If you could have only one bike, what would it be? On a budget?Without price limit?

On Tuesday, October 28, 2014 10:42:19 PM UTC, Lou Holtman wrote:
That would be a interesting question: what bike you choose when you are
allowed only one bike for all you riding. With a limited budget and with an
unlimited budget.

On Tuesday, October 28, 2014 11:52:20 PM UTC, Andre Jute wrote:
On Tuesday, October 28, 2014 10:42:19 PM UTC, Lou Holtman wrote:
That would be a interesting question: what bike you choose when you are
allowed only one bike for all you riding. With a limited budget and with an
unlimited budget.


Good question, Lou.

I've already made my choice, with quite a bit of help from Chalo, who told me to look again at a bike I already twice before dismissed as too pricey, and to suck it up for a year or so until I forgot the price and just remembered the quality. Chalo turned out to be right. I actually bought my Utopia Kranich at a very good price (at least compared to the dull Waterford the usual clowns wanted me to buy), and today I can't even remember what it cost (maybe 25% premium over the Christmas sale price of a common or garden Rolloff-equipped German steel tourer), and my other bikes are all in the loft, three floors up, because I never ride them, preferring the comfort and security and -- surprisingly -- the pure unstoppable speed of the Kranich.

Every year before Christmas I wonder whether I should treat myself to another bike. In recent years there were only three bikes on my shortlist of bikes I might like as well as my Kranich: a Utopia Phoenix (a semi-recliner they stopped maing last year), a Thorn Raven (Sheldon had one and I know a lot of people with Thorns), and another Utopia Kranich in a different colour. When your shortlist, to exist at all, includes a bike that is no longer made, and another colour of a bike you already have, and a bike that does precisely what your favourite bike does but no more, it would be wicked to spend the money.

So I don't even have a bike to aspire to. I would accept as a gift one of those beautiful wooden bikes that James dreams of too, but I have to wonder how often I would be able to ride it, because I wouldn't want to take such a beautiful object out in the wet.

So I have what is for me is a budget bike and it is everything I ever wanted from a bike. Thank you for the offer of an unlimited budget but I cannot think of a bike I would actually ride that would be an improvement in any respect on my Kranich.

Andre Jute

On Tuesday, October 28, 2014 7:52:20 PM UTC-4, Andre Jute wrote:
On Tuesday, October 28, 2014 10:42:19 PM UTC, Lou Holtman wrote:
That would be a interesting question: what bike you choose when you are
allowed only one bike for all you riding. With a limited budget and with an
unlimited budget.

The '78 Raleigh carbon steel sports-tourer...which is a bit too short for me at 6'4" redone to 21C specs...saddle rims...hubs brakes cables... is a delight. Rode it last week. Wonderful. I feel bad abt leaving it behind but the cyclocrosser is for trekking nature research not dangerous riding on western roads.

The traditional Japanese/English wheelmen R is akin to an LHT so we have a large group in agreement.

$50 + $600 rebuild after 10 years use age commuting.

On Wednesday, October 29, 2014 12:52:20 AM UTC+1, Andre Jute wrote:
On Tuesday, October 28, 2014 10:42:19 PM UTC, Lou Holtman wrote:
That would be a interesting question: what bike you choose when you are
allowed only one bike for all you riding. With a limited budget and with an
unlimited budget.

It would be a crossbike for me. On a budget I would choose the cheaper version of my current crossbike:
http://www.rose.nl/bike/rose-pro-dx-...640/aid:772643 Lower than Shimano 105 I would not go.

Unlimited budget it would be:

http://moots.com/our-bike/cross/psychlo-x/overview/

with a lot op options.

Lou

Lou Holtman wrote:
On Wednesday, October 29, 2014 12:52:20 AM UTC+1, Andre Jute wrote:
On Tuesday, October 28, 2014 10:42:19 PM UTC, Lou Holtman wrote:
That would be a interesting question: what bike you choose when you are
allowed only one bike for all you riding. With a limited budget and with an
unlimited budget.

It would be a crossbike for me. On a budget I would choose the cheaper
version of my current crossbike:
http://www.rose.nl/bike/rose-pro-dx-...640/aid:772643 Lower
than Shimano 105 I would not go.

