General Cycling Discussion - What is your "realistic" dream bike?

Of course everyone can pick out a $5000 dream bike, but what about the bike that you realistically could afford? You know, the bike you have thought about pulling the trigger on but have denied yourself instead.

For me it is a Bianchi Volpe. I don't know why i am so drawn to it, but if I was going to make another needless bike purchase that would be it.

probably a bakfiets.

In late 2002, I was at the point where I was debating if I could get my realistic dream bicycle or not ... and I decided I could. :)

So my realistic dream bicycle is my Marinoni Ciclo, Machak. He has a custom-built frame built to my measurements, and I've gone on to customize just about everything else on him to suit me and the type of cycling I do.

However, if something happened to Machak (God forbid!) I'd probably look at a Mariposa, Rivendell, Waterford or something like that ... or another Marinoni. :)

I've attached a photo of my realistic "dream" bicycle, all decked out, doing what he does best.

5 grand is right about where my realistic dream bike lives: custom steel from Carl Strong or Indy Fab, high-end Campy mix and hand-built wheels.

(A bike I can go buy 'right now' isn't a dream, eh?)

5k is not unrealistic. Most people spend more than that on their car, so if you don't have a car - wow, you can afford a dream bike!

Either a Surly Big Dummy or a Chupacabra from Traffic Cycle Design:
http://www.trafficcycledesign.com/products/category/7

My dream bike can haul *all* my junk around, tour the world (not just the roads), and eats carbon fiber bikes for their nutritional value, if only it could catch them. Oh, and it'll have a Brooks saddle.

"A dream bike you can afford"? How is that a dream bike? If you can afford it, sounds like you should be riding it now :P

A brand new shiney black Hercules pre Raleigh 3 speed. Just like the one I got for Christmas as a kid. Probably '52 '53.

Does it have to be one we don't already own? I ask becasue I just purchased my Dream Bike. I'll be riding it on the local MUP with a friend as soon as I get off work.

2008 Raleigh Detour Deluxe

I ordered it sight-unseen in June but I did not take possesion of it until the end of September. It has disc brakes, dynamo hub, rack, fenders, hydrid geometry, everything a boy could want in a bike.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h170/HandsomeRyan/detourdeluxe1.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h170/HandsomeRyan/Bike1.jpg

"A dream bike you can afford"? How is that a dream bike? If you can afford it, sounds like you should be riding it now :P

Well just because you can afford something doesn't always mean you should go buy it. Probably depends on your definition of "afford." For some that means if they can find a credit card that isn't maxed they can afford it.

For me it means spending family money on a personal thing which isn't something i do readily. Granted i have a lot of bikes and spend a lot every month on bike junk, but rarely make the "bigger" purchases like new bikes.

Haven't gone full carbon yet. So my dreams run the spectrum of full carbon bikes and all their various specs. Haven't settled yet on a single realistic dream.

Waterford

I dunno. Moots, Parlee, IF. All the usual suspects. With carbon prices dropping in bang-for-buck measures, the point of diminishing returns comes along awfully quick. In any case, my bike dreams are pretty fluid and change seemingly daily.

I'd really like a roadbike thats both useful (fenders, 28c tire and small cargo capability) AND fast enough to race AND all day comfortable. Nobody really does that anymore.

Does it have to be one we don't already own? I ask becasue I just purchased my Dream Bike. I'll be riding it on the local MUP with a friend as soon as I get off work.

2008 Raleigh Detour Deluxe

I ordered it sight-unseen in June but I did not take possesion of it until the end of September. It has disc brakes, dynamo hub, rack, fenders, hydrid geometry, everything a boy could want in a bike.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h170/HandsomeRyan/detourdeluxe1.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h170/HandsomeRyan/Bike1.jpg

That is the coolest set of homemade panniers I've seen:D thanks for the photo! oh and yes the bike is very very nice too:rolleyes:

The one I have right now. :p
CAAD8 frame, with SRAM FORCE, K-wing Pro bars, Thomson Elite seatpost, Alias saddle, and SRM.

I just want to change my steel bike to FG

I think I'll get me a Campag equipped Moots when I get my PhD done ;) It'll be an affordable bike then and until then, it's a dream bike ;)

Would like to get recumbent with my wife/stoker on a RANS Screamer.

