[Closed] Does anyone run 1 bike for everything?

“Does anyone run just 1 bike for everything?”

I’ve used a hardcore hardtail for my everything but I only ride roads to get places - although I do so most days on the way to/from work and on what many would consider inappropriate tyres (Magic Mary front, DHR2 rear). For a long time I’ve also had a full-sus built up the same way with similar tyres (now it’s a Levo) and use that too.

But I have no interest in recreational road riding. I do have an old Brompton but that only gets used if trains are involved. It’s probably quicker but far less fun, isn’t suitable for urban jumps/drops and is much scarier downhill.

I reckon it's only possible if...

Your local MTBing is shite

Or

Your commute is a really good MTB route

Yes. I have a mk1 Switchback (OH's got the Marino I ordered as it's slightly too long for me :/ ) set up singlespeed with a couple of pairs of wheels, one with rolly tyres on and the other with knobblies on. It gets used for everything from trips to the shop and longer 70-odd milers to my mam's and back with the rolly tyres on or chuck the knobblies in for a day at Choppers or Hamsters.

Do you remember when you were a kid and you had one bike with one gear and you just got the **** on with it? That.

Used to use my Bird Zero AM as my do-it-all-except-pump-track bike. But I realised I was unwilling to compromise on tyres, and being a tubeless set up, didn't want to change tyres regularly. Ended up sorting out my singlespeed commuter so the mtb is saved mainly for its intended purpose unless the commuter was out of action. The zero was way more fun though.

Pretty much the same as you malv, a 300 quid go outdoors effort is my compromise bike, commuting etc.

I’m in the process of building something that could probably do that, though I wouldn’t.

I’m going for a Flat barred Sondor Camino with a double 11 speed XT/SLX 38/22 and 42 at the back and 650b wheels. I probably fit in board bar ends and some mini tt bars to give more hand positions. I already have some vision carbon road wheels that would fit. I’d only do this to avoid taking a road and gravel bike on hols.

This type of bike is always a compromise, in fact I think gravel bikes are pretty crap at riding on anything except forest tracks and discussed railways but that’s what makes them fun ( I have 3). In fact we were riding on the loose gravel tracks around Delamere and the bike wasn’t particularly good at that either.

You'd end up with a modern version of an 80's Mtb and relaxed road bike. If your riding encompasses this go for it.

I still run a proper road bike for when I want to go fast and a 29er hardtail for mountain biking as I find that even a beefy gravel bike will still get out of depth quite quickly.

I’ve just built a Stooge Dirtbomb as my only bike. It’ll be compromised in some areas but I ride purely for fun and it’s a very fun bike. No interest in road riding or competition of any kind. Just love exploring, riding with the kids, off road etc.

The one thing Surly have for correct in the marketing is you can ride any bike wherever the hell you want. I wholeheartedly agree with the statement.

Does anyone consider "road and easy offroad" to be "everything"?

Nearest I got in latter years was via a Genesis Vagabond.

The Vagabond (MK1, 2x10 Deore, wide drop bars) was (for me) close to perfect for what you describe, but I’d have wanted an extra lighter 29er wheelset shod with road tyres, and possibly a hub generator for fuss-free commute lighting. The other (multipurpose) wheel-set I would have kept shod with the 2.1 Nanos, tubeless, as I found that they are great tyres for all-round (excepting lengthy surfaced/road tours or commutes). The non-correctable issue was appreciable toe-overlap/short wheelbase. So I got rid.

Ultimately I ended up with a 531 tourer/audax and a Genesis Longitude 29er.

I could of course consolidate these by instead choosing something like an adventure/gravel bike ... but in all honesty I found that I also like bikes for specific jobs. The old tourer is a blast at moving fast and carrying loads. I love it and am since spoiled by it.

The Longitude, OTOH I haven’t quite enjoyed as much as the Vagabond on light trails and gravel, but have enjoyed a little more on trickier trails and heavily rutted bridleways.

I should really sell it though and use a hardtail, or sell both it and also the old tourer and instead buy an ‘adventure tourer’, ie something like a Fugio.

But then I’d still be missing a hardtail. And also, I can’t picture life without the old tourer!

