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This is the situation:
I have too many bikes, and now that my CX has been stolen, I am being told I need to pare down.
Up until the theft, I had a nice road bike, a winter road bike, a CX, and a mountain bike. Today, however, I used my winter road as my commuter, and I LOVED it. Fast and light, it just made me smile on my commute.
Anyway, it got me thinking:
I could use my current winter bike as my commuter, keep my nice road bike as my nice road bike, and replace the CX with another, with a view to using it for my off-road adventures. I would consider this because, frankly, I only ever use my MTB when I go out with molgrips, and one of my best rides with him was when I was on my old CX anyway. Otherwise, I spend 90% of my time on the road bike.
Although I love a good run of Cwmbran from time to time, something has to give, and it just seems to make sense that it would be my least-done thing.
I feel some regret even saying this, but I also think it’s my most realistic course of action. And besides, I can still so the sort of long off-road adventures with people (molgrips) that I have ever done. Couldn’t I?
Anyway, before I start photographing the 650B+ for eBay, I would genuinely appreciate your thoughts.
now that my CX has been stolen, I am being told I need to pare down
What, why?
something has to give,
Seriously, why?
Surely if a bike has been nicked you get to buy a new one... and you'll miss rides and opportunities when the MTB is gone. Maybe if it's a bit XC you should sell it and buy an enduro bike instead.
Because we live in a lovely, but smallish house, with limited space. I have 8 kids, all of who have inherited the bicycle bug, and our back garden is full. Which is one reason we keep getting broken into.
But regardless, we’re too full up, and I feel bad having a bike chained up outside whimpering to be used like a neglected puppy.
I still have my quiver/stable/fleet/whatever of bikes, but the one that gets used about 90% of the time is my Diverge. Quick lunchtime loop around local tracks, big day road ride, few hours of gnarmac etc.
I couldn't however give up the MTBs though, for those days, and weekends, when the bug bites me fully and there's just so much fun.
If I didn't have the space, I'd have a hardtail with a couple of pairs of wheels, I reckon.
The something you have an excess of is kids mate! 😀
Surely with 8 kids you don't have time to ride anywhere, so why not get rid of the MTB. Seems pretty reasonable, especially if you get an even nicer CX out of insurance for stolen bike+cash for sold MTB.
Who needs 8 kids in modern times? Get rid of 6 or 7 of them and you'll free up more space for your bikes.
Surely with 8 kids you don’t have time to ride anywhere
To be honest, having kids has never stopped me, and now that the older ones have taken to riding themselves, they are just as apt to go with me as stop me from going.
Buy a bigger shed.
That’s the storage situation sorted.
Now go and have a quiet word with yourself about ditching the MTB. If you are not enjoying an MTB then you have the wrong MTB.
Go buy a Stooge. It will solve your “what bike shall I use?” question.
If you're serious about reducing the number of bikes in your fleet, then you can cover all your bases by combining
Summer road bike
Winter road bike
CX bike
in to two, instead of culling the MTB!
CF makes a good point. But it would be more on point (common parlance with the youth) to have a gravel bike that could take 650b with chunkier tread. But then you have curly bars on two others already...
@bigblackshed, after years of riding a mountain bike that didn’t suit as much as I thought it did, I actually have a more appropriate, perfect bike than I have ever had. It’s a Genesis Tarn 10, and wonderful to ride. It’s just genuinely prefer the road. And drop bars in general.
Asgard shed.
But if you do proceed with this frankly crazy plan, get something that can take big tyres because it's rocky where you live. Remember on that bike ride on the CX how slow and painful it was down that fire road?
Or as Jon Taylor says, combine your winter road bike with a CX bike, you can go down to three bikes and still have an MTB.
8 kids? I'd be more inclined to consider buying a telly...
I spend 90% of my time on the road bike.
splitter.
If you absolutely must get rid of the MTB, then get one of these, a Salsa Fargo:
If you can't get one of those, get a Genesis Vagabond:
Far better than a CX in the South Wales Valleys.
Whats the 650b+? can it be pressed into cx/winter bike duties with some wheel and tyre swaps?
It’s just genuinely prefer the road. And drop bars in general.
Be gone with you ...
That said, I have two curly barred bikes, one for commuting/winter road duties, and a nice Ti CX/Gravel bike for gooning about on, and hopefully in time some longerer adventures. Both are my most used bikes, and I did wonder whether the CX/Gravel would largely make my MTB(s) less relevant.
But, I still like the (rigid SS MTB) for easy riding on sloppy trails, and quick hour XC blasts in the dry. And I love the 150/140 FS for ploughing through chundery stuff (and mincing down steep techy stuff that would otherwise have me walking on any other bike), so although the MTBs are less used, it's nice (really nice) to have the options to do different riding on different types of bikes.
