[Closed] The problem with having multiple bikes

This is why I always end up with just one bike (HT) after trying the multiple bike thing every so often. Own one and ride it lots, because the grass is never greener even though we're sold the idea that it can be if you spend, spend, spend on more, more, MOAR!

I hadn't ridden my Meta AM since last may until last weekend.
Christ almighty my Solaris is soooooooo much better at going uphill!!

The downs though, woo hoo!!!

On the issue of the suspension sapping your energy...
I have had issue with this for ages. Always the question...why don't shocks have proper lock outs and why is this not near the top of every consumers rear shock wish list??

I suppose its partially because I spend a lot of time on hardtail bikes and love the direct power transfer for climbing and partially because I don't go out searching for exhausting technical climbs (Im definitely a winch and plummet type of rider with the winching being done on smooth surface tracks). But I know I am not alone in this category so its baffling to me why for so many years we have had to put up with squidgy, not locked out lockouts - baffling.

Anyway all that has changed now - buy one of the new Fox DPS rear shocks. I can confirm the lock out is indeed actually a lockout (obviously for practical reasons if you dropped off a wall it would compress but even when out of the saddle climbing it feels like a rigid bike). Hallelujah. It has transformed my full suspension ride and I now go for it almost everytime over the hardtail and rigid alternatives.

It was so much easier when they were all rigid with 3x5 gearing and cantilever brakes. The only real choice I had to make when I bought my first mountain bike was which colour.

servicing them
Storing them
Family all having them

I am the S in S-1 in my house !

On the broad point they all excel in one area pick the one you need for that
I am off out on the SS it excels in simplicity and limited maintenance. It wont be as fun downhill as the 5 but it will be better than the cross bike

Change of mindset required, instead of chasing perfection, enjoy and revel in the differences!

Sometimes there's nothing I love more than taking the 'wrong ' bike on a ride, ultimately you'll still get round so have some fun with it 😀

its baffling to me why for so many years we have had to put up with squidgy, not locked out lockouts - baffling.

But then I see the OP was riding an Orange.....

I never have more than one bike. The bike I ride is not suitable for a lot of what I use it for but I don't care, I enjoy riding it.

Modern suspension designs allow a lot of surface compliance without massive energy losses due to pogo-ing.

Yeah some are better than others - but your never going to get that rigid feeling without a lockout no matter how fancy your linkages are. At the end of the day its still a lever attached to a spring. there is no black magic going on regardless of what the marketing department tell us....and when its so simple to flick a switch for the smooth bits I don't get why it took so long to have this simple feature. If you really don't want to use it then leave it alone

Climbing or sprinting on smooth tarmac might be an exception, but IME, a decent suspension bike climbs as fast or faster off road than a hardtail.

roverpig - Member
Is that they are all great, but just great in different areas. That's a problem (for me at least) since once I know how good one bike feels in one area I get frustrated that the other bikes aren't as good

I know I've joked about this before but sometimes you really do read my mind! I've had flu the past week and it's the first week I've not ridden since July.

So instead I have spent my time over thinking the overlap of my 2 hardtails and why one is better than the other at "X" or "Y". Then back to why the fatbike brings a smile but then is not ideal for the dull road sections I have when riding from my door. Almost looking for which is the 'best bike' in my head.

First World problems I guess.

But I can kind of agree with this up to a point:

avdave2 - Member
It was so much easier when they were all rigid with 3x5 gearing and cantilever brakes. The only real choice I had to make when I bought my first mountain bike was which colour

I've come to the conclusion that there is hardly anything you can change on a bike without also making something worse.

In my opinion: this is great!
Everything else would be boring - or?
There is no perfect bike...! And that's good!?

Uphill thing with suspension bike: stopped locking the fork/shock.
Enjoy the incredible traction and don't care about the lost energy.

For long, long XC tours: take one of my hardtails.
And this .... will increase the love for my full suspension bike even more.
😉

but IME, a decent suspension bike climbs as fast or faster off road than a hardtail.

