Fifty Plus (50+) - Show me your favorite bike!!

As long as we're looking at "Beaters" we may as well check out our "Favorites" too.

When ever I'm going for a long ride, or a Group Ride, or any ride where I may be looking for speed.....The Easy Racer's Tour Easy is my bike of choice from my current fleet.

Though I bought her as a used bike, she's in great shape and she fits me like a glove. Even though I was wearing jeans and cowboy boots when I test rode this bike, it was obvious that the bike and I were destined to be as one.

I love the low center of gravity and eagerly attack and accelerate through right angle turns just because it's so much fun. I have never been as "At Home" on any machine as I am on this one.

Please allow me to present "The Big Black Bike"

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r152/crankyolddude/IMG_3474.jpg

Here's my favorite. It'll be 10 years old next month. Happy Birthday.
We bonded in the summer of 2003 when I was unemployed and had lots of time to ride. :beer:

http://web.me.com/ronhorne/Site/Rons_Bicycles_files/DSCN0009.jpg

Jeez, that's like asking which of your kids is your favorite. I love 'em all.

Jeez, that's like asking which of your kids is your favorite. I love 'em all.

I feel the same way as Dan. I have only three road-type bikes: older steel racer, modern carbon racer, oldest steel tourer. Each is optimized for its intended purpose. When switch and ride any one after a period of neglect, I say to myself, "this is great! what a nice bike." All fit properly, all are supremely comfortable. Each performs differently.

If you held a gun to my head and made me choose, I couldn't do it truthfully. I really like the touring bike... a lot. It just feels wonderfully comfortable, like a pair of shoes that are perfectly broken in.

I love the steel racer. It reminds me of my teen years back in the 1970s.

The carbon bike is fun and fast, very light, modern... It's probably not my favorite, though.

I guess I didn't answer the question...

Does it have to be a bike that I actually own?

OK, my response goes along the lines of - Questions: What's your favorite beer? Answer: The one in my hand. So, what's my favorite bike? The one I'm on at the time.

This is actually just an excuse because I don't currently have a good photo of my favorite.

Jeez, that's like asking which of your kids is your favorite. I love 'em all.


So, what's my favorite bike? The one I'm on at the time.

I was thinking that yesterday on the ride to work--the one that I'm on. They're all fine bikes.

The Portland--2006 Trek Portland, the only bike I currently own that I bought new. Shown here with its winter fenders and studded snow tires.
http://www.brucew.com/images/wordpress/2010/01/portland-winter-portrait-cropped-1024.jpg

YellowBike--2000 Trek 1000--heavily upgraded.
http://www.brucew.com/images/wordpress/2010/01/yellow-bike-winter-portrait-cropped-1024.jpg

Blue Steel--1999 Schwinn Peloton, TIG-welded Reynolds 853 steel in crit geometry makes me giddy on every ride. Currently awaiting return of its components.
http://www.brucew.com/images/peloton/2nd-portrait-1024.jpg

Jeeves--1996 Litespeed Classic, currently wearing Blue's components. New wheels are backordered until April. Everything else (mainly Ultegra 6700) is in a box waiting for the new wheels to arrive.
http://www.brucew.com/images/litespeed//1024/1st-photo.jpg

Tough question. I really like all of my bikes. Up until last August I could have easily answered that Ribby, my Bridgestone RB-1, was my favorite bike. she was my soulmate for 18 years until a car driver decided something else was more important than paying attention while driving and veered over into the shoulder where I was riding and destroyed my bike and came close to destroying me.
The bike I got to replace her, Betty, a 2011 Specialized Roubaix Expert, is too new to have that kind of place in my heart, but it sure is a sweet ride.

Ribby (R.I.P.)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2710/4226524391_eccd7c95cc_z.jpg?zz=1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/4226524391/)
new crank1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/4226524391/) by BluesDawg (http://www.flickr.com/people/bluesdawg/), on Flickr

Betty (bambalam)
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5214/5402252043_3176012596_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/5402252043/)
DSCF0718 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/5402252043/) by BluesDawg (http://www.flickr.com/people/bluesdawg/), on Flickr

193124 This is my GURU Photon, currently my best climbing bike, so that makes it my favorite.

It's SRAM Red with a SRAM mountain bike cassette (11-32) and SRAM XX rear (also mountain bike) derailleur. Bars and stem are FSA, pedals are Dura Ace.

