Fifty Plus (50+) - What do you like most about YOUR bike?

We ride so many different kinds of bikes, newer and older, conventional and unconventional etc., I thought it might be fun to hear why people really like their own particular main squeeze. So what are the top two or three things you like most about the bike you ride most often?

What I like most about my current bike, a 2004 Giant Cypress SX, is that it's all dialed in and fits me like a glove; that while there's nothing fancy about it everything works and keeps working easily, and I like the color -- black. Oh, and I like that it's all paid for, of course! :D

It never gets a headache no matter how much I want to ride.

I like that I owe it a lot more than it owes me.

It rides like new, has the simplicity of old school and isn't so pretty that the average bike thief will look at it!
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/Cardinal%20Greenway%20and%20other%20rides/CardinalGreenway004.jpg

I like how it worships me as a god.

Oh, did you say bike or dog?

I like how mine responds to the whip.

I like how mine responds to the whip.

Sigh.

In no particular order: I like that no one else has one quite like it. I like that I got to pick the color (dark charcoal gray - it looks understated and classy and timeless). I like that I put it together myself, including building the rear wheel (okay, except for installing the headset). I like that the frame is only ten years younger than I am (1967 v. 1957). I like that it rides smoooooth and comfy with zero twitchiness and yet is nimble and easy to handle on a descent and not at all "dead" feeling. I like that it is lugged steel. I like that I rescued the frame from years of not being ridden. I like that it is more fun to ride than I ever imagined. And, God help me, I like having people look at it and saying, "hey, that's really cool - how old is it?"

Okay, I'm a little vain. So sue me. :D

I like to look at my bike leaning up against something....it has so much potential and gracefulness of form. So simple and elemental an object, yet so full of promise and past life. I like the way it feels as if on rails, like a well edged ski, on a downhill turn (women in my life should have been so steady).

In short, the bike is a mirror of some of the best parts of my self.

And the only complaints I get is when I cross the d*mned chain (!) or the rear tire skids a bit if I'm being foolish.

My bike knows I suck regally as a rider, yet it has never tried to run away to a better rider. It's always there for me, except when I trash, through no fault of mine, the front der, or mangle the brakes, or forget to lube the chain for three months (it's a mountain bike), or the time I couldn't figure out how to take off the dang cassette even though I had all the proper tools. If there were bikes in Doestyevsky's Russia, he would have made one the heroine in "Crime and Punishment". I suppose.

I like mine because, even though I suffer mightily on the climbs, when I get to the top and point it down I know it will be capable of going as fast as I dare take it and then some.
http://www.aimcomm.com/users/dminor/images/asx_left.jpg

I've had a hybrid bike for years, and got a road bike about 18 months ago. On the road bike I just feel fast. Now, I perfectly well aware that ther is no definition of the word in which I really am fast, but hey, that's how it feels.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k87/tomfrady/GiantFramedSmall.jpg It's lighter than I am. It's faster than I am. It's prettier than I am.

I like that mine is a one-of-a-kind, it is carefully, and lovingly put together by my hubby.

Ribby's been my faithful companion for 14-1/2 years and tens of thousands of miles. Every part of her is dialed in to exactly what I want. She carried me on every century ride I've done. She looks like a bike. She has nice lugs.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d195/GonzoDawg/bicycles/RB-1/DSCF2141.jpg

The seat, no weight on my hands, my neck not curved up to look ahead. The feeling of effortlessly gliding along.

Oh wait, that's not my bike yet. I test rode it this morning, and just e-mailed the dealer back on his quote and told him to order it. We'll find out the wait time from the factory.

I like the fact that it will "get up and dance."

I like the fact it never complains and is ready whenever I am.

When Cat and I go out for a ride together she purrs, to let me know she loves it too.

What do I love about her?

Rohloff gears.

Smooth changing , when moving or not, the next gear is always the one I need, and the change is immediate.

Her matt black finish, and masking taped body, mean she is does not look like a desirable object for others to take her away from me.

She even lets me bring along BOB for a threesome.
I don't need to shower before I ride her, and she doesn't complain when I ride other bikes.

My Cat.

From the first day before heading to seminary, to summer days when schedules are less hectic and time for 50 mile rides are possible, to yesterday when only an hour on the trainer could be found, my first Schwinn has served me very well. :)
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It fits!

I like when I take my '98 Lemond into the shop, several different mechanics have said, in one way or another, "I love that bike. It is one of the best made."

I like it being absolutely quiet as I pedal along.

I like that it consents to me riding it, when it deserves a lot more.

I like the now funky Lemond yellow color scheme that is becoming "retro." This is not a shy, retiring gray bicycle. And I need to take a better picture!


http://members.aol.com/dnvrfox/dadbike1.jpg

In addition to being extremely comfy, it's fast, fast fast! When I was much younger, I could draft like a madman and average 18 mph on a 50 to 80 mile ride. With this baby I've done 23 mph solo for a century, and 21+ mph is common. My times on really hilly routes are still about the same as on my old upright, so the free speed doesn't apply to hills; but everywhere else it's a monster. The bad thing about it: I can't train with my buddies anymore; they can't keep up.

http://members.aol.com/bfn50gallery/BlazingPedals.jpg

My S-Works Roubaix is as close as I'll ever get to a Ferrari. I also like that it doesn't take gasoline to make it run.

It makes me feel young again when I ride.