‘One bike’ is really all about compromise. You simply have to decide to live with it, whatever it is.

I actually remember doing that a few times:

- 1990 with a 21 speed Dawes ATB. Uncomplicated. Tour, commute, ATB, MTB
- 2k Cannondale F400 with lockout Headshoks and changes of tyres (Big Apple summer trails/road and Fire XC Pro for offroad/winter)
- Orange p7 (2008) singlespeed. I just loved it and rode it everywhere on half-worn 2.4 tyres. Lived with limitations.

Does anyone consider “road and easy offroad” to be “everything”?

For some that might be everything. For me at different times of life it has.

But I’ve since been spoiled by utility/town bikes, touring bikes and aggro hardtails. All so much better for the ‘job at hand’

Cheap and cheerful Voodoo Marasa for commuting, popping to shops and the odd local pootle. Feels far less fun than the Voodoo Wazoo it replaced last summer, would prefer something nicer, but would then be worried about something happening to it (had a locked bike nicked in local precinct a few years back, some work colleagues' locked bikes have been nicked).

Road bike for local workouts and longer endurance dry rides, so it's pretty much been a turbo bike in 2021 so far. 🙁

“Your commute is a really good MTB route”

It’s not really good but after the steep road descent from my house with quite an intense bend, I can hop over some kerbs and verge to a service road and then there’s a fairly steep road climb. After that I point downhill on the road for about 100 yards, then it’s onto a wide central reservation at quite a speed which turned into a path/singletrack during the first lockdown, various kerbs and stuff to hop, a rather challenging fast bend with some kerbs to cross in the middle of it, the odd slalom turn and roller, then across a road, hop up a wall and off a wall into the park, down the back of the park off-road, a few little jumps, one somewhat bigger sender, some steps to drop off and then cruise the last half mile mostly down some cycle lanes. That’s the most direct route to work, about three miles so it’s a flat-out blast. Looking at Strava half of it is on dirt, which is quite satisfying considering it’s entirely within a city. Just have to give pedestrians especially dog walkers plenty of room so they don’t get scared as we share the new unofficial path. The school children seem to find it amusing as I speed by (whether they’re laughing with me or at me, I don’t care, I’m having fun!)

The long way in or back goes via some proper trails which are short DH tracks, either push-up or v tough pedal climbs (or tough but more manageable ones on the ebike).

The bike always comes into the business unit, so no security worries.

Always ran two and sometimes three bikes, recently in the last couple of years scaled back to one bike a Salsa Vaya which I ran with two wheel sets 700 x 42c and 650 x 2.2. Then I convinced myself I needed a rigid 29er, but it had been on my mind for several years and liked the Surly Krampus. So bought a frame and built it up 29 x 3.0 1x12 gears with a dropper. A year later I do enjoy two bikes BUT recently started experimenting with riding the Vaya where I ride the krampus.
Now yes I know I’m slower and line choice is crucial I’m enjoying concentrating on riding and enjoying it. This has lead me to the same conclusion as you perhaps will one bike do everything for me. That bike currently would be a Salsa Cutthroat or similar in steel.

I have this last year as my other bikes are in storage - got a Diverge carbon with 2 pairs of wheels. I live in north Speyside, just north of Cairngorms National Park. Just this morning I rode the red route at Glenlivet MTB trails if that’s the notion of 💩 MTB?

Does anyone consider “road and easy offroad” to be “everything”?

Not here. Roads are just a necessary evil in order to get to more interesting places. I tried the gravel bike thing but, for me they’re just a road bike so not fun at all. Drop bars don’t lend themselves to riding like a big kid ymmv. Off road goes from easy pootles on towpaths and bridleways through to hooning about in the forest and riding around the peaks.

My riding nowadays is nearly all local roads, bridleways and on a Camino. I've been riding the HT a little bit recently but it's always gentle XC. Trail centres do appeal but I'd only ever do red anyway. I'm getting too old to fall off and getting hurt is no fun

Yup, 27.5 Giant Anthem with 130mm forks for XC, trail, winter gravel mooching etc. There's an incredible network of dirt roads, gravel paths and livestock trails that connect all the towns and villages where I live in Spain so hardly ever have to venture onto tarmac itself, therefore I've never felt the need for anything more roadie than a short travel full sus.

