[Closed] If you could only have ONE bike, would it be the one that you already have?

No... but I'd have a combination of both....

I've got a MetaAM29 and a charge Cooker

I'd probably have a Bfe or a Fireline if I could only have one as I could run more travel than on the Cooker, but with the speed of the HT.

well I have a Soul, a carbon road bike, a track bike and a cx bike. If i was forced to have only one it would probably be the cx as that covers more than any of the others. I'd rather not though 🙂

(I actually dont 'have' a cx bike as sold my Croix a few weeks ago and new one is on order 🙂 )

Ignoring any road riding then yes (if faced with only 1 bike I just wouldn't roadie). I ride my BFe for all of my riding, be it DH or long days out (hopefully bivvying with it next year too). It's (and I'm) not the fastest downhill or uphill but I likes it. I have a Blindside in the garage that I haven't ridden for a few months as I just prefer the BFe.

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The answer must be yes for me as I only have one bike so it has to be the one I'd have if I could have only one.

Mind you I am getting n+1 syndrome.

There's not one bike that could do everything I want to do, well... But if I had to have just one (leaving aside commuting) then what I've got would do it as well as pretty much anything

Having said that I reckon a 29er Remedy would do it better

The one I'm currently building, obviously 😉

I find it interesting because that Bianchi up there - when I owned it - was the one I said I would keep if I could only have one bike. However it was always going to be the first one to go if I could have 2 bikes 🙂

If I gave up road riding it would be a lot easier, but that's not going to happen.

Of course not

I'd want what everyone else had

Nope. I'd want a 29er for a mountain bike, something with disc brakes as a road bike, and hydraulic discs on the commuter.

But what I have does what I need it to do in the meantime.

Almost? It would be my Stooge in Ti with a 44mm headtube.

Most likely my CX bike although I'd want to change it for one with discs.

I could get it down to two if I had to; my Giant TCR Composite road bike and my Dialled Alpine. Much as love my Alpine, not sure I'd want to long road rides on it!!!

You're cheating souldrummer 😆
I could easily get it down to two if I could have a road bike and an MTB, but limiting if to one is what makes this so interesting when I know so many of us on Singletrackroadworld enjoy road riding.

Yes, it's fine. It's a long travel hardtail. Am I allowed to bugger about going from singlespeed to gears if I fancy?

I could live without the heavy ass commuter and the XC full sus if I only had my Surly KM. Rigid, super comfy, quite light, and 29" so good for road and trails alike (especially with conti race kings - add 50psi and it's fairly rapid on the road and fire paths).

Well, I'd have to have a roadie and an MTB, so

Yes, my DayOne is the only road bike needed, and in fact was for many years.
Yes, I'd put suspension forks and a 3 speed Nexus on my SS High Latitude for a bit more capability on proper steep and rough stuff.

No but I reckon the 29er hardtail I'm thinking of buying would be a good jack of all trades.

My Superlight is pretty versatile a long as I don't spend much time on the road

No, but it soon will be.

If I had the same budgetary constraints then possibly. May go for a Scalpel or Jekyll instead of the Trigger but don't know.

If it had to be just one, then my cx bike. Fortunately it can be many more than one 🙂

I suppose for me it'd be my CX bike - can ride it on the road (change of tyres/wheels) and offroad so while it's never going to replace an mtb, I can still get enough of a fix if I really had to limit myself to one.

This is pretty easy for me, since I don't road ride or bike commute, and my mtb'ing is neither race fast xc or freeride DH or dirt jump, occupying the middle ground of 'trail hacking with fastish bits and techish bits'.

Much as I enjoy my Turner sultan, it's just much too competent to be enjoyable on my local trails unless I'm spanking the crap out of it everywhere, all the time. I feel it's slowly turning into my 'big days away bike'.

That leaves this, which I'm still adjusting to after a Solaris.

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It's a bit less XC than the Solaris and more capable at the lairy end of things. It's the bike I would be happy to keep if I only had space and budget for one.

