[Closed] One do it all bike, HT?

Parkwood in either 27.5 or 29 or a Codeine in 27.5

This thread offends the rule of n+1....
2 sets of wheels make a big difference at times

Bird Zero TR? I am seriously considering one for exactly the same reasons, I also want to do a bit of XC on it!

If I could only have one bike it would be my Stanton slackline, but everybodies riding requirements are different.

Bird Zero TR.

Sherpa!

140mm travel max

Less; 120mm max.

I have a Cotic BFe for exactly this reason - I can and do do all my riding on it 8)

Anyone else in this predicament?

Yep, constantly. In a while I will have enough saved up to get something a bit special, to me at least, but I can't ever decide what - the custom steel frame I've always hankered after, or a bang up to date FS of some sort. A constant dilemma!

Fat bike. Does everything you requested and makes you grin and whoop everytime.

a decent HT with 120mm and a dropper would be my thoughts. I did just this for a while with my Soul, although after 2 yrs of it being my only MTB i added an Anthem SX last Spring.

If I had to go down to one MTB (shudder) it would be my Solaris with a nice light set of 29er wheels and a set of 27.5+ (chubby) wheels.

instant hit - Member
Fat bike. Does everything you requested and makes you [s]grin and whoop everytime.[/s] go on and on and on about it like a broken record

HT is sounds like your best option, but everyone is going to recommend what they have (me too)

ANY HT will pretty much be fine - just buy what you fancy

I was in similar position earlier this year. Had a 150mm Kona full suss and a SS HT. Sold both and opted for a titus rockstar. 100mm fs 29er with dropper post. So far very impressed - comfortable for all day efforts (Strathpuffer) and fun for ragging around Glentress.

I've got the old Bird Zero, it does everything from nursery runs to enduro races. I tried a Nukeproof Mega and a Vitus Sentier recently and preferred the Zero on the bumpy stuff.

ANY HT will pretty much be fine - just buy what you fancy

This.

A 140mm travel 29er seems to work well as my one MTB for everything.

STW rule. Recommend what you've got. BFe, although strictly speaking mine is 26 but the 275 I am sure is equally fine

Going to be doing this for the year CX for 'training' and other sensible things, and a single MTB a Santa cruz highball (ali) to cover everything else, but mainly 12 hour racing and training for that.

STW rule. Recommend what you've got.

+ berate something you've never tried, see fat bike replies ^

+ berate something you've never tried, see fat bike replies

If I could only have one, it would be a 120mm travel full sus 29er, but if I couldn't afford that, would be a 29er HT like a Stanton Sherpa. Wouldn't bother with B+ wheels myself, I see the appeal but prefer the outright speed a fast 29er gives. 100mm is all the fork you [i]need[/i] on a 29er HT really, maybe 120 at a push. A set of 2.3 Maxxis Minions for off piste trail riding, and some fast rolling 2.2's for XC duties, and of course a dropper post... Short stem and wide bar to complete it.

For a fun (as opposed to racing) bike the Bird Zero TR would be the first thing I'd probably be considering.

Though I do rather like the look of the new Ritchey Timberwolf...

[img] [/img]

Bit too much travel for at 140mm for a trail bike though IMO.

+ berate something you've never tried, see fat bike replies ^

Just like any other religion. Blind faith and weirdness with stary-eyed over reaction if anyone dares question it 😉

And fwiw, though I don't own either, I like the idea of a frame that'd run either 29er or 650b+ depending on your mood.

IMO 120mm 29er or 27.5" 69/68 degree HA should cover everything, happily unless you're racing a lot, which you would mean you'd probably discount plus or fatbikes too as they're too slow, unless your so good you need to slow yourself down so you don't win by miles 😉

In the op's shoes it would be roverpigs suggestion. Not necessarily that bike and model. But based on the best features of my 456 and my fs bike, I would say 29r hardtail, trail rather than race oriented and preferably with some rack mounts and a spare rigid fork for family trips where suspension is wasted.

A 140mm travel 29er seems to work well as my one MTB for everything.

If I wanted a bigger bike, I'd probably go for something like a Trans Am 29 with dropper.

MK2 Solaris.

If I had to choose one do it all bike I think it'd be one of these.

I kinda want one anyway!

[img] [/img]

I've got a Bird Zero TR built up with 1 x 11, decent wheels and 130mm Revelations and it's great fun, nearly as much as my T-130 Works.

It rides really well and has been used for XC/Trail/family riding and will be going to Swinley soon.

Battlecat? If I was going to get just one bike that would fit the criteria (as hinted above) 29 or 650+, 140mm fork optimised

This thread offends the rule of n+1....

Surely it is an n+1 thread

I think the OP meant one do it all Mountain bike. The road bike is staying?

The road bike is definitely staying. Some decent shouts there, def gonna look at the bird. Still like the crush.

Thanks all

+1 BFe, with a 130mm fork.

I went down this route a few yrs ago and bought a nice genesis latitude made out of Reynolds 853. Lovely it is but horrendously unfashionable now with 26" wheels, 27.2 seat tube etc. Really lovely bike and at the time was a soul alternative head vs heart decision. I think it looks nicer than the soul when they changed the seat tube and put that tapered head tube on it. I much prefer riding it over my previous orange 5 but do have an escapade for bridle way duties and am getting a bit 650b+ or fatbike curious.... N+ 1 - it always comes back....