Normal Man I'll be picking up my new bike from Evans later today, a full rigid Pinnacle Ramin - back to the future 🙂

@ avdave2 It's pretty much why I bought my fatbike. It's even got thumbshifters 😉

Enjoy the new bike 8)

I ride my HT 90% of the time, the FS is just for holidays now really. The problem with not havig a FS would be renting an unfamilair bike to ride the most challenging terrain I ride all year. Whilst renting would be cheaper my concern is I enjoy the holiday less

Thanks folks. It's nice to know that I'm not alone 🙂

I think what really annoys me though is that after many years of riding off-road I still don't have the first clue as to what sort of bike I should be riding. I understand that there is no such thing as a perfect bike, but you'd think I'd have some clue as to what works best for me. But no, still not a clue.

I like to climb and sometimes I think I just want a bike that climbs well. But I'm not the most confident descender and I hate to walk, so a bike that gives maximum confidence on descents is crucial. Then again, my favourite rides are long days over mixed terrain, so a bike that can comfortably gobble up miles of everything from road to gnar is the thing. But, mountain biking is really all about fun right? So a bike that can be flicked through the bends, hopped, jumped and manualed easily. Surely that's the key.

I'm very lucky in that I have the funds and the space to be able to own multiple bikes that excel in different areas, but that doesn't really help. I still end up spending a chunk of every ride frustrated that the bike I'm on isn't as good at this bit as one of the others. Even though it was clearly better at some other bit.

Of course this is the epitome of a first world problem. But it still ticks me off.

I like to climb and sometimes I think I just want a bike that climbs well. But I'm not the most confident descender and I hate to walk, so a bike that gives maximum confidence on descents is crucial. Then again, my favourite rides are long days over mixed terrain, so a bike that can comfortably gobble up miles of everything from road to gnar is the thing. But, mountain biking is really all about fun right? So a bike that can be flicked through the bends, hopped, jumped and manualed easily. Surely that's the key.

Thats a 120mm Scott Spark right there. Twinloc for the ascents, open on the way down, great geomatry.

As for mountain bikes, mine are both very similar.

One is a 100/90mm travel Carbon XC 29er FS with RS x-loc hydraulic lockout on the forks & shock so it can be made to climb like a hardtail, but it't the bike of choice for long rides especially 12 & 24hr racing irrespective of the course as over that period of time it's just more comfortable.

The other is a 100m travel Carbon XC 29er HT, faster on smooth things and the bike of choice for winter training, pootlign about with my eldest and general riding.

They both handle pretty much the same, the HT is a little more sketchy due to it being a HT but that's about it other than the FS weighs nearly a kilo more due to the obvious; they even run the same tyre set up, gearing and brakes as that's what I like.

Modern suspension designs allow a lot of surface compliance without massive energy losses due to pogo-ing.

But then I see the OP was riding an Orange.....

I take your point and (you may recall) I did buy a bike with a "more complex" suspension system (Smuggler) a while back. It was indeed a more efficient climber, but I ended up selling it and going back to the Five. I came to the conclusion that the very thing that made the Five bad on the climbs (interaction between the suspension and the pedals) was what made it so much fun in other areas (feedback from the trail).

The point about lockout is an interesting one, but I think that even if you could properly lock out the shock it wouldn't make a full suss climb like a hardtail. It's very hard to make anything with pivots that is as stiff laterally as a hardtail. OK, you could certainly do a lot better in that department than my Five, which has the stiffness of a wet noodle. But again, that flex is probably a big part of what makes it fun in some situations (and frustrating in others).

One bike to rule them all, that's what you need. And that's what I built up the summer before last with my hardtail.

Of course I did then have to get a full sus that impinges on a lot of its good areas, the problem probably is really that I could get spendy on the FS and sell off the hardtail, but I'll probably now go and make it more specialist...

tbh one reason I have multiple bikes so friends can ride them when they come to stay.

The bike most people use is a admittedly a bit excessive as a "spare bike" with carbon, hope everything, XT/XTR, dropper etc and I keep wondering if I should just build a parts bin special but it's nice that I know they are out on something good and they do keep trying to buy it! I will never sell it though as it's 26" and I love going out on it myself as it feels so nimble and chuckable after riding my Solaris. I find I enjoy it the most after getting my fitness, technique and confidence better after a good summer of riding on the 29er.

roverpig, have you ever ridden a Tallboy? I demoed a Tallboy 3 and a Hightower last year (ended up buying a Hightower).

