How long to find perfect bike?

[DanH]

How long did it take you to find the perfect bike for your needs?

I use a bicycle only for the commute to work.
I spent the following amount of time on the following bikes:

9 months on a heavy £40 ebay mountain bike.
(HEAVY AND SLUGGISH!)

6 months on a Claud Butler Hybrid.
(ONLY SLIGHTLY LESS HEAVY AND SLUGGISH!)

8 months on a Pinnacle Dolomite entry-level road bike.
(BARELY ANY FASTER AND CERTAINLY MUCH LESS COMFORTABLE!)

I've fallen out of love with the road bike, and will now pursue a light and speedy hybrid for the commute.

I suppose it takes time and money to find what suits you. Fingers crossed for the next one...

 

[Globalti]

Did you actually road test any of those bikes before buying them?

 

[DanH]

I did indeed (aside from the initial hack). Big difference between half-an-hour of testing and a few months though. Not necessarily bad bikes, but it's taken me a few different types to realize what I really need. I'm sure I can't be the only one to have spent time and money before getting it right.

 

[Rob3rt]

I did indeed (aside from the initial hack). Big difference between half-an-hour of testing and a few months though. Not necessarily bad bikes, but it's taken me a few different types to realize what I really need. I'm sure I can't be the only one to have spent time and money before getting it right.

How long is your commute? If it is <10 miles, then a 30 minute test ride is a pretty similar duration to the commute!

 

[DanH]

Less than 10 miles yeah.
It's not as if I've chopped and changed with three similar bikes. I'm talking mountain bike, hybrid and road bike.
Like I say, they were not bad bikes - they have educated me after a few months and I've realized what type of bike I need.
Testing a road bike was great, but riding it to work everyday has made me see that I don't enjoy it as much as I thought I might, and I'm not really getting there any faster either.

 

[Boris Bajic]

It took me forty years, although for the first few years the choice was made for me and made well.

Some absolute corkers along the way and some bad choices. Some I still miss and others I should never have bought.

I think I have it now, but only one of my current choices was on the market fifteen years ago...

1. Alloy/carbon Italian road bike with 53/39 on a 10-speed cassette. As fleet as I can ever dream of being.
2. Pace rc303 hardtail, rarely used but light and usable on the most unrideable of surfaces even by one of my age and bulk. A stylish Unimog.
3. 1991-ish C-B Criterium converted to fixed-gear and stripped of all nonsense but will all the brakes still on. Like liquid honey - but in a good way.

There are others, but most have been pinched or adopted by various of our children.

 

[Cyclist33]

I did indeed (aside from the initial hack). Big difference between half-an-hour of testing and a few months though. Not necessarily bad bikes, but it's taken me a few different types to realize what I really need. I'm sure I can't be the only one to have spent time and money before getting it right.

Of course not but there are some of us who learn to adapt ourselves, and also commit long enough to find and make small adjustments around our bikes to find that sweet spot. And who take an organic view so that as their bodies evolve, they continually tweak and approach perfection for their ride of that time.

There are just as many of us who don't and would rather sell a bike the moment they see another one they like the look of, justifying the purchase by convincing themselves (and no one else!) that the bike they lustingly bought a few months ago is wrong for them.

 

[numbnuts]

I spent about ten minutes talking to Robin Thorn on the phone, gave him my measurement and three weeks later a very large box arrived, and 28000 + miles later I'm still smiling

 

[vickster]

I've had 8 or 9 bikes I think over the last 5 years, still got 3 of them, sure there'll be more although they do what I want... at the moment

 

[derrick]

What is the perfect bike, i us a fixie for commuting, would not call it perfect but i do enjoy riding it and it is comfortable, the mtb gets me where ever i want to go, good for the rough stuff can ride it all day with no probs, i would say nearly perfect could be a bit lighter,
As for the road bike well i would have to say it's perfect,
Am 61 so it's taken 61 years to find the perfect bike.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Of course not but there are some of us who learn to adapt ourselves, and also commit long enough to find and make small adjustments around our bikes to find that sweet spot. And who take an organic view so that as their bodies evolve, they continually tweak and approach perfection for their ride of that time.

There are just as many of us who don't and would rather sell a bike the moment they see another one they like the look of, justifying the purchase by convincing themselves (and no one else!) that the bike they lustingly bought a few months ago is wrong for them.

Agreed. I'm in a happily monogamous relationship with my commuting bike for 4.5 years now. Errr... except that's replaced by the weekend monogamous relationship with the road bike I bought in November . But still, I don't expect to be buying any other bikes for some years now, because these 2 fit my needs perfectly (except the commuter bike was giving me dirty looks after the road bike moved into the house...).

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I am going to test (N=5)+1 next week.
Of course I might not like it, of course some of the others will have to go at some point

 

[VamP]

2. Pace rc303 hardtail, rarely used but light and usable on the most unrideable of surfaces even by one of my age and bulk. A stylish Unimog.

Aha, there is one other still surviving out there! I thought maybe mine was the last unbroken one

Awesome steed with a fatal design flaw

 

[Boris Bajic]

Aha, there is one other still surviving out there! I thought maybe mine was the last unbroken one

Awesome steed with a fatal design flaw

Not fatal yet on mine... But you do wonder how long it will be....

It may have survived through seeing so little use. That's my fault, but I got old by accident when I wasn't expecting to quite so quickly.

 

[VamP]

Not fatal yet on mine... But you do wonder how long it will be....

It may have survived through seeing so little use. That's my fault, but I got old by accident when I wasn't expecting to quite so quickly.

Mine makes complaining noises from the affected area, which I feign to ignore. Maybe it's the seat clamp, right?