Undecided on what my next bike in the stable should be & looking for input...
I live in MN & ~2/3 of my riding is in the midwest & ~1/3 out west (CO, MT, AZ, CA, UT, etc...)
Current fleet:
- 2019 Diamondback Release, FS 160/130 alloy trail bike. Main bike. Ride it on everything (singletrack, park 2-3 times/year, dirt-jumps, after-work, all-day epics, etc.) Can do everything, but not stellar at any one thing. Love getting airborne, so fits my riding style pretty well. Have done a decent amount of upgrading (coil fork/shock, tires + inserts, wheelset, brakes, bars, misc) to get it riding how I like. Love getting airborne, so fits my riding style pretty well.
- 2017 Diamondback Option (similar to their current Atroz), FS 150/130 alloy trail bike. Loaner & back-up bike. Outdated single-pivot design. Had a warranty claim for a broken rear swing-arm & bought the Release with the credit. Replaced swing-arm & got a virtually free 2nd bike!
- 2011 Trek Alpha 1.2, alloy road bike. Picked up off Craigslist at the beginning of Covid since MTB trails were still closed in MN. New to road riding. Fun exploring long distances, but always end up finding myself in precarious situations while adventuring (i.e. offroad lol) with the skinny tires, drop-bars & clipped in. About 15% of my riding is road. Commute occasionally to work in summer months (30mi ea/way).
So, I'm torn between a couple of next bikes:
1) Dirt-jumper. There is only 1 set up jumps in the Twin Cities, but I got out 6 times this last year on the Release, was just too big/long/heavy to wrangle on the steep lips & short transitions. Really specific bike that isn't very versatile with only 1 place to ride. Would it become a novelty & get old after a while & just collect dust?
2) Rigid HT and/or Gravel. Possibly sell the Road bike & have this be its replacement? Use for long rides (60-100mi+) on mixed terrain (pavement, gravel, light singletrack). Goal to maximize the long-distance touring capability, keep rolling resistance low & increase its terrain capability over a road bike. Also would be good to take the dog out in the woods without having to bring the FS. Would be a much more versatile bike than a DJ, but would I really ride that much more than the road bike? Would need to double as an occasional commuter rig as well.
3) Something I'm not thinking of?
Whatever I get, will likely need to be used given current environment. Looking to spend $500-1000
Of course the answer is always to just get 1 of each...if only the funds (and significant other) would allow... S-1
Thanks in advance for the input!