Cyclist0114

Tl;dr: I have 3in1 bike and consider buying MTB, but not sure, it’s a good option.

Long version: I have cyclocross bike for two years. During this time, I replaced most of parts and now it’s my “dream bike” with also two, identical wheelsets. I use this bike for everything - like road bike, like gravel bike, also as real CX bike. All depends of using tires, and swapping it’s very quickly and simple because these two, complete wheelsets (with disc rotors, cassettes).

I consider buying MTB hardtail as second bike. Maybe “returning to MTB” will be good, because before that CX bike, I had MTB. About three years ago I joined MTB race first time and it was great. Then another, then another… and then I had an accident. Nothing special, without fractures and I finished that race. It was my fault - using carbon fork instead of front damper and lack of technique. After that, riding on MTB and MTB trails and singletracks was not pleasant - I’m just afraid, I was slow etc.

Now I sometimes ride on more demanding terrain using CX bike, but of course I’m careful and don’t risk - it’s only amateur races, only for fun, so… I shouldn’t risk anymore. Why I consider MTB? I don’t like MTB trails, I don’t like MTB maintenance (simplicity of CX/gravel/road bikes is amazing!), and I don’t have plans to start in MTB races but… for about year, “something on the back of the head” says me: “maybe you should try again?”. And really don’t know what to do… I can buy MTB for second hand with good price but… is it good option when I have bike “pretty nice for everything”?

katsup

Around here, the more bikes the better. However, only you can really make that decision, if you have a mountain bike, will you use it on trails you can't take your CX bike? Do you want to store and maintain 2 bikes?

ddeand 

Wileyrat

I primarily ride road, but when I want to play in the dirt, I have a hardtail for doing that..... It's the right tool for the job.

If you're getting the bug to buy a hardtail, maybe your mtb days aren't behind you. It sound like you know what you're doing, and you could pick up a decent used bike for a decent price, and if you change your mind, you aren't going to be out the money a new bike would cost.

Edit...Fwiw, the reason I have a hardtail in the first place is I found out the hard way my rigid frame mtb (basically the original gravel bike) was not the right tool for single track riding in the Sonoran Desert, where I live.
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TiHabanero

Nothing is better off pavement than a mountain bike. Get one. As a side note, a mountain bike makes a better do-it-all bike since it truly can be used on any surface without a problem with control or comfort. Only drawback is gearing for the road.

Cyclist0114

The problem is that I'm a bit minimalist and try to "reduce" number of things around me / make them as versatile as possible.
And yes, in this situation, I must store and maintain 2 bikes, because roads and longs trips (150 km+) it's my favorite riding.

Can't agree. MTB that I had was a 27,5", light and very good equiped - I made long trip only one time on this bike (about 135 km) and it was terrible - modern MTB is for terrain, for trails, not for universal usage. For long riding, road-style handlebar is much, much comfort because of many possible positions. On current CX bike, last year 305 km one-day trip was not a problem, any issues.

CodyDog

Sounds to me that you want a MTB. Perhaps the desire to race and race hard on single track still burns inside you. Bad accidents can be traumatic in more than one way. The body heels but the mind doesn't forget even when you thing your over it. I spent a great deal of pushing the envelope but now I have been good with throttling back.

If you still have it in you, give it another go. If you do, you need to go hard and fast without any hesitation. If you don't, there's a hell of a lot of fun to be had on a bike besides hard core MTB. I do miss the hard core MTB but have replaced it with many other exciting passions.

Kapusta

Cyclist0114

I know, I know that it's very difficult. I used 46/36, then 46/34 (it was my favorite), then 50/34 and now 52/36 + always 11/28 cassete.
Except last, everything was pretty nice also on gravel / light terrain. Now it's nice to hard traning, for road, but difficult to terrain and I use the only 36T.
And it's the only one problem: maybe going back to 46/34 will be good enough. With cadence about 90-95, on 46x11 it's still damn fast on flat - I will be slower only on only road descents, maybe 1-2% of rides?

About racing: I'm preparing for my first ultra-distance "race" on Juni (it's difficult to say it's race - every who complete, wons) - about 500 km with 70 hours time limit.
If it will be ok, next year wants to start on 700 km and maybe on 1200 km (last one with 200 hours limit). I very like that, "endurance-based" rides/trips/races.
Without MTB-specific fun, it isn't important for me but... also would like to try again. Last autmn I tried on nice singletracks but on loaned, so bad MTB - and it wasn't nice... but that bike was terrible and I think, it's very important (trust is very important).