Unsurprisingly I can make up my mind, so I’d welcome some general thoughts.   I’d made up my mind to sell on my 29er race HT for a 650b mid range 2.6 tyred 140mm HT – a Vitus Sentier actually.    I decided I wanted a bit more of a fun trail bike and a winter bike as I’m using my Spark only for racing.   Yet:

a) I could put some gripper-than-race tyres on the 100mm race bike instead of selling it on.

b) I have a 26 Enigma frame and WTB 26 wheels doing nothing.  I could build this up to a 120mm 26er if I can find a fork

c) The Sentier brings a lot of “modern geometry” and big tyre “grip” to the party.

Wwstwd?

Well I’d procrastinate for another couple of years, so no help here.

The red one. Definitely the red one.

Or maybe the blue one.

How about a fun trail 29er frame, then swap the race hardtail stuff over, maybe lengthen the fork, tyres and a cockpit tweak. Sorted.

Buy a cross bike and mess about on that, everything is way easier once you can ride your normal trails at speed on one of them

How about a fun trail 29er frame, then swap the race hardtail stuff over, maybe lengthen the fork, tyres and a cockpit tweak. Sorted.

I considered this but it’s non boost, so only the finishing kid would go on a frame.  I’d be better to buy the whole Sentier.

CFH, there is a blue Sentier available… 🙂

Get a trials bike, do something different, hone those skills, even basic trials skills are hard to aquire but do wonders for your bike handling.

as I’m using my Spark only for racing.

Why ?

The Spark will be more fun on the fun stuff… Sell the Race bike, have just 1 bike… Use it lots, use it for fun, use it for everything out there 🙂
Then use it some more.

I can’t see the sense in the 2nd bike in this discussion.

Because I want all the parts to not experience the grinding wear and tear of Swinleys sand and Epping deep sloppy mud, so it’s reliable at race time, bearing in mind my races are 75k loops.  In the dry/ damp I agree and have been riding it all year to date.

A decent HT to promote some skills learning and that can be hosed down and thrown in the shed with no more than a chain lube would be ideal.

i must admit I just read the bike pics thread and got all confused, I just don’t have the love for one bike that some people have in those pics, that it becomes my single cherished all day every day companion.

When you say “all the parts…” we’re talking a cassette and a chain really… possibly a set of £6 brake pads… It’s the difference between swapping a cassette and chain every 6 months instead of every 12 months… It’s not like you’d be going through them once a week is it ?

Decent cleaning of the chain after a ride, a soak in citrus cleaner and a bit of GT-85 and it’s all smooth as silk again.