We all need a 3rd bike right? Recommendations welcomed

Hello

I would be keen to get everyone’s opinion on what bike to get to fill quite a specific void.

I currently have a Vitus Escarpe 290 which is fun and ideal for the actual mountain biking I do of red and blue trails/fireroady come bridal path longer days out and an entry level Vitus road bike that I have done a flat bar conversion on and whacked the biggest tyres that fit for nipping across the village to do the school run or to the corner shop. Obviously there’s about £15k of other bikes that I lust over but generally this is all good stuff and work well.

However, in all honesty, like any good nearly 40 year old, most of my time actually biking is with my 5 year old son doing skids and wheelies as we are lucky enough to have a decent sized farm yard whilst he zips about. Neither of above are particularly great for skids, manuals, trying to bunnyhop as high as possible and do pedal backhops whilst he desperately tries to get my attention/approval for learning to ride!

So I would like a mucking about in the yard bike. It feels like there are a few options:

1. An old frame from my youth (kona, Azonic ds1, a GT zaskar etc etc) thats built up single speed with rigid forks and a high riser bar. Would be nostaligic, quite a cool thing and cheap but with turd geometry
2. Be truly tragic and get a bmx but with actual adult strength be able to do the tricks I dreamed of doing at 12
3. Get a trials specific bike that would be fun for jibbing about on but we all know as an object is a bit odd and uncool
4. Get a dirt jumper that would look awesome so be proud to own but be grossly under utilised. Are they good for silly hopping about?
5. Mullet my Escarpe (that isn’t designed to be mulleted) but would make it a bit better to be on the back wheel. I am only 5 ‘ 9″ but built for rugby so although strength not an issue- this is my first 29er and the bike can feel big and awkward under me when not monster trucking down trails.

Look forward to any ideas

Sell the road bike, buy a retrobike from your youth. Cooler, does same job, cheap as chips to run and maintain (if you don’t mind non factory spec)

And buy any modern hardtail, like a whyte 900, sonder transmitter, ragley, scout etc and hoon around doing everything on that.

3rd?

How can anyone survive on such a limited number of bikes?

I’d second getting a hardcore hardtail.

I’ve got one and they’re great fun for mucking around on.

Or a Stooge.

Something like this?💪

Get a trials bike. Personally I think the Inspired (other brands are available) street trials bikes look just as good as dirt jumpers… and they have decent front brakes. Then get some pallets…. or anything else you can find in the farmyard to ride on – check out what Charlie Rolls has done with their farm yard (on various social media platforms). Also, do you have an empty barn you can convert? I’ve dreamt of having an empty barn for an indoor trials zone this past 8 months (or build a ramp in it for a dirt jumper, although the street trials bikes are good on ramps too).

But if you think owning a BMX as an adult is tragic, then you’ve not got the mindset for it, just go with a more normal bike.

24 inch trials bike? Hits a lot of the marks here, without being as plain odd as a 20 incher or a mod bike, and much better for general bombing about, nipping to the pub, etc.

I have a 24″, but never really ridden anything else. 26″ like the Inspired Hex might be less weird when you first start riding it.

I’ve at least 3 bikes I haven’t ridden in more than 12 months, also struggling to finance our home renovation.

Priorities though innit

I’d add #4 dirt jumper as pump tracks are great at almost any age.

Forgotten about Inspired- totally agree they look great. Thank you. It’s the seatless competition bikes with mega stems that put me off. Just googling and the inspired look reassuringly bike like- do you think something similar could be built up or is the geometry of the inspired bikes far cleverer than I’m crediting?

the bmx thing is mainly because it’s too close to home and absolutely reliving my youth. Turning up to a skatepark in my gillet and deck shoes may not work.

have done a bit of pallets and plywood and certainly do more. The dream is if my currently bike mad son gets into it properly and I can go whole hog justifying quarter pipes and trials platforms as good parenting.

Ditto with the home renovation. The currency of the new bike will be viewed in opportunity cost of roof tiles and baton

presumably may feel a bit comfier as a short ass too? Have never ridden one but had always wondered whether they would feel odd and not quite make sense until they are on their back wheel?

Stanton Sedona… I want one because it sounds like an absolute hoot and does probably only make sense as a n+1 bike.

I’m in almost exactly the same situation as you (proper full suss, flat bar gravel bike + bike mad 4 year old) and after a third bike too. I’m thinking a 120-140mm hardcore hardtail will be best to suit this need, in 29er flavour for me as I’m lanky and that’s what all the other bikes in the garage are, but maybe in 27.5 flavour for you if you find 29ers not playful enough?

Remarkably similar position. My only issue is of a decent hardcore hardtail is a bit of a waste and overkill. There’s the odd potential for

winter rides but most the time it would be stuck in the yard. Wonder if it’s an opportunity for the luxury of the folly of a muck about bike like a trials bike or rigid dj/street build.

lots of good advice above so should sort something