Should I sell my road bike to buy a mountain bike
 

Since its winter....

I have a gravel bike which I spend 80% of my bike riding time on, a brand new road bike (delivered in August) and an errand bike. The gravel bike I really ride on mountain bike trails and fire roads of Marin. The bike is fine but it does show its limits descending on technical stuff. I got the jones for a mountain bike which would open the trails up a bit more compared to my gravel bike. If I buy one I plan to go custom probably with 44 as his bikes are so rad.

I am wondering if I should sell my road bike to fund the mountain bike buy. The gravel could become my road bike although my road bike is far superior on the road. What are the downsides not having a dedicated road bike? What are your thoughts giving up a road bike for a mountain bike?

This:
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photo credit Derek Yara

to

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n + 1 is always the better way to do it, not n - 1 + 1

If you enjoy your riding your gravel bike on the road as much as you do the road bike on the road, then sell the road bike and get the 44.

without personally not having ridden your road bike, and knowing how well my road bike rides on the road, i would never sell my road bike to get a mountain bike.

trail mtb geo these days seem to be going for slacker HT angles. this makes for a much different riding experience on a mtb that mtb of just a few years ago with HT angles of around 70. so, if you'll just be riding fireroads on your 44 mtb bike, i wonder if you'll really enjoy it the way i imagine it was meant to be enjoyed -- single tracks with great descents where the slack HT angle will be nothing short of exhilarating. at low speeds, however, the very same HT angle will make for a relatively sluggish handling bike.

of course, 44 can design any bike you want and how you want it to handle. so, there's that. in any case, mulling over a new bike, at least for me, is the best part of getting a bike.

That's a beautiful Festka. If you love it I would keep it as the time will come when you want to do a ride or rides on a road bike doing what road bikes do best. Then get the 44 and all bases are covered.

Yes, I'll pick up that Festka next week.

THe Festka is the best road bike I have ever own. I had a C60 prior to this one and I think the Festka corners, descends and climbs better. On the flats I would give a slight edge to the C60. ANd the C60 is an awesome bike. So that is the dilemma. I have an awesome road bike that I dont use that much.

I will cut you a deal since I dont have to ship it.

Can you still (remain) retire(d) if you just bought the MTB or would you and your wife be eating cat food in your old age?

i.e. No.

Is this an either or proposition? You can get a pretty sick MTB these days right out of the box.

For example : http://2017.konaworld.com/big_honzo_dl.cfm

I realize you ( most of us?) are prone to fancy bikes from cool builders but....I bet you a dozen donuts if you rode this for a few hours you would come back with a huge sheet eating grin on your face. For $24 hondo complete.

Just a thought, I don't wanna kill your street cred.

If you do not use the festka enough, i.e., less enough to make you want to think about selling it, then sell it. it is a bike, if one has been made to your liking, many others can be made as well.

sell it. lets others enjoy it while you enjoy your 44. simple.

but i would not sell the festka and THEN get the 44. if your budget allows, get the 44. then see if you use the festka the same amount as currently or even less. if so, sell it.

i say keep the road bike if you can man. the roads up in your neck of the woods are so damned good that it's just worth it to have a proper rim brake road bike.

greater california is also at your disposal, and my goodness the road riding is amazing. it's no secret that i'm a west coast fan, and in my travel experience, it's worth it to have a good road bike, it just is.

i hear what you're saying though....

I think this is the right direction. Get a nice 27.5+ or 29 production hardtail, something that would be in the same family as what 44 would build you and ride it for a few months. See if it hits the right spots and then call Kris if you find you cannot imagine life without a great mountain bike. You will be a more informed consumer at that point and you will have a better idea of what you like and don't like about the first mountain bike. Maybe you like mellow flow trails the best and you don't actually need a 150 Pike w a 67 degree head angle. Or maybe you find that rocky rooty descents are your jam and you can't believe you waited so long to try this, and you'd actually be better off on a Santa Cruz Hightower than a hardtail.

Houston, how many of your rides these days are 100% road?

If you are finding yourself limited on the trail, it seems to me that selling the Festka, keeping the Mosaic, and getting a 44 would create a larger amount of redundancy than selling the Mosaic, keeping the Festka, and getting a 44.

You and I both know you can ride a road bike on most of the hard-pack in Marin to finish a fun mixed ride, albeit without setting any speed records on the dirt sections. Likewise, you and I both know that riding anything with tires less than 2" down some singletrack near you doesn't provide nearly as much ear-to-ear fun, but a machine with wide knobbies won't help you much on the road.

Now, if you considered using the Desalvo as a road bike, I'd probably suggest keeping the Mosaic, selling the Festka, and getting Kris to build you a new toy.

Keep or sell
 

I could go either way- Keep it if it does not impact your budget, or sell it if you don't use it much and are not attached to it.

I ride where you ride, and I am 100% happy with disc brakes for all of my riding.
I prefer larger tires than most race bikes fit, and disc brakes allow me to happily ride carbon wheels as daily drivers without worrying about braking or wear issues.

If you do sell the Festka- You should get a 2nd set of wheels for the Mosaic that wear road tires 24/7. Something fast like a set of Enve 3.4.
If you have a set of wheels like this and your buddies are dropping you- It is not the bike or the wheels that is holding you back.

I heartily approve of a 44 Marauder. I have been working my way through his Instagram page- I have yet to hit the bottom!

I'd be inclined to keep it and add the 44, or something similar, alongside it.