It has no saddle and I can ride it non-stop for hours with no pain and not have to get off... and, oh yeah, like BP, it's hard for others to keep up. :)

http://home.insightbb.com/~dtresenriter/fujin3.jpg

I like how my bike feels like it is part of me (F900 Cannondale). With clipless pedals, it is like walking, but a lot faster. For a MTB, it is light and fast (24 lbs) and so it works fine on roads - especially what we have here which aren't really roads...

It's paid for. :)
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k165/lsits/CIMG0060.jpg

Two words - The Ride.

the colour

bianchi celeste green.....yummy

Too many bikes in the stable to think of attributes. Plus I'd hate to start getting them jealous of each other.

That she is mine, and not yours!

That it has allowed me to become a better, more fit & healthy human being.
The feeling of freedom it offers; I can go anywhere my imagination takes me.
Agile and responsive, it's just plain fun to ride.

http://home.comcast.net/~baangee/Kaitai.jpg

purrs like a kitten but it's inexpensive to feed and i never have to change the sand in the litter box.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c267/sweetdaddyroses/catsmile.gif

Each of my various bikes has its own endearing qualities. My favorite ride, the 1959 Capo, looks great and carries me very comfortably over the miles. I have owned three Capos and have exchanged several cordial emails with the current owner of the company, who happens to be my age and who is the son of the founder, who was a contemporary of Tullio Campagnolo.

The Bianchi is tight and efficient on climbs and sprints, but it is not a relaxing ride. The UO-8, a supremely practical transportation beater, is special because I built it up my way from a bare frame when I worked at Bikecology. My mountain bike is beautiful and practical, and there is nothing like riding a red-white-and-blue REAL Schwinn on a national holiday.

It's rugged, reliable, has good enough gears to handle the Ouachita Foothills that I commute in. I get a more compliments on it than I have with any other bike. And it was free.


http://www.pointhappy.com/gcf/BikeParked.jpg

With this baby I've done 23 mph solo for a century, and 21+ mph is common. My times on really hilly routes are still about the same as on my old upright, so the free speed doesn't apply to hills; but everywhere else it's a monster. http://members.aol.com/bfn50gallery/BlazingPedals.jpg

Are those point to point speeds? I ask because I am contemplating a return to grad school. But the school is 30 miles away and there are no big sources of employment in my field there, so commuting is the most likely option. I want to avoid getting a car if possible. But I'm not sure if I can get the commute times down to a practical length on bike.

What make and model is your baby?

Are those point to point speeds? I ask because I am contemplating a return to grad school. But the school is 30 miles away and there are no big sources of employment in my field there, so commuting is the most likely option. I want to avoid getting a car if possible. But I'm not sure if I can get the commute times down to a practical length on bike.

What make and model is your baby?

Yes, that's point to point. My best two centuries were a 4:20 and a 4:38, both nearly but not quite solo efforts on open roads and small towns. At shorter distances, I've done a 1-hour time trial on a closed course at 25.5 mph (the format was, finish the lap you're on when time runs out.) Still, it might be a mistake to get one with the idea of getting instant speed. To get the full benefit requires several years of commitment. The bike is an Optima Baron, which is made in the Netherlands. For several years it was the most popular model of lowracer sold in the US, but I have heard that they stopped importing them because the rising value of the Euro made them too expensive.

Its paid for

3) Soft seat

5) Kids calling it Koooool

4) mid-night Black

2) 27 gears

6) Doing the cross work puzzel as I nap

1) I like laying down

7) Looking at the Sky

I guess recumbents are made for old folks

Some I built up from a bare frame, some I only personalized with a saddle, seatpost or some other part. They just feel right to me.

Yes, that's point to point. My best two centuries were a 4:20 and a 4:38, both nearly but not quite solo efforts on open roads and small towns. At shorter distances, I've done a 1-hour time trial on a closed course at 25.5 mph (the format was, finish the lap you're on when time runs out.) Still, it might be a mistake to get one with the idea of getting instant speed. To get the full benefit requires several years of commitment. The bike is an Optima Baron, which is made in the Netherlands. For several years it was the most popular model of lowracer sold in the US, but I have heard that they stopped importing them because the rising value of the Euro made them too expensive.

That's cool. That makes a bicycle commute potentially within reason. I'll be thinking about it. :)

I like the stability of the Specialized on single track, very forgiving if I make a mistake.
I really like when I take my old Nishiki to a path and someone asks "What's a Nishiki?"

It's fun and gets me where I'm going and back:D

1) Gets me from point A to point B.
2) Cheap transportation.
3) Reliable.
4) Traffic jam resistant :)

Gives me some of the best days of my life.

That's cool. That makes a bicycle commute potentially within reason. I'll be thinking about it. :)

Although I love the speed, I've found that someone changing from an upright to a recumbent platform solely for reasons of speed is usually disappointed. After an initial drop in speeds at the time they switch over, most bent riders are back up to their previous speeds within 1-3 months. Getting significantly faster, though, can take years unless you get serious about the training.

What I like most is with three wheelsets my Pugsley could be used on the road,trail,snow and beach.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a21/jogiba/26x3-2.jpg
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http://us.a2.yahoofs.com/users/43a02e93zf80955be/e364re2/__sr_/61b1re2.jpg?phQjppFBPm6eFAPL Just fun to ride

The ablolutely unequalled comfort of a LWB recumbent. No crotch, low back, shoulder, neck or wrist pain. I just ride, and any pain comes from working it. bk