What mtb itches do you still need to scratch?

I’ve got a major hankering at the moment to get/ride a big bike. By this I mean an enduro style bike rather than a full blown downhill one.
I’ve always bought and owned more trail and xc orientated bikes as they’ve suited the terrain and riding I do 95% of the time and I can’t afford more than 2 or maybe 3 bikes at once. Currently got a 140mm hardtail which I’m loving (and scratched that itch as I’ve only ever had xc ones before!) and a 140/130mm full suss which is ace as an all rounder but obviously gets out of its depth on really technical riding.
I have other itches too, such as a fat bike (how 2016 of me!) and a steel bike (only ever owned alloy and carbon), but it’s the big bike that’s taking up all of my (fruitless as I can’t afford one!) internet time at the moment!

What mtb or even cycling itches do you have?

ps don’t want to hear about anything medical!

I’ve never had a bike with more than 150mm at the back. I’d love a DH bike but I’d never use it. Next bike will have 160mm min at the back and 170mm min up front!

Yesiiii!

a proper lightweight fatbike.

possibly carbon everything, rims, bars, the whole thing where carbon is possible.

bought a fatbike last year, used it for 6 month and sold it, as it was a lump……. like me

but know a bloke who is also a lump who rides a very light fatbike and it is lovely to ride.

Balance an open bag of chips on the handlebar to eat when heading home after a ride.

Haha @wordnumb – a word of caution – I saw a woman attempt that just last week at the coast and it ended with the f bomb in front of a queue full of kids and the sea gulls getting extra lunch.

Oh dear god

Pinon gearbox.

Titanium in any form.

Modern geometry hardtail.

Modern geomtry full sus.

Full carbon XC full sus.

Fat bike.

Awesome. Need video of that Tom.

Not really any itch bike wise (maybe di2 or an e bike) more a hankering for trips with bikes such as a decent bike pack tour some where in Europe or an Alps/dolomites trip……which all may have me wanting new bikes.

Gearbox for sure.

Another ‘wouldn’t a really light fatty be fun’ one here.

29er version of an ST4 – so shorter travel, strongly built, geometry of a bigger bike, burly enough wheels but light build…. I’m not sure I’ve got £5k to build it though!

But I’m more interested in doing, not things:

I really want to do the Badger Divide, really want to go tour a bunch of southern Europe, maybe do Te Aotearoa with my brother, tour Japan, the Innradwegg, Norway MTB and gravel, gravel lap of the Baltic, the Hebridean way….

I’m like you op and most of my bikes have fitted in to the ‘trail’ category over the years. Scratched the gravel, modern rigid and xc carbon ht in the last few years so current itches are:

Big bike, not dh, possibly electric.
Properly light carbon full suss.
Maybe a dj for arsing around with my lad.

Mullet & Ti frame, that’s about it.

Shimano 801 motor for my ebike

Trail FS
Full on DH rig
DJ bike – would love to try a FS slopestyle like Trek Ticket, Stitched 720 etc

Most of my past bikes have kind of skirted around these but I’ve always tended to overbike for trail or go more “freeride” with around 180mm travel and more poppy for DH bikes. My next bike will most likely be a playful 130mm ish trail bike of some kind, maybe a mullet.

Oh and ebike, I’m still yet to try one. I can imagine they get addictive. I’ll wait til full power motors are lightweight and more affordable for people on normal incomes.

Thinks I’ve ticked off

200/200mm dh bike- great in the right place, I wasn’t that sad when it got nicked as I had to drive to anywhere to make it worth while.

Titanium hardtail- I can’t feel the difference in frame material. I’ve had alloy frames that felt the same. It’s a nice bike, but I think and allow would have felt the same. Now I know.

Full xc bike. Had an original scalpel with a lefty and full xtr. It was light it was fast, then it broke a frame part. I never trusted it after that and sold it.

Carbon road bike- it’s a bit lighter than the alloy version. Tha largest difference is it takes 30mm tires which are significantly more comfy for me on longer rides.

Geometon- it is ace all the time.

Single speed- my knees say no.

Fat bike- it’s not needed round here.

Bromton- id love one, but I really have no use.

The only maybe is a DJ bike/ bmx. I don’t need one I’m 45 I will hurt buuuut. Maybe it would be cool?

Or a transition clunker. I don’t need one but it just seems so easy.

Most of mine have been scratched, both bike and riding destinations. Would like to spend some time in NZ

Another big tour – maybe New Zealand this winter.  Hebridean beaches with my fatty- been wanting to do it for a few years but life keeps getting in the way

Short travel FS. A Stooge or similar.

Traws Eryri, Great North Trail, La Grave.

Clean a black jump line. Do the rock garden on Ace Of Spades in St Foy.

I’m quite content and those things I want to do are well within my means and reach.

As far as Ebikes go…. I’ve got an eBullit cargo bike that I’ve not ridden for over two years (not very compatible with living in a van) that I’m looking forward to swinging a leg over soon. Going to pick it up at a mate’s place and ride it 350km through half of Germany back to Munich (on one charge) at the end of September….. All other ebike incarnations can do one.

Got my (2017) Strive and that’s still more than enough bike. Figure if I can keep up with mates riding the latest and greatest then what’s the point of changing.

Ti gravel bike. Thinking maybe chunkier tyres to better cope with the strada bianchi here in Italy, but really, the 40mm G-Ones gave been pretty good. The rear is getting thin, mind.

