What makes a great bike?

[ChrisEyles]

Anyone else daydreaming about riding their wonderful bicycles while in the office? I'm currently guilty... and wondering what folks out here on the forum love the most about their bikes for a bit of chat.

For me, you can't beat an old steel frame ten speed.

They may not be able to hold their own against more modern bikes speed wise (for a given rider!), but...

There's that classic geometry with the horizontal top tube
The steel frame lets through just the right amount of road buzz
The sleek and skinny handle bars on old bikes give a lovely lively handling (even when the inadequate bar tape is vibrating away the bones in your hands on a speedy descent)
The down-tube friction shifters are an absolute joy to use, you can't beat that feeling of shifting up into the big ring to smoothly power away on the straights
The hilariously high gearing (by modern standards) makes hill climbs perversely satisfying (though you do have to watch your knees!)

All feels very pure and elemental next to an all carbon racer replete with 20 speed indexed shifting, ergo brifters, aero wheels, and so on... somehow the imperfections and slight inefficiencies (again, by modern standards) don't detract at all from the bike, they're the icing on the cake.

What about the rest of you, what is it you love most about your steeds?

Of course there's also an easy answer to the question... a great bike is the one you're riding, right now

 

[Cycleops]

I'm with you, you can't beat the old 'uns, and I can pick them up so cheap down here especially as nobody wants a drop barred bike. I think I will stick with them for now, as buying a new bike from the UK will incur a £380 delivery charge!

 

[screenman]

I do not like living in the past, and I would go as I have with carbon.

 

[Dave 123]

A massive wheel at the front, a small one at the back and a saddle higher than your bonce!
If you saw one tomorrow it would put a big smile on your face.

 

[surfdude]

the rider

 

[Cuchilo]

I've just picked up an old steel pug and although its a nice bike it's not a patch on my modern carbon bike . I've yet to take it for a long ride so that may change but I very much doubt it .

 

[Paul.G.]

Decent cyclocross bike does it for me every time. Just upgraded from my 4 year old Gunnar to a nice shiney metallic orange Kenosis Crosslite. Fixings for rack and mudguards and perfect for poor road surfaces or blasting down the canal towpath. My poor neglected Colnago Master hardly ever gets used anymore.

 

[bobcat]

I'm with the steal crew, can't beat downtube shifting!

 

[screenman]

I'm with the steal crew, can't beat downtube shifting!

Oh yes you can.

 

[Moodyman]

Comfort. Normal bikes are skinny tyred -28mm or less. Other day I was riding my hardtail with semi slicks 1.95 inch. It was a joy to glide over bumps and potholes, whereas I'd feel every shock up my backside normally.

 

[buggi]

for me its the colour. It doesn't matter what its made of, I want to look at it and feel like i can't wait to get on it and show it off.

 

[Accy cyclist]

The colour and then the price tag make a great bike!

 

[Shut Up Legs]

A great bike is one that feels so natural to ride that you can happily average 10,000 miles per year on it .

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

It's simple.. A great bike makes you smile when you ride it.

 

[ianrauk]

A great bike feels like a new bike every time you ride it.