if you could have only one bike...

G rock

helped by a couple of threads that have come up here recently (how many bikes do you have, do you have mudguards on your bike), i'm starting to realise more and more that it's very difficult to have one do-it-all bike.

i'm still waiting on my steel bike (with mudguard clearance) to be completed, and i suppose i've started questioning my rationale in choosing it (not going to be raced, just an all-round nice bike to ride for short and long days and the odd commute). i was also out for a long (>200k) spin last weekend, and was accompanied by a good few lads on all-out racers (e.g s-works, cervelos) with carbonnes, zipps and the like. so that called into question my "comfort over long distance" argument.

so if you could just have one kind of bike, what would it be?

a proper race geometry carbon, an al bike, more relaxed geometry, a tourer???

i know this is very subjective but just wondering what factors you all would compromise if you had only one kind of bike!

p.s. don't get me wrong about the bike i've chosen, still really looking forward to getting my hands on it!

Tonyandthewhale

One of those 99e apollo yokes from halfords, more than enough bike for anyone.

ROK ON

Planet X

Biopace

29er

Icyseanfitz

even though its given me no end of problems (still on going ) it would have to be my Bionicon Edison mtb, when it works its an amazing piece of kit

07Lapierre

One word: "Pinarello"

G rock

so a BSO, road, 29er, mtb, road.

anyone for a recumbent??

jameverywhere

Just bought a surly long haul trucker--gonna go pick it up in the morning!

Super comfortable, long-distance touring bike. Tough, geared for hills and extra weight, able to take thin or thick tires depending on need. I couldn't race on it, but I don't have the knees or stamina for racing so. For me a bike is a tool--it is a vehicle to haul things and to get places. This is the best all-round tool for that, in my opinion. I'm so excited to get my bike tomorrow ~~

tomasrojo

Tourer.

daragh_

You can't have one perfect bike. There will always be another waiting in the wings, saying 'buy me, buy me'.

If you are buying I'll have a Bianchi Oltre Nero. Cheers.

Raam

Only allowed one bike?

Kevin dublin

Kona Honky Inc

happytramp

Got to be fancy hand-built steel with a nice leather saddle. They can literally do everything and still turn heads.

Mycroft H

happytramp wrote: »

Got to be fancy hand-built steel with a nice leather saddle. They can literally do everything and still turn heads.

Something along those lines. Something that has pannier mounts for dashing off for a week long trip and still light and fast enough to turn heads. Plus its steel, so looked after it would outlast me.

feck sake lads

Emm let me think. WELL it would be custom for a start most definitly made from TI no paint work except for the decals and my name on top tube
the wheels would be carbine rims rohloff hub 700c i know the tires i want but cant remember the name just now but ther 60quid a corner.
it would have all the braze on's for racks front and rear
would be capable of road racing and loaded touring:cool:
oh yes you will be mine........

Mint Sauce

The Kona full susser that I seen for less that half price about 13 years ago. Only problem back then I wary of the courrier/removals company moving my current bike from london a week later. How'd you think I would have felt about a brand new one.

25sean

probably something like this

http://www.merciancycles.co.uk/frames/25/audax-special

audax, could just about race, tour lightly, put a kid on the back, sensible, and stylish at the same time.. maybe I'll get one....

25sean

with this tubing...

http://www.merciancycles.co.uk/latest-news/82/reynolds-953-availability-update

dave_o_brien

Can I have:

Multiple sets of wheels?
More than one chainset?
Different angled stems?
Multiple brake mounts?
Multiple brakes?

Jawgap

I've already told the wife that if we win the lottery, I'm off to Saratoga Springs, USA for a custom, made to measure Coeur d'Acier from Serotta, in green and gold....



Finished with SRAM Red!

G rock

dave_o_brien wrote: »

Can I have:

Multiple sets of wheels?
More than one chainset?
Different angled stems?
Multiple brake mounts?
Multiple brakes?

Like trigger's broom?

G rock

dave_o_brien wrote: »

Can I have:

Multiple sets of wheels?
More than one chainset?
Different angled stems?
Multiple brake mounts?
Multiple brakes?

Like trigger's broom?

dave_o_brien

G rock wrote: »

Like trigger's broom?

