View Poll Results: Most Versatile Bike - If You Could Have Only One - What It Be?
Road?
8
6.90%
Cyclocross?
11
9.48%
Hybrid?
13
11.21%
Gravel?
49
42.24%
General Mountain?
8
6.90%
Cross Country Mountain?
5
4.31%
Other?
22
18.97%
Voters: 116. You may not vote on this poll
Most Versatile Bike - If You Could Have Only One - What Would It Be?
#51
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Why not ride a rigid MTB on some less challenging trails? You'll still go fast downhill, but have to check your speed a bit more for the bumpier stuff. Using your full-squish on paved roads, on the other hand...
#52
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The challenge of technical and fast mtb IS the fun part, so if I have to check my speed because the rigid can't handle it, that might bring the fun factor way down, or bring the chance for crashing way up if I decide to not slow down, though I've only ever had full squish so I could be wrong there...
#53
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I see your point. But I've been mountain biking as long as Gary Fischer - and I find that being underbiked makes a boring trail fun again. But riding a fast downhill mountain bike on anything not downhill to me is boring. I want that thrill even if I'm just riding around my neighborhood.
#54
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No. F'ing. Way.
Rigid is fine on occasion to bring life to otherwise less challenging trails (and I do have a rigid fat bike), but for me there is no greater joy on 2 wheels than riding challenging terrain with downhills on a decent FS bike.
Honestly, I'd quit road riding and take up another sport before I gave up my FS bike.
Rigid MTB or beefy gravel bike is certainly the most versatile... but for me it is definitely not the most fun.
Rigid is fine on occasion to bring life to otherwise less challenging trails (and I do have a rigid fat bike), but for me there is no greater joy on 2 wheels than riding challenging terrain with downhills on a decent FS bike.
Honestly, I'd quit road riding and take up another sport before I gave up my FS bike.
Rigid MTB or beefy gravel bike is certainly the most versatile... but for me it is definitely not the most fun.
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#55
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If I could have only one? It would have to be a velomobile. That's literally the only thing that keeps me riding all winter. I prefer two wheels, so I like having a recumbent for the nice weather, but I would give it up before I give up the velo.
#56
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I don't have an off-road-suitable bike in my quiver, and I've taken my Columbus steel frame, Campag 11-speed, single-pivot-rim-brakes, 23c tire road bike through some hard-pack dirt trails in recent weeks, and it's a lot of fun. It is not, as Riveting says, fast, however.
Yeah, I'm "faster" on my mountain bike. But I traded in fast for fun long ago. Mountain bikes these days are so good they get boring.
#57
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True. Its not fast. But that does not mean its not fun. I have a "road bike" (geometry wise) that takes 54mm front 40mm rear tires. Its fun. Its amazingly fast on rolling single track- and at 17lbs it climbs like it has a motor. That is fun. So is wearing out guys on full sus mountain bikes when riding single track. a 30+++ lb bike just takes it out of ya eventually. Its also fun doing "A" road rides with $5000 dedicated road bikes on 23mm tires, where people stare at me because I have the fattest tires on the ride. Its my one bike.
Yeah, I'm "faster" on my mountain bike. But I traded in fast for fun long ago. Mountain bikes these days are so good they get boring.
Yeah, I'm "faster" on my mountain bike. But I traded in fast for fun long ago. Mountain bikes these days are so good they get boring.
#58
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This
#59
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True. Its not fast. But that does not mean its not fun. I have a "road bike" (geometry wise) that takes 54mm front 40mm rear tires. Its fun. Its amazingly fast on rolling single track- and at 17lbs it climbs like it has a motor. That is fun. So is wearing out guys on full sus mountain bikes when riding single track. a 30+++ lb bike just takes it out of ya eventually. Its also fun doing "A" road rides with $5000 dedicated road bikes on 23mm tires, where people stare at me because I have the fattest tires on the ride. Its my one bike.
Yeah, I'm "faster" on my mountain bike. But I traded in fast for fun long ago. Mountain bikes these days are so good they get boring.
Yeah, I'm "faster" on my mountain bike. But I traded in fast for fun long ago. Mountain bikes these days are so good they get boring.
#60
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1. That must be some really tame singletrack.
2. Those alleged guys are riding some heavy FS bikes.
2. Those alleged guys are riding some heavy FS bikes.
My point is: Fat tired road bike (AKA Gravel bike) is fun on road rides and fun on single track. Not the fastest on either, but lots of fun.
Mountain bikes are a ball on single track, and boring on anything else. Actually, modern mountain bikes are boring on most single track. I had quit riding all but the most aggressive single track around here – but using a gravel/CX bike on them with 50+mm tires is a friggen ball. I’ve fallen back in love with many of these trails.
On my drop bar bike, I’ve done hard road group rides, crits, single track – even seen similar bikes win our cross country races (i.e. 25+ miles of single track). I’ve spent years using my hard-tail as my single bike (I’ll get dropped on fast road rides, but its not bad for a 100 mile (windless) day). But realistically as mountain bikes get longer, lower, slacker, more upright, wider handlebars, etc. – they get better at single track and worse at everything else (including less aggressive singletrack). If I was going to pick a mountain bike - I'd get a light XC hardtail - but those are not too far off from a good Gravel/CX bike.
2) It shocks me how many bike reviews have hardtails that weigh over 30lbs. Naturally if you spend enough money you can get something lighter. But gosh, over recent years, a lot of mountain bikes have gotten heavy. I realize a lot of this weight is in bigger tires (and wheels).
#61
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This one without question. Wearing the pictured tires and rims, I get get in a pretty darned sporty ride. Wearing the tires and rims that are on it now, it's the ideal multi-surface machine for CO where I am heading tomorrow. I can go to larger tires yet for old school rigid mountain biking. I can dress it out for touring as well. It's the best bike I have ever owned period.
#62
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Yes, I know that. I've ridden my cross bike, and now my gravel bike, off-road for decades. Even on "rough" singletrack. Even at relatively high speeds. Of course underbiking is fun.
The point being, if you're "wearing out" guys on FS bikes, the trails are exceedingly tame...
The point being, if you're "wearing out" guys on FS bikes, the trails are exceedingly tame...
"One Bike" is going to be dependent on where you live and what your passion is. But if you are focused on one discipline - get a bike for that. I have half a dozen different bikes in my quiver - but the gravelish bike is my N-1. Yeah, I don't do aggressive mountain biking on it, nor do I ride it on the velodrome. But if you need suspension – obviously get it. (or join the crowd for simplicity and go ridged single speed if that floats your boat)
(P.S. if there is climbing, its not hard to wear out someone on a bike that weighs twice as much (again, kinda obvious)).
Last edited by chas58; 07-09-20 at 07:52 PM.
#63
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Not a hypothetical question for me. I only have one bike: a Specialized Diverge. I mostly ride it on pavement, but have taken it on gravel and some rougher trails. It's clear to me why "gravel" has the most votes in the poll.
#64
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Drop bar touring bike.
Or traditional swept bar city bike.
Or traditional swept bar city bike.