Fat or plus?

[Crackle]

Get the bike you fancy. Any of them will do all three jobs, so buy the bike you want to ride and if it's wrong, like you say, it's 2nd hand, you won't have lost much.

 

[I like Skol]

Funnily enough I'm on the MTB today. Earliest I can get down there is 4. Might see ya eh?!

I might have something in hand.....

 

[I like Skol]

I think @I like Skol is in a better advisory position than I am.

Please note, I am no expert, but have experience of what I talk about. I have a lifetime of refusing to have my head turned by some of the whimsies that come and go in the MTB world. I also avoid going too specialised, no use having a kick-ass downhill rig when you won't ride it to the trail and have to spend all your time pushing it back to the top!

This thread has lead me down the On-One steel hardtail route. @I like Skol - Is that more sensible?!

From the description it certainly seems to tick the boxes. I would still suggest a reasonable test ride if possible and also maybe not a 1x gear set-up if you are coming from a road background and might want to cover greater distances than the typical trail centre rider. A 1x drivetrains might be a bit restrictive on a longer ride where you could want to cruise along at a higher speed for longer?

 

[Pale Rider]

Thanks pale rider, how's the ebike treating you these days? Still very impressed from that century ride.

Still running well, thanks, although so it should be given what it cost.

As regards your new bike, I would be a bit wary of the now fashionable 1X drivetrains.

Could be a bit limiting for a multi-purpose bike.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Fat bikes are just the latest cycling fad/gimmick, bought by people with more money than sense who mainly want to pose on them, and will soon be left mouldering and forgotten in sheds and garages, like every other type of bike ever bought by such fickle buyers. From the original posting, all the OP actually needs is a simple no-nonsense rigid hybrid with strong wheels and plenty of mudguard clearance. Anything purporting to be a credible hybrid will have mounts for racks and mudguards as standard.

 

[mythste]

Fat bikes are just the latest cycling fad/gimmick, bought by people with more money than sense who mainly want to pose on them, and will soon be left mouldering and forgotten in sheds and garages, like every other type of bike ever bought by such fickle buyers. From the original posting, all the OP actually needs is a simple no-nonsense rigid hybrid with strong wheels and plenty of mudguard clearance. Anything purporting to be a credible hybrid will have mounts for racks and mudguards as standard.

You would take a rigid hybrid on trails weekly?

 

[Levo-Lon]

You would take a rigid hybrid on trails weekly?

Only if you were set in your ways

 

[Crackle]

Skipdiver John regularly rides his Tri-ang three wheeler down the gnarliest of trails. It's the first bike he ever got and he's never needed anything else.

 

[FishFright]

Fat bikes are just the latest cycling fad/gimmick, bought by people with more money than sense who mainly want to pose on them, and will soon be left mouldering and forgotten in sheds and garages, like every other type of bike ever bought by such fickle buyers. From the original posting, all the OP actually needs is a simple no-nonsense rigid hybrid with strong wheels and plenty of mudguard clearance. Anything purporting to be a credible hybrid will have mounts for racks and mudguards as standard.

Fat bikes are for soft and loose surfaces, sand and snow etc. and are brilliant at that job. They certainly aren't any ones all rounder.

In the OP's case a hybrid is not what he needs or wants.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Skipdiver John regularly rides his Tri-ang three wheeler down the gnarliest of trails. It's the first bike he ever got and he's never needed anything else.

Now that's a slight exaggeration, as I've never ever had a 3-wheeler, but you don't need a fancy full race bike to ride down your high street, and you don't need a full-sus MTB or some marketing-created fat bike abomination with motorcycle sized tyres to ride on rough tracks either. Don't believe all the marketing hype coming from people who want to take your money and sell you something you don't need. A very simple, basic bike, with the right sort of frame geometry and suitable wheels and tyres, will cope with most things the typical rider would ever want to use it for.

 

[FishFright]

Now that's a slight exaggeration, as I've never ever had a 3-wheeler, but you don't need a fancy full race bike to ride down your high street, and you don't need a full-sus MTB or some marketing-created fat bike abomination with motorcycle sized tyres to ride on rough tracks either. Don't believe all the marketing hype coming from people who want to take your money and sell you something you don't need. A very simple, basic bike, with the right sort of frame geometry and suitable wheels and tyres, will cope with most things the typical rider would ever want to use it for.

Don't believe this hype either, it's not correct .

 

[Levo-Lon]

Now that's a slight exaggeration, as I've never ever had a 3-wheeler, but you don't need a fancy full race bike to ride down your high street, and you don't need a full-sus MTB or some marketing-created fat bike abomination with motorcycle sized tyres to ride on rough tracks either. Don't believe all the marketing hype coming from people who want to take your money and sell you something you don't need. A very simple, basic bike, with the right sort of frame geometry and suitable wheels and tyres, will cope with most things the typical rider would ever want to use it for.

Bit like saying you only ever need a 4 yarder.

As for choice ,we all have a differing view on what we need.
I love my 140 fs bike and i also like my 120 HT.
Both bikes offer different ride fun.

And although i like my hybrid and road bike they would make a mtb trail horrid to ride.
Unless i wanted a bone shaking slow fall off loads sort of day.

 

[mythste]

As you’ve probably noticed I’m super receptive to insight - I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t! I’m still debating a fat bike for the sheer fun factor reported, but trying to test ride on is proving tricky.

I already have two road bikes, one for touring and commuting, one for going as fast as I can on as steep a gradient as I can find. I recognise the need for the right tool for the job, even if some are used to hitting everything with a hammer.

Keep the ideas flowing! They all help!

 

[Cycleops]

Forget about all those new hardtail suggestions. You can buy this and even save a few bob on your budget, brilliant VFM. https://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-560-mountain-bike-275-white-blue-green-id_8364732.html

 

[Nigeyy]

Well I actually do think there's a substantial element of truth in that. My first mtb (just at the start of the 90's) was a rigid bike with a more road bike like geometry. Now I will freely admit to the fact I went everywhere on that thing, very rough tracks included -and I loved it. So yes, you can take a rigid bike to a surprizing number of places. It was later turned into a tourer that I went across Europe with. It's final incarnation was a commuter bike, so I guess it was a hybrid of sorts! It was a great all rounder, and yes, it was fun.

On the flip side, would I do it again? Well no, not unless I had no choice. There are reasons why mtbs (and other styles of bikes) have changed in design; the more specific designs are more readily suited to certain trail conditions and have increased the capabilities of riders -e.g. allowing that drop or rock to be taken rather than being ridden around or carried over. That doesn't mean to say you can't still ride an old rigid or a modern rigid hybrid, but if you want to get a bike to do some trails, it begs the question: why wouldn't you get a more built-for-purpose bike?

Don't believe this hype either, it's not correct .