Downsizing bikes - opinions sought from anyone who has done it - regrets?

I currently have a couple of rides; 140mm trail bike & a 200mm+ DH bike.  Thing is though the only time the DH bike was used last year was when a mate borrowed it for a quick Alps trip.  OK, I was laid up for 4 months last year & since then I have been concentrating on trail stuff to get my fitness back but I am finding it more difficult to justify having an expensive bike sitting there gathering dust.

I have also pretty well decided I wont be doing any more DH racing although I still intend on doing some uplift days (Bringe, Hopton, Cwmcarn mostly) & the annual 10 days in Morzine.

So the potential option is flog the DH bike & give the shorter bike (Cove Hustler) a make over.  A permanent swap of the fork for a 160mm 36 Float oe similar & a get a spare pair of stronger wheels & tyres for the uplifts & Alps. I know another option may be to sell both & buy a 160mm rig but the aim here would be to free up some cash for other things so keeping the Hustler frame would be good.

Does the all round bike really exist?  Anyone done something similar?  Interested in knowing if you missed the DH bike & felt too restricted or did you still find you could do what you did before?  

Closest thing I've got to an all round bike is my nomad! If I could only have one bike, this would be it...

Thought I'd downsize to a 'single bike', but found it just couldn't stand up to the abuse.

Supposedly the Spesh Pitch Pro (08) was perfect for me - labelled as "an aggressive all-mountain bike" - but after 2 chain stays, 1 seat stay and 1 front end being replaced under warranty, it was nowhere near as strong...

Option A :  go down a few notches on the aggressive riding

Option B : build a bike strong enough to take some stick.

I went for option B (222)....... and it cost less than a 1/3 of the Pitch to build up....

Then built up the 'AM/XC/whatever' bike (Patriot) with parts from the Pitch (sold the frame only).

This is basically what everyone is doing at the moment. Enduro is the new dh and so many people we know or  our customers are getting rid of their dh bikes and going forna capable all mountain bike

I'm experimenting at the Mo, still got the Dh bike but building up a meta 4x with descending prowess in mind. It should be finished in about 2 weeks so I'll let you know how it goes. I'm hoping for something a bit more poppy to put a proper grin on my face!

I sold my Sunday WC and Morewood Enza and strengthened up my Remedy for all duties.

Whilst fun, it just always seemed like a compromise. Not DH enough to really enjoy an uplift, too beefy to really enjoy a pedal and whilst ok to jump it wasn't a HT.

So I sold Remedy and now have a Sunday again and an all-rounder HT for all other duties.

.....but due to work commitments, family, life etc I've not used the Sunday since before Xmas, which got me thinking...."Do I need it? Shouldn't I just get an AM or mini DH bike?"

A quick conversation with a buddy of mine and he reminded why I'd gone back to having more than one bike.

I just found having one bike, whilst fun for awhile, it's just a compromise (for my riding anyway).

Been there done that.

Back to three bikes again 


Hardtail, trail bike, big bike..........

I've downsized to two bikes. A chumba xcl and an evil sovereign. You can get away with having one bike if you were willing to put up with the weight. Something like a nicolai helius fr or orange alpine would do the job.

I haven't owned a DH bike, but regularly take the chumba downhilling and it is coming to the alps this year. You can't cane the s**t of it like a big bike, but it will do pretty much everything apart from huge drops and jumps.

done it twice now, first time I didn't regret it because it was out of necessity (although the compromise was noticeable). second time regretted it within a matter of weeks but then I got injured so had ages out anyway. Bottom line: you'll only get a bike that is sort of OK at everything but good at nothing.

If your not racing DH you don't really need a race bike though, I am in this situation too which is why my current DH bike is a cracked and re-welded 224 with old but functional bits on it. not worth enough for me to consider it as a lot of cash tied up doing nothing but handy on the odd day I want to do a bit of DH. Not saying go to that extreme but your best compromise might be downgrading your DH rig and putting the money saved into your trail bike, you will then have a capable but not-bling DH bike for uplifts that should still be better than a do it all bike AND a pimped out trail bike. Of course it all depends how valuable your DH bike is.

Thanks for the replies guys, appreciate the input. Nothing is ever easy, is it

The DH bike is a 2 year old Cove Shocker though the forks are some 08 Boxxers.  Reasonable build on the rest of it.  I'm not convinced that if I did sell the frame & buy a cheaper DH one I would see much out of the deal. 

I am in the process of sorting out this year's Morzine trip so am now thinking hang on to it for one last fling then see how I feel after that.  Maybe because I haven't ridden it in so long I have forgotten how different it (probably) feels? 

Personally I'd say keep it, they're worth nothing second hand, go buy an AM hardtail and that'll see you right.  the only bikes you need are a hardtail and a dh bike.

It's a tough one, I sold on my Rotec RL9 after getting a TR250 as I simply wasn't using it. I don't ride serious DH all that often and found the TR250 to be at home down FoD and my local woods. Yes it's heavy and I do sometimes suffer on longer all day rides with other people on lighter bikes (a la Spesh Pitch etc) but I look at it as a better workout and I know the bike won't break. I'm in the slow process of lightening it at the moment but not to the point of neutering it for heavy DH duties.

In short the TR250 isn't exactly a perfect all rounder, but in a world of imperfect compromises I certainly wouldn't look back in regret at selling my Rotec, apart from the fact it was an awesome machine. I still do have a much lighter XC full susser for mincing duties but when the going gets really steep, the bicycle clips are sometimes needed.

It's hard to advise, do one or the other. I'm just glad I tried the TR250 which I ride most of the time for everything apart from commuting to work.

I guess it's probably easier to at least try it and have to go back than think everytime you ride a full on heavy twin crown DH rig and regret not trying it...

Been there done that.

Back to three bikes again 


Hardtail, trail bike, big bike..........

I am in the same boat, went down to just a VPfree with a couple of wheelset and shock options 32lb to 38lb. Raced on it etc. also.
I did ok  racing on it, and it was excellent for very technical climbing etc. but it is just not a trail bike, not an XC bike, not an all day bike, not jump bike.
On the short sharp climbs it was always found wanting.
For Dh it is a very capable bike.
I am currently out at 6 bikes though... oops
DH (V10), AM( Nomad), XC (Azure), HT (Dialled PA), Jump (Jawbone), BMX (Dialled).

Been there done that.

Back to three bikes again 


Hardtail, trail bike, big bike..........

x 2

one bike just cant do everything .. iv tried it twice 

Ive just done this! Sold/selling my: SS, 4x bike, 29er XC, HT  AM bike, Full-sus AM bike and bikg bike.
Currently just have one TI HT for all duties (160-110mm fork, Dropper post, 1x10 & wide bars)- really refreshing ride and super fun. Will be buying a road bike too though. I just havent been using them enough and its just money that I could do with..
After Uni i'll get a 'proper job' and probably buy them all again.