravel/touring do. There are other ways to boot in a rack but they are a bit of a bodge compared to just having the mounts.

It’s not much of a logical leap from a “flat barred Gravel bike” to a 29er HT.

They ride and feel different though and I would take a flat barred gravel bike over a 29er HT as I prefer the feel of them. I like quicker steering more responsive bikes and I tried a 29er HT earlier this year for 3 months but went back to a flat barred track bike as I just prefer the way it feels to ride. Is it faster on the road – yes, is it slower off road – yes, do I care – No.
After 20 years of riding track bikes I know I prefer them over everything else but still try other things (CX bike, MTB) but always go back to a track bike.

I’ve just bought a Brother Big Bro (from the woods cyclery) and it is ace. I find it more fun to ride than a gravel bike as it’s more confidence filling and capable off road, and is still plenty fast on road with xc tyres. It looks great too, in an understated kind of way.

You want a Scandal. I bought mine as a winter hack I originally built it from spares box hence 27.5 wheel set(it ran fine on them) loved it so much I sold my 27.5 bike and put all the bling bits in my scandal 🙂

Planet-X showing stock !

Before blinging

After

Surly Karate Monkey or Lowside? Not light but rigid and the Lowside is like a giant BMX, at least in looks

Even more suggestions!

So many of them look like great bikes, yet so many of them unavailable at the moment – that Surly Lowside, for example, seems ideal, but I cannot find anywhere that’s got one in stock.

@plus-one I had a good look at the Scandal, and it does seem to be what I’m thinking of. Shame you cannot get it rigid anymore. Did you see the link I posted earlier for the ‘Vandal’? 300 quid more for a titanium version of the bike https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBOOVAGX/on-one-vandal-sram-gx-titanium-mountain-bike
That seems like good value to me.

Yes vandal does look good. You can source a rigid fork for it 🙂

Email this morning from px

Fully rigid whippet £999

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBOOWHSX/on-one-whippet-sram-sx-mountain-bike?utm_source=The+Planet+X+and+On-One+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=50622d7c23-150621+-+MAGNIFICENT+SEVEN+BIKES&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_561486488b-50622d7c23-271125745&mc_cid=50622d7c23&mc_eid=205c504735

Kona unit

Love mine, not the lightest but simple and fun