What's the best bike you've ever had

[mickle]

The best bike is not a destination, it's a journey.

But this one tho:

here pictured with the wrong tyres.

 

[raleighnut]

Whichever one I happen to be riding at the time but if forced to reduce to only one bike I'd have to pick my Ridgeback, a real 'Do It all' bike, by no means the poshest/ fastest/ strongest/coolest bike I've got but the best all-rounder by far.

 

[Vantage]

Whichever one I happen to be riding at the time but if forced to reduce to only one bike I'd have to pick my Ridgeback, a real 'Do It all' bike, by no means the poshest/ fastest/ strongest/coolest bike I've got but the best all-rounder by far.

View attachment 352598

Your favourite bike is a Ridgeback? But you're a Raleighnut! TRAITOR!!!

 

[Vantage]

Mines the Vantage. It's never done me wrong. Even on its first outing after being completely rebuilt everything worked flawlessly. Right down to the gear indexing and bike fit.

 

[PaulSB]

The best I've owned is my Cervelo C3 - fits me beautifully like an extension of my body, rides like the wind and great handling.

In the 90s I had two Marin hybrids with which I had a deep love affair.

 

[Biff600]

My Pinarello fixie

 

[raleighnut]

Your favourite bike is a Ridgeback? But you're a Raleighnut! TRAITOR!!!

No but the Raleigh's fulfil the other criteria nicely

1. Fastest- My Raleigh 531 Road Ace.
2. Strongest- My Raleigh Outlander rigid MTB converted to Expedition Tourer
3. Coolest- My Raleigh 'City' 3sp SA 'hipster' town bike.

then there is the Equipe and the (Raleigh owned) Carlton.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Still this by a country mile..

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Best bike and favourite bike are not always the same thing, imho.

Tru dat.

My best bike is the Equilibrium 853. My favourite bike is the Big Dummy.

 

[Mrs M]

My Felt roadie is a perfect fit, so comfy and lovely to ride dismissed it at first sight as didn't like the look of it.
Took it for a spin round the block as "felt" obliged and fell in love
Made quite a few changes and even better now. Great for distance and hills.
My Pashley is my pure fun to ride, smiley face bike
Love them both.

 

[Milzy]

GT Outpost

 

[biggs682]

All of them

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

My old Scott YZ1. It got me back into cycling and saved my life.

 

[screenman]

A hand made to measure Barron that the wife got me back in 1993 it was just sublime and I regret selling it every time I walk past the collection.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

I'm interpreting 'best bike' as 'bike remembered most fondly'. It would have to be my circa 1983 Dawes Imperial, bought as a frameset from a clubmate who worked for Dawes, probably VAT dodgy but I certainly didn't care as he was able to get it sprayed in any colour in the factory, I chose a metallic nail varnish pink that they normally used on their girl's shopper models. Built it up with mostly Japanese stuff, SR and SunTour. It was my introduction to clubruns, time trials, road races, I even rode a few crosses on it. After a few years a dropout broke, same clubmate repaired and resprayed it for me but before building it up again I sold it to buy the Every pictured in my avatar. Better in every way but I still have a soft spot for my old Dawes.