Rick / OCRR

cool bar tape on the yellow bike.:)

This is what I'm currently riding. You should ask this question again in a month or two when everyone will again post up different pics of their favorite bike. ;)

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t139/t4mv/MerlinXL.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a57/crazy-b/IMGP0887Large.jpg

2007 Lemond Versailles DA 7800, Kysrium sl wheels

It brings me pizza!

[QUOTE=NOS88;12340069]OK, my response goes along the lines of - Questions: What's your favorite beer?

The next one

OK, my response goes along the lines of - Questions: What's your favorite beer? Answer: ...

Free :thumb:

I have had this one since college, it brings back sweet memories when we ride.

http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr256/sru75/IMG_1933.jpg

It really is the one I'm riding but for this week I'll nominate this bike:

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/8554/dscn0986n.jpg

I have had this one since college, it brings back sweet memories when we ride.

http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr256/sru75/IMG_1933.jpg

Excellent! :thumb:

Now, if I must, I must:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5137/5516342628_6a9b563242.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33669003@N03/5516342628/)
GunnarJuly2008 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33669003@N03/5516342628/) by a glass darkly2008 (http://www.flickr.com/people/33669003@N03/), on Flickr

This is my Gunnar Street Dog. I took this in July of '08. I have since replaced the headlight with an Ixon IQ. Not that the Cateye was that bad, I'm just a headlight geek.
Miles ridden since 2000: Beats me, I refuse to use a cycling computer.

My current ride http://s1081.photobucket.com/albums/j355/back4more1/?action=view&current=P1040344.jpg

http://i1081.photobucket.com/albums/j355/back4more1/P1040344.jpg?t=1299809153

This is the one that's been getting the most miles for the past several years:

http://www.os2.dhs.org/~john/fixed-frame/completed.jpg

Well, for the first time, both my "beater" and my "favorite" bikes are "brand new"! :) So here's the favorite, Sun EZ-Sport AX, like being in a Cadillac convertible, cruising down the interstate, SWEET!
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_GW75NWraW4E/TW1y23Eea1I/AAAAAAAADhY/f5cr987iu84/s640/IM000554-1.jpg

The bike on the bottom is my favorite :D ... The TriCross Comp is fun also.
http://www.yostwerks.com/SprintCX1.jpg

My current favorite bicycle is an XC Comp. It great on the trails, but lock out the suspension, add some
slicks, and it's a road bike capable of easily climbing any Rocky Mountain pass... even with me on board :)
If I could have only one bike, this would be it !
http://www.yostwerks.com/OM2B.jpg

But my all time favorite means of propulsion are my Salomon skate skis. Yesterday, skating a black run at Frisco Nordic.
(Day 48 this season)
http://www.yostwerks.com/FriscoBlack2.jpg

I ski'd [say-how do you spell that?] once- practically killed myself. I water ski's a number of times, but then there was the lack of boat condition that put an end to that. I do this:
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b17/outwest5/IMG_0015.jpg

It's always somewhat difficult if you have more than one, out of the three the Steelwool Tweed is the current favorite. I like the relaxed position a lot and it gets me out more often on longer rides.



http://img848.imageshack.us/img848/9906/imgp2506111.jpg

Jeez, that's like asking which of your kids is your favorite. I love 'em all.

Please do not tell the others but if I HAD to pick just one:

http://inlinethumb36.webshots.com/7523/2310738930102275918S600x600Q85.jpg:D
2004 Maillot Jaune with Mavic K10s.
She is my youngest....and we have only had two dates so far.:love:

Please do not tell the others but if I HAD to pick just one:

http://inlinethumb36.webshots.com/7523/2310738930102275918S600x600Q85.jpg:D
2004 Maillot Jaune with Mavic K10s.
She is my youngest....and we have only had two dates so far.:love:
Well, she's a hottie.

My new track bike for the 2011 San Diego TNR season, 2011 Van Dessel Drag Strip Courage. Rode it March 5th at the LA Home Depot Velodrome. Those are the training clinchers, race on tubulars of course.193306

I was thinking that yesterday on the ride to work--the one that I'm on. They're all fine bikes.