Surely one of your 8 offspring can be 'loaned' your MTB so it gets to stay?
You prefer road because we don't have time to do decent adventure off-road rides....
To be fair, for what you've said you enjoy, one of those two bikes would be ideal for you anyway. I did recommend the Vagabond last time.
I have 8 kids
Get rid of a couple of the less good ones and keep the bikes?
Damn that Fargo is lovely.
Damn that Fargo is lovely.
It and the Vagabond look identical in every respect. Have Genesis and Salsa deliberately shared design? Or have they joined forces? Or is one of the two of them being cheeky, and has just ripped off the other?
No MTB?
**** that.
It (Fargo) and the Vagabond look identical in every respect
Except for the bars, shifters and frame geometry - I'd have to agree.
Also Bombtrack Beyond
It and the Vagabond look identical in every respect.
They're not though. Check the geometry charts. Fargo has a noticeably slacker HA; Vagabond has fixed chainstays as long as the shortest setting on the Fargo; Fargo has a longer wheelbase; fork offsets are different; Fargo has much lower stack...
They aren't quite the same although they are different implementations of exactly the same concept. Salsa is way cooler though. Check out their marketing material, it'll make you want to go bikepacking 😉
That's just brand bias though - all three bikes above look great to me. I'd love any of them. I'd be trying out drops on my El Mariachi if it weren't so costly to do.
OP have messaged you.
Buy a bigger shed.
Or two sheds
The answer is obvious.
Give your MTB to molgrips.
He gets n+1, you get to borrow a bike that you know suits you when you go riding with him.
I think you should be giving up your testicles rather than a bike.
If I didn’t have the space, I’d have a hardtail with a couple of pairs of wheels, I reckon.
<div>Good advice IMHO.</div>
Give your MTB to molgrips.
I was seriously considering suggesting this. It fits me too as it happens. However we may not have the space in the garage 🙂
A good point was raised on the other thread though. Without an MTB you can't then go on proper mountain epics. Although the reverse of the above comment is possible - the OP can borrow one of my bikes if necessary.
Surely with 8 kids you have enough people to sort out a 24hr rota on guard duty to patrol the garden and keep your bikes safe
I couldn't possibly advise in this situation: I live alone, have 6 bikes in my garage and make all my own decisions without asking strangers.
I'm just too far removed from the OP's lifestyle.
Some times it is nice to reduce the number of bikes , less maintaince + faffing.
But I would go either
3 Bikes
Road + CX(also commuter / winter) + Full-Suss
Or
2 Bikes
Road + 29er Hardtail (also commuter)
The CX bike is great but when it comes to riding "proper" trails a 29er is so much better.
So if you HADto have 1 off-road bike I would go 29er.
I couldn’t possibly advise in this situation: I live alone, have 6 bikes in my garage and make all my own decisions without asking strangers.
That's just insane.
No MTB?
**** that.
Indeed
Keep MTB
Keep Summer bike
Sell winter bike.
Buy new CX/gravel/adventure/commuter/winter ..do everything bike
Buy spare set of wheels
I didn't exactly give up my mtb...
Most of my riding is on my CX bike and I got so used to the position and drop bars* I ended up monster crossing my mtb to use for bike packing and for rides that are a bit rough or steep on the CX
[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/888/41975652555_e1cfbb04be_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/888/41975652555_e1cfbb04be_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/26Xfc6v ]unnamed1[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/152483482@N05/ ]Shawn McFarlane[/url], on Flickr
I may now build up another cheapo mtb for the odd trail centre trip but with my 3 bikes (cx, monstercross, road) and the wife's 1 bike the shed is getting a bit full.
Put drops on the Tarn and build up a 2nd set of 29er wheels?
No kids, 3 dogs, 1 cat and a pony for context.
*I get thumb problems if I ride flat bars much
@malvernrider
Damn you.
There’s a lot to like on the Bombtrack website.
Out of 8 kids there must be a couple that you don't like that much....eBay is the answer. Then you get to keep the MTB.
On a more serious note, if you don't ride it / don't like it then flog it for something that you do like.
Limited to 2 bikes in our 60 sq metre flat since my bike room because my son's bedroom. Road bike, and a GT Grade with 40mm tyres for crappy weather and off-road duties. I can ride the Grade on pretty much any trail I ever rode on my MTB - fair enough I might have to carry it down the odd section and I'm not going to get any KOMs, but as long as I stay away from bike shops I never get the urge for another MTB.
You've been told to pare down by whom...God?
Just cos you've been told to do something doesn't mean you do it.