If I could only keep one (shudders) of my current crop then it would be the Solaris as you can still cover ground on road OK on it.

As a one bike, my previous 29er, the Spesh Carve would have worked even better as its more xc focused.

That said, if we take road biking out of the mix, then I'd still opt for the Solaris or similar 29er ht as I like the way they ride and never seem to 'click' or 'gel' with the FS bikes I've tried, including the one I currently own!

My SB66. Can do everything my soul can, the fatbike, cx bike and road bike are just luxuries I could do without.

The more I like into the 'what other bike should I buy' conundrum, the more I realise that my Bronson is pretty much the perfect bike for what I do. Couldn't do (well wouldn't enjoy doing) whistler uplift weeks on a hardtail, but the Bronson can do that and it's still light enough to ride up anyhill and with a change of tires and the suspension in lockout mode, would get me around on the road if needs be.

I only have one bike already and I love it to bits. It's a 29er HT, nothing special really. But after the distance I've already covered on it in various environments and conditions I can honestly say, that is is THE BIKE. Fitting 700x35 slicks transforms it to fast and comfortable road machine, while 2.3" knobblies make it a great off-road machine. 100mm lockable forks.

A friend let me use his old road bike, which I sometimes use. But I found I'm still faster on my 29er! :/

@Scienceofficer there's a hole in your bike mate.

Thinking about this, I realise how much my answer would have changed over time.

I remember when I had a P7 with RC30s and thought it was all the bike I could ever want. 2 of my mates had the same, and we used to race XC, DH, and DD on them. Happy days. If I could only have one bike, that would be it.

Then one of our uni mates got a full sus GT as a sponsored bike for DH and my world was shattered.

I scrimped and saved, sold everything I could get my hands on, and upgraded to an O2 with RC36s. 3 frikkin' inches of travel up front baby! If I could only have one bike, that would be it.

Ad infinitum...

yes.

😉

Only really have 1 MTB at the moment, a Ragley Blue pig with U-Turn Pikes, it's running 1x10 N/W at the moment but could change that to a double up front if I really wanted to.

It seems to do pretty much all i want it to from DH(ish) to pootles with the kids!

[url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7132/8167908332_1bbe5b1f2a.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7132/8167908332_1bbe5b1f2a.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/drLEzJ ]IMAG1721[/url]
by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/67338272@N05/ ]james*o[/url], on Flickr

Yes, this one. Can do everything well enough to be worth adapting a bit as well as doing the MTB stuff in a way that makes me grin every time I ride it. Done enough with it to have it marked as a keeper now, it looks like a bike version of some comfy old hiking boots these days.

For me, it would have to be a short travel carbon full sus bike, like an Anthem Advanced or a Scott Spark. Would perfectly suit 95 percent of my riding, with the option of lumpier days out oop north. Come to think of it, why haven't I got a bike like that now?

Presume we're just talking mountain bikes? Then yeah, my Shan pretty much covers it, the stuff it doesn't do too great is more than made up for by the stuff it's amazing at.

Probably be a high end CX bike here to be able to do road, off road and racing. Would feel compromised at everything other than CX racing, but if I had to have just one bike then that'd probably be it. Would not be a bike I currently own.

Presume we're just talking mountain bikes?

No, not really. I know a lot of us like doing different types of riding and hence have lots of bikes e.g. a road bike, a "hack" bike, a BMX, a mountain bike etc. If you could only have ONE, would it be one of the ones you already have?

The question of "...if I could only have one mountain bike..." is too easy and some might say done to death 😉

Two I could live with. A CX bike for CX plus road work (I'd have to give up road racing) and a 29er hardtail. Probably would keep my current hardtail (Parkwood) and CX (Kinesis Pro6).

To get down to one would be hard. I think I'd get a Surly straggler. Light wheels and tyres for road and cx and something a bit tougher and fatter for offroad.

