Spending, say, a grand, on a bike to ride, in order to have less bikes.

[Tootyred]

Got to agree with above, the numbers at the top and bottom are not the whole picture.

If your seriously looking for a bike you can comfortably do miles on the last thing you need is huge jumps between gears (especially with no option to cut across to another ring for a cheeky half shift).

7 speed 13-28 on 24,36,46 gives you way more options and a small comfy step between gears....oh and a cassette is £25 (not £200!).

As for the original point of this thread.....i feel your pain, i need a bigger frame as i just can't do head down arse up anymore (dont tell the doris that, there will be disappointment).

Problem is cycling has become such a broad church....bitd, a Raleigh equipe with some nobblies on was not that dissimilar to an early mtb.....so finding one bike to do it all was not a hard ask.

Now your trying to find a bike thats as good ad carbon road bike and at the other end an enduro boingy boingy thingy ( whatever that is - just buy a 250cc motocross bike its far more fun).

As for a bit of on road / bit of off road, imo...stick to your retro guns...just get your head up!

 

[Captain Stupido]

I'm not entirely convinced by the 1x naysaying - all drivetrains have their compromises, and I never use all the ratios available with a triple - I mainly stay in the middle ring, only using the other two for steep climbs or descents. But at the end of the day gearing comes down to where and how you ride. What works for one person might not work for another... trying stuff is the only way to really find out what works.

Also, if I rode a new bike enough that the cost of cassette replacement became an issue then the initial purchase would have been worthwhile. These days a worn out chain is a rare occurrence and a cause for celebration as it means I've been putting the miles in.

But the truth is I could survive without disc brakes. And riding the Giant down to the shops and back a few times this week I am coming round to accepting the fact that the riding position is not ideal for its chosen use. Oh and it's a bit short for carrying panniers, heel rub would get annoying on a long ride.

But there is a balance to be struck. My old Dawes (see pic below) was a favourite do it all bike for a few years but in the end while it was a great city bike, when I moved to Devon I found it a bit too sit up and beg for attacking long climbs or off roading. I sort of regret selling it though, I think maybe it just needed some tweaking.

But yeah, I think I'm convinced to "stick to my retro guns" as @Tootyred suggests. Crack on with the next build, and the Giant, lovely as it is, will probably get sold at some point.

The question now is, what next. I've got three likely candidates, interestingly all with different sized wheels.

 

[d8mok]

I run a 42T front with 1x GRX on my gravel bike and it spins out around 30mph. Whatever people behind a keyboard say, nobody on a 90s mountain bike is overtaking me either on a path or road. On the drops on a path those on anything other gravel bikes are easily dropped even those on ebikes.

We all love retro bikes as we wouldn’t be here but don’t kid yourself that technology hasn’t progressed to help make bikes faster/comfier/harder wearing.

 

[widowmaker]

I have bought 3 new bikes of the type you are thinking of in recent years, and my way of thinking almost mirrors your original post.

All 3 I had high hopes for, 1 I sold after a month and the other 2 a few month's after riding them lots.

They just didn't feel right, and lacking soul. And no matter how I tried I like being an odd one out.

 

[Captain Stupido]

I have bought 3 new bikes of the type you are thinking of in recent years, and my way of thinking almost mirrors your original post.

All 3 I had high hopes for, 1 I sold after a month and the other 2 a few month's after riding them lots.

They just didn't feel right, and lacking soul. And no matter how I tried I like being an odd one out.

Haha, yeah, I should have kept the Rockhopper... and that Peak!

 

[widowmaker]

The 3 I bought were brand new

Just been out on the Rockhopper, without the camping gear it feels like a rocket

 

[Captain Stupido]

What did you buy?

 

[legrandefromage]

as a second shock lost its damping, I <boing> started <boing> consider <boing> ing some <boing> thing <boing> new...

 

[legrandefromage]

some of you seem a bit animated as to what defines 'retro' and what we want to do with it all - bunging later components onto an old frame is very rewarding, good value for money and can keep an old nag in the stable for many moons to come.

This comes from experience, the one thing about RB is that we mostly ride and can be seen out and about so 'behind the keyboard' comments can be left for Facebook - if thats your thing.

I dont particularly want to stick with 7 speed, it sucks, or even triples for that matter but 9spd for MTB and 10spd for road is way more than adequate for where I live and once in a while I must just sling that chain over to a second smaller ring. Its a rare event but it does happen

especially after cake

or cider

but not both, indigestion

 

[novocaine]

Find an inbred 29er.
Run it single speed with 650b 2.4 tyres.
Screw everything else and everyone else.