Basically I’ve **** off the idea of buying more to make myself happy and am content with my lot.

The list of locations I want to go to is so long I don’t think I’ll ever scratch many of them. Although now it’s got me drawing up in my head a list of attainable UK and maybe Northern European rides/locations that maybe I can realistically tick off. Probably a thread for another day…

A modern XC/light trail bike. All my MTBs end up burlier and burlier.

Location wise, loads of places as long as it’s not the MTB equivalent of a bmx track.

Events, I’d like to have a go at a 24hr type race

I’d love to tide my current bikes while fit – perhaps 30kg lighter. That would be frikkin awesome.

I really want to try a full suspension fat bike like a bucksaw .

Easy, Tour Divide for me. On my Stooge MK4.

Otherwise, I’d like a Spaceframe Jones at some point too.

I haven’t owned an Orange 5.

If we’re talking locations I’d love to go back to Whistler. Never done the Alps either, Morzine looks fun. Plenty of UK locations I’m yet to ride too. It’s just finding the time and money to do it all!

The only maybe is a DJ bike/ bmx. I don’t need one I’m 45 I will hurt buuuut. Maybe it would be cool?

I have similar thoughts! Hence why I keep looking at the Specialized P4 27.5 as a halfway house between DJ and trail bike. It’d probably be really fun on a lot of the trails I ride and a bit more stable than a full on DJ. Depending on the headset type it could possibly fit an angleset too to slack it out a bit and have a fun little play bike for groomed jump trails.

I think I could find a P.Slope/Bolt itch to scratch.

Similarly a modern Tora built mini link.

I’d like a go on a proper DH bike, but really wouldn’t want to own one. Suppose I should just book myself an uplift day and a hire bike….

Want to swap my commute bike for a compact cargo bike.

And really would like to rescratch a Genesis DayOne, desperately regret selling that.

That’s this week’s list. May change early September. 🙂

Titanium will be my next itch scratched. Probably a FS – either Kingdom or Stanton

Hebridean beaches with my fatty-

@tjagain

Get it done. And share it on a thread here with lots of pictures.

I think I’ve done my locations. I’ve been lucky enough to ride in Moab, Whistler, all over Europe and Islands. Pretty much all those itches have been scratched. Bike-wise I’d really like a fast XC/race full suss, just to see how fast they are, and how much I could hurt myself.

Money and time constraints have meant that I’ve always been Mr N+0. I used to race XC (very unseriously) and do endurance events on my trail bike, changing little more than the tyres. As a result, I’ve always had an itch for a properly light, fun XC full-suss.

For similar reasons I’ve also never done a dedicated overseas MTB holiday. However, I think next year will finally be my year (Currently swithering between White Room and Basque MTB).

I’d love a lightweight full sus xc/downcountry bike, it would probably be the most sensible bike for me to own for local riding but my local riding isn’t the best so I own burlier bikes for trips away.

I’d also love a high end DH bike but having owned a DH bike years ago, I know there’s just no need for it. I have just built a 180/180 travel full sus bike which hopefully scratches enough of that itch!

Would like to try the Fort William DH track.

I’d also like to go France for a world cup as they look nuts!

I’d love to be able to approach a jump without bricking it

Been pondering over an Orange Five for years, not a fan of the modern versions they don’t look right, I am very impulsive and have been in to buy one twice now and got home with something else, as my size wasn’t in stock. One day I’ll pick one up second hand.

I’d love to do the tour divide, but my health isn’t great at the moment and my fitness is worse.

Break a frame doing something gnar.

Preferably walking away but I accept a price may need to be paid.

Also i would like it to be photographed, with me flying through the air, preferably doing something comical* like still covering the brakes on a set of handlebars no longer attached to the rest of the bike.

* Whilst obviously still looking rad as ****

Getting to ride Entraunes/Guillaumes. Once again this year I’ve driven past the Terres Grises without being able to actually get on the bike and have an explore. Then there’s the Stone King route on Komoot… that makes me rather itchy. A weekend based around the Queyras or venturing into Italy is definitely on the cards next year.

I wouldn’t say no to a DH bike as I’ve been spending too much time in bike parks of late. I pinched one off a mate for a day last month and could’ve quite happily kept it for the remainder of my summer hols.

Really want to try a high pivot bike to see what all the hype is about. Oh, – and coil suspension, never tried that before

Always want to ride somewhere I’ve never been

A big travel monster. (Biggest I’ve ever had is 160f/140r, currently I’m on 140/130).
while I could go buy one right now (especially a S/H one), somewhere to ride it to do it justice is the sticking point.

Probably fat biking in the snow.  Hopefully next winter.

Done dh, proper light xc etc.

I just want to travel to go riding more now. Åre in sweden looks good,  back to the alps too

I’ve never had a “trail” full sus. They’ve all been racing ones, one of the original S-Works FSR then onto an S-Works Epic (the weird one with the shock sitting inside the rear triangle) and after that I kind of stopped MTB competitively and just rode HTs.

I’ve ridden a few trail FS and I remember leading a shop ride on a lap of the Borrowdale Bash where I’d “appropriated” the shop’s demo Cove G-Spot for the day. That was an eye-opener in terms of capability, it absolutely steam-rollered it down the Castle Crag descent. But I never actually bought it, in spite of being very very tempted.

I haven’t owned an Orange 5.

You’re not missing anything. It was one of the trail FS bikes I tried out and it was shit.