What happened to n+1

[urmom]

You used to always have a good justification for another MTB:

You did not own that type of bike yet:

XC < Downcountry < Trail < All-Mountain < Enduro < FR < DH
Multiply by flavors : Hardtail and Full suspension

Now 90% of MTBs sold are "FR bike with a motor".
How does this impact your collection?

 

[MeatBike]

My eMTB replaced my regular MTB and covers all bases, so no need for a N+1.

I do still have a non-electric gravel bike though.

 

[Trek-Rail-eBike]

Our N+1 is :

- A Long Travel eMTB covering everything MTB related, (Trek Rails) except....
- A full DH bike for the big tracks with shuttle uplifts (Marin Quake & Specialized Status DH)
- A hard tail MTB for the local park rides, jump/pump tracks (Marin San Quentin & Merida Big Trail)

(My sons bikes & my bikes)

 

[Fangs2k]

It’s a bit more difficult to maintain the N+1 mantra when e-bikes cost what they do now.

Much more considered purchases.

 

[Rando_12345]

10 years ago:

• DH bike
• Trail bike
• Hardtail

Now:

• Ebike (enduro)
• Cargo bike
• dirt jumper

 

[Pizzman]

I have 8 bikes
Transition
Evil
3 specialized
Norco
2 EMTB.
Only ride the Levo 4 now. Evil gets a park day every so often.
My Levos 170/170 suspension is far superior to all my other bikes.
Nice to have loners when needed.
Prob time to sell a mtb to a kid, for a great deal. One of my favorite things to do. The smiles…………..
I remember them

 

[Who’s There]

Modern N+1 is two identical eMTBs so you always have a backup functioning one in case of breakdown

 

[Vision_Tim]

For me the N+1 bike is the project bike, the one I keep messing with. That's currently a Cannondale Moterra.

 

[RustyIron]

Only ride the Levo 4 now. Evil gets a park day every so often.
My Levos 170/170 suspension is far superior to all my other bikes.

In years past I had multiple bikes. But I'd only ride my favorite, except for once or twice a year when I'd take out the others just to keep them limber. When on the others, I'd be reminded of why my favorite was the favorite, and I'd wish I was on that on instead. It became obvious that time spent maintaining the non-favored bikes was a waste.

 

[Pizzman]

In years past I had multiple bikes. But I'd only ride my favorite, except for once or twice a year when I'd take out the others just to keep them limber. When on the others, I'd be reminded of why my favorite was the favorite, and I'd wish I was on that on instead. It became obvious that time spent maintaining the non-favored bikes was a waste.

I maintain a few for peeps to borrow. I have 1 with 2 flats so it obviously not been ridden in awhile.
I am going to sell a few when it gets nice here.

 

[urmom]

Modern N+1 is two identical eMTBs so you always have a backup functioning one in case of breakdown

That's what I do with my cargo bikes!

 

[JP-NZ]

I used to have 4 bikes FF EMTB, SL EMTB, XC HT and a DH rig.

Down to 3 bikes now (1xEMTB) and much happier with more space round home and less depreciating assets

 

[Astro66]

Yes. Cost of EMTBs has slowed down the transition of bikes. But I do feel you need a proper Long Travel 180/180 high pivot, light Enduro to really freight train the downhill courses. But it's not very sensible to run that bike when riding normal trails and shared paths. So an all mountain with a super light build as the alternative. I run gravel tyres on that bike when doing really long gravel adventures, for better efficiency.

I also run a solid frame, front hub drive e-commuter, with internal hub gears and a belt drive. Used for local shopping and transport. It's just a no nonsense, zero maintenance work horse. 12,000km and only maintenance has been tyres and pads.

I built this bike myself, so only about AUD$2k for the new build. It rides amazingly on the road and you don't have to leave a AUD$15K bike locked up infront of the shops.

So just 3 bikes these days.