Yes, cant think of anything else that could temp me

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I'd keep my 160mm bike. And never ride on the road.

Previously it would have been my Genesis Vapour, or the crosscheck with an 11-speed 'ub. But now it would be my new Longitude, with the knards and with a set of Fat Franks for road use. Lovely on the trail and useable for everything else.

Would be more than happy to have jones space frame or my ti blacksheep as my only bike.

Yep, Rocket is as near perfect as I'll need and I don't road ride or commute.

I ride my 26 inch wheel hard tail for on road with slicks and a 26 inch wheel FS off road

My current hard tail could do it all but not well

I would have thought an OK 29er hard tail would probably keep me happy for life. Provided I had a pile of tyres and it had rack mounts

But in reality I'm looking at n+1 as I do seem to enjoy the road at the mo and would like something a bit more specific

If you mean just one bike for the widest possible range of uses then it would have to be a Tripster.

I have only ever had a basic trek HT. Can't justify the price tag but the (demoed) bike that always makes me smile the most is a carbon epic. I am convinced Spesh have hidden an engine in there! But £4.5 k is beyond what I would pay for a bike.

Yes, my stanton sherpa....

I'd keep my Sync, but put bar ends and a set of road tired wheels on for the road.

Nope, it would be this - ordered with my own custom geo.

65 degree head angle
465mm reach
17 inch seat tube
72.5 degree seat tube

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Spec would be

Pikes fitted with an Avalanche cartridge
Superstar Carbon Wheels
Schwalbe Procore
Hans Dampf Front
Rock Razer Rear
Shimano 1x10 XT mech, One-Up Cage
XTR shifter
11-42 Cassette
30mm Syntace Stem
Renthal Carbon bars
Race Face Next SL cranks
Spank Oozy flats with the titanium axle
Shimano Saint 180mm Front and Rear
Renthal Wire on grips
Reverb
Sub 200 g seat

I would love every single second of being near or riding that bike. I think I'd ****ing sleep with it in my bed and kick the missus out.

Yep, old 'Trusty Rusty'. Had it since 1994 ish & as I've said many times before, it brings a whole new meaning to the phrase 'Triggers broom'. (there's only 2 original tubes on the frame, never mind parts)

[url= https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2812/9102409582_b04295bcc6.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2812/9102409582_b04295bcc6.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/eSmeff ]Mk 8[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/7904024@N08/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr

1st time I went to the Alps was with this. (except it was light blue)

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Would have to be my Slackline Ti. 25lb xc/trail 130/160 machine...again like others, wish it had bottle mounts and also a 142 rear. Such a versatile bike and sooo comfy for a HT.

Probably not for me as my main bike is too much bike for gentle stuff. If I could have only one I expect it to look like a 120mm-ish 29" FS.

I think I'd have to give up road riding, but my road bike is about 4500 miles away I'm not doing any of that anyway, so yeah, my current bike (Norco Sight C) would be the one that I'd keep. I bought it as an all rounder and it seems to be pretty good at it. Light enough to pedal around all day on and it's got bigger balls that I do, so no worries about me pushing it past it's performance threshold.

Yep, got my one bike and I'm content.
Gradually upgrading parts is the only vice.
Feels a really rather good place to be.

I'm not sure I could truly one have one bike, but I guess I could live with a monster-cross with a few wheelsets (one with slick road tyres, one with cx tyres and one with mtb tyres), I'm currently looking at [url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/like-a-fargo-but-carbon-design-a-bike-for-me-2 ]designing and building[/url] a frame/bike like this , but I know I would miss the xc racing, as most series do not allow monster-cross bikes, so will almost definitely keep the XC full suss for that.

Sorry Tom, but that ancilloti is horrible. Designed by Apollo? 😀

Lottis always make me think of these:

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Sorry Tom, but that ancilloti is horrible. Designed by Apollo?

No taste, no taste.

