Commuting - Favorite Bike manufacturer

Haven't actually seen this type of thread before, so I thought I'd ask the question: What is your favorite bike manufacturer and why? Mine is Trek. I do not really have an informed opinion, but have heard from a number of LBS's that Trek has the best manufacturing process available on the market today. You may disagree with me of course, but I'd like to know your opinions. :)

Well...if we're talking just mass producing companies....ummmm...I dunno. I have yet to buy a new bike.

If we're including indie outfits I'd have to say Vanilla Cycles...damn pretty bikes.

I have to say TREK... Mind you this was before Lance ever rode one... I think he was riding a Caloi back in the mid 90's

Since this is the Commuting forum, do you mean best manufacturer of bikes that are good for commuting, or do you mean best bike manufacturer in general?

Since this is the Commuting forum, do you mean best manufacturer of bikes that are good for commuting, or do you mean best bike manufacturer in general?

I'll leave it up to your interpretation.

put up some links as well!

i am a big fan of the little guy! if i had to replace my surly and had enough money to do whatever i wanted i'd call these guys.

http://www.circleacycles.com/

for my new 29" wheeled mtb it is THIS guy (should be here in a couple weeks)

http://www.waltworks.org/

i'd also maybe like to try and support a local philly bike artist one day:

http://www.bilenky.com/

thereare a lot of people making COOL bikes out there, how you gonna ask me to choose just one? ;)

seven cycles, I like a custom fit and attention to detail

The German firm, Utopia. They produce the very high quality utility/commuting/trekking bikes. If Mercedes-Benz (as it was up to about 1995) made bikes, these would be what they would have made.
http://www.utopia-fahrrad.de/

Paul

Rivendell! They're the only ones doing what they do and they do it very, very well.

For commuter bikes, the Dutch company Koga-Miyata probably make the best bikes. They are based on high quality frames and come with all the commuter bits as standard.
http://www.koga.com/
They even make a carbon fibre commuter bike.

Rivendell! They're the only ones doing what they do and they do it very, very well.

Holy Moly, i was just checking out their site. 2 years to get a bike from them?!

LOL! Well, that's if you order one of their custom frames. There are people that have been waiting a LONG time for their custom Rivendells. The production frames are a lot faster. Sometimes they'll even have your size in stock. If they don't, they get shipments of the production frames about four times a year so the wait could be up to three months.

The Caloi Lance rode was a re-badged Eddy Merckx. Caloi paid to have their stickers on there, like Huffy did for Andy Hampsten and 7-Eleven.

Lance also rode a Litespeed Blade with Trek stickers on it in 1999 for the time trials.

The pros ride what they are paid to ride, and sometimes they don't really ride it. What they ride should never influence your opinion of the bike.

Rivendell! They're the only ones doing what they do and they do it very, very well.
one of these days i need to stop by and see them - their street location is a couple of blocks away from where i get off the train to ride home. but since i have limited $$ i just haven't seen the point...

Haven't actually seen this type of thread before, so I thought I'd ask the question: What is your favorite bike manufacturer and why? Mine is Trek. I do not really have an informed opinion, but have heard from a number of LBS's that Trek has the best manufacturing process available on the market today. You may disagree with me of course, but I'd like to know your opinions. :)

For mountain bike: Specialized. I've owned several and all of them perform better than expected and are a good value.

For touring bike: Cannondale T800. A true workhorse of a bike. Strong, stiff and comfortable under a heavy load.

For dream bike: Anything Italian with Campy. Never owned one. Just want one.

I don't have anything against Trek but they always seem to suffer from "Schwinnization". By that I mean, they seem to cost more than other brands and they are just a little out of my reach. Good stuff but maybe just too good for me.

As for custom, I tend to neglect my equipment but scratching it and breaking it. I hate to put a beautiful custom bike in my care because it would suffer a horrible life. Sort of Black Beauty-ish (the sadest book I ever read next to the non-Disney version of Bambi).

see, i see rivendell much like seven or independent fabrications... they are good small builders who are so good at what they do and have built such a following that they can afford to charge an arm and a leg for something a smaller builder could do much cheaper (and maybe just as well)...

i am not saying any of these bikes wouldn't be absolutely awesome, i am just thinking for my money a smaller builder might be able to do it 99% as well but at only 50% of the price (plus no silly 2 year weights).

these guys make some b!tchin lookin commuter bikes... i bet they'd make a commuter just as tricked out as a rivendell

http://www.antbikemike.com/

LOL! Well, that's if you order one of their custom frames. There are people that have been waiting a LONG time for their custom Rivendells. The production frames are a lot faster. Sometimes they'll even have your size in stock. If they don't, they get shipments of the production frames about four times a year so the wait could be up to three months.


Ah, ok that's what i was hoping. I saw the 3 month thing but then they didn't mention that part on the "how to order" portion of the site. ;)

you think the prebuilts are just as good as the customs?

Don't know that I have one. I used to think Trek was cool, when they were a small Wisconsin company. I'm really happy with my bianchi mtn bike, even 12 years later; I sortof looked for one of their celeste green roadies for a while, but cheaped out. Now I'm gettin' enamored with Surly, mostly because the guys that design them are local & their philosophy is pretty damn cool.

Halfbiked beat me to it.....
I love steel and I love eccentricity. Surly fills the bill perfectly.
Their philosophy on riding is mine. I had to support them:D
For drool / dream / fanticize etc, a Rivendell followed by I.F.

I can only support what I've ridden: I think Specialized make good entry-level hybrids,
and after riding my 'new' Guerciotti fixie conversion for a few weeks, any old Italian steel is sweet.
Dream bikes?: Rivendell, Seven, Gaansari, DeRosa

American steel is good too.

Independant Fabrications is the best steel bike.

I'm a big fan of Gunnar bikes at the moment. Not as expensive as full custom, but still a sweet steel ride.

For commuter bikes, Rivendell. My Atlantis is just about perfect for long commutes. There is very little, if anything, I'd change.

I never met a Gitane I didn't like, but I probably wouldn't buy a new one even if they still sold them in the U.S.

I would love to have a Rene Herse racer.

If I was forced to get a new bike, it would probably be a Richard Sachs: www.richardsachs.com

But I would never commute on it--too nice.

I like some of the ANT bikes http://www.antbikemike.com/ and I like what they're doing.

I've always liked the geometry of Lemond's.

For commuter bikes, Rivendell. My Atlantis is just about perfect for long commutes. There is very little, if anything, I'd change.

Got any pics of that Atlantis with your gear on it?
How do you think the Atlantis compares to the newer but slightly cheaper Saluki?