can one bike do everything??

mikey2341

Hi,

Been lurking on here for a while and posted a while back on buying forum on getting a bike to do the coast to coast (cumbria to sunderland) in the summer.

Having decided I'm definately getting a bike - I'm trying to find a "jack of all trades" I want something comfy for all day rides, a bit off commuting (and fishing!) and trail riding. My thoughts are a decent hardtail and a spare set of slick tyres for the commute / fishing trips ( 30 mile round trips), but then would I be better with a 29er? I read somewhere the wheels roll faster on the road with higher gearing? a full suss will be comfier for all day rides, but more expensive and heavier, I've even considered something like a specialized tricross as it would be good on the road, but I don't expect much use on trails?

Thoughts please?

Mikey

u05harrisb

to be fair probably a cross bike, rackable for panniers for long trips and capable of xc stuff, within reason and can do any road you throw at it, brill as a comuter too!

Northwind

It depends entirely on what your "everything" includes. Mine includes downhill and enduro racing, cross country, and road commuting so no bike does all that adequately really. The question you should ask is exactly what it'll have to do. Sounds like what you want is some sensible XC/trail hardtail but really there's a million bikes that are capable of what you describe.

mikey2341

I was thinking maybe a 29er may be the best of both worlds for the road stuff (with semi slicks) and then changing tires for the fun stuff! I guess I could probably do it all on a cyclocross bike, but the off road stuff would need to be milder??

supersonic

Cyclocross bikes are bloody awful off road for most people. There is a rason why MTBs are designed the way they are lol.

The Northern Monkey

I could do all that happily on my meta

mikey2341

supersonic, that is a very very valid point! why didn't I think of that!! Would there be any benifit in a 29er over a normal hardtail then? Having a quick look on the web there seams to be much less tyre choices on a 29er

Shaggy_Dog

supersonic wrote:

Cyclocross bikes are bloody awful off road for most people. There is a rason why MTBs are designed the way they are lol.

Disagree, 'cross bikes are epic fun off road! I don't like using 'crossers for touring though, even though people seem to be convinced they are the best tool for the job. Funnily enough a touring bike is the best tool for touring, followed by a hybrid or an MTB with rack mounts.

I'd probably go for either a suspension fork equipped hybrid or a 29er hardtail with rack mounts.

mikey2341

My goal posts have just moved slightly in that I now fancy having a go at something like the Whinlatter Challenge after completing the C2C. So it will definately be a hardtail I'm going for. Doesn't matter if the commute or trips fishing take a bit longer - will be good for my fitness!
Now to look for a hardtail - will look into differences between 26 & 29ers for this - am guessing rockhoppers, carerra fury's decathlon 8.1's a good starting place for usaul entry bikes? any suggestions for 29ers?

cheers

Shaggy_Dog

These will both be good

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/gary-fisher/marlin-29er-2011-mountain-bike-ec023851?query=29er

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/kona/kahuna-29er-2011-mountain-bike-ec026523?query=29er

Anonymous

Almost all mountain bikes are capable of doing it all. However, you will have to compromise some apsects if you want to excel at others.
I use my bike for everything, from commuting, to big-mountain XC, to freeride and DH. However, I chose a bike that, although capable of doing it all, sacrificed a little XC-capability in terms of weight, in order to get something that would really take the abuse of a DH day with an uplift.

WHERE you make that compromise, and to which goals, are your choice.

mikey2341

Thanks for the links Shaggy, I bought MBUK today with a review of a Giant and GT 29er in there, the GT got good reviews also, will have a trip to evans at the trafford centre and see what they have to sit on; also got a couple of leisure lakes stores fairly local, will have a trip upto them as well.

YeeHaam, I don't (at present anyway) have that much interest in DH stuff, so that will be where I compromise things I imagine

cheers

Rushmore

I think you should just take a test ride of a few and see what feels best..