 

[ozzybmx]

Still holding on to hope

Deviate Highlander
Transition Spur
Independent Fabrications gravel
Niner MCR singlespeed
Pivot vault CX
FMD fatbike
Trek Superfly 9.9 XC
3 x ebikes

My boys each have an enduro bike, Kona process, Rocky Mountain altitude and a XC bike each, plus we have about 4 x BMX. Usually around 15-20 bikes in our 'bike room'.

In the last year, I have ridden 2 ebikes and about 3 rides on my singlespeed. The rest are hanging with flat tyres and dried sealant. Sadly a decent eeb covers all bases now except for a BikePacking adventure tour.

 

[HandsomeDanNZ]

I used to have multiple bikes for various reasons.
Now I have one - 170/160 eMTB with electronic drivetrain and instead of having multiple bikes, I have used the funds to upgrade the eMTB I have.
I simply don't need more bikes anymore.
If I am going to go to a bike park for any length of time, I'll hire a DH rig.

 

[Lawson]

I have an ebike
A carbon Enduro full sus
A steel Enduro full sus
An aluminum hardtail
A steel hardtail
A retro xc full sus
A road bike

I have a problem

 

[mike172]

I have 4 MTB's (Slash+, Gen3 levo, Enduro 180mm and Demo race) and the maintenance and upkeep is a total pain. More so now I have a child, the levo didn't get used for 4-6 months over winter and I find it takes me about 2 weeks to get it functional again having to resolve stuck brake pistons, brake bleed, and shock cavitation.

If the values were not so poor for 2nd hand bikes I would sell 2, and settle with a single 180mm ebike to do 95% of my riding and a downhill bike as a park shitter.

 

[Szymbrush]

My eMTB replaced my whole collection of bikes cause my whole collection of bikes got stolen and insurance only paid out enough to buy one bike. Still, it's a Bullit, and I plan to actually pedal it to the bike park in the summer, so I guess it will do the job of my daily machine+car replacement+a bike park rig?

 

[MartinShires]

Thank God. I feel positively "lean" with only a Spesh SL Gen 2 and Transition Spire, my thanks to all in this community for fessing up to what are far worse afflictions than mine

 

[urmom]

I have an ebike
A carbon Enduro full sus
A steel Enduro full sus
An aluminum hardtail
A steel hardtail
A retro xc full sus
A road bike

I have a problem

You are not alone, my friend. I have:

• E MTB (so I am allowed to post here)
• E cargo bike
• E cargo bike (reduncancy)
• E hardtail (now converted to street legal)
• XC MTB
• DH bike

And I just sold three bikes!

 

[The undecided]

I’ve spent thousands over the last 20 odd years buying the latest and greatest n+1 mtbs-hard earned money which could have bought so many other things and rendered worthless after e-bikes came along.
Still got an Orange Four and a 26inch Trek Fuel ex which I use as “go-to” bikes that I don’t mind getting really WET and muddy and means I don’t have to trash my expensive e-bike as I simply can’t afford to replace it now.
No more n+1 for me.

 

[Sparkydave]

Currently have

Gen 1 Kenevo Expert with many upgrades - big rocky days/winter/spare ebike
Gen 3 Levo S-Works - most used bike
Stanton Switch9er FS Ti - blingy fair weather bike to try and keep the fitness in
Ragley Big Al HT - winter fitness/just fancy riding a hardtail
PP Shan 26 - fitted out with panniers and Stooge moto bars for bikepacking/shopping, but rarely comes out
1997 Kona Lava Dome - pub bike, converted to cafe cruiser style
Boardman ADV 9.0 gravel bike

 

[jonfalabella]

SC Vala
SC Hightower
Spec Creo2
Trek Farley 9.8

I tell myself that I still want to ride the Hightower on single-track days, but I always seem to grab the Vala. Having grown up on moto dirt bikes, I find the Vala scratches that itch more than I expected. In that realm, I have a KTM 500EXC that I will ride more this year (me thinks). I have a really nice carbon wheelset on the Hightower. I think I would swap wheelsets and sell the Hightower accept one is a mullet. I barely ever ride the fat bike, but when I do, I really appreciate having it in the toolbox. It is silly fun on ice and groomed single-track snow. I could see myself down to three bikes if I could get over not having an Amish bike.