The Tallboy 3 was so agile and light on the climbs, but really capable on the downs. I'd say I'm of average ability and love a good steep/techy descent and the Tallboy handled it very well.

The Hightower was very nearly as good at climbing, but was more confident on the downs. The only thing that swayed me to the Hightower was that I got a better deal on it.

It's the closest I've ridden to a "do it all" bike so far.

Look at it the other way, since no one bike covers all areas you need to keep at least a couple!

Since I got my ht last summer the fs has had little use (Mainly due to the frame being away for a re-spray followed by no time to build it back up) and I have enjoyed the ht so much I have often wondered about dropping the fs. Then I hit a bit of rocky moor top that the fs 29er would gobble up and realise I 'need' both. Choice is good.

Roverpig, ever tried a 29er wheelset on the Dude, or even just at one end? Must be close to hybrid heaven, considering your Dude is ~12Kg with the fat wheels on, ~4Kg lighter than a default Wazoo.

I have one bike (excluding my road bike).

The problem with having one bike is its never any good at anything. Back in the 90's it might have been fine for XC and DH, but these days you can get an incredible XC race bike and an almost incomparable DH bike.

Which is why I have a fat bike, it's not just bad, its ridiculously bad at most things! Case in point I was riding the recent Gorric race course with the Trolls the other day and at one point had to shout out 'don't follow me' as I bounced right off the track and just kept going! At others it just just grin inducing trying to keep up with people on sensible bikes on the moor rooty/technical bits.

I could have bought something <25lb with skinny tyres and save myself several minutes on a lap (or more likely cruised round at a more sociable effort) but where* would the fun be in that.

*Rhetorical question, I know an XC bike would be fun, as would a trail, enduro, park or DH bike. But the fatty is just fun because its not really any good!

I've tried having the one bike but doesn't work for me
As I hate the ups but love the downs etc and there's no fun dragging a 160 enduro round on a shit flat muddy night ride when there's no fun downs ! But on the other hand it's not good when you have a light xc race kind of thing when you find the fun downs .
Now i just chose best one for the ride that day / night
and works very well .

So ended up with slack 29 ht
160 enduro bike and full on DH bike
Pretty much works well for me ( ps you don't need to spend a lot for a good second hand DH bike )

Ps I would love a fat bike again but 4 would be pushing my luck with my other half .

Thanks for the tips on other bikes to consider. Both look as though they would suit me very well, but I suspect they'd still end up being better at some things than my current bikes but worse at others.

For example, riding a bike with a long reach a slack head angle and five inch tyres really changes your benchmark for "confidence inspiring". I may be wrong, but I doubt there is a 27.5 bike (and probably not a 29er) out there that will ever feel quite as "bombproof" as my Dude on steep loose and rocky descents. Plenty that are a lot more playful though.

Even something as simple as fitting a 29er (or 27.5 plus) wheel to the Dude isn't without its downsides. Yes, I'm sure I'd love the extra speed in places, but I'd also be annoyed by the reduced comfort at other times.

Roverpig
We both have pretty much the same bikes i have a dude which spent all summer and a bit of the winter with 27.5+ wheels on, it's now back to full fat.
Riding the dude made the 5 feel hard work tiring and uninspiring.

But I still took the 5 to the lakes and thoroughly enjoyed riding it, personally I think the 5 is best suited pointing downhill with some occasional climbs.
I do get to that point where it feels like the 5 is sapping all my energy, but that's probably more down to my endurance levels.

Cost to keep up maintenance and repairs. Dry storage space that isn't the bedroom. Both of which eat into cycling enjoyment. I ride bikes for leisure, transport and utility so the one bike thing works even less for me. I'd be happy with my one MTB, one ute, and one touring/bimbling bike if had dry storage. Even the old road bike would be safe while restoring. Nearest bike I can find that will near do all that is a Longitude (or similar) with second wheelset shod with slicks. Still considering that option.

*forgot to mention time. Maintaining/upgrading/repairing more bikes [s]can[/s] will steal time from riding and other activities.

Talk about glass half empty.

I make sure my bikes are as different as possible. If they were too close there'd be no point in choosing.