Let the bike choose you.. as they all feel different...

supersonic

CX bikes are epic fun offroad the same way a halfords 79 quid rigid MTB is

Shaggy_Dog

supersonic wrote:

CX bikes are epic fun offroad the same way a halfords 79 quid rigid MTB is

Except for the climbs, and I trust a decent CX bike a hell of a lot more

97th choice

I would by any random hardtail with front suspension lockout for about 300 quid, specialized, giant, carrera whatever. Just get off the internet and get riding.

wheelygood

Worth considering that getting tyres and spares for 29ers is still not the easiest thing here in the UK - they haven't fully caught on here like in the States

mikey2341

@97th choice - currently riding around on a borrowed 2002 rockhopper, nice comfy bike - but no fork lockout or disk brakes. I could buy it for 200 quid, but then the costs of a decent fork, new wheels to take disks and also the actual disks mean it is not cost effective, hence the research into something more viable,

Am happy enough on the 26inch wheels, but think the road stuff would be "quicker" on a 29er

Anonymous

I wouldn't stress about not having lockout. I've had it on two forks, and only used it or a few days until the gimmick wore off.

mac_man

I rode a Kona 29er full suss last year and loved it. you can really get some speed up on the smooth stuff... like the gravel fire roads at Gisburn Forest. I'd imagine a 29er hardtail woudl be brilliant on a commute with semi slick tyres.

As yeehaa said... you have to decide what you're willing to compromise on. If the commute aspect is more important then that's where your priorities should be.

At the end of the day you can ride any bike anywhere... but you might not enjoy the ride. A 29er is definitely a different beast to a 26" bike so make sure you can get a ride on one before you commit.

97th choice

mikey2341 wrote:

@97th choice - currently riding around on a borrowed 2002 rockhopper, nice comfy bike - but no fork lockout or disk brakes. I could buy it for 200 quid, but then the costs of a decent fork, new wheels to take disks and also the actual disks mean it is not cost effective, hence the research into something more viable,

Am happy enough on the 26inch wheels, but think the road stuff would be "quicker" on a 29er

Fair enough, what's your budget?

ravey1981

mikey2341 wrote:

Am happy enough on the 26inch wheels, but think the road stuff would be "quicker" on a 29er

Only on the bits where you can pedal the slightly higher gearing given by the larger wheels..... not taking into account the slightly lower rolling resistance

26 inch wheels with a spare set of cheap/secondhand wheels (plenty of these around) with slicks on for you're road stuff would be the best compromise

Which bike you choose is obviously down to budget but again there are some great 2nd hand bargains to be had. Or alternatively look at last years model bikes that are often heavily discounted in the shops

mikey2341

97th choice wrote:

mikey2341 wrote:

@97th choice - currently riding around on a borrowed 2002 rockhopper, nice comfy bike - but no fork lockout or disk brakes. I could buy it for 200 quid, but then the costs of a decent fork, new wheels to take disks and also the actual disks mean it is not cost effective, hence the research into something more viable,

Am happy enough on the 26inch wheels, but think the road stuff would be "quicker" on a 29er

Fair enough, what's your budget?

Well the Kona Kahuna i'm looking at as a29er is 660, so i guess thats the budget. Seen last years rockhoppers for 600 and also had a look at carrera fury & a rockrider 8.1 which are a bit cheaper. Open to other suggestions though!!

jonny_x

Well the Kona Kahuna i'm looking at as a29er is 660, so i guess thats the budget. Seen last years rockhoppers for 600 and also had a look at carrera fury & a rockrider 8.1 which are a bit cheaper. Open to other suggestions though!!

a little above your budget but these three might be worth a look
Salsa Fargo - off road bias
Salsa Vaya - on road bias
Surly Karate Monkey - a little more affordable

97th choice

mikey2341 wrote:

Well the Kona Kahuna i'm looking at as a29er is 660, so i guess thats the budget. Seen last years rockhoppers for 600 and also had a look at carrera fury & a rockrider 8.1 which are a bit cheaper. Open to other suggestions though!!

Boardman have a 29er coming out very soon, based on the spec it might be in your price range, plus all the boardman bikes are nice and light.

http://www.boardmanbikes.com/mtb/29er_comp.html

mikey2341

The boardman could be worth a good luck... i quite like the look of the decathlon rockrider 8.1 at the minute, 450 quid for 2010 model and a good spec. Its even well below budget which leaves money for slicks etc...

think i need to find a 29er test bike