 

[MickMTB]

Modern N+1 is two identical eMTBs so you always have a backup functioning one in case of breakdown

Same as that, Amflow as no.1 bike,my old Whyte E150 as a spare and for the middle of a grim winter, with Shreddas and mudguards on,hate being without a bike

 

[E-MTBinGreece]

You used to always have a good justification for another MTB:

You did not own that type of bike yet:

XC < Downcountry < Trail < All-Mountain < Enduro < FR < DH
Multiply by flavors : Hardtail and Full suspension

Now 90% of MTBs sold are "FR bike with a motor".
How does this impact your collection?

n + 1 didn’t disappear — it just got misunderstood.

It was never engineering, training doctrine, or equipment logic. It came out of Velominati as satire — a stylised take on road cycling culture, written in deliberately exaggerated terms.

Somewhere along the way, people stopped recognising the joke and started treating it like a procurement policy.

In E-MTB terms, it doesn’t hold up anyway. Most of us need one properly set-up bike that can handle steep gradients, rough ground, and battery management — not a growing collection justified by algebra.

So what happened to n + 1?

Nothing. It’s still there — just back where it belongs: humour, not guidance.

 

[matthab]

Very fortunate to have an n+1 but it's only because I don't sell my bikes when I want a new one (or the wife hasn't forced me to yet). My three are different disciplines and have all got a story to tell which is why I keep them.

2022 Orbea Rise H10
2020 Vitus Sommet CRS
2026 Orbea Wild M-Team

Not sure if the Rise will go but at the moment both the wild and rise get used weekly round my local trails. The wild goes out and does the rougher stuff. The Vitus comes out for family trips with the kids etc.

 

[DMC707]

My E-bike is off the back due to age and planned obsolescence by 2 years now --- (Gen 3 LEvo ) ---

But it has taken the place of almost everything --- and the quality of the suspension travel even at 150/160 is such that i would have no issues on the downhill trails i used to inhabit with my Yeti 303

I dont really care if Specialized tells me i need a Gen 4 --- im still having fun

The rest of my fleet (except the road bikes) are now museum pieces


I would like to N+! though to make a dedicated backcountry type bike with racks and panniers etc for hunting and camping --- and perhaps if i ever upgrade that will be the role of my Gen 3

 

[Scott_123]

I have an Amflow PL Carbon Pro and a Cayon Spectral OnFly. It is nice having two when you need to perform service work or repairs. I’m retired and ride every day. My Canyon has 1,800 miles on it and I bought it lat May. My Amflow has 1,200 miles and I bought it last December. Obviously if you don’t ride this many miles you have days you don’t ride, so you can do the maintenance or repairs and may not need a second EMTB.

 

[Just gan]

You used to always have a good justification for another MTB:

You did not own that type of bike yet:

XC < Downcountry < Trail < All-Mountain < Enduro < FR < DH
Multiply by flavors : Hardtail and Full suspension

Now 90% of MTBs sold are "FR bike with a motor".
How does this impact your collection?

I have an Amflow PL Carbon Pro and a Cayon Spectral OnFly. It is nice having two when you need to perform service work or repairs. I’m retired and ride every day. My Canyon has 1,800 miles on it and I bought it lat May. My Amflow has 1,200 miles and I bought it last December. Obviously if you don’t ride this many miles you have days you don’t ride, so you can do the maintenance or repairs and may not need a second EMTB.

Do you go through more drivetrain parts on the Amflow what with the extra power ???

 

[Scott_123]

Do you go through more drivetrain parts on the Amflow what with the extra power ???

At 1,200+ I have a new chain on the bench ready to go. Cassette and sprocket look ok at the moment . Just crossing fingers I can get a few more miles out of the chain. My Canyon SL bike has the same chain and after 1,700 miles it still looks new.