Many Bikes, Little Talent

I’ve cut down on bikes, that’s a bit like saying “I used to smoke 50 a day, but through sheer willpower, I’m down to 48“.

Update: January 2024

Quiet year. Which for me means we haven’t had to build a Batcave under the ShedofDreams(tm) or had difficult conversations with the bank. I’ve sold nothing mostly because neither has the entire bike industry.

Massive stock surpluses begat both bargains and bankruptcy.  It’s been a tough year for manufacturers and retailers. Normally I’m in the vanguard to take up any slack, but it was to the classifieds I headed to re-unite myself with a bike I regretted selling almost every ride.

Anyway justification for bike buying left the station long ago. let’s just get it over with.

What came into the shed

Ibis RipMo v2

Magnificent isn’t it?

2nd hand from a lovely Irish fella. The frame arrived from over the water cosmetically tatty but mechanically excellent. Stripped it, cleaned it, taped it, handed the whole thing off to Matt for the difficult bits.

I absolutely love it. 1000km+ since July. So glad to have one back. Wrote some stuff here about why.

What stayed

Nukeproof Digger

Hmm didn’t use it much. Enjoyed it when I did. The whole riding on my own from home thing got pretty old in Covid. Going to try and do a bit more this year.

Here’s what I made up at the time about buying it: https://www.pickled-hedgehog.com/dig-it/

Cotic BFEMax

Still here. 1000km+ in. The “GrimWagon” repels rain, mud and – probably – borders. Because I’m an idiot I stuck the biggest fork allowed up front and happily ploughed through and over mostly anything less than three feet in height.

It’s wearing the “Double Fugly’s’ mudguard combo right now, and I expect it’ll be thrashed through the whole winter without a break. Then I’ll put it away because these knees and hard trails are not compatible with a single sprung end.

Orbea Vibe

Still got it. Still fab. Al’s car replacement service and occasional Pub insertion/retrieval vehicle.

Now tubeless otherwise just charged up, ridden and placed back in the shed with a smile. Not had one ride that’d have been better in a car.

https://www.pickled-hedgehog.com/ebagum/  makes up reasons why I bought it. Most of them – against the tradition of such nonsense.- have come true.

I (still) don’t want an MTB version tho! Having ridden one in Spain tho, they are pretty much the devil on my shoulder.

Nukeproof Giga

Nukeproof Giga - first ride

More travelled than Alan Wicker (look it up young people). 180 at the front and only 10 less at the back. Writing cheques (yep you’ll be googling those as well) I clearly cannot cash. But wait, is it just a weighty trail bike with a few more tricks up its sleeve?

After two years I’d say not. Just been fantastic. Now with a few suspension (well 2 so really that’s ‘all of themhttps://www.pickled-hedgehog.com/stuck-in-the-middle-with-you/ )  and around a 1400km ridden. Saved my arse multiple times on the Basque and 2 x Molini trips. That wasn’t the surprise. The surprise was how brilliant it was as a trail bike. 37lbs of hard to categorise fun. Since I got the RipMp back tho, not ridden it as much. But it’s time will come again.

Bearings are shit tho. Match the paint 🙂 Don’t care, love this thing.

What’s gone.

Revel Rascal

Revel Rascal

Actually I still have it, but only because I can’t sell it. I don’t really care as it’ll look lovely on the wall. No way there was physical or riding space between the RipMo and the Giga to keep it built up tho.

Still one of the prettiest bikes I’ve ever owned..

Oh I nearly forgot:

Jessie’s Solaris

SolarisMax rebuilt for Jess

Ridden twice by Jess and once by me. But when she has time to ride again, we’ll be back out together. I’m refusing to buy her an eBike as she’s always whinging about riding uphill:)

Aid also has a Spesh Fuse he’s not ridden yet. Finished building it while he was at Uni. Then the silly sod broke his arm arsing about and couldn’t ride. When he could, the weather was awful. So we’ll hopefully get both offpsring out next year. And if not, no worries.

What else is left the shed?

Revolving door policy in full effect. But there are some enduring old stagers hanging about.

I still have the Boardman CX bike. My reward for it passing 10,000km on the Turbo was to ruthless relocate it to the rafters. In it’s place is my Bro’s old crashed Road Bike. Dunno if it’s better, nice colour tho.

Not so much pain cave, more shed corner of where happiness goes to die 🙂

I’ve sort of written off the Trailstar as Glynn borrowed it 5 years ago and I’ll never ask for it back.

I did consider leaving previous years below. But honestly having reviewed that content, not even I can pass it off as anything much short of a mental illness 🙂

Roll on 2024. I have the ‘perfect bike shed‘. Don’t expect any changes next year*

*this is not a commitment. Or even a promise. Maybe an ambition? Even that feels a bit strong.

14 thoughts on “Many Bikes, Little Talent

  1. Pingback: I want my life back » Blog Archive » Bike Page Update

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  3. Alex

    How COULD I forget Roger? I assume this fine piece of Californian engineering is what you are dismissively referring to as the “girls bike”.

    Page amended. Although I’m concerned the PA may eat it.

  4. Pingback: I want my life back » Blog Archive » In leiu of any proper writing..

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  6. Pingback: I want my life back » Blog Archive » Updated the bike page..

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  8. brad

    As a normal person that hasn’t bought a new bike since the SX trail(cos there is no better bike) . What is the technical difference between the Pace 405 and the New ST4 ? 6mm travel and color ? tyres ?

  9. nickc

    Brad beat me to it, you have two more or less identical full sussers, which is one too many, even for you, besides which, you have the Hummer (meaning you don’t really need either of them)… Oh hang on, you can see my error? I’m applying logic to your bike choices…

    As you were…

    Liking the XR2 though…

  10. Alex

    Let’s just get this straight before we start. I am not attempting to justify my random bike purchasing, but the Pace and ST4 ride very differently. One has big fat tyres, flats, coil forks and is much loved in big, rocky terrain. The ST4 has usurped the Hummer, so will be ridden for the rest of the time.

    I *expect*, having examined the tea leaves, to rebuilt the Cove and the ST4 and that would probably “do”. But why sell the Pace, I enjoy riding it, it’s paid for, 2nd hand values are rubbish.

    More bikes good, surely?

  11. Pingback: I want my life back » Updated the bike page

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