I own a Prince Albert, which I used to love, however about 6 years ago I bought my first full suss, then sold it before buying my current whyte t-130 about 3 years ago.
Now if I go out on my hardtail I really struggle, it doesn’t have a dropper, the head angle feels really steep, it feels short and just doesn’t feel fun to ride.

I don’t want to sell it, as it’s worth more to me than I could get for it. I’ve converted it to singlespeed and back again so don’t fancy going down that route again, so I’m open to ideas!

Singlespeed AND rigid.

With some weird bars.

Cast it into resin and make a table with it.

Garden Ornament/fountain.

Have you considered a beard?

Seriously, how about turning it into a cargo bike?

They still have a market – although smaller these days.

Last year I sold a PA with Rev’s and full SLX/Deore with some beefy wheels for £225 to a friend who’s son has battered the living daylights out of it – as he said, with a child liable to destroy everything mechanical, he did not want an expensive bike…

Singlespeed AND rigid.

With some weird bars.

My genesis day one decade covers that base.

Seriously, how about turning it into a cargo bike?

To my mind that’s the equivalent of sending my bike to hell

I’m in a similar dilemma with my PA. Now riding a much longer slacker full sus it feels short and steep. As per Matt’s post the bike isn’t worth much to sell. A cheap longer slacker frame swap would work if I could swap everything over, but nothing really exists. Ok I could go for a 27.5/26 compatible frame, but then probably looking at 142 axle so new rear wheel needed, might as well go full 27.5 so that means new forks, argh might as well just get a get a new bike then. Cheap frame swap end up with new N+1 and $$$$. But then still have the PA which is worth more to me than I could sell it for. I’ll just keep riding it for now.

Still keeping and riding my PA 🙂

Still keeping and riding my PA

And me! 😀

PrinceJohn – Member
I own a Prince Albert, which I used to love,
Now if I go out on my hardtail I really struggle, it doesn’t have a dropper, the head angle feels really steep, it feels short and just doesn’t feel fun to ride

I’m of the opinion that shorter and steeper still has its place – and I think it’s good to mix things up a bit, which is why I like having bikes that are very different from one another – and then riding them in pretty much the same places….
If you miss having a dropper post (I would) then get one – plenty available in 27.2mm.

hacksaw some sections out of the seatstays, replace them with some urethane skateboard bumpers and pretend its a soft-tail or put a 24″ inch wheel in the back to achieve the appearance of modern-style geometry.

Or sell it.

I don’t want to sell it, as it’s worth more to me than I could get for it.

Oh I don’t know. Stick it on eBay or here and mark is as an “adventure” bike and it’ll fetch 2x its value. Probably.

Sell it and buy a hardtail you will ride.

A bike’s not worth anything if you can’t ride it.

Sell it and buy a hardtail you will ride.

A bike’s not worth anything if you can’t ride it.

sentimental valuedepreciation rage 😉

Sounds like it would make a great commuter/life bike

Life bike?

😀

Donate it to a local bike recycling project. 🙂

Break it at the welds and create a giant wind chime.

Stick some drops on it, a set of cross wheels and call it a gravel bike

Zwift

69er it, that’ll slacken the head angle off a bit…

I’ve got a mk2 Soul in the garage that’s only been used for family rides since I got my Aeris. Trying to find a teeny frame so I can move everything over for my daughter – if anyone has a ~14″ frame for sale let me know!

I’m of the opinion that shorter and steeper still has its place – and I think it’s good to mix things up a bit, which is why I like having bikes that are very different from one another – and then riding them in pretty much the same places….
If you miss having a dropper post (I would) then get one – plenty available in 27.2mm.

Agreed, love riding my older bikes, I rode my Aeris and turn of the millennium Turner back to back at BPW. The Turner felt wrong after the long and slack, however after a bit it felt spot on, till I killed the back wheel. Ultimately not as fast and heavier with less effective damping but still fun. Geometry that worked years ago still works now once you get used to it.

My old 2007 ht just started to feel odd after a while. It was a great bike and at the time was a joy but things change and current trends, which feel good to me, left it redundant. Every time I used it I wished I was on my more modern fs so I sold it.

Now have a 27.5 ht that apes my 29” fs. Both feel ace, both get use. I wouldn’t choose one over the other as a matter of course.

Turn it into a tall bike.

Take up XC racing. Get really fit and use it to beat all the guys on 29er carbon bikes.

Would an Angle Headset breath a bit of life into it?

Can you get angle headsets for 1 1/8th straight steerer frame/forks? Can’t imagine they could do much?

You can – works components. Changes it by 1 degree.

I was thinking of one of these superstar slackers to slacken off my PA, but looking at it I don’t think it’s going to work on the 1 1/8″ straight steerer. They are 33% off today too.

Sell it to someone who will enjoy riding it like you once did!

My Cotic Soul has a happy new life somewhere. 🙂

It’s one of the first batch of 853 ones they did. I’ll never sell it.
Not the frame anyway. I’ll give it another go this weekend and see how I feel about it.

I keep looking at hard tails tho, almost pressed go on a bird a couple of times…

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