Yeah, exactly, but with optional handles and heads. Put it this way, I want the one broom to do many things, so I have longer handles and a fluffy head when I want to use it to dust things, and stiffer bristles and a lighter head when I'm in a rush. I don't just use my broom for one job, so can I modify it dramatically from one task to the next while it remains the same broom, or am I making new brooms for every occasion?

gicko

One of these please!!!

Scott Foil Premium with electronic gearing.. yum yum:D


http://www.eqip.co/bikes/1231-scott-foil-premium.html

Mycroft H

I could work with one of those.

Or one of these



I wouldn't have much change out of 5000 euros for both though

Jawgap

I think ultimate bling bling would be the Venge......



Although someone on here already has one

If I got one, I'd commute on it

snailsong

I have a Gazelle Champion Mondiale, handbuilt with Reynolds 531 tubing sometime early 90's. It has a Shimano 600 groupset, good for its day.
I started riding it on club spins when I realised it was faster than my Giant Defy aluminium. Then I started commuting to work on it as its more comfortable than my old hybrid. I rode it in a duathlon and a TT recently as it deserves to be raced. That could be the one.

G rock

snailsong wrote: »

I have a Gazelle Champion Mondiale, handbuilt with Reynolds 531 tubing sometime early 90's. It has a Shimano 600 groupset, good for its day.
I started riding it on club spins when I realised it was faster than my Giant Defy aluminium. Then I started commuting to work on it as its more comfortable than my old hybrid. I rode it in a duathlon and a TT recently as it deserves to be raced. That could be the one.

sounds like my kind of bike

VanhireBoys

The only bike I need is my 1988 Reynolds 501 Peugeot Grand Prix !
Its full Shimano 600 tri colour 7 speed group, MA40 Mavics on Campag Record hubs, Cinelli Criterium bars with a Concor saddle. Oh yes and Look Delta PP247 pedals

It gets the work commute, the run to Dunnes, the sunday spin and the Tuesday night blood and thunder race....!

It gets nothing but abuse and has been totally reliable and really takes the rough roads with ease

I have 2 others in the spare room for admiring, cleaning and talking about

smacl

My current object of desire is a SPA ti audax. Not hugely bling, but just ticks a lot of boxes in terms of what I'm looking for in a bike. Just need to sneak over to darkest harrogate to try one out.

doh777

BX 19 wrote: »

I could work with one of those.

Or one of these



I wouldn't have much change out of 5000 euros for both though

what's the 2nd one?

Mycroft H

doh777 wrote: »

what's the 2nd one?

Mercian King Of Mercia

They're still made

Dave Yates is another long established frambuilder worth looking at

feck sake lads

smacl wrote: »

My current object of desire is a SPA ti audax. Not hugely bling, but just ticks a lot of boxes in terms of what I'm looking for in a bike. Just need to sneak over to darkest harrogate to try one out.

my friend bikepacker bought there TI touring bike and he has only good things to say about it;)

G rock

BX 19 wrote: »

doh777 wrote: »

what's the 2nd one?

Mercian King Of Mercia

They're still made

Dave Yates is another long established frambuilder worth looking at

Vincitore special I think-it has the fancy lug work!

blorg

@G rock- I think you are under the mistaken impression that a modern road bike is not comfortable over long distances. They can be extremely comfortable. I have had several road bikes, loaded touring bikes, light touring bikes, track bikes, cross bikes, hybrid bikes, and a mountain bike and I would *always* choose one of the road bikes, either titanium or carbon, for an unloaded day ride of whatever length (my longest have been a little over 300km.) I've done multi days on the road bikes up to 1,000km, both unloaded and with a saddlebag. Simply the most comfortable, lightest and fastest if you don't need to carry (a lot of) luggage.

The last two years I have only had one bike, my Van Nicholas Amazon, as I am (slowly) riding around the world. When you don't have the others you don't miss them. The Amazon is a great light titanium tourer, I suspect lighter and faster than any loaded tourer you could get in steel. But it is still a compromise. I used go on the occasional winter club spin on it and it was noticeably harder work than on my winter racer whenever the pace picked up. The idea you could have a bike that would double as loaded tourer and racer is ludicrous, you would end up with a compromise that was not good at either.

