one bicycle

[Rosy]

One bike yes i could manage, but it would not cover my desire to do different types of riding. I have an e-bike for leisure rides and greater distance and doing daft things in the woods, an endurance/gravel bike for the lanes/bridal paths which also makes a great road bike, and then i have two fixies ,one a road fixie the other a track fixie for the road both are superb to ride. I built these during lockdown to my own spec.

[ANTONISH]

My memories of club cycling in the fifties/early sixties is that most of my clubmates had one or two "good bikes" usually a road bike and a track bike.
Then most had a winter bike- a "hack iron"probably a bike that had seen better days.
Like a lot of others I toured on my road bike.
I've often ridden off road (what we called "rough stuff") on sprints and tubulars.
These days there are many varieties of bike produced but most bikes can be pressed into service for a variety of uses.

[tenbikes]

Carbon fat bike with a dozen wheel sets covers all my needs, tyres from 2.5 gravel to 5.5 studded , 2 minutes to change

I'm off road biased though.

[Bmblbzzz]

Everything? No. Everything I want it to do? Probably yes.

[cycle tramp]

Has anyone on here found the one bicycle that does everything?

I still believe that this should be the ultimate goal of any bicycle design, a delicate balance of purpose and comprise.
This was my first attempt...

Faster and more comfy than a road bike ridden off road, faster than a mountain bike when ridden on the road, just enough gears to keep up with my slower paced riding group (at the time) and just enough luggage space to do a weekly shop...

...there is something great about riding a bike that can take you off road should you feel like it, and part way along the trip do some impromptu shopping..

..it doesn't work at the more extreme riding experiences.. it couldn't handle deep mud, would be a complete non starter in any timed event and lacks the gearing for longer tours, but that's not the type of riding I do, now.

[pjclinch]

Has anyone on here found the one bicycle that does everything?

Yes, an Edinburgh Bicycle Country drop-bar steel tourer. This was my first "proper" bike I bought myself, and was the only bike I had for nearly a decade. Because I either couldn't afford another or had no place to put another over much of that time I did everything on it, shopping, commuting, touring, mountain biking, even a wee triathlon!

These days I have a small fleet in the garage, because I can, and with several more specialist choices available I donated the EBC. If I had to downsize to only one it would be the Shand Tam off-road tourer, because it can carry loads pretty well (though not as well as the cargo bike), cover distances in reasonable comfort (though not as well on the road as the recumbent tourer), has a wide gear range (thanks to a Rohloff) and it can deal with most of the terrain I want to ride (if not quite so well as the MTB at the rough end, and not so well around town as the Moulton or the Brom).

(The Tam is conceptually quite similar to cycle tramp's bike shown above, though the gearing of 16"-90" means it'll do extended touring, including off road, too.)

Pete.

[Morzedec]

The answer is, of course, that it depends! If I want to get from Cornwall to my French house reasonably quickly, then I use my 45-year old Raleigh Clubman, which just about manages panniers small tent and my dinner jacket with a level of stability. However - if I am 'loaded to the gills' with things for the house - hardware, paint, etc., it being considerably less expensive in the UK than in France - and because my trusty Holdsworth was smashed to bits a couple of years ago - I use my equally old Pavone and a trailer - the same as I do on a longer tour, when I take a larger tent, sleeping mat, extra spares, and just in case - a kitchen sink. (When the nearest cycle shop is up to 100 km away, you do need to be able to 'fettle' most anything). I do have other oddities that I ride from time to time, just for fun, but all are now so old that, with depreciation, they have no value so why not keep them? - but when the price of vintage steel overtakes that of redundant electric go carts, I'll sell them on and be quid's in! As I said right at the start, it all depends!

[brumster]

Carbon fat bike with a dozen wheel sets covers all my needs, tyres from 2.5 gravel to 5.5 studded , 2 minutes to change

I'm off road biased though.

In which case, you may need to change your forum username !

[mig]

One bike yes i could manage, but it would not cover my desire to do different types of riding. I have an e-bike for leisure rides and greater distance and doing daft things in the woods, an endurance/gravel bike for the lanes/bridal paths which also makes a great road bike, and then i have two fixies ,one a road fixie the other a track fixie for the road both are superb to ride. I built these during lockdown to my own spec.

i had to re-read this post a few times as my little brain knew there was something odd but couldn't work out what it was. it kept having images of ladies in white dresses getting in the way of you on your gravel bike.

the two fixed gear bikes....what are they please? and why do you like them?

as for mattsccm....17 rideable bikes?! steady on sir

as to having one bike i think that it'would be more an attitude for me than any terms of equipment or position or brake type etc. no doubt from my childhood when it was broken cable? fix it yourself.......buckled the wheel? find out how to fix it etc. my bikes were always hand me downs from elder siblings too. in fact my sister's three speed SA bike was ragged all over town as i quickly found the bigger wheels and gears over my singlespeed meant that i could go faster. what you had - or could lay your hands on - was what you rode.

right now i have six in my stable (not literal) and may find difficulties if i were to select one only. most likely i'd choose a road fixed bike though as my ride distances shorten and tendency toward simplicity greatens.