The next bike will be similar but with 29 inch wheels. I've had a go on a few 29ers since buying my current bike 5 years ago and they definitely carry speed better and just feel generally faster. A short travel 29er with slightly more travel up front and geometry somewhere on the sharp end of trail / slack end of XC race is perfect for the riding that I do. I've got my eye on either the shorter travel Trance 29er, an Epic Evo or a YT Izzo (although that last one seems to be perpetually out of stock).

Does anyone consider “road and easy offroad” to be “everything”?

No. we only ride on the road if we absolutely have to, like it's on the way to somewhere fun or whatever. My 'everything' includes a bit of local DH racing, some dirt jumping, riding down stairs, pottering to the shops, skids and/or wheelies etc... Fortunately we don't have to ride on the road much (at all sometimes) to get to fun stuff from our door.

Yep - rigid Charge Cooker. Commuter, Mountain Bike - trail centres/Welsh bike parks/Quantocks Dartmoor and Exmoor/local (ish) woods, regular Devon Coast to Coast.

Sort of - Smokestone Henderson for off road / MTB and uplift. But with two sets of wheels one fat and one 29r. Oh and two forks rigid/Sus.


And then a similar setup for the road/gravel bike, an engine 11 dirtee with two sets of wheels

Nope, at last count N=6

But that does include a bmx, a long distance commuter and an errands/short commuter.

I could swap the road bike for some slicks on the cross bike. But hardly seems worth it. And could fit guards and eliminate the long commuter. But I like the fixie, and I like the SSCX option sometimes.

Just the one MTB, a 130mm travel hardtail.

I think I've sold the overlapping bikes. Having one bike for everything ends up just a nasty compromise. Its why I'm resisting an XC hardtail, trail FS and gravel/touring/bikepacking bike. If you have to decide which bike to ride on a given day because it's not blindingly obvious, then you probably have too many bikes. Conversely if you can't do a ride because you have the wrong bike then it's fine to have n+1. Couldn't ride the bmx track in a meaning full way on the gravel bike, however many times I've done it just for shits and giggles.

@fudge9202 - are you thinking of a Fargo?

@ElShalimo no the Cutthroat but realistically I would like steel, the Pipedream ALICE but the Cutthroat would be my dream bike

No. For the same reason I don’t have one pair of shoes for all situations.

If "everything" is a very narrow subset of cycling then it would be possible. I reckon I could reduce from 6 to 3 for my needs. Less than that would be impractical.

Yup, over the years it's been a Salsa Spearfish, Whyte T130, Whyte G160, commencal Super4, it's now a Bird Aether7, gravel, commuting, trail center, jumping, Ridgeway, always the 1 bike.

The only exception to this is Zwifting.

I wouldn't consider what your definition of everything to be everything by a long shot. However for what you describe I wouldn't even change wheels. I might not even change tyres tbh unless it was a big (100+ mile) day.

Dear Lord No!

Sounds like hell...

Not quite - mulleted, coil shocked Stumpy Evo for all mountain biking (enduro, XC, trail, dh, bike park, spins in the woods with the kids), with WTB tough tyres. 650b 1x Vitus steel gravel bike for the 20km ride to work (when we're back in the office that is!).

Yep. I ride my only bike (a fixed gear bike) on road, gravel and off road. But then I do live in the New Forest so very much

Your local MTBing is shite

No and yes, i end up using my fairlight secan for most of my riding as I do it from the door, however after a long mixed surface ride I have coming up in June I think i may get rid of it and go for a strael or something similar that will take enough tyre for easy forest roads etc and also do as a good road bike, and get some lighter spare wheels for the hard tail and put fast rolling tyres on for gravel and easy mtb duties as it just sits unused most of the time and i think would make a more fun bike for that type of riding

e.g. a beefy hybrid/gravel bike with 2 sets of wheels for road (700c) and easy off-road(650b)?

this is your definition of “everything?”

I tried once, when my commuter hardtail was getting a service, took my Stumpy to work through the city... As much fun as it was to have the suspension travel to jump off curbs and down steps, it was hard work with the bigger tyres and the gearing meant it was a lot slower.

