Gravel / Gravé / Gnarmac / Groad / ATB

Has anyone got rid of their bikes and gone down the one bike does it all route? I live in London with 3 bikes currently:

• Boardman CX set up with a rack, mudguards, and 32 mm tyres. I do 80 - 90% of my cycling on this bike and enjoy it. I do a 9 mile commute and short trips round town.
  
• Cotic Escapade fixed. I built this up with some nice bits earlier this year - Thompson, handmade Hope wheels, decent front disc, etc. This gets used a couple of times a month round town.
  
• Genesis Tarn fully rigid 27.5 x 2.8". Gets used a handful of times a year in the Surrey Hills, Scotland, Lakes etc including a couple of bikepacking weekends if I'm lucky.
  
  

I'm so busy with work (junior doctor), kids, etc that I don't get much time to do a lot of cycling never mind fettling bikes and also we've limited space living in a flat. I've also recently been diagnosed with a rare disease that has basically destroyed 1/3rd of my lungs and will only go in one direction.

With that in mind it's appealing to go down the gravel route and just have one bike that does it all - more space and only one bike to maintain. Something like the Arkose X or Genesis Fugio 20 (2019 on sale at the moment for £1100 and 0% finance at Evans) that is basically a drop handled MTB that will take 2" MTB tyres but I can stick some mudguards, rack, and proper road tyres on for commuting. Although I only ride MTB a few times a year I love these opportunities and don't want to be hobbled too much by a bike that is too much of a compromise.

If I sell my bikes will I just end up regretting it? Thoughts appreciated from those that have done it/considered it.

Cheers!

I did, didn’t regret but didn’t want just 1.

Now have my Brompton electric to commute, my luxury off road bike - rarely ridden and my tourer - will be ridden for most things other than commuting - kiddo capable etc.

And the tandem covers the same as the tourer.

1 bike is hard, comprising things is never my favourite choice!

I do always look at the off road bike and think it’s £2-3k sat there but I’d never be able to rebuild as they don’t make the frame etc!

For a year i had only a genesis equilibrium that did everything from family touring to sunday road riding . I had built it with 1x11 sram and switching between chainrings+chains i was really happy with it, it was fast enough and bordering on cx. Then I replaced it with an actual gravel aluminium bike that could take larger tyres and used it the same way, from 200km road riding to plus the occasionnal real off road ride.
Now going down the n+1 route, but it can work ! In my experience steel has its weight limitations so if i was going down that route again i would choose one of the 3 other materials and 2x capability

I've had a good handful of bikes, around 5 of em for years now, sometimes I think of selling but that thought soon quickly passes. Really love them all and try to ride them as often as possible. Commuting, kid-carrying, gravel touring, & training.

I'd keep em

Boardman CX.

Replace with ADV 9.0 for the lols.

Single bike is fine, it's the do-it-all bit that's the issue. It never works. If you don't go MTBing often I'd sell that and rent one out when required.

Why gravel bike over the Boardman?

Sounds like to me you love the mtb when you get a chance to do it. I doubt if you could hire something that would cover those bases, so thats a keeper for the occasional pleasure it gives you.

The Boardman sounds like your essential work horse. The Escapade something that gives you real pleasure when you do ride it. The obvs overlap is the Escapade/Boardman, but if you like the escapade, then why not keep it. What are the options for storing the escapade and Tarn less obtrusively? High up on a wall / elsewhere etc? Could you combine the Escapade/Boardman into one bike?

If you are that busy with family, health and work, I hope you do get the chance to keep enjoying your bikes. I hope your health issues dont progress quickly, that sounds horrible.

Thanks for all the replies. The consensus seems to be to keep them. Having spent a good amount of money and effort on obtaining them (and grief!) it would be a shame to part with them and regret it I suppose. There's nothing like razzing down a dusty trail on a straight bar, fat wheel MTB, kicking up some dust! Life's short, I just need to keep trying to make the time to ride and appreciate my bikes.
@PhilDAS the CX I've got is a few years old and doesn't have as much tyre clearance.
@edscoble I hadn't seen that, will take a look if I change my mind.

Happy riding!

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Hey Gravel fiends.

Just a quick PSA - If anyone is currently in the market for an Open U.P. , I'v just been offered some discounted stock from Open as they are having a clear out. - Its the U.P. Flatmount Frameset - Green, Blue & Ready to Paint (Actually just a plain matte black painted finish), all sizes currently available.

Happy to pass on discount to LFGSS'ers - £2149 incl delivery. (RRP is £2599). I am a registered Open Stockist just be clear, so all frames come with full Open warranty etc!

Shoot over an email if interested: rob@colourburnstudio.com

Just noticed Planet X have their “full monty” gravel framsets on sale at £149 instead of £299.99 doesn’t seem like a bad deal for someone wanting a cheap gravel bike.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4EadKYnzD6/ (NDS shot is the best)

Eww..

That's for Dutch beach racing, no?

It is:

gemaakt voor het strand

I don't think many people outside of the Netherlands are aware of such form of racing. Anyway, wrong thread, yeah?

Sand is just extra mature gravel, surely

Yep, but I'm 100% certain all gravel bikes will look like this in 2 or 3 years

Vintage gravel, surely?

Edit: Me stupid

#rep to @BareNecessities for quietly keeping on top of the thread title

I genuinely laughed out loud. Virtual high five to @BareNecessities too.

Want the Nitto X Crust Shaka handlebar but can't afford it?

There's a cheaper version without the Crust logos on it called the Nitto M137AA-SSB that come in from 48cm to 54cm;

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sixty five quid

Brexit innit!