Unlimited budget it would be:

http://moots.com/our-bike/cross/psychlo-x/overview/

with a lot op options.

Lou

For me I would want a road bike. I like the geometry of the Specialized
Tarmac. The budget version would be the Elite and that's what I have.
http://m.specialized.com/ca/en/bikes...c/tarmac-elite
Though mine is a 10 speed 53/39. I bought a 2010 in 2011 for $1800 Dollars
Canadian.
Not that cheap but that means I have to ride more to get my money's worth.


If I could splurge I'd probably go for the pro.
http://m.specialized.com/us/en/bikes...armac-pro-race




--
duane

Come to think of it, any bike that you ride a lot is the right price. You can't put a price on good health.

what bike you choose when you are
allowed only one bike for all you riding. With a limited budget and with an
unlimited budget.

It wasn't a choice for me - more like unconscious evolution.

I started with a POS rigid, 2 FS's, and a rigid SS.

Then, several years ago, I built up a Salsa Fargo
(http://tinyurl.com/oz4vqmt), started riding it, and now I realize it's
the only thing I'm riding. Every so often, I think I should get out
the FS or the SS and ride it some... but I never do.

For me, the ideal bike has turned out to be the Fargo. Part of it is
a change in riding habits. If I go back to real off-road riding, the
FS is still there.

But here-and-now:

- 38 or 40mm tires most of the time, 28's if I think I'll
have to keep up with somebody (they're good for
about 1.5 mph add'l cruising speed, but I can feel the
punishment on a two-hour ride)

- Semi-ATB tire on the front: cuts down on the face plants
when I, for instance, jump a curb up on to a sloped surface
covered with wet grass.

- Mirror: Once you get used to having one you won't feel right
without one.

- Luggage rack/trunk bag: Who am I trying to kid? I even hang
a side bag on it occasionally - like when I want to carry full
rain gear or go shopping.

- Bigass pump: I've got an itty-bitty pump in the saddle wedge, but
the big pump's convenience is worth the weight to me.

- Old-school toe clips: Nerve damage in the legs.... helps keep
the feet on the pedals.

- MTB bars with hooked ends: give me a half-dozen hand positions
and at least 6" variation in effective cockpit length.

- Mech disk brakes: Heavier, but much better modulation and
immunity to wet weather and taco'd wheels.

- Rohloff hub: Heavier than a der system, noisier, less efficient,
ungodly expensive...and I bought a second one after riding one on my
FS for about five years. No more taco'd ders on the MTB.
I can roll 4-5 gear shifts up and down all day.... nice when climbing
and I want to give my butt a break... also nice when I forget and/or
chicken out and come to a stop in a high gear.

On the FS, I even has a guy that was at least 25 years younger
tell me what an animal I was on the hills. Didn't bother to explain
to him that I had any gear I wanted any time I wanted it and, with his
der system, he didn't.

- Strangely bizarre seatpost: When I shift up and pedal hard - making my
butt float an inch or three above the saddle and then back off so
my butt settles back on the saddle, it's in the right place. Without
it, I always wound up perched on the rear rail of the saddle.
Weird body geometry is my only guess... I have a problem with surf
skis too. Guy with exactly the same hip-ground length fits in
a ski a-ok while I'm banging my knees with every paddle stroke.

- Minimal fender: front fender turned out to be something of a hazard,
only need half of the rear fender.


With the Rohloff hub, that's probably the "High End" bike for me.

For low-end, I'd just lose the Rohloff hub and the grand or so it
probably costs today.

Yeah, it's slower than a real road bike... but that's an advantage to me
when I go riding with my neighbor. He's got this
four-or-five-thousand-dollar full-carbon road bike with 23mm tires...
but he doesn't ride as much as I do, so our speeds are well matched...
in fact, much of the time he keeps me honest.
--
Pete Cresswell

Andre Jute wrote:
Come to think of it, any bike that you ride a lot is the right price. You
can't put a price on good health.

