Jack in action at the Cyclo-Cross National Championships
Pic: Larry Hickmott/British Cycling

As with so many slightly foolish ideas, it started over a beer. If you had to choose one bike for life, which one? Could one bike really satisfy all your needs? No problem if your style of riding is of one genre, despite how fragmented they are becoming. Remember that before six-plus inches of travel, downhillers won championships on rigid bikes.

But what if you’re a competitive soul like me and enjoy all forms of cycling, can it be possible? And if it is, which bike? My usual reply to that question is that out of my stable it would have to be the titanium On One, but is that just hot air? Considering my “habit” leading to a current choice of a Kona AA, Intense 5.5, Turner Nitrous, Orange Patriot, a Derosa Merak for the road and a singlespeeded hardtail isn’t one bike going to be a hell of a compromise?

Well, cards on the table – a challenge is born. Hang on, shout fellow drinkers, the whole bike has to remain unchanged – that’s the rules. OK – those are the rules, let’s play…

The Bike

To be able to cut it with the road boys means fast rolling wheels and tyres. Disc hubs, 700C rims and Schwalbe Fast Fred CX tyres mean that it’s kind of a 29er (more of a 28er really), but mountain bike race rules allow that. It’s got to be flat bars for better control. Forks are Pace rigid carbon RC31s, and Avid mechanical disc brakes for simplicity. As for gearing I opted for a single 43 tooth front ring and 9 speeds with an XTR cassette, all well worn.

XC

Game on, it’s the height of winter, the toughest test. All local off road is no problem and night riding with the Numplumz boys is fun too. Chasing fellow racers in heavy woodland is hard work but the skills improvement is fantastic. Some tricky downhills and rock drop-offs are tackled with aplomb, much to the surprise of my fellow riders. 25mm tyres aren’t so bad after all, and no pinch punctures yet.

Mountainbike racing is a breeze after that, well around Thetford it was anyway. The berms catch the slides in the singletrack but flying on the fire tracks leads to a respectable finish. Tick.

Road

Road chain gangs next with a road club – the Rocko Forest Wheelers. Going out with the road boys is always an experience. Every ride ends up a race, egos kick in and hills are attacked without mercy. No mountainbike on big treaded tyres could cope here. The On-One actually excelled, rolling fast enough to keep pace with the quicker lads and the Fast Freds gripping the early-morning icy roads superbly for total confidence on the tight stuff. With no punctures in hundreds of gritty back-road miles, this is an ideal winter hack bike. The gearing just about copes with a little help from some fast spinning built up from singlespeeding. I’d even consider doing a road race on this – it’d be a killer but it’s within the rules so that’s another tick.

TQ

Next up a winter Trailquest competition in the snow is like a match in heaven – fast on the roads, flying off road with plenty of grip. Say hello to the current Midlands winter series Trailquest leader, so that’s a big tick there.

Touring

Double header time now. I’m off to see a friend in Yorkshire. The frame has all the mounting eyelets ready to go, so bolt on a rack and I’m off. A 250 mile round trip with presents and a weekend’s clothes is no problem, so that’s touring added to the list. A day out on the Yorkshire moors round Sutton Bank shows up the first compromise. The skinny tyres and rigid fork are no fun whatsoever on boulder-strewn descents, but again it’s a real skills reality check. I start to read the trails a lot more, realising just how often I blunder down trails letting a full suspension bike make up for my mistakes. No walking or flats though, so another tick.

CX

Next up is cyclo-cross. It’s two years since I raced ‘cross, but let’s got straight in at the top – the National Championships at Sutton Park, Birmingham. Fortunately I’m racing as a Veteran, so the flat bars and discs are allowed. The tyres are a bit too much of a compromise here – fast but severely lacking in cornering grip in the gloop. I don’t hit the deck though and climb all the root-strewn lumps for a mid race finish – another tick.

Enduro

The final test is a big enduro, so the next day it’s off to one of the sternest tests of machine – the SPAM Winter Challenge on Salisbury Plain. This is where comfort would be nice – hours in the saddle, off road on a fully rigid, skinny-tyred bike really beats the body. Aching wrists and an upper body that feels like it’s been run over are a payback for superb mud-cutting ability. The climbs here are tough but we made them all. Not dragging five kilos of mud around like others helps too… Top 30 finish in less than three hours, definite tick.

Final thoughts

So if bankruptcy calls and “there can be only one” then yes, I feel I could do it. After a month of abuse, with no mechanicals and amazingly not one puncture, the bike certainly passed the test. Allow yourself some changeable parts, like spare wheels, some suspension forks and tyres to suit the terrain and it would be no problem.

My past months experience has highlighted many things – don’t let your type of bike stop you doing anything, I love my On One, Schwalbe make fantastic tyres. But mainly that fun wins over speed. Which bike now? I’ll take the Intense please. Who wants to be jack of all trades? Give me one with a big smile any day.