Should I get a second bike?

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I started cycling last year (aged 54). The year before last, I covered 30 miles. Since starting properly in May 2020, I managed in excess of 3,000 miles in the 12 months that followed.

I use my new bike (Scott Scale 980) for commuting and exercise, mostly on roads and gravel, but with a little bit of trail riding. I'm not into serious mountain biking.

I'm wondering if I should be looking to treat myself to a second bike, one which is more suited to my usual use. I love my new bike and it is so much better than the older one I have had for about 25 years, but just wondering if I should have a second option.

If so, what should I be looking at? I would baulk at spending in excess of £1k on a bike.
 

battered

Guru
Absolutely yes! I'd recommend something more road oriented, say a hybrid, or comfort based road bike. Don't dismiss second hand either, there are some real bargains that have been used twice and put in a shed for 2 years.
 
Since you have a hybrid, go for a road bike. Different riding experience. Don't take a gravel bike with drop bars as your hybrid can handle trails. You can interchange between the bikes for variety.

Calling @vickster.
 
I'm wondering if I should be looking to treat myself to a second bike
Yes. And when you've got it you will ask...
I'm wondering if I should be looking to treat myself to a third bike,
To which the answer will also be yes.

But, of course, you know all this from yesterday's almost identical thread.

And then one day you find ten years have got behind you,
No one told you when to run,
You missed the starting gun.
 

battered

Guru
You should of course get any bike that you will use and can afford to buy and store. I have 4 bikes in regular use, and a couple of projects. The 4 are:
- Old MTB used as a tourer/commuter/pub bike, year round, fitted with guards and rack.
- Hybrid converted to single speed and used around town, visiting pals, and casual rides out in the summer. Very light, very simple.
- A MTB used for off road MTBing, from XC to trail centres.
- A road bike.
All 4 are in regular use. Yes, I could reduce them, but I like them all.
 

DCLane

Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
You're asking on a cycling forum whether you should have an additional bike :wacko: . Can I suggest your decision's already been made :whistle:

Currently I've got:
  1. Raleigh SP Race 'best' road bike. This will become my commuter bike shortly when my son's team Ridley arrives and I get his current Cervelo S3 as a replacement 'best' bike
  2. Holdsworth Roi de Velo track bike. Used for indoor/outdoor velodrome activities.
  3. Principia TT Light time trial bike. Time trial use.
  4. Ridgeback Platinum audax bike for any event 400km+.
  5. Avanti Circa cyclocross bike and winter commuter.
  6. Raleigh Pioneer Trail hybrid/town/do-it-all.
  7. NeilPryde Nazare aero race bike - currently sat on a smart turbo for Zwift as we're not sure what else to do with it. It's also the only one that fits both myself and my son without any seatpost height changes.
  8. Fuji Track Pro - currently being used for grasstrack racing and I use it as a fixie on rollers. I'm not using my Holdsworth as I've a tendency to fall off the rollers occasionally, much to the delight of my neighbours who sit on their balcony and laugh at me :blush: .
  9. Dawes Kingpin x 2 in bits. One mine, one my son's. Both being restored.
  10. Wilier Montegrappa commuter - now that is likely to be sold. My Raleigh SP Race will replace it for commuter duties post-Covid.
I could multi-use bikes and the Wilier's done a lot of miles in commuting and winter club rides, plus some audaxes. But over 200km something softer would be helpful as it's fairly hardcore, as is the Raleigh SP Race.
 
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mustang1

Guru
Location
London, UK
You will get a new bike regardless of what we say.

Anyway, +1 for you getting a new bike. ^_^

But in all seriousness, if you have the money and space for your new bike, absolutely you should get it. Sure you might get buyer's remorse but think of this: I got a second bike because if I felt like riding or had to commute and there was something wrong with the first bike, then I needed a second bike ready to go, even if the first bike had a simple puncture to repair, a commute is time sensitive.

EDIT: fixed typo
 
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Location
London
yes definitely get a second. Whatever the type, always good to have a second. There will be days when one has a small fault (may even be just that the brake blocks need changing) but you won't feel like immediately sorting it - maybe in a hurry, maybe weather bad - just ride the other. Not a good idea to ride a bike that's not quite running right - will only make things worse.
I've got going on for ten in three separate places.
Plus one to looking for a quality second-hand bike that has maybe just been sitting there hardly used.
 

figbat

Slippery scientist
I currently have 5 operational bikes, each with a job to do:

1621154517755.png
Of course you don’t have to get an additional bike, the one you have does everything you want it to, but you may want to get one simply to broaden your enjoyment or experience; so long as you have space to keep it. It’s the thin end of a big wedge though!
 
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Teamfixed

Tim Lewis
Why? Where will you put it? You can only ride one at a time? Also if you do you'll only think that you need a third. It will just take over.
So yes. 🤣
I love threads like these because I can write:
An Alu Ribble road
Alf Webb 531c road with a triple (goes up most things)
A Gillott 531framed fixed wheel with carbon forks and campy track hubs.
A Viking frame plain gauge 531 fixed wheel with mud guards.
A 1988 Raliegh Randonneur 😉
Partner has a Ribble Alu road (mine really haha)
Plus a Dawes Galaxy
Somewhere lurks a couple of mtb's... a Scott and a carerra.
 
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OP
OP
S

Scotty55

Guest
Since you have a hybrid, go for a road bike. Different riding experience. Don't take a gravel bike with drop bars as your hybrid can handle trails. You can interchange between the bikes for variety.

Calling @vickster.

Even looking at road bikes, the choice is a bit bewildering. I'm less interested in speed, more the endurance, but is there a great deal of difference between the two types?

The lack of stock makes things difficult as well - I am very impulsive and, having (almost) made up my mind that I'm doing it, I'll be looking to make the purchase in short order. I know myself that that will probably mean that I don't wait to get the perfect bike for me, but I will be able to convince myself that the one I can actually buy IS the perfect bike for me.

What things should I be looking for in a road bike? I guess I'll pay anything up to £1,500. 18 months ago, I'd have thought that a ridiculous amount, but having broken 3,000 miles in 12 months, I don't feel it's such a stretch.

And with SWMBO returning to her job in Liverpool from our home in Glasgow for at least part of each month going forwards, getting and stashing the bike will be easy enough ^_^^_^^_^
 

vickster

Legendary Member
Go to your LBS and see what they have to offer in your budget and size :okay:
There are a couple of Glasgow LBS recommendations in this thread as an example
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/recommended-lbs-glasgow-area.273871/
Given you’re not looking to race, a gravel bike might offer you more flexibility, but then you’ve got a mountain bike for rougher stuff.
if it’s going to be very much a fair weather, road only bike, then a roadbike with narrower tyres and rim brakes will do the trick. Used you shouldn’t need to spend anything like £1500
 
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