There's also the fear of getting it stolen.

Yeah, I did this for a while with my Pipedream Alice. Ran 27.5 carbon rims and switched between WTB Horizons/Contintental Mountain Kings for anything more adventurous and did both 1x10 and SS builds. Always had Jones bars on it which covered (slow) road and (slow) trails adequately.

Did anything between road centuries and days at BPW/Afan on that.

@nickc - Sorry, it was a poorly worded question but too late to edit it. I actually meant for road/gravel/bikepacking.

Not every needs 200mm travel to go for a ride to a cafe the other side of the hill

@ElShalimo - my Van Nicholas Amazon is the nearest I have to that. A 650B wheelset with Terravail Rutlands and a 700C wheelset (currently) with GP4Seasons. Both wheelsets have dynamo fronts.

It covers much of my needs. I have a lighter, carbon roadbike when I want it but that's mostly saved for riding with other folk and I want the (probably only mental) boost it gives me.

Bikepacking on the Amazon works to an extent. It's all down to the terrain and sometimes the 650B and rigid forks won't cut it.

Edit; I think a wide gear  range is essential for that mix of uses.

1 bike for literally EVERYTHING isn't possible for me. Currently NEED three different bikes with very limited ability to cross over
- e-cargo bike - takes two biggish kids to primary school (used every day), plus normal cargo bike duties
- brompton - makes train travel/commuting possible (used infrequently)
- rigid MTB - used for everything else, mainly local south downs MTB rides and bikepacking (my 'fun' bike)

Also have a gravel bike set up as a commuter but haven't used that in ages so could lose that

Definitely reaching the point that a full suss might be a useful bike for local or bigger rides to contrast with a rigid MTB

I actually meant for road/gravel/bikepacking.

Depends where you want to compromise I guess. For me at least, one of the joys of a roadie is the (almost) effortless boost in speed you can achieve with just a firmer press of the pedals, but, in order to get that, you need a good stiff lightweight set-up, which isn't necessarily what you want for a bike packing or gravel regardless of what wheels are on it, as you'd just get beaten up all the time.

I think for me personally they're too different to really just have one bike that would be acceptable for both. You'd end with a weighty dog of a roadie, or a skittish stiff nightmare off road

Depends on your definition of everything.

If everything covers century rides on the road to DH track off road then no bike could possibly work for everything.

If everything is commuting shortish distance on road, paths, tracks and red level trail centres off road then a decent hardtail could probably cover everything

Nope my everything is too diverse for one bike.

I'm finding very little loss in speed on the road when I've got the gp5000 and road wheel combo on the Secan compared to my old Giant Defy (fancy carbon version). All I've got to judge by are Strava stats but I seem to get PRs most times I go out. Then put the 650b and Racekings on and it's quick over the rough stuff. Be first to admit that my rough isn't that rough, but it's more than capable on the South Downs and Friston single-track.

Certainly see me getting something like an eMTB in the future, but the Fairlight ticks most boxes I need ticking at present.

I'm close to it for 99% of the riding I've been doing over the past 18 months. I have a Stooge Mk4 which is the go to bike at the moment. My rides are mixed with some road bits, gravel bits and mtb. It does everything just fine albeit a little compromised. I can live with that.
I have a FS bike but I haven't ridden it for ages, it might get some use if I get over to Wales at some point. Road riding isn't for me so might cut my road bike loose. Only other bike I have is an old 26" Fisher that was getting used as a kid hauler but the Stooge is better for that.

In summary, I'd happily get rid of all my bikes and use the Stooge for everything.

If everything covers century rides on the road to DH track off road then no bike could possibly work for everything.

Really? Literally no single bike, ever, in the history of all bikes ever made, could possibly be capable of being used on the road for 100 miles or used on a downhill course? None? Ever? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I’d happily get rid of all my bikes roads and use the Stooge for everything.

ftfy 😉

Literally no single bike, ever, in the history of all bikes ever made, could possibly be capable of being used on the road for 100 miles or used on a downhill course?

I would give it a go on my fixed gear. Can't say either would be much fun though.

