Beginner one-bike-does-all options?

[restlessshawn]

Alpkit are at Tweedlove this weekend, might be worth a wander over for a look at their bikes (depending on where you are)?

[benp1]

I was in your position a little while ago, I bought a Solaris (although they only had the original Mk1 when I bought mine)

www.cotic.co.uk/product/solarisMAX

I was looking for a do it all bike - local rides, playing in the woods, bikepacking, big days out etc. It was an upgrade from a Specialized Hardrock

You can run it rigid or front suss, room for plus tyres if you want it

I since bought a rigid SS, which gets used locally, but that was only because I fancied it. My bikepacking is generally done on the Solaris.

I'd vote for HT in general though. You can rigid if you want to, but the suspension will let you have a bit more fun on the singletrack. I do like the rigid bike, but I'd be tired after a big day out. Lots of folks aren't, but then lots of other folks will be riding FS bikes on those same trails

I'd definitely avoid an FS bike, particularly if you're going to be commuting on it

[Mariner]

Stooge.
Isn't the answer to all questions like this Stooge?

[Borderer]

If it was me I would buy a cheap bike, use it for everything you want to do and then buy something on the basis of what you had learned.
.
My brand new HT ally MTB cost £71.89 new from eBay. It's a Dawes, which isn't very cool anymore (was it ever?!) and was unused stock from a bike hire company that was closing down. It's a 26er but so far it has taken me on more than 2000 miles of adventures in the UK, France, Spain and Portugal.

A new bike will depreciate very rapidly - if you find you have bought the wrong thing then it will be an expensive mistake. You don't need to spend a lot to just get out there and start.

[benp1]

Stooge.
Isn't the answer to all questions like this Stooge?

The upside to a stooge is it's designed to be rigid

The downside to a stooge is also the same

So if you want to put sus forks on it for a bit, you can't. It does look pretty though!

I'd fancy one if they made one for proper (tall) grown ups

[jameso]

RE drops /off-road control

Anything technical off road you want to be in the drops and the hoods is a nice comfy position.

Not disagreeing with that, just would add that relative to a normal MTB bar we're still talking about rather compromised levels of control from drop bars. If you've (OP) never ridden drops off-road don't necessarily expect that a (eg) Vagabond on 2.1 tyres and drops will be even close to a similar-tyred rigid bike with flat/swept MTB bars on anything steep or genuinely tricky. Drops at best are 500-550mm wide at the grip point and put your arms in a different position, as well as put your weight further forward over the front.

I like drops for all-round riding, always have done. If you'll be doing a lot of road miles at reasonable pace they're a good compromise and they are fun off-road, but on a 29er with drop bars no way could I match the pace I can manage over rougher technical ground on a similar/same 29er with MTB bars. Both are fun in different ways. Just depends on priority and how you get your kicks I think.

[whitestone]

Generally with something like this you have to compromise. The problem is then where you actually make those compromises and how much they impact different areas of your riding.

Modern hardtails are very capable beasts. Like Ben, I've a Cotic Solaris. It was originally fitted with a suspension fork but it's been fully rigid for a year now. It basically covers most of the riding that I do. I rarely go to trail centres so a full suss is just going to sit there unloved for most of the time. I'll get down most things on the Solaris, just a bit slower but hardly less fun If it gets too much then I'll walk.

[ScotRoutes]

Metalheart bought a Solaris Max recently. Sounds like it would do most of the job you're after and offer flexibility of wheel/tyre size. However, you might struggle to find a frame with geometry suitable for using drop and flat bars on.

[restlessshawn]

Absolutely what Jameso says. I love riding my CX everywhere but there is no real comparison to my rigid flat barred MTB once the terrain gets past a certain point.

Just one bike is really a silly idea though

[bearlymoving]

A new bike will depreciate very rapidly - if you find you have bought the wrong thing then it will be an expensive mistake. You don't need to spend a lot to just get out there and start.

^^ This. I wholeheartedly endorse this approach, having totally failed to do it myself. I tried to get a bike that would do everything I wanted, before I had any experience of bikepacking. I dropped a lot of cash on a heavy off road tourer, and then wasted a few years hunting for a way to make it more appropriate for what I wanted.

I'd recommend going into your first bikepacking bike with the intention of learning, and the expectation that you'll sell it and get something a bit different down the line. If it turns out you don't need to do that, bonus, but I think this route would have lead me to bike-related satisfaction sooner, rather than later.