I choose a ride based on the bike I have. For example, I may decide to go to Cwmcarn and I'll take the big bike because its a blast on the descents. For a long ramble in the Valleys I'll take the rigid bike cos it's better to pedal. However I've realised how many techie lines there now are in the woods, so I'm going to get some soft condition tyres for my big bike and explore those because they are there.

The experience of a ride is a combination of bike and trail. I take different things out of the same trails on different bikes. It's like choosing a place to eat out - do choose something interesting and enjoy it, or sit there feeling sad about the other food you're not eating?

Cost to keep up maintenance and repairs.

Since I only ride one and the other two are sat idle, they get 1/3 the wear and hence need fixing 1/3 as often. I don't find maintenance an issue. Except on the one bike where I've never been happy with the forks.. but that's not maintenance as such 🙂

I may be wrong, but I doubt there is a 27.5 bike (and probably not a 29er) out there that will ever feel quite as "bombproof" as my Dude on steep loose and rocky descents.

I would expect that to vary according to the speed at which you're travelling.

You shouldn't ride different bikes the same way. If you have a long travel bike don't just bimble about on it. You have to really go for it otherwise there's no point in having it.

For example, riding a bike with a long reach a slack head angle and five inch tyres really changes your benchmark for "confidence inspiring". I may be wrong, but I doubt there is a 27.5 bike (and probably not a 29er) out there that will ever feel quite as "bombproof" as my Dude on steep loose and rocky descents.

Arguing with yourself on the internet must be one of the first signs of madness, but having written that, I'm wondering if it's true and if so, why?

There is nothing radical about the geometry of my Dude: 455mm reach (large), 68.5 degree head angle, 74 degree seat angle, 440mm chainstays. There are plenty of 29ers out there with very similar numbers. So what makes the Dude so amazingly confidence inspiring on a steep, loose, rocky descent? Wheel diameter is the same as a 29er. You could stick a big sticky tyre on a 29er and presumably get the same grip (and probably the same wheel weight). Of is there just no substitute for a great big contact patch when it comes to making you feel confident?

You sir are an idiot. You can't reduce something as nebulous as confidence to a single parameter.

Oh yeah. Who are you calling an idiot. Why don't you go back and read what I wrote. There is loads of it. It can't all be rubbish.

Who are you arguing with?

Just some idiot on the internet. But I've got his number 🙂

You shouldn't ride different bikes the same way. If you have a long travel bike don't just bimble about on it. You have to really go for it otherwise there's no point in having it.

This is a good point, and actually why I went back to hardtails & rigid (plus has added a bit of fun recently) - the consequences of riding a decent (i.e. most) full suss bikes at a speed that makes things interesting are basically hospitalisation if it goes wrong. Hardtails give the same excitement at a lower speed - and I've never felt that I'd have been saved by suspension when I have cocked it up.

I too have multiple bikes, the one bike that continually astounds me with it's breadth of ability is my racey carbon 29er hardtail (Flash 29er) This clocks up more miles than any bike I own. I use it as my winter road bike and if I'm on form and trying, can keep up with most roadies on it. It weighs 20lbs and can be hustled (very fun sport to piss roadies off) At the other end of the extreme it's capable on technical trails. I can ride this anywhere I ride my Full Suss...even in rocky Lake District terrain, yes it's harder- you have to concentrate 100% and use "skill' but this makes it fun. I have a modern trail bike SC 5010 and in contrast although it seems very capable at crushing everything easily, I just feel so 'meh' about it...just feels so detached, slow and unrewarding.

A great example of the 29er HT abilities was driven home when I took it riding in Italy, and was able to cover huge miles on the Strada Bianca roads- wound up some poncy Italian roadies by overtaking them on the road, then on the same ride found the local loamy downhill tracks in the woods to finish off- just dropped the tyre pressure and had great fun. Came away wondering if there's any other type of bike you could get close to doing all that so comfortably on.....maybe one of these new fangled big tyre drop handlebarred monster cross things?

For me theres nothing that beats the satisfaction of being underbiked and yet covering challenging terrain and feeling its you thats done the work - not some fancy overpriced overcomplicated modern flounce machine.

For me a 29er hard tail is over biked

Hang on, going back to the OP, hasn't he only got 2 bikes? A Dude and a Five?