I do it is a Cube 29er xc bike with bar ends and I switch between two sets of wheels. Off road is Lakes and Dales and I keep up with my friends mostly. On road it is pootling with my wife on her ebike mainly. Regularly do 30 miles and occasionally up to 65 miles but only average about 15mph.
I am very happy with the setup

I actually meant for road/gravel/bikepacking

Um.... you can really easily do this on one bike.

Literally no single bike, ever, in the history of all bikes ever made, could possibly be capable of being used on the road for 100 miles or used on a downhill course? None? Ever?

Well not in the kind of way that any even vaguely normal person would find enjoyable, which I think is the point no?

Currently running my 3T Exploro for road and unexpected gravel by using 32 panaracer gravel kings on 700c and 47c wtb horizons on 650b.

Conditions are very dry here and there are zillions of miles of d roads which are sometimes tight for 2 cars to pass. I use the 650 when it’s likely to be very rough or I want to ride rutted paths or pootling or deep gravel and use the 700 for the quick rides and long er mountain roads although running the 32 does give me a bit of overlap and comfort.

I suppose it depends on the bike and what you’ve got to ride.

I’ll probably sort out a real road bike on 25’s but tbh I’m more than happy on the one at the moment.

Well not in the kind of way that any even vaguely normal person would find enjoyable, which I think is the point no?

Yeah, you're right... I suppose any vaguely normal person would rather staple their nipples to a burning building than do 100 miles on a road bike 😂

I’ve only ridden a road bike twice (although I did commute in London on a MTB with slicks about 20 years ago - how is it that long ago?!!) My almost 20 year old Brompton is the only bike I’ve owned in the last decade or so that rolls fast on tarmac and it’s as aero as a barn door and little comfier. The point I’m trying to make is that I’m used to hauling big knobbly low pressure tyres around - pumped up to 30+ they feel quite fast on tarmac, compared to their usual 20-25psi range.

If I rode road bikes I imagine I’d find my MTBs quite annoying to commute on due to the comparatively massive drag and bouncy bits and weight but ignorance is bliss (and they’re rather fun too!) Rode in today on my Levo with the power off (forgot to charge it) but it was fine. Hillbilly 2.6 on the front!

The more bikes you have, the more often you know you’re not on the perfect bike.

Yeah, you’re right… I suppose any vaguely normal person would rather staple their nipples to a burning building than do 100 miles on a road bike 😂

Thank you I needed a giggle after today and that just hit the nail on the head perfectly!

As for one bike if I did such an abysmal thing it would be a nippy, reasonably light alloy hardtail but I'd want 2 sets of wheels 29r racey and some 650+ tougher build and tyres for lumpier days

As it is I have an FS and gravel bike that are in use and I'm falling over an old 456 and road bike that are being ignored.

Well not in the kind of way that any even vaguely normal person would find enjoyable, which I think is the point no?

LOL why ? Commuting doesn't have to be about speed, if it takes 15 mins to commute or 17 mins, does it really matter ? Or an hour vs 1hr 10...
Non-road bikes are not THAT slow compared to a road bike... they'll do the job and get you to work.
Sure, they won't keep up with the fast road-crews on a Sunday morning run, but heck, if you're that serious you've got a winter/summer/good/bad bike anyway and this discussion isn't for you.

I've commuted loads on 150-160mm FS bikes, they get me there fine and dandy and a damn sight more comfortable than a rattley harsh road bike 🙂

Commuting doesn’t have to be about speed, if it takes 15 mins to commute or 17 mins, does it really matter ? Or an hour vs 1hr 10…

I feel the same about my general riding. I ride on my own so does it really matter if I take 2 minutes longer over an hour by riding my bike rather than a geared gravel bike, no.

I’m down to two bikes (from five or six). A Diverge for road/gravel/light XC. And a FS for MTB trails only. I can’t see myself getting that down to one bike out of choice.

Do I ride everything on 1 bike? Yep, shopping, touring, gavel, MTB, bimble, road etc I can and do ride all of those (and more) on my MTB. Or my commuter. Or my Gravel bike.

Do I have just one bike for all disciplines? Nope, three bikes (as above) that all have different capabilities and not much, if any, overlap.

I'll tend to pick the most appropriate bike for the job, but i don't restrict myself once i'm out, why would you?