What's the best bike you've ever had

[Richard A Thackeray]

MTB;
Pace Research RC100
Bought 1990 (or very early '91), the early model, with Magura hydraulic rim brakes, Bullseye cranks, etc...



Roadie;
Dyna-Tech 755Ti
Bought mid 1994,Ultegra STI, Campag Chorus chainset
Ritchey stem/seat-pin, 'Flite' saddle, Scott Drop-Ins (for quite a few years!)
Beautiful handling, so neutral,

 

[graham bowers]

I love them all but if I had to choose only one to keep then it would have to be the Cheviot SE.

 

[iwantanewbike]

Has to be my most recent one - Genesis Croix de Fer. Previous bikes have needed so much adjusting but this one seems so well built that all I've needed are a couple of chains, gear cable and a brake pad change. As long as the tyre PSI is just right then the ride is as comfortable as you can get.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

In terms of sheer fun, the best bike I owned was this Raleigh mag burner around 1980 onwards, ramps, bunny hops, endos. All that shizzle.

 

[Silver Fox]

I'm looking at it in my bedroom now. The Chris King / XTR equipped Ibis Mojo HD3. A carbon fibre and metal creation of pure loveliness. On the smile-o-meter, my recently acquired Trek Farley 9.6 FatBike comes a close second.

 

[StuAff]

The four I've got. If I had to have one, the Litespeed, by a very short nose from the Viner.

 

[John the Monkey]

In terms of sheer fun, the best bike I owned was this Raleigh mag burner around 1980 onwards, ramps, bunny hops, endos. All that shizzle.
View attachment 352637

Cool as.

I had a Striker, which I loved, until it cost me two teeth in an overestimation of my ability to control it at speed. My last childhood bike was one of these;

I loved that too, although it was, no doubt, an incredibly impractical choice!

 

[Electric_Andy]

In terms of fun had, then it had to have been my Emmelle Dakota which was my first MTB. I had it for my 14th birthday and must have racked up 100s of miles with my best mate of the time. It was heavy, had no quick release anything and poor brakes (though that was because I didn't maintain them at all). But it lasted well and apart from punctures nothing needed doing.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Current 1985 Trek 600, 531 c/s anniversary tubing, Shimano 600 gruppo, very light and fast. It is also just plain fun to ride.

 

[derrick]

I had most fun on my old Claud Butler, But i was ow so much younger then,

But am really enjoying my new bike now.

 

[Nigeyy]

Someone brought up a really good point that your best bike isn't necessarily your favourite. I'd say my best bike is actually 2 bikes: a custom built up Dawes Sardar (steel frame with Marmite Green paint) and a Giant Trance. Both just excel at what they need to do. I'd even throw in a custom build Cannondale road bike as something that is just superb at what it is supposed to do. So in those terms, they are the best bikes I've had (and currently still own).

But for a favourite bike, I've got a bit of a list. The Sardar is definitely in there, as is an old Mongoose Rockadile SX from the mid 1990's I've upgraded and still ride. And there is no way I can forget my love/hate relationship with my now deceased Raleigh Technium. Love as it was the first bike that really introduced me to mountain biking, and was then subsequently repurposed later in its life as a converted tourer across Europe. Hate as it was Alu/steel bonded which came apart (hmmm there's a reason why this idea never took off). The Technium probably is the bike I did the most miles on all said and done.

Looking back at the two paragraphs the only common bike mentioned is the Dawes Sardar, so the Sardar it is.