The Portland--2006 Trek Portland, the only bike I currently own that I bought new. Shown here with its winter fenders and studded snow tires.
http://www.brucew.com/images/wordpress/2010/01/portland-winter-portrait-cropped-1024.jpg

YellowBike--2000 Trek 1000--heavily upgraded.
http://www.brucew.com/images/wordpress/2010/01/yellow-bike-winter-portrait-cropped-1024.jpg

Blue Steel--1999 Schwinn Peloton, TIG-welded Reynolds 853 steel in crit geometry makes me giddy on every ride. Currently awaiting return of its components.
http://www.brucew.com/images/peloton/2nd-portrait-1024.jpg

Jeeves--1996 Litespeed Classic, currently wearing Blue's components. New wheels are backordered until April. Everything else (mainly Ultegra 6700) is in a box waiting for the new wheels to arrive.
http://www.brucew.com/images/litespeed//1024/1st-photo.jpg
^^^^person who cannot follow instructions^^^^^^ ;)

193124 This is my GURU Photon, currently my best climbing bike, so that makes it my favorite.

It's SRAM Red with a SRAM mountain bike cassette (11-32) and SRAM XX rear (also mountain bike) derailleur. Bars and stem are FSA, pedals are Dura Ace.

Rick / OCRR
^^^^^ tasty!^^^^^^

Shucks, I think somebody already mentioned that in owing mutliple bikes, the one they are on is the "favorite bike"..:D

It is hard for me to pick out my favorite from my seven bikes. All of them are my favorites, and each one has a different (to me) look and style that I am crazy about. I have a bike I got off CL for $50 and a Litespeed, and both of them give me equal joy/fun. Sure, the Litespeed is flawless in shifting, ride, smothness, you name it, the Litespeed got it. But, the vintage bikes gots something that the Litespeed don't have, can't put my finger on it, but that is why all my bikes are my favorites.. Anytime one slips below being my favorite, time to sell it!! ;)

Since you asked here is my new IF Clubracer. I always dreamed about owning a nice custom high end bike and this bike scratches that itch. I figured that i needed to do it while I was still young enough to get enough years out of it to justify the cost. I had this bike built for all day comfort in the saddle and it rides like a dream.


http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5082/5313007037_6b1f795bf3_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54106540@N06/5313007037/)
IMG_0034 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54106540@N06/5313007037/) by OldClyde (http://www.flickr.com/people/54106540@N06/), on Flickr

My favorite bike is currently my only bike:
193369
(Click to embiggen.)

This is my FAVORITE for TODAY. ;)

I did a 30 mile round trip to the barber shop.. 1985 Raleigh Prestige..

http://www.cehoward.net/favor44.jpg

Capo #1 is arguably the prettiest gal in the fleet, but the Bianchi is the fastest, and the red-white-and-blue Schwinn (http://mombat.org/1988_Schwinn_KOM.htm, not mine) is great on patriotic holidays.

Lenny,

I have answered this question many times over the years, the answer never changes. We met almost 20 years ago - seems like yesterday. I found her used bones hanging from a bike shop in Who-ville for $150, Columbus SLX tubing. She is on her second drive train, Campy Compact Carbon Chorus. My CF bike doesn't hold a candle to her ride.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_2n6FkrWqcFk/TDHbCCixapI/AAAAAAAAAb4/y6LSwE_Fo_g/s640/DSCF0299.jpg

Lenny,
I have answered this question many times over the years, the answer never changes. We met almost 20 years ago - seems like yesterday. I found her used bones hanging from a bike shop in Who-ville for $150, Columbus SLX tubing. ... My CF bike doesn't hold a candle to her ride. ...

Spot-on! Several of us strongly prefer the ride quality and look of those great old lugged steel frames. Even my lowly Peugeot UO-8 beater is a blast to ride. The Capo is a comfortable, stable delight on long rides, and the Bianchi climbs, accelerates, and corners superbly.

Trek 520 - comfort vs speed - at my age, comfort wins!

http://www.bdgconsulting.com/trek3.JPG
http://www.bikeforums.net/images/misc/pencil.png

I want to N+1 this beauty, but for some reason, the National Air and Space Museum doesn't want to part with it.

Pic.1 - I built this baby up in '06. Columbus SL and Campag. Light and fast.

Pic.2 - LHT. Heavy and slow, but delightful just like me.:rolleyes::p

Any bike my wife rides;)

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy112/Doug64_photos/Bike%20Trips/iftod_15-1-1.jpg

I ski'd [say-how do you spell that?]

I know it looks wrong, but past tense of "ski" is "skied." An apostrophe is for two and only two things: showing possession, or for a contraction.

Just to stay on-topic, here's a pic of my current fav ride:

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e135/blazingpedals/bike%20pics/M5NewCrank.jpg?t=1300191732

This is the one I don't ride to work:

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z284/JanMM/IMG_2271.jpg

Not nearly as long as our new tandem.