Wilfred Laurier

I've done lots of riding over the years - road racing, mtb racing, track, time trials, tandem, fat bike...
I am tall (c. 195cm, 6'5") and I weigh around 250 lbs - my ideal weight is probably around 220 lbs, but I am generally fit and like to ride a lot, so I have pretty decent peak power, even if my power/weight isn't the best.

My riding habits since I was a youth have left a handful of broken bike frames, and also broken just about every other bike part. But I thought my bikes - a touring bike and a fat bike - were tough enough to handle my abuse.

Then, in the fall I noticed a crack in the chainstay of my touring bike. No problem, because Winter is on its way and that is fatbike season!
Well I made it through another Winter, but last week the freehub mechanism dissolved when trying to crest a steep bit of trail. I can't find a new freehub body for the 'generic' Formula/Bontrager hub with obsolete 190mm qr axle, but I think I found a replacement for the whole hub.
But there was also a small crack developing at the bottom of the slit in the seat tube, so I drilled a small hole to stop it spreading, and I am hesitant to spend any mpre money on this dinosaur.

So I figured if I want two new bikes (gravel bike + spare road wheels + fat bike) it's gonna cost me 6-7k$cdn.

Then I saw this...

https://www.suzuki.ca/catalogue/motorcycles/dual-purpose/

Air cooled 650 dual sport, entry price around 7800$.

I could also get a 2nd hand motorcycle and just one new bike, or any combination therein

So what should I do?

Bmach

Talk to a custom bicycle bike builder. Get one made that you use for gravel and road.

boozergut

There are so many good used bikes out there. Get a $300 bomb proof classic like a Trek multi Track and have someone lace some 36 spoke wheels for you. My riding partner picked one up for $300.

grumpus

Rebuild those damaged bikes with different frames. You could buy locally built steel frames, that suit your height and can be repaired easily should the need arise. (Always be sure you have plenty of correctly sized seatpost inside the frame, to avoid cracking seat tubes.) Then if you saved any money, buy a used dirt bike.

zandoval 

So... How many bicycles ya got? And how many Motorcycles?

Hummmm... Let Me Think...



Think Ya need a Motorcycle...

chaadster

I’m a dyed-in-the-wool cyclist and a “tight-in-the-wool” Clyde, and while I’ve never had any frame or component failures over the decades (last season 250lbs on 7yr old, sub-17lbs carbon fiber roadie with 1327g, 21 carbon spoked wheels), I did have a motorbike for awhile and found it ultimately dissatisfying to my 2-wheeled urges.

Maybe because I never really felt comfortable enough to ride the moto in shorts and T shirt like some guys do, I came to resent having to get suited up in gloves and all the protective gear to go out for a ride, particularly on those beautiful days when I most wanted to ride. Fall was my favorite time for the moto, when it was chilly and crisp out, but it was obvious from get-go a moto was substitute for a bicycle. Eventually I sold the moto.

Moral to the story: if you’re a cyclist, you can’t give up on cycling. Get the moto if you want, for sure, but have a bike, too.

schnee

I'm big too, and I built a custom 'monstercross' bike 15 years ago in a class with a master builder.

He brought out the biggest tubes he had, made me dump a good pound of extra brass inside all the brazes, and I've ridden it ever since.

I've done plenty of road, but also bikepacking, singletrack, and even winter riding with studded tires. It's still going strong, after wearing through three full drivetrains and even breaking a crank.

Go custom. There are some no-nonsense builders out there like Waltworks or Curtlo who aren't trying to make museum pieces who will give you a lifetime perfect-for-you bike for a reasonable price.

indyfabz

Do what you want.

Trakhak