Decisions...

[DCBassman]

I currently have four bikes, one of which is a rolling disc frame for rebuild.
Two of them are old school steel MTBs, 7-speed jobbies. They are far more fun, and more comfortable, than the Scott roadie that is my "best" bike. But heavier, of course.
What with age and general unfitness, I was thinking about fitting two of these to help off set the weight on climbs :
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/freewhe...nge-screw-on-7-speed-freewheel-1434t/?geoc=US
and getting rid of the Scott and the project.
I have no option but to reduce from four to two anyway, in the near future, I cannot keep the garage where they are stored.
So, roadie and project, or megarange steelies?

 

[Salty seadog]

I currently have four bikes, one of which is a rolling disc frame for rebuild.
Two of them are old school steel MTBs, 7-speed jobbies. They are far more fun, and more comfortable, than the Scott roadie that is my "best" bike. But heavier, of course.
What with age and general unfitness, I was thinking about fitting two of these to help off set the weight on climbs :
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/freewhe...nge-screw-on-7-speed-freewheel-1434t/?geoc=US
and getting rid of the Scott and the project.
I have no option but to reduce from four to two anyway, in the near future, I cannot keep the garage where they are stored.
So, roadie and project, or megarange steelies?

I guess you co habit or you could do what I do and keep 5 bikes in the living room.....

 

[raleighnut]

I'd keep one of the MTBs and something different rather than 2 MTBs

 

[I like Skol]

I'd keep one of the MTBs and something different rather than 2 MTBs

THIS^^^^

Pick the 'best' of the steel MTBs and keep the road bike. The project and surplus MTB can go and you still have all bases covered. Thoughts of cutting back to 'practical' MTBs are normal for the current season and weather but you can guarantee that come Spring when the days get longer, brighter, warmer, and more importantly, drier, you will be yearning for the road bike to get out and take advantage of the more favourable conditions.

You know it makes sense

 

[DCBassman]

I'd keep one of the MTBs and something different rather than 2 MTBs

THIS^^^^

Pick the 'best' of the steel MTBs and keep the road bike. The project and surplus MTB can go and you still have all bases covered. Thoughts of cutting back to 'practical' MTBs are normal for the current season and weather but you can guarantee that come Spring when the days get longer, brighter, warmer, and more importantly, drier, you will be yearning for the road bike to get out and take advantage of the more favourable conditions.

You know it makes sense

Fairy snuff. But which MTB?

 

[DCBassman]

Actually, the Trek. Then I'll be back where I was before I became a disciple of @SkipdiverJohn and began to do up dump finds!

 

[DCBassman]

OK, here's the plan.
1) Find a 20-559 freehub wheel for the Trek.
2) Fit the Alivio rear mech and cassette currently fitted to the Scott.
3) Return the Scott to full Sora groupset and sell.
4) Sell the Claud MTB.
5) Do the alloy disc frame rebuild just because...

 

[rogerzilla]

Keep an MTB if it's a steel Kona. They're great.

 

[DCBassman]

Claud and Trek. I've owned the Trek from new, so I'll hang onto that.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

When choosing bikes (yes, I'm a bit fussy even if I only intend to spend £20!) my criteria is basically:- 1) Steel triangulated frame, any with cro-moly or 531 being a bonus. 2) NO suspension to wear out. 3) Nothing flimsy or fragile 4) Look for bikes that have good parts availability, not exotica fitted with rare obsolete stuff. 5) Choose wheel sizes that are robust and have good tyre choices at sensible money. 6) No bad engineering (press-fit BB, sealed units, threadless headsets etc).
I'm lucky in that within the limit of storage space, I can own as many bikes as I wish, so I don't have to make "this or that" choices. Bike choice essentially comes down to practicality, riding comfort, low thief appeal in the case of utility hacks, and low ongoing maintenance costs.

 

[DCBassman]

When choosing bikes (yes, I'm a bit fussy even if I only intend to spend £20!) my criteria is basically:- 1) Steel triangulated frame, any with cro-moly or 531 being a bonus. 2) NO suspension to wear out. 3) Nothing flimsy or fragile 4) Look for bikes that have good parts availability, not exotica fitted with rare obsolete stuff. 5) Choose wheel sizes that are robust and have good tyre choices at sensible money. 6) No bad engineering (press-fit BB, sealed units, threadless headsets etc).
I'm lucky in that within the limit of storage space, I can own as many bikes as I wish, so I don't have to make "this or that" choices. Bike choice essentially comes down to practicality, riding comfort, low thief appeal in the case of utility hacks, and low ongoing maintenance costs.

Trek it is, then! Of the two, they both fit all of John's criteria, but the Claud has a threadless headset. Both have square taper cartridge BBs, and I'll never ride enough to wear one out, so no problem there.

John would also say, 'keep both steelies', but I'll go with the Trek and the Norco Indie 3 rebuild project.

 

[I like Skol]

I wouldn't class threadless headsets as bad engineering. In my experience these are far easier to set, adjust and maintain than a threaded headset.

 

[DCBassman]

Well, I'll end up with one of each. So I'll have to learn how to maintain both types!

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I wouldn't class threadless headsets as bad engineering. In my experience these are far easier to set, adjust and maintain than a threaded headset.

My main objection is the fact that you have to faff around with spacers for bar height adjustment, and if you cut the steerer down and then subsequently decide you want the bars set higher than the stack of spacers will allow - you're totally stuffed. With a quill stem, adjusting the bar height can be done in infinitely small increments, only takes a couple of minutes at most, and you don't have to put up with an ugly looking stack of spacers sticking up out of your head tube. Why anyone ever thought that threadless headsets were any sort of improvement is completely lost on me. They have got to be one of the dumbest and most pointless developments ever in bike design.

 

[raleighnut]

My main objection is the fact that you have to faff around with spacers for bar height adjustment, and if you cut the steerer down and then subsequently decide you want the bars set higher than the stack of spacers will allow - you're totally stuffed. With a quill stem, adjusting the bar height can be done in infinitely small increments, only takes a couple of minutes at most, and you don't have to put up with an ugly looking stack of spacers sticking up out of your head tube. Why anyone ever thought that threadless headsets were any sort of improvement is completely lost on me. They have got to be one of the dumbest and most pointless developments ever in bike design.

Fugly too compared to the elegance of a quill stem.