A Dahon Speed Pro TT and a Dahon Jetstream XP. Heh.

Specialized Tarmac. Someday. Soon.

Ever since I first saw one In Real Life, I've wanted a Seven Axiom SG. And for a daily commuter and grocery-getter, a Seven Tsunami. Especially after I learned they're made-to-measure. My body seems to have been thrown together from mismatched stuff in the spare parts bin. Clothes never fit me right unless they're custom made or at least heavily altered. I've been finding the same holds true in bikes as well.

I like the Ti over carbon since I seem to be hard on the finish of frames. I'm always leaving paint behind when I lock my bikes. The idea of heavily (and possibly deeply) scratching a carbon frame scares me. With bare Ti, first, there's no paint to leave behind, and second, I could buff out any scratches with a Scotchbrite pad.

I was lucky enough to be able to buy my interim dream commuter bike, a Trek Portland, a couple of months ago. I intended it to hold me over while I save for the Sevens. Trouble is that it fits me so well and rides so nice, I'm wondering why I concern myself with replacing it. So maybe just the Axiom SG is in the future.

in kobaltblau/kobaltblau with 29" option

http://www.nicolai.net/products/e-frames/e-nuc-tfr.html

http://www.nicolai.net/imgs/prod/400/08-nuc-tfr.jpg

with 29" 150mm forks

...and, given the cost, I could be flipping burgers and scrubbing toilets for a very long time (finite, thank goodness)

edit: only realistic because I'm single, don't pay a mortgage and don't really have that much (any :o) responsibility

Well just because you can afford something doesn't always mean you should go buy it.

exactly.

as much as i'd like a bakfiets, it's not likely i'd get much use out of it given my current lifestyle (50-mile commute)...

http://www.bakfiets.de/proefrit/bakfiets_oprij.jpg

[QUOTE=HandsomeRyan;5645930]Does it have to be one we don't already own? I ask becasue I just purchased my Dream Bike. I'll be riding it on the local MUP with a friend as soon as I get off work.

2008 Raleigh Detour Deluxe

I ordered it sight-unseen in June but I did not take possesion of it until the end of September. It has disc brakes, dynamo hub, rack, fenders, hydrid geometry, everything a boy could want in a bike.

How do you like it now that you've had a chance to ride it for a while?

I would start with a Surly Cross Check frame and build up from there. The problem is that I can't decide if I'd make it SS/FG or if I'd put gears on it.. I'm so torn..
The other bike that I want is a folder. But again - SS/FG or geared? <sigh>
I <3 riding without gears so much, but I already have 2 fg bikes and nothing that would work well for touring. My boyfriend's got a tourer, and he wants to do multi-day trips, so I know what I should do..
Someday, I'll have my electrical engineering degree and a decent job and a bike for every whim. That's what keeps me going.

Need a bike with a better engine but barring that I got the bike I want within the price bracket this year. Everything works but it hasn't improved my speed up hills yet.

I'm thinking that I must already own my dream bike.

I work a few hours a week in a bike shop so I get plenty of opportunities to drool on the 15 pound carbon fiber wonderbikes but I haven't been smitten enough to download an EP form - YET.

Challenge Fujin SL II. Something like 18 lbs., which for a bent is extremely light.

http://www.angletechcycles.com/ChallengeFujinSL2-OCorange-06.jpg

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o286/Flycrow/tahoe34.jpg

I dunno. Moots, Parlee, IF. All the usual suspects. With carbon prices dropping in bang-for-buck measures, the point of diminishing returns comes along awfully quick. In any case, my bike dreams are pretty fluid and change seemingly daily.

I'd really like a roadbike thats both useful (fenders, 28c tire and small cargo capability) AND fast enough to race AND all day comfortable. Nobody really does that anymore.

I have a bike being built right now,

Steel frame
Steel fork
S&S couplers
Designed around a 25/28 tire with room to go to 32
Fender and rack eyelets
Centre pull long reach brakes
Level top tube
Maximum drop of 8cm

It will be comfortable, as fast as I can make it and supremely practical.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o286/Flycrow/tahoe34.jpg

Only problem I see with that bike is those great big ugly growths on the handlebars .................