How is that multiple? Sounds like a couple to me. Doesn't even sound like much overlap either..... 😉

Sounds like the absolute bare minimum......

How is that multiple?

Two is a multiple of one. (2 x 1 = 2)

Sounds like a couple to me.

Sounds like a couple to me.

A couple is two, which is a multiple of one, so a couple is multiple.

There is nothing radical about the geometry of my Dude: 455mm reach (large), 68.5 degree head angle, 74 degree seat angle, 440mm chainstays. There are plenty of 29ers out there with very similar numbers. So what makes the Dude so amazingly confidence inspiring on a steep, loose, rocky descent?

The head angle might be conservative but the reach and chainstays are on par with a modern enduro bike - I'd expect it to feel very planted.

Got four that I use all the time, and five or so sitting idle. Of the four, my fat bike gets taken out the most as it is so useless at just about everything, it becomes almost fun. My 5 generally sits idle as by the time I've got it to the top of the hill, I really can't be arsed to do anything else. On the odd time I find somewhere that suits it, it reminds me why I keep it. But the bike that's done the most miles is my do-it-all PACE hardtail. It doesn't excel anywhere; just gets the job done in a workmanlike fashion. Hence why I'll never tire of it.

the old winter hardtail thing is a bit of a cliche now, but I enjoy my hardtail and my full suss an equal amount, they are both immense fun in their own ways. which one i choose usually boils down to how long ive got, and whether ive time for the cleaning routine when i get back. if im pushed or its after dark ill choose the HT because i will just put it away till next time when i get home - this is the only reason it gets used more in winter. but if i have more time ill take the full bouncer whatever time of year it is...

How is that multiple?

Two is a multiple of one. (2 x 1 = 2)

And I thought that arguing with myself was going to be as low as this thread got 🙂

For the record I do only have two off-road bikes (well, three, but two are fatbikes). However, over the years I've had various combinations of bikes and always faced the same problem: they are all great somewhere and not that good in other places.

The head angle might be conservative but the reach and chainstays are on par with a modern enduro bike - I'd expect it to feel very planted.

Planted? Yes, that's a good way to describe it, which also means it's harder to loft the front wheel over things of course. But is that all there is to it? Is what I translate into confidence on tricky descents just the bike feeling planted? Could be, I guess.

Which is why I have a fat bike, it's not just bad, its ridiculously bad at most things!

Having been beaten by fat bikes at both an XC race and enduro this makes me feel rather useless 🙂

its baffling to me why for so many years we have had to put up with squidgy, not locked out lockouts

This deserves its own thread. I'm baffled too.

Maybe full lockout is too damaging to oil seals as anything but totally smooth pedaling on a flat surface will cause pressure spikes on them?

But so many bikes get sold without the shock even claiming to have a full lockout. Must be an OEM conspiracy to make you want to upgrade it.

Why would anyone want a lockout?
Just stop mashing the pedals.
Spin to win. (But don't spin too fast, you'll start bobbing).

[quote="roverpig"]I think what really annoys me though is that after many years of riding off-road I still don't have the first clue as to what sort of bike I should be riding.Maybe address this before you buy another? Rather than getting what people suggest you should get, or one that's popular, or the latest fashion.

Or alternatively, practice riding more, so you can do stuff on an unsuitable bike...... means each niche gets bigger thanks to improved skills.

I'm getting a Trek Stache 29+carbon, not seen 1 bad review on this bike!
It looks great fun,agile, rolls really well and soaks up the small stuff(magic carpet style)with the 29x3 tyres with low psi and instant feedback though the drive train. I guess there's no perfect 1 bike but this ticks most of the boxes for me, i'm in!

Problem with multiple bikes:
Which one to ride
Why they all break at once and space

I’m planning to scale back this year selling an enduro bike I hardly ride the wife is getting my short travel full sus and im about to build up a 130mm full sus

Out of all my bikes the 29er lefty with 90mm travel has to be the most fun and most ridden, although it felt like a pogo stick on north America end of cutgate

Just stop mashing the pedals.
Spin to win.

ghostlymachine do you own a hardtail?

assuming it's not silly rough, and both bikes fit you, what climbs quicker, your hardtail or an equivalent weight/wheelsize full suss?

Today, I have two HTs, and two FS. And a rigid. They all fit me. (none of them are broken/worn out/in need of servicing either!)