[mattsccm]

Just remembered 3 in my mothers garage as I'm out of space. Most are oldish, some in a continual state of change.

[Rosy]

One bike yes i could manage, but it would not cover my desire to do different types of riding. I have an e-bike for leisure rides and greater distance and doing daft things in the woods, an endurance/gravel bike for the lanes/bridal paths which also makes a great road bike, and then i have two fixies ,one a road fixie the other a track fixie for the road both are superb to ride. I built these during lockdown to my own spec.

i had to re-read this post a few times as my little brain knew there was something odd but couldn't work out what it was. it kept having images of ladies in white dresses getting in the way of you on your gravel bike.

the two fixed gear bikes....what are they please? and why do you like them?

as for mattsccm....17 rideable bikes?! steady on sir

as to having one bike i think that it'would be more an attitude for me than any terms of equipment or position or brake type etc. no doubt from my childhood when it was broken cable? fix it yourself.......buckled the wheel? find out how to fix it etc. my bikes were always hand me downs from elder siblings too. in fact my sister's three speed SA bike was ragged all over town as i quickly found the bigger wheels and gears over my singlespeed meant that i could go faster. what you had - or could lay your hands on - was what you rode.

right now i have six in my stable (not literal) and may find difficulties if i were to select one only. most likely i'd choose a road fixed bike though as my ride distances shorten and tendency toward simplicity greatens.

I certainly messed up on the Bridal paths, your right would not look good riding through a wedding party. Bridle of coarse. My fixies i bought a Tsunami frame from Singapore, Carbon wheels from China, all the other components were from UK dealers, trying to use as light a component as i could afford, it finished at just over 7kg. (and it’s Purple).
The other is Spanish from Fabrikbike a bargain at about £400, iv’e since upgraded most parts. This is a go anywhere fixie, i rode it in Switzerland last year with no problems coped with fairly flat terrain where we stay.( this one is Orange) The other being a track frame is very twitchy on the road, steeper steering angle. I first had a fixie when I was about 13 back in the 50s a Condor i found rusting away, tidied it up and loved it. Not knowing then it had a Major Taylor bar stem and it would have been an early track bike. I like the simplicity of them and the constant motion of peddling, both of mine are fitted with wide flat bars, great for acceleration and hill climbing.

[Boyonabike]

I managed pretty well for thirty years with one bike, though modded beyond recognition and as parts have worn out I've upgraded them. Even the frame isn't original after a chainstay rusted through so I doubt anything on it now was on it when it first came out the showroom.

It must be the only drop bar touring bike on the world with a comfy Brooks Flyer saddle, "suicide lever" brakes, plus hub gears and coaster brake and slime filled Marathon Plusses. Great for commuting as I can weave through traffic with the narrow bars, stop on a sixpence of necessary and be fairly sure the gears won't fail and tyres won't pop. But it's sooooo heavy! 20kg plus. So I fitted an ebike kit which is great, except when it throws a fault and puts the bike out of action, plus it's now even heavier and limitse to a daily range of 50 miles!

The answer of course was to buy another bike, though the 1 of n+1 is an off the shelf touring bike with minimal aftermarket mods and half the weight. Totally different drive to it, but it's like the difference between driving a sports car and a sensible family hatchback. I choose either depending on the mood, and both are equally competent at the main use I need them for.... commuting a 30 mile round ride along a tarmaced towpath.

[simonhill]

Has anyone on here found the one bicycle that does everything?

No!

....but one that is adequate for my needs, yes.

I've never had any desire to race, time trial, club run, etc, etc.

My Surly LHT 26" flat bar covers all my needs and it's predecessor a GT 'toured up' likewise. Probably a bit over the top for my more conservative riding nowadays. Although as it's regularly thrown about by baggage handlers, maybe not.

As a pure luxury I bought a new Brompton. Hardly ever use it, but when I do it's so useful as it saves humping the Surly onto bike rack, train, etc (all of which CAN be done).

One thing that most of the bikes previously mentioned as 'do anything' can't do is fold. So the answer the the OP must be no.

[PT1029]

A bike that does everything, I guess it depends on what "everything" is. If everything includes long distance camping and time trialling, then the answer is no.
For me "everything" is commuting, shopping, club day rides and camping holidays. So yes 1 bike would do all of those, however...
I bike I would be happy to go camping on I would not want to leave in the city centre, and vica verca, so I guess I am back to "no".

[ANTONISH]

A bike that does everything, I guess it depends on what "everything" is. If everything includes long distance camping and time trialling, then the answer is no.
For me "everything" is commuting, shopping, club day rides and camping holidays. So yes 1 bike would do all of those, however...
I bike I would be happy to go camping on I would not want to leave in the city centre, and vica verca, so I guess I am back to "no".

In 1958 I rode on a camping trip from Kent to the west country with friend.
When I returned I rode a 30 mile time trial with the same bike.