They were a brilliant motocross company back in the day. That linkage design was sold to Honda by them, for use on their crossers - now they just make bikes as a little family business. That's pure heritage right there mate, a far far better design than your Nomads.

The weights right down between your feet and properly aft, no forward-high shock placement. The stiffness of the chassis has actually been tuned and developed to produce the optimal combination of grip in flat corners and stiffness through the rough stuff. The shock rate is great. The bike has real thought put into it.

The only downside beside it being a single pivot (if you think that is one) is that you have to use their shock, which is pretty great anyway.

Still the best bikes I have ridden and the last time I rode one was back in 2004.

My 456 would do the job just fine. Except for pub / town duties and very rare road riding it is used as my only regular bike. Out in the hills riding? (check) mucking about with the kids? (check) rare trail centre trip (check) swap tyres for slicks and ride to work ( just about but there's always the train).

In fact not sure why I still have the other bikes...

To be honest a lighter / different hardtail or short travel fs would do the job too. Once micro gd grows out of the topeak seat - can't be long now - I might get a carbon one in 26 flavour until the spares bin is empty...

I thought that my Nukeproof Mega TR was the ONE as you put it. I was wrong......it's that Ancillotti. I want that bike......a lot.

I'd have to sell my road bike and my ten year old GT but then yes, it would be my Scott Spark. For me, versatility is the most desirable of traits hence why my 3x10 is staying and my Rons are the only tyre I'll ever need 🙂

Current bikes (that actually get ridden) -

Orange Alpine 160
Cotic BFe
Lee Cooper XC frame - singlespeed and slicks for commuting

If I could keep only one for all my riding it would have to be (as much as the Alpine makes me grin every time I ride it) the BFe - perfect for local muddy woody singletrack, great for big days out in the hills, bearable for a bit of mixed surface commuting.

That Ancilloti is a horror! That thing to hold the seat tube on....

That Ancilloti looks like a Mountain Cycles San An c.1993 rip off to me. No bad thing like.

I'd take the ancillotti in fluoro orange any day, not keen on chrome though. What does it weigh?

Would be my CX race bike. I've cross raced on it, circuit raced on it, time trialled on it, done winter training rides, ridden my local trails. I really love it.

Google translate it

http://www.triridemtb.com/ancillotti-2014-fry-27-5/

Full build is 13.2kg

Not bad for a coil equipped aluminium bike eh? I like the polished look as well, it's so much more exotic than a Nicolai....

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The link design is the same as the one Honda motos use.

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Before anyone mentions that you will bash the links on rocks, that never happened in the 2-3 years my brother raced one. The links flatten out when you sag the bike and they move underneath the chain guard. Although this build doesn't appear to be running one and neither are the guys who race them. I seem to remember you'd probably catch the chain ring before you bashed the link.

http://dirtmountainbike.com/bike-reviews/ancillotti-develop-new-enduro-bike-dropping.html#LCLJeilYEsUiEiev.97

All our frames are custom sizes, but we think a 65º head angle, 1210mm for the wheelbase and 350mm BB height are the right measurements to start the process. We also have [b]three different linkages[/b] to customize the progression curve and the link hanger has [b]two hole options[/b] to have a slacker or steeper headangle (low and high BB).

Want.....they aren't ACTUALLY pull shocks though as described in that article....the swingarm merely pulls as opposed to pushes the links.

Also, if you really don't like their shocks....it appears theres enough room to swap them out these days.

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mmm that is sex

A chap at Madison had an Ancillotti, ran a team all riding them. Quick rider, he rated it. I love the design and the use of tubes. Seat strut looks a little odd being so upright but I'd expect there's a good reason for it. Really nice bikes.

This. Cos it's perfect. (Imo)

[url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/13431640345_40f49979e4_o.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/13431640345_40f49979e4_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/92694523@N06/13431640345/ ]The Perfect one[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/92694523@N06/ ]tom.howard.562[/url], on Flickr

And I'd give up road riding.