Ron Koch
If you've been riding or buying bikes for any length of time, you've probably heard of the N+1 theory. For those of you who haven't, it goes like this: The number of bikes you should own is N+1, where N is the number of bikes you currently own. In other words, you should always have one more bike than you own. This is a long-running joke that everyone uses to justify why they buy one more bike. Well, it's time to put the N+1 theory out of business, because all you really need is one bike.
The harsh truth
The evolutionary curve of mountain bike development is flattening. Instead of huge advances in geometry, suspension design, or even components, bikes are just making incremental progress because everything is mature and already so good. The days of needing highly specialized bikes that are so good they're only good for one discipline are all but over.
Nowadays, we overuse words like “versatile,” “quiver killer,” and “high performance” (yes, we do it ourselves). Of course, there are still bikes that only have one function, such as downhill or dirt jump style bikes, but in between there are bikes that are incredibly adaptable and just great fun to ride. The range of capabilities of modern mountain bikes is now incredibly wide.
When I'm not testing bikes for the magazine, I spend most of my time riding trail bikes with 120mm to 140mm of rear wheel travel because these bikes are great in every way – they can climb at speeds that will tickle the XC fan's fancy, and they can take on some seriously steep and technical descents with plenty of speed and control.
Modern geometry, combined with a long-travel dropper post and grippy tires, allow me to ride trails that I would have walked on 10 years ago on what were then called enduro or freeride bikes. Throw in some super light race wheels and tires and I'm confident I could race these bikes. It's not the bike that's holding me back.
If gravity-powered riding is your thing, modern enduro bikes have you covered. These bikes now pedal so efficiently that they're not beyond the reach of big backcountry adventure rides, and they're also plenty capable of amateur-level downhill racing. If climbing and pedaling is your thing, it's hard to beat a modern cross-country bike. Recent advances in suspension and geometry are simply phenomenal. The efficiency is incredible, and descents are no longer dangerous and insurmountable, but actually fun.
So what about e-bikes? Yeah, I know some riders who have both mountain bikes and e-bikes, but guess what they usually ride? Yes, the e-bike. Sooner or later, the mountain bike will be sold and the money will go towards upgrading to an e-MTB. I've seen it happen too many times.
One by one
No matter how many bikes you have, you only ride one of them at a time. Unless you're very disciplined, this process inevitably happens: You keep riding your favorite bike until it breaks down and it's no longer fun to ride. Human nature is such that you reach for your next favorite bike until the process repeats itself. And so it goes, until you get to the last bike. And then the day comes when all your bikes need new tire sealant, and all your bikes suffer from squeaky, spongy, erratic brakes.
Instead of riding, I spend most of my weekends servicing my N+1 bike. With one bike, I'm much more likely to keep up with basic maintenance.
An added benefit is that you're so connected to one bike. You know exactly what it does and how it responds on the trail. There's no breaking in required; every ride feels like a well-worn pair of shoes.
Not like me
I know what you're thinking: how many bikes do I own right now? Yep, nine, not including the two I plan to buy. I need these bikes in case one of my multiple personalities wants to race a cross-country race one day and ride laps at the bike park the next.
What if it snows? You need a fat bike for that. What about your group of friends who only ride e-bikes? Catching up with them on a regular mountain bike just isn't going to be much fun.
And then there are the sub-categories of bikes with unique personalities and styles that will put a smile on your face every time you ride them. Sure, you only need one bike and no more N+1, but you still want them all.