+1
--
duane

On Wednesday, October 29, 2014 1:59:38 PM UTC-4, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
what bike you choose when you are
allowed only one bike for all you riding. With a limited budget and with an
unlimited budget.

It wasn't a choice for me - more like unconscious evolution.

I started with a POS rigid, 2 FS's, and a rigid SS.

Then, several years ago, I built up a Salsa Fargo
(http://tinyurl.com/oz4vqmt), started riding it, and now I realize it's
the only thing I'm riding. Every so often, I think I should get out
the FS or the SS and ride it some... but I never do.

For me, the ideal bike has turned out to be the Fargo. Part of it is
a change in riding habits. If I go back to real off-road riding, the
FS is still there.

But here-and-now:

- 38 or 40mm tires most of the time, 28's if I think I'll
have to keep up with somebody (they're good for
about 1.5 mph add'l cruising speed, but I can feel the
punishment on a two-hour ride)

- Semi-ATB tire on the front: cuts down on the face plants
when I, for instance, jump a curb up on to a sloped surface
covered with wet grass.

- Mirror: Once you get used to having one you won't feel right
without one.

- Luggage rack/trunk bag: Who am I trying to kid? I even hang
a side bag on it occasionally - like when I want to carry full
rain gear or go shopping.

- Bigass pump: I've got an itty-bitty pump in the saddle wedge, but
the big pump's convenience is worth the weight to me.

- Old-school toe clips: Nerve damage in the legs.... helps keep
the feet on the pedals.

- MTB bars with hooked ends: give me a half-dozen hand positions
and at least 6" variation in effective cockpit length.

- Mech disk brakes: Heavier, but much better modulation and
immunity to wet weather and taco'd wheels.

- Rohloff hub: Heavier than a der system, noisier, less efficient,
ungodly expensive...and I bought a second one after riding one on my
FS for about five years. No more taco'd ders on the MTB.
I can roll 4-5 gear shifts up and down all day.... nice when climbing
and I want to give my butt a break... also nice when I forget and/or
chicken out and come to a stop in a high gear.

On the FS, I even has a guy that was at least 25 years younger
tell me what an animal I was on the hills. Didn't bother to explain
to him that I had any gear I wanted any time I wanted it and, with his
der system, he didn't.

- Strangely bizarre seatpost: When I shift up and pedal hard - making my
butt float an inch or three above the saddle and then back off so
my butt settles back on the saddle, it's in the right place. Without
it, I always wound up perched on the rear rail of the saddle.
Weird body geometry is my only guess... I have a problem with surf
skis too. Guy with exactly the same hip-ground length fits in
a ski a-ok while I'm banging my knees with every paddle stroke.

- Minimal fender: front fender turned out to be something of a hazard,
only need half of the rear fender.


With the Rohloff hub, that's probably the "High End" bike for me.

For low-end, I'd just lose the Rohloff hub and the grand or so it
probably costs today.

Yeah, it's slower than a real road bike... but that's an advantage to me
when I go riding with my neighbor. He's got this
four-or-five-thousand-dollar full-carbon road bike with 23mm tires...
but he doesn't ride as much as I do, so our speeds are well matched...
in fact, much of the time he keeps me honest.
--
Pete Cresswell

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

another builder was unexpected...

pleasing work photos. Good results here too with a wider front tire

where does the 'weird saddle grip come from ? I'm to long for both bikes here.

Andre Jute wrote:
On Tuesday, October 28, 2014 10:42:19 PM UTC, Lou Holtman wrote:
That would be a interesting question: what bike you choose when you are
allowed only one bike for all you riding. With a limited budget and with an
unlimited budget.


Full suspension mountain bike. It's all I really need.

With an unlimited budget I'd probably buy a nice downhiller machine. I
don't do scary downhill rides but the trails I use are sometimes brutal.
If I was on a tight budget I'd buy the Mongoose XR-Pro mountain bike for
around $375 plus tax from Walmart.

Since I have a good MTB I rarely use my road bike anymore because the
MTB affords me so much more freedom about where to ride. My road bike is
30+ years old and lacks mountain gearing so it's tough riding here in
the hills. But most likely I'll never buy a new road bike for the rest
of my life.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/