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So I caught Covid and it did a number on me. Climbing any sort of gradient or having the energy to deal with rocky descents just wasn’t on the cards. Luckily I also had a gravel bike so I took to bimbling about on the flat. Bit of road, towpath, mild bridleway etc. Thing is I just didn’t like the gravel bike. Curly bars, straight top tubes and skinny tyres just don’t make me want to ride.
This meant I wasn’t getting out much and my already crappy health got worse. So I sold the bikes and decided to buy something I liked the look of. Also figured I’d build a bike for the first time. Ended up with a Stooge Dirtbomb and it’s helped me get fitter and is just ridiculous fun to ride.
Now for the dilemma! I’m at a stage where I can get back to proper MTB riding and thinking a HT or short travel full sus would be great. Only problem is I bloody love the Dirtbomb and would need to sell it to fund something else. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun in a frightening way on proper off-road trails but does tend to limit silliness. I’d like to claim this as the lamest first world problem ever. WWSTWD?
I also had a gravel bike
What was your other bike? Did you sell that?
Ended up with a Stooge Dirtbomb and it’s helped me get fitter and is just ridiculous fun to ride... I bloody love the Dirtbomb
This kind of says it all to me.
In your position I think I would either just keep riding the Dirtbomb (maybe saving for something else?); or keep riding the Dirtbomb until you find something so jaw-droppingly awesome you'll be happy to sell the Dirtbomb in order to finance it.
What was your other bike? Did you sell that?
Last gen Cotic Soul and yep sold it. Needed the cash to put towards the Stooge and some other stuff.
Think riding the Dirtbomb snd keeping my eye out for used bargains is the way forward. Know I would regret selling it and they’re not exactly common so picking up another at some point may be tricky
I'm with Tom. If you love the Dirtbomb, just keep riding it. Maybe see if you can try something you fancy. Hire or borrow something maybe?
Doesn't sound like much of a dilemma, you have a bike you like, so keep it. You'd like another, so save for it and buy it when you can. And you have your health back, best of all. Go enjoy.
No dilemma really...you love your current bike so keep riding it. Change when you lose the love for it.
Perhaps just stop reading the interwebz as that's probably half of what is giving you N+1 anxiety.
I mean how different is the Stooge from a "proper MTB" really? (Rhetorical question).
If you enjoy riding it, why upset a winning formula?
Plus give it a few months and all the rash pandemic purchases will be getting sold off to cover everyone's increasing energy bills, so save up for a bit and maybe look for something used, affordable and a bit different at that point, perhaps a nice little FS?
But if you like the Stooge and it's making you smile and want to ride, just keep it for now.
Perhaps just stop reading the interwebz as that’s probably half of what is giving you N+1 anxiety.
This is a really good point and very true. Saving and hunting for a lightly used short travel full sus is the way forward I reckon. Might even build up from a frame and convert the Stooge to SS so I can steal bits of the drivetrain
What size wheels have you got on the Dirtbomb, @funkmasterp
You could swap the Dirtbomb for a MK3? That way you have the option to run suspension forks.
That’s what I have with mine. Rigid with 27.5+ wheels and 85mm Junker bars. Boing forks, boost spacing with another front wheel to suit, with Stooge Moto bars. Either way the bar height is the same on both versions of the bike.
I can swap from SS to gears and back, swap the forks over in less than an hour.
IME once one has a dose of the ‘what-ifs’ and so arrives at the view of
bike = a chunk of capital
then it’s just a matter of time before any bike gets the heave-ho.
I have sort of the same yet opposite ‘problem’ to OP in that I’m enjoying riding my old straight-tubed skinny-tyred drop-bar now straight-bar touring bike far more than the MTB (Longitude)
However I’m open to the idea that this could well be a winter thing as the MTB is perfect for summer gravel and much more, even if these days I don’t do much more at least I know that I can if needs be. I generally use a bike to travel and also to explore wherever.
Took the MTB out yester-eve and it was boggy and puddles and mud everywhere (mudguards notwithstanding) and seriously all I could think about was having to clean it when I got back.
At halfway point I thought again about selling it (and the other bike) to help fund Mrs P’s upcoming A Big Birthday, after which I would then focus instead on hillwalking with a view towards running (although decent footwear is expensive)
Momentarily wished that I lived near a decent lake because swimming just requires a decent towel and a float.
This is a shocking development though as I may just be about to not own a bike after 30 years. So what did I decide after halfway point?
‘Ride the nice MTB into to the ground and enjoy it. Meanwhile make extra income’
Similar to what bigblackshed says above.
If the dirtbomb is a fatter tyred rigid bike, try going to hardtail version of it.
I've had a similar ish dilema on and off over the last 2 years and not really felt the love for full on mtb'ing.
Luckily I don't need to sell the main bikes and will always have them to fall back on, but the one thing I did enjoy was a rigid lightweight 27.5+ (On One Whippet with their carbon forks)
The thing makes me smile every time it is ridden, except on real off road rides where rocks and very jittery trails are unavoidable.
My main hardtail is also set up 27.5+ and isn't too much heavier than the Whippet yet it rides the above trails so much better. I'd happily ride it anywhere in the UK an if push come to shove I could relatively easily replace the Whippet with it.
@bigblackshed I’m running 29+ on WTB i40 rims. A fair old chunk of wheel. Think I’ll just keep the Bomb, ride, have fun and just get a bit scared on the rocky downwards bits. Keep my eyes peeled for a short travel full sus, the two would probably cover all my biking needs. A change of tyres might help actually. Currently running 2 x Coronado light and supple. Great tyre for a mix of surfaces but probably not the best for proper off road.
the main bikes
Wait, you have ‘secondary’ N+1s?
29+ will be too much for a MK3 Stooge. It’s designed for 27.5+.
TBH I bought the Stooge because I’d lost loads of confidence after a big hurty off. My thinking was it would be less capable, therefore I wouldn’t be able to ride the stuff I was scared of. How wrong was I? I struggle over big rock gardens, big drops, big jumps, but that isn’t the sort of riding I do anyway.
Why don my you just keep the DirtBomb until you get bored with it or want something else? I know it’s blasphemy to utter the following words on this forum, but it’s better to have one bike you love to ride and use all the time than N+1 that all mainly sit around gathering dust. They’re just not achieving their destiny and will be sad.
I mean it’s a klunker but with real working brakes ang modern gearing so what’s not to love as it’s corrected most of the problems that klunkers had.