i once owned the best bike in the world

[Shut Up Legs]

My best ever bike is probably the one I've been using for the last 5.5 years for commuting, a Vivente World Randonneur tourer. Apart from commuting, I've ridden sportives and various other recreational rides on it, riding up to 250km in single rides, and I've done about 75,000km on it. It's still in good condition, although the only original parts now are the frame, brifters and handlebars. These bikes are built to last .

 

[Torvi]

greatest bike i ever had? uh oh that's a bit silly story. When i was a kid i had a bike that i cycled alot (so my parents says, but i dont remember it) and the story is that they were afraid of me getting hit by car or whatever so they took it away and supplied me with something i remember as my actual first bike but to others it would be a monster... Well lets get into details from my fading memory i was about 6ish when i got it it was really small with green frame it had all what bikes had on them but one thing was different, my parents were so afraid they put a VERY FAT AND FLAT tyres on it, as i remember it they were about 15 cm WIDE and 40 cm HIGH if you can imagine tyres like this you already know you were unable to cycle on tyres like this, especially when 6yr old. Now to explain why i think it was greatest bike i had, it's one of very few memories i have from childhood and one thing about it that i remember to this time was running around the walkways near my home with bike next to me, yes i couldnt ride it so i was running with it. My parents still says i was bloody fast tough haha.

Oh nostalgia...

 

[stevy-c]

I'm lucky to still have my dream bike. Had it since about 1989.

 

[stevy-c]

I had a Raleigh Record with all the gold bits given to me in 1990 already had some ware on it but generally in good nick. I was 31 then
Rode a lot as a teenager in & around London put on weight after a scaffolding accident due to being laid up for 6 months.
Got back on the bike to get back in shape as I hate running. Loved the Raleigh put it through a lot of hard riding got the bug for it 30m a day normally. Took it to Spain in 93 rode to Portugal on it. Snapped the frame by the front forks after coming down a mountain in the Pecos to fast. Kept going with duck tape got it welded next day. Did the south of France in 95. Bought a butler cross bike rode to Bacelona 2002 with my 15 yr old son on the Record. But this trip finished the bike off by now there were not many original parts on it. Lent it to my cousin when I moved to France in 2005. Came back for a visit a year later to find it rusting in his rear garden. Shed a tear, moved on. Have a small collection of French made bikes now. But here's the good bit. My wife loves Brocantes so I get dragged along with the wallet. Last week I was half a sleep dragging my feet through a rather chaddy Brocante with my wife buying more stuff I would later take to the dump, sometimes good stuff not often, walked past a stall out of the corner of my I spotted a bike hidden in with a load of other metal objects. Took a second look said to my 3rd son I think that's a Raleigh. Sure enough it was almost in original condition with default gold parts on brake levers calliper's front sprocket etc. It was filthy been in someone's barn for many years tier's flat gear levers seized etc. Bought it for 30euro's. Got it home cleaned it freed the cables oiled it. Found it has hardly been used. Brings back good memories of some good riding trips so looking forward to more adventures on this one. Riding to the Milau bridge asap will post a photo soon. Sorry for going on but had to share.

 

[tyred]

I have a lot of bikes but the one that means most to me is my folding 1971 Raleigh Twenty. It's been in the family since new and had been handed down and was passed to my sister before coming to me. I originally hated it as it was not cool in the late 1980s but I rode it everywhere I went for the next 10 years or so, then it left languishing in the back of the garage for years until I decided to restore it. It doesn't do that many miles annually but it does get used, I often put it in the back of the car if I'm going away anywhere and it has even been to Scotland with me and covered a good few miles around the Ayrshire coast where I got stopped by an old man on a cycle path who heard the tick of the Sturmey hub coming up behind him who had worked in the Sturmey factory pretty much all of his life was pleased to see one of his hubs still working. Very interesting man with great cycling knowledge and I let him test ride my bike.

Pre-restored - although I had fitted a second hand Brooks I had bought of Ebay for the photo to see what it looked like.

Outside a cafe with an Old Robin Hood roadster they have as part of their display.

Whitepark Bay - Antrim coast road - lumpy and challenging ride on a small wheeler.

Ayr sea front - can't seem to find the pics I took at the Electric Brae at the moment.

People admire the colour sometimes - it's Ford Tractor Blue as I had some left over from a tractor I had been working on. The chrome mudguards are replacements bought of ebay for 99p before bike parts sky-rocketed.

 

[raleighnut]

The blue does look nice, and I bet you tell people its "tractor blue", I would

 

[up hill struggle]

View attachment 52432
Whitepark Bay - Antrim coast road - lumpy and challenging ride on a small wheeler.

a challenging road i would say on most bikes unless pretty fit, but its a fantastic road & if followed the whole way down the coast to larne is well worth it for the scenery.

without a doubt one of the best scenic roads in northern Ireland, the best in my opinion.

i love the look of older bikes, they got so much character. Local second hand shop has an old Raleigh racer similar to the i got off my uncle but its old, rusted quite badly needs tyres, brakes, chain, cables, cassette & probably front rings, could be cleaned up really well but for what needs spent on it to put it right there looking far too much money at £65, ive tried to get him to a decent price twice but he ain't interested in dropping.

 

[tyred]

a challenging road i would say on most bikes unless pretty fit, but its a fantastic road & if followed the whole way down the coast to larne is well worth it for the scenery.

without a doubt one of the best scenic roads in northern Ireland, the best in my opinion.

i love the look of older bikes, they got so much character. Local second hand shop has an old Raleigh racer similar to the i got off my uncle but its old, rusted quite badly needs tyres, brakes, chain, cables, cassette & probably front rings, could be cleaned up really well but for what needs spent on it to put it right there looking far too much money at £65, ive tried to get him to a decent price twice but he ain't interested in dropping.

I've only rode the part between Portrush and Ballycastle on this bike, no way would I tackle Torr Head although I suppose it would be a nice walk! Torr Head was difficult even on a lightweight with touring gears.