I was going to suggest a [url= http://surlybikes.com/bikes/troll/ ]Surly Troll[/url], but the 1 1/8th headset is putting me off that rather.

EDIT: [url= http://surlybikes.com/bikes/karate_monkey/frame_highlights ]Karate Monkey[/url] has the tapered steerer, but loses some of the braze-ons.

🙂

I dropped into Westbrook cycles yesterday, the new cannondale range looks ace, the beast from the east with the 27.5+ wheels and the habit look awesome. The + wheels maybe overkill for me though

In the spirit of recommend what you own - I'd say Solaris

El Mariachi is pretty good too, but mine is rigid and SS

In your position, I'd probably keep my Solaris. I used to tow my double trailer with my Solaris (before getting a gnarmac bike)

Haven't read all the thread but I've been on HTs predominantly since 2012....i do have a FS (Trance SX) but have used an On-One 456-evo, Dialled Alpine, On-One 45650b and now a Ragley Piglet with a selection of 140mm-150mm forks for most of my riding.

The thing to remember is that a HT like the above won't be a lightweight XC whippet but with long forks, slack angles and thin steel tubing it will be comfy and cover big days out really easily.
I use mine for everything, going for a pootle with the dogs?...grab the HT, going on an uplift day?...grab the HT, going to a trail centre?...grab the HT, in fact I have to make as conscious effort to remember to take the FS anywhere.

That's not a slight on the FS, it's a nod towards just how good modern HTs are....i would undoubtedly be faster on an uplift day with the FS but I find myself drawn to the HT time and time again....probably much like the current craze on here for gravel bikes, there are probably better tools for the job but people can't let go of them, I'm like that with HTs.

Get one, they're easy to work on, a doddle to ride, cheap, reliable etc....

El Mariachi is pretty good too

I love mine, but it's a bit shorter travel than the OP was after.

For some reason, I hankered for a long time after having just one bike - as in just one bike to do all my commuting, touring, MTB'ing, road rides and utility duties.

There is at least one of my old threads dedicated to this and I came close to getting a Karate Monkey (older one, with more mounts). I think I was trying to re-live my youth, when I did everything (including JOGLE) on a Cannondale F900 with a Lefty! (Ignoring the fact that I actually had a second bike for most of my life anyway).

In the end, I'm so glad that I've gone the other way. I now have an Escapade (flat bar at the moment!), a Soul 275 and a Kinesis 4S Disc. I cycle pretty much every day and it helps a lot to have the right tool for what can be very different jobs. 🙂

This is a n+1 thread. The road bike is only 6 ish months old and is here to stay, I meant that I want one mtb for all duties, family, trail centres etc etc
Sorry to confuse people.

I've already said it, but a short travel, lightweight hardtail, with "trail" geometry, sounds ideal for what you want; maybe a 29er if you're tall. I can't understand why you haven't bought one yet 😉

Does anyone race their Solaris? Looking for a single HT for XC racing/Bikepacking/Winter biking/ I don't need my full Sus today duties and its very tempting.

Does anyone race their Solaris? Looking for a single HT for XC racing/Bikepacking/Winter biking/ I don't need my full Sus today duties and its very tempting.

I did the Kielder 101 last year on mine. Whether you'd call it racing is another matter, I was going as fast as I could 🙄

There is one massive problem with the Solaris: it solves the N+1 itch 😳 Every time I think about a new bike, I look at the Solaris and realise it will do what I'd want the new bike for. I don't do full on (or anything remotely near) DH but apart from that, it's good for everything I want from an MTB.

I've just finished my solaris build...although went chubby with it, as mentioned in another thread on here. Seems great thus far!

I have a Cotic Soul 27.5 as my only MTB currently. I sold my FS because I wasn't enjoying it, intending to buy another at some point but am actually loving the Soul enough not to be fussed about getting a new FS. At 140mm travel, its a wee bit laryer (sp?) than it should be but as a result handles the steeper stuff well. Loves it I does.

harryjan - Member
Does anyone race their Solaris? Looking for a single HT for XC racing/Bikepacking/Winter biking/ I don't need my full Sus today duties and its very tempting

Here is a thread I started a fair way back. Thought it would be interesting for you:

http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/anyone-used-their-solaris-for-xc-racing-or-endurance-marathon-races

@Normal Man

You convinced me....... green Solaris should be turning up Wednesday!

Woop

^ good stuff. Enjoy it.

I'm changing from 100mm to 120mm on mine soon. Coverting the forks, that is.

Just sold both of these
Ritchey p 29 ran it in various ways rigid 100mm forks 120 mm forks, just a great bike good on the ups and a better descender than me

Recommended

Or

95 mm Rocky Element with 120 forks real blast of a bike

There's a review of just such bikes in the next issue, out next week - Chromag Wideangle, Ritchey Timberwolf and Onza Jackpot... All of them were pretty fun, but I think one came out on top...
Stay tuned!

How about a Titus Fireline, 120mm travel, dropper post - pretty light for XC duties but fun and capable for ragging around UK trail centers

I've just ordered a Canyon Grand Canyon to hopefully meet all my needs. If it turns up...

I've read that wide angle review almost daily since the mag landed - very, very tempting!

Zealous Division. If I had to get rid of all my MTBs bar one, it's the one I'd keep.