If you could only keep ONE bike, Which one would it be and Why?

[Mrs M]

I love the look of your pedals and bar ends with the dark overall color of your bike. Sweet companion by you side also. I mostly ride my mountain bike off the trails, so I eventually swapped my 1.95 inch knobby tires out for 1.5 inch semi-street tires. It felt like my bike was one or two gears easier to pedal than before! Plus, I can still ride on trails, so I get the best of both worlds with it. The trails around me where I live are used a lot by hikers, walkers, families with their kids and dogs in the nice weather, so it is a tough place to ride a bike. At these times I would rather just ride in residential neighborhoods and on less-travelled-roads then keep making people on the trails feel like they have to get out of my way. In cold weather the trails are all mine! Easier riding in the cold than the extreme heat anyway. Here's my ol' faithful...

View attachment 596512

Thank you 😊

 

[pjd57]

For practical reasons I'd choose my CX.
Bog standard Voodoo Limba from Halfords. Had it for 4 years, done umpteen thousand miles on it.
My old hybrid still gets out to the shops and my lovely Dolan road bike only comes out if the weather is good.

 

[battered]

My 1995 Raleigh M Trax, Ti/steel frame. It's the one made by Dyna and assembled in Raleigh Special Products. It's an old school 90s MTB on slicks that has just been worn to fit me like a glove after 20k+ miles. I rode it 90 miles in a day last month, so it gets plenty right. That said, if I really DID have to go to one bike I'd chop it in for a hybrid that had identical frame geo and disc brakes. The only thing that makes my old bike feel 25 years old is rim brakes. Yes, they work, but discs are better. I also have 2 drop bar bikes, I'd trade them both for a hybrid running say 30-35 x 700, flat bars, bar ends and Shimano thumbies.

 

[battered]

TRUE! (and yes... always one missing, wish they'd quit running away)

I have a solution, keep the odd socks and wear them when nobody is looking. I've just done a lockdown year and a bit on almost worn out socks, when one gets holes in it goes in the bin and its brother lives on. Every so often I have a cull because I have dozens of threadbare old things that are neither use nor ornament.

 

[Archie_tect]

IF for WHATEVER reason you could only keep ONE of your bikes, which would it be and why?

One bike.... you made oi larf!

 

[midlife]

My Kevin Sayles TT from the early 70's, totally impractical but just can't let it go. BB is my Avatar

 

[kayakerles]

I have a solution, keep the odd socks and wear them when nobody is looking. I've just done a lockdown year and a bit on almost worn out socks, when one gets holes in it goes in the bin and its brother lives on. Every so often I have a cull because I have dozens of threadbare old things that are neither use nor ornament.

Exactly! Lockdown year here in the States thinned down my socks supply exactly the same way.

 

[Hedgemonkey]

Always the one you've just sold and then realise the awful mistake a week or so later. Except I did a 300 mile round trip to buy my Mk1 Cotic Soul back, so it probably should be that one.

 

[ianrauk]

My 1995 Raleigh M Trax, Ti/steel frame.

I have the same of which I mentioned in my post above. It cost me £100 a few years ago from a fellow CycleChatter.
I absolutely love the bike. Great fun. One of the best £100 I've ever spent.

 

[Hover Fly]

This one

The Competition (83 date code for 84 model year). Frame fitted with the parts I already had in the shed. Waiting for moon bunny to build the back wheel, then fit the chain, cables and new tyres. View attachment 592794

Slightly modified from the photo to have triple chainwheels and dual pivot brakes. It really is a pleasure to ride, floats along. I’ve had more expensive bikes, but not better bikes.

 

[kayakerles]

This one

Slightly modified from the photo to have triple chainwheels and dual pivot brakes. It really is a pleasure to ride, floats along. I’ve had more expensive bikes, but not better bikes.

Isn’t it great when you can have that realization? May it bring you many more marvelous adventures & miles once completed to your satisfaction.

. .

 

[Reynard]

Hmm, I have three rideable bikes and two bikes-in-bits. The latter two aren't under consideration because neither actually fits me. The ones that do are:

Wiggins Rouen 650c road bike
Wiggins Chartres 26 hybrid
Raleigh Max MTB built up to my own spec.

I love all three, and they all make me smile, but if I could only keep one, it would have to be the Chartres - bought for £100 off a fellow CycleChat member. It's comfy, capable, has disc brakes, touring gearing etc. A second wheelset would let me change between the current commuter slicks and a wider semi-slick tyre of the type I've got on the MTB without too much faffage.

 

[keithmac]

Either of my GTECHs, 1st one has done 8000 miles 5 or 6 winters with virtually no maintenance at all.

My V2 was too cheap not to buy, sold on the Carbon Belt Drive, kitted it out with it's mudguards.

Hands down best "tools" I've ever bought.

 

[Saluki]

I have 3 bikes.
Mercian Audax 2004
DB (Dronfield) 1982
Genesis Croix de Fer 2019.

If I had to choose, The Genesis as it goes anywhere that I want to. I love the others but that’s my go to bike.

 

[mickle]

I've had 55 mountain bikes, several each of folding bikes, cargo bikes, recumbents, road bikes, tourers, cross bikes, cruisers, tandems, tricycles etc etc. My bike ownership is characterised by selling bikes from my stable to finance the next acquisition. So very few bikes stay with me for very long. Except this one.

Possibly also the slowest bike I've ever owned.