Campy wasn't in my dream. ;)

I'd go with a Waterford, if I had to be realistic. Less realistic, it'd probably bo a Seven Axiom or some other custom Ti.

Campy wasn't in my dream. ;)

Stop eating before bed and the nightmares will go away ......................... :p

That reminds me....*goes off to get pistachio ice cream*

Dream bike I could afford right now........

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x248/cyclaholic_album/nocomside.jpg

but I'll probably go with an Optima Baron with a carbon rear fairing instead because I want to ride it in places other than a velodrome or closed track. Maybe even commute on it as well.

I'm fortunate to have my dream DF bike in my C'dale CAAD9 Optimo1 (10sp Dura-Ace, K-wing bars, FSA carbon cranks).

Campy wasn't in my dream. ;)

Fail...

Fail...

No, not really. I'm happy. ;)

No, not really. I'm happy. ;)

:(

I thought this would be easy to respond to....but as time goes on and I become more knowledgeable about bicycles and their construction...I find myself even more confused than ever. I think my dream bike would be one that fits me, where everything works with precision and reliability, and that I can ride for hours on end in total comfort. Let me know if that one is out there somewhere.

...but as time goes on and I become more knowledgeable about bicycles and their construction...

agreed

bikes I want (not need, just want)

Rohloff road/CX (almost there, actually :D )
gearbox mtb freeride (nicolai tfr)
gearbox full sus mtb xc
delta lean steer recumbent (a Tiefflieger clone or similar)
lowrider 'bent (zx toxy rohloff)
folder (birdy bd-1 ti rohloff)
track (look kg486 or corima VIF setup as a sprint/1km bike)
ss rigid mtb
flatland bmx
track bmx

there's probably more but that's all I can think of now

dream bike(s)

I don't think I would call it a dream bike ... more like a dream bike collection. I currently have an '07 Orbea Onix road bike and an '05 Trek 6700 hard tail. Love both bikes ... but it's not enough. I use the Trek for single track trails and commuting to work. The problem is that part of my commute (5 km's) is thru a dirt trail and the remainder is on pavement (5 km's). I don't want to switch out the tires for skinnier ones that work better on the pavement since I still use it for single track, so I'm thinking of getting a commuter-specific bike. I'm just not sure which one. I've been looking at the Trek Portland commuter but I'm not sure. I might opt for a cheaper used bike where I don't worry about it getting stolen at work. Either way, for me it's about building up my dream collection not a dream bike.

dream bike(s)

yeah, sorry to derail the thread - give me two weeks (ready cash and a little greed) for the first realistic dream bike and 10 weeks for the second (insurance from the stolen bike - see my sig :/ ). I'll post them both to, hopefully, get the thread back on track.

I thought this would be easy to respond to....but as time goes on and I become more knowledgeable about bicycles and their construction...I find myself even more confused than ever. I think my dream bike would be one that fits me, where everything works with precision and reliability, and that I can ride for hours on end in total comfort. Let me know if that one is out there somewhere.

Sorry ... I already own him. See my first post on the first page ... look for Machak. :)


If those are your requirements for a dream bicycle, you've got to go custom! I went custom, and I've got no regrets. :)

^^^What she said.

Sorry ... I already own him. See my first post on the first page ... look for Machak. :)


If those are your requirements for a dream bicycle, you've got to go custom! I went custom, and I've got no regrets. :)

If you understand what different frame geometries are supposed to accomplish and if you know your own body well enough to make/describe a frame that would fit you to a T.

If you understand what different frame geometries are supposed to accomplish and if you know your own body well enough to make/describe a frame that would fit you to a T.

Sorry, but isn't that the builder's job (good ones, anyway)?

Sampson Exalt: http://www.sampsonsports.com/exalt.php

I just love their bikes. My road bike is an older Silverton and my tri bike is a Diablo done up for tris.

Of course everyone can pick out a $5000 dream bike, but what about the bike that you realistically could afford?


I can realistically afford a $5k bike.

There just aren't many $5k bikes that I dream about.

My current dreams are occupied with a Richard Sachs Signature w/ full Campy Record (which I believe would come to something in the $7-9,000 range) or a Parlee Z1 w/ DuraAce (ditto).