[benp1]

Metalheart bought a Solaris Max recently. Sounds like it would do most of the job you're after and offer flexibility of wheel/tyre size. However, you might struggle to find a frame with geometry suitable for using drop and flat bars on.

This is a good point. Generalising massively, drop bar bike have smaller frames and longer stems. Flat bar bikes have bigger frames and shorter stems.

You could try different bars on a flat bar bike to aim for a multiple riding positions, like the VO crazy casey bars or some jones loops (I'm going to be trying out the former soon, have the latter already)

[Mariner]

Stooge.
Isn't the answer to all questions like this Stooge?

The upside to a stooge is it's designed to be rigid

The downside to a stooge is also the same

So if you want to put sus forks on it for a bit, you can't. It does look pretty though!

I'd fancy one if they made one for proper (tall) grown ups

That's odd mine has a set of Rebas on it.
Just about to swop back to rigid for a ride to the sun later this month.

[Zen]

Loads of food for thought here, far more than I expected. I have the time and patience to build my own bike, learning as I go, has anyone done this? Would this perhaps be the best way: have a cheap run-around for now and knuckle down on my own build?

Also, has anyone used flaired drops? On-one Midge? Salsa Woodchipper? Love Mud Bomber? Those seemed like a wide, stable alternative to 'regular' drops.

[ScotRoutes]

I'm a fan of Woodchippers but they're still a lot different to running flat bars.

Building your own bike is a good idea as you can customise component selection. One down-side (especially at the moment) is that there are so many "standards" that you could easily end up buying incompatible components.

[Jurassic]

What about a Pinnacle Ramin One as a cheap rigid bike that's very bikepacking friendly with all the weird cage mounts you could need, 29er so fast rolling, decent spec for the price, surprisingly quick on the road (for your commute) and very upgradeable if you want to in future? I bought one recently and it's really surpassed my expectations. You'd have enough left over from your budget to put towards a full bouncer for trail riding later on if you felt the need (my guess is that you might not though).

[Borderer]

I'm going to try and build my own bike too, via patient ebay bargains. It will be a great way to learn I think, I have a lot to learn!
I was at Tweedlove today drooling over the bikes. One that I really liked I asked the guy the price and he said £4700. I said that is more than every car I have ever owned I didn't sit on any more after that.

As an aside Alpkit had the bike there that Tom rode the HT550 on - great deal to get to use it then hand it back again.

[jameso]

What about a Pinnacle Ramin One as a cheap rigid bike that's very bikepacking friendly

Thanks for kind words and glad it's working for you .. I'd say the same but would be biased! Though it's not mass-market enough to stay in the range for much longer so once sold out may not be replaced. Who said bikepacking had gone mainstream More to do with rate of sale vs value needed to be ranged by a large retailer tbh. A shame, but glad it was in there for a while.

[Jurassic]

What about a Pinnacle Ramin One as a cheap rigid bike that's very bikepacking friendly

Thanks for kind words and glad it's working for you .. I'd say the same but would be biased! Though it's not mass-market enough to stay in the range for much longer so once sold out may not be replaced. Who said bikepacking had gone mainstream More to do with rate of sale vs value needed to be ranged by a large retailer tbh. A shame, but glad it was in there for a while.

That'll be a shame if they don't continue with it James. I was looking for a rigid 29er that didn't cost the earth to use as a dedicated bikepacking bike and the Ramin One fit the bill perfectly. Although it was relatively cheap the spec is spot on with the extra cage mounts, decent wheels and tyres (easily set up tubeless) and the bike is eminently upgradeable. For the money I can't fault it.
My original plan was to replace my old 26er bikepacking bike and my CX bike with a Genesis Vagabond but I eventually came to the conclusion that it wouldn't do either job as well as a dedicated bike would. The Ramin cost less, works better off road and I still have my CX bike for easier terrain or road rides, win, win! Thanks for designing such a bargain bikepacking bike and sneaking it into Evans under the radar.

[Solo]

Just one bike is really a silly idea though

[Karl]

Shame to hear about the Ramin 1 possibly being removed from the range. It was my first bikepacking bike and used it to good effect on the notorious BB200 2014 finishing 5th overall. It's very composed, supple, comfortable and still one of my favourite bikes. I used it on the HT550 in 2015 as well so I think that confirms its a bikepacking bike :-D

It's quite frankly the best bike for the money as it rides so well and is easily upgraded when the time comes.