G rock

I think that over the last few months I've come to realise that this idea of race bikes being uncomfortable is a bit of a myth, but what I was getting at I suppose was the compromises you'd make when choosing only a road bike as your main bike (perhaps no mudguards/braze ons etc).

I think I was just wondering what people would compromise on (be it speed, weight, practicality) if they were to have only one bike.

now, to convince the OH that one bike only just won't cut it....

smacl

G rock wrote: »

I think I was just wondering what people would compromise on (be it speed, weight, practicality) if they were to have only one bike.

For me, I look at the type of cycling I do now and am likely to do in the near future. That tends to be mostly solo runs or maybe with one or two others, often quite long, often on crappy back roads with lots of hilly bits. I'm looking for comfort, a wide gear range to handle steep climbs late in the day, and robust . While I'm happy enough to compromise to an extent on speed and weight, as I'm not racing and don't have to keep up with a group, average speed must be reasonable. In many ways my tank of a hybrid ticks a lot of the boxes, but having picked up a road bike recently, I can really see the advantages of a less upright position and a lighter bike.

Mycroft H

blorg wrote: »

@G rock- I think you are under the mistaken impression that a modern road bike is not comfortable over long distances. They can be extremely comfortable. I have had several road bikes, loaded touring bikes, light touring bikes, track bikes, cross bikes, hybrid bikes, and a mountain bike and I would *always* choose one of the road bikes, either titanium or carbon, for an unloaded day ride of whatever length (my longest have been a little over 300km.) I've done multi days on the road bikes up to 1,000km, both unloaded and with a saddlebag. Simply the most comfortable, lightest and fastest if you don't need to carry (a lot of) luggage.

The last two years I have only had one bike, my Van Nicholas Amazon, as I am (slowly) riding around the world. When you don't have the others you don't miss them. The Amazon is a great light titanium tourer, I suspect lighter and faster than any loaded tourer you could get in steel. But it is still a compromise. I used go on the occasional winter club spin on it and it was noticeably harder work than on my winter racer whenever the pace picked up. The idea you could have a bike that would double as loaded tourer and racer is ludicrous, you would end up with a compromise that was not good at either.

I have to agree there. However I don't race! I like the jack of all trades steel bike. Tough enough for a week long tour round france and quick enough for a spin round friends round wicklow and practical enough for day to day commuting (plus I think they look awesome).

Steel bikes have gone west for the ultra light and quick racers, but they still have a place for the practical day to day quick enough bike

AstraMonti

One bike only?

doozerie

I'd settle for just one bike if Fabian Cancellara would donate me his legs, heart, and lungs, to ride it. It would probably be something non-carbon (I don't trust people who'd lock their bike beside, or on top of!, my bike in public bike racks), capable of taking full mudguards and a pannier rack, capable of towing a trailer, light enough to not feel like an anchor on climbs and club spins (if I was ever allowed on club spins again, that is), etc.

In the absence of such generosity by Cancellara, my own legs, heart, and lungs, say no, no, hell no, to just one bike.

dave_o_brien

Ok, so my ideal bike would be a titanium custom made bike with the same geometry as my Ridley, with mounts for a rack, mudguards and disk tabs (for cross only). I would have current Dura Ace mechanical as a starter with a cross chainset for cross and touring and a standard double for racing. I would have a Specialized Toupe saddle, and decent finishing kit, maybe Easton al90 or 3T rotunda/pro. I would have Open Pro rims built on Dura Ace hubs for everyday use, and a set of Lightweights in a 52mm for racing. I would have GP4000s for everyday use, maybe something like Racing Ralphs for cross, Marathon Plus's for touring and Conti Competition for the Lightweights. It would have 3 bottle cage mounts. I would wrap the bars with Lizard Skins grip tape. The disk brakes would be Avid BB7 mechanical disks, and would be mounted only when touring or doing cross. When doing cross I would fit a different fork (probably Ritchey WCS carbon) to my usual Easton EC90 fork. The bike would also come with a free mechanic who is exactly the same size as me, who owned a Lapierre Zesty 914 and had no problem with me using it whenever I liked.