If its not silly rough, climbing is much of a muchness, none of them are consistently or measurably quicker. Why would they be?

The suspension needs input to start moving, the trail doesn't provide very much, neither do I.

Been there and felt the same - I've run two MTBs for a long time; one has stayed consisitent (although rigid/ sus, gears/ SS). the other has swapped about a lot. I've finally got them where i enjoy/ suck up the bad bits as much as to good bits.

Don't stress about sus sucking the efficiancy out of a climb, drop a gear and winch up it. Don';t worry about a HT rattling your teeth out - just grin with the stupidity.

Also a better suspension system will help 😉

*anecdote alert*

The problem with having multiple bikes is when two or more are set up to feel pretty much the same.

I used to have a long-travel HT and a Very Long Travel freeride bike. The JRA position and geometries were almost identical I even had the same size/type contact points.

This is absolutely fine until you commit to a super booter/road gap and realise you're on the wrong bike

@ghostlymachine fair enough. Myself I find I can climb quicker on the HT by standing up and stamping on the pedals more, while obv on the full suss I'd have to sit and spin. Both bikes the same weight (it isn't a light hardtail) but fs has 160mm travel. That implies for me that if stamping on pedals was a worthwhile option (because lockout actually did what it said on the tin) then I could climb faster on the fs too.

Of course neither bike is particularly set up for the climbs. Just as I like them 😈

Or alternatively, practice riding more, so you can do stuff on an unsuitable bike

It's good advice in general, but can just make the problem worse ! Coaching (and just riding more) tends to change what and how you ride. For example, I used to ride off the back of the bike a fair bit. Modern (progressive) geometry didn't work for me and I preferred bikes with short chainstays to help me lift the front end. With a bit of coaching and a lot of practice I now ride more in the centre of the bike and can lift the front more easily. So, now a whole load of bikes that I would have rejected before come into play and the bike that seemed ideal last year no longer feels as good.

add a few BMX's into the equation and multiple bikes seems even more crazy. I choose a bike depnding upon what type of riding I'm doing. All mine are 26 inch ( the mtb's) so came from an era when bikes were more suited to one type of riding I guess, so choosing is easier. Modern bikes now are so capable of a variety of riding types that I can see less of a need for too many bikes now.

I have a seperate basic mtb for commuting too and even a commuting/urban riding bmx!Then add a retrobike. No problems having multiple bikes at all. 🙂

[quote="sideshow"]Myself I find I can climb quicker on the HT by standing up and stamping on the pedals more, while obv on the full suss I'd have to sit and spin.That just says "can't spin very effectively". Or at least, doesn't have much practice and/or good technique.
[quote="sideshow"]That implies for me that if stamping on pedals was a worthwhile optionGenerally, it isn't, not for any sustained amount of time, can generate more power, but does it incredibly inefficiently and not really sustainably (30-60 seconds maybe? Or if you've run out of gears! Then it turns into heaving on the pedals rather than stamping!). As i said, spin to win. Or at least, once you've practiced spinning. 😉

[quote="roverpig"]So, now a whole load of bikes that I would have rejected before come into play and the bike that seemed ideal last year no longer feels as good.So not enough headspace to remember how to modify your behaviour to suit the bike you are riding, can see a) how that would happen and b) see how it would be a problem. More practice needed i guess......

And i have a pile of road bikes (going back 25+ years, so shit brakes and DT shifters to remember about) a couple of CX bikes, a TT bike and probably some more i've forgotten about.......

@ghostlymachine

I'm quite comfortable spinning on the full suss, thanks. But I gave it lower gears than the HT for precisely that reason.

Yeah, standing and stamping isn't long term sustainable, it's only useful when you run out of gears. Which nobody ever does on 1x10, obviously. Nor do mountain bikers ever need to tackle short steep bits. 😉 Ok sarcasm over, as you're right to a point, it's not the short steep bits I want lockout for anyway (unless a climb has lots of them in sequence with gaps between, or repeated call for hopping up over roots, or such like).

I just feel - even when spinning - that my hardtail is a more responsive bike when climbing, the fact you can stand and stamp is one example of that responsiveness but for me it plays out in other ways too. It would be nice if the FS did that too.