oddjob2

In examining signatures and profiles, it is apparent many C&V members have a romance with a particular marque or period. Whether for example, Raleigh, Fuji, Cannondale, Trek, or Colnago or 80s, 70s, or older are your preference, how or why did you choose your particular focus?

daf1009

Hmmm...great question...but...not sure I can answer it...got to think on it...

bikemig 

Looking at your sig line, it looks like you already own all your grail bikes and don't really need to think on it,

bikemig 

I don't really think about grail bikes so much as I think about bikes that I think are beautiful and functional. New bikes can fit that bill as easily as old ones.

RaleighSport

Sekai isn't a huge brand, nor did they produce a lot of high end bikes but the first "good" road bike I picked up was a Sekai touring model.. I became obsessed with knowing what it was (had no decals etc), and the more I found out the more I fell in love with the company. I only own two Sekai's but I am always on the lookout for a 4000 or 5000 in my size as either one fits the bill for my "grail" but I do have to say Centurion is a close second.. I can't imagine trading in my Turbo for any other bike and my 72 LeMans has seen so many incarnations it's not even funny.

rando_couche

No grail bikes in my sig line but mine are (in no particular order): Eddy Merckx (round tubes, "century" geometry), De Rosa and Eisentraut. I've owned and/or ridden examples of all three and they are for me head and shoulders above anything else in terms of fit, ride feel and handling. Having worked in the bike biz for 7 years BITD, including a 2 year stint as service manager/pro bike mechanic for one of Seattles top shops, I pretty much got to see 'em all and these are the three for me.

SP
OC, OR

ps - I'd also at least like to try a Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, and my wife's PX10 impressed me very favorably too.

OldsCOOL

For me, it has a lot to do with our more rural location. Where we had Trek and Cannondale dealers there is more readily older ones floating around. I love the Treks, the ride, quality and heritage. The 760 fascinated me with the full 531 and campy. Now that I have miraculously obtained one in near new condition....I guess the next would have to be an Italian bike.

John E

My first road bike, a Christmas present while I was in junior high school, was a low-end 1962 Bianchi Corsa. The local Schwinn shop owner made disparaging comments about "cheap Italian bikes," but then I went to a shop whose proprietor and his son rode mid-1960s Specialissimas, and those have been on my grail list ever since. The closest I have come is my 1981 tre tubi mid-level Bianchi, which is a blast to ride.

Bandera

In the time honored tradition of "Race on Sunday, Sell on Monday" I rode what we sold.
What we sold raced well, it was a feedback loop.

I've never searched for a C&V bike, mine got that way through attrition.



-Bandera

big chainring 

My formative years were the early 70's. All my bikes fall in the bike boom years. Mostly French, but also have a Frejus, Coppi, and ya gotta have a Raleigh in the mix.

A bike I would most like to own some day is a Cecil Behringer. Wayne Stetina rode one, thats testimony enough for me.

bikemig 

+ 1. That's how I ended up with my bikes.

repechage

The builder made me a track bike while working for another brand.
I stepped away from cycling about 18 months later.
Then the builder went out on his own, but I did not really NEED another bike.
30 years later, I had a keen search on my hands, as the builder had died, so I had to look around for quite a while for one in my size.
Found it, but that took another 10 years.

Wildwood 

I've only owned about 15 vintage bikes over the years. My three keepers - DeRosa, Merckx, AD (sig line). But I never owned a Colnago, Masi, Della Santa, Eisantraut, Merlin, Sachs etc.

But I still maintain that "grail" tires and wheels are the most important aspect of the ride (assuming the human fits the bike).
I like my Mavic GEL280/GL330 with Conti Sprinters.

iab

In the land of Schwinn, the cool high school senior down the block went all the way to Chicago to get an exotic bike that weighed next to nothing and had impossibly thin tires that you glued on when I was 7-ish.

Scooper

For me it's Schwinn; then, after the '93 Schwinn bankruptcy, Waterford.

Why? Dad spent 30 years at Schwinn as a regional sales manager and was good at his job (he convinced me all other brands were "also rans").

Bianchigirll 

While it may be a secret that I like Bianchis, I think the only marque in my current line up I would consider a grail bike is my Hetchins. It is the only bike I wanted for some time and actually looked for. While being great brands and bikes, the Cornelo, Batavus and Rigi are frames I came across and were either a great deal or something I thought would be interesting to try.

My pining for Hetchins began around '87/88. There was some kind of readers review their dream bikes article in Bicycling Magazine around that time. I think the others were a Spectrum (Yeah a Spectrum in Eamus PA imagine that), a HH, the Hetchins a total of 6 bikes IIRC. I was smitten by unorthodox 'curly' stays the idea that they were not only intended to dampen road shock but harkened back the heady early days of racing before advertising was allowed.

SJX426 

I don't know that I have a grail marque. I tend to lean towards Italian makes. My first bikes were English and American, then Japanese because I lived there and then when I moved to Europe, French with Peugeot and Motobecane. When I lost my Moto due to a car accident, BF and C&V had already had me lusting for a Colnago. I found one on CL to replace the Moto, Then it was a Trek, then a Pinarello Tre Crime followed by a Montello and Bottecchia Giro d'Italia, then a Trek 760 (today).

So for me the reasons for the selection are obviously the hype and known quality of the marque and the history. What is still on my wish list are a De Rosa, Cinelli, and other Italian marques. Asside from those Italians is the desire to own an EM. The reason is his reputation as he was the first racer that made an impression on me when I didn't follow racing. Like many others, I admire his accomplishments. So the 3 Italians I would like to have in my stable are tied to him as well, Colnago, De Rosa, and, if I am not mistaken, Pinarello. 2 down 2 to go.

I am starting to warm up about Le Mond too.

scozim 

For some reason I tend to lean French since that is mostly what I rode back in the 80's. I'm also not too picky and will ride pretty much whatever falls into my stable. I only have few bikes I would consider grail bikes - 2 are French and the other would be Italian. Haven't come across them.

jjames1452 

I like Schwinn's, because i worked in a Schwinn shop going to college in the very early 80's.

In the past 2 years, I have decided that I need to branch out a bit. This has brought the more modern Kona Kapu, and the C&V Trek's.

Who know what the next couple of years will hold. I can't see me happy with carbon or aluminum.

Maybe a disc trucker......

Sixty Fiver

I seem to have a love of British bicycles; I have a Ron Cooper, a '66 Moulton, a '54 Raleigh Sports and '55 Raleigh Lenton, and several Raleigh 20's of my own and the ladies have a small herd of them here as well.

After that, Kuwahara bicycles have always been one of my favourites and I now have two of those having just acquired a Prestige road bike to keep my Cascade company... they are among the nicest made Japanese bicycles.

As far as grail bikes go my, 1955 Raleigh Lenton, Ron Cooper, and Moulton are on that list along with my 1957 Peugeot PLX8.

Henry III

I just viewed Italian builders and brands like other Italian makers...Ferrari, Lambo, Ducati, MV, Moto Guzzi, etc... Just things I would probably never owner (sans the Ducati). So the bicycle sector was a little more attainable. The idea of the name of builder on the frame may of actually built it or just from their own little workshop instead of a full blown factory where thousands are pumped out each year give it more individuality and a hands on custom touch.

R3tired

i didn't have a grail bike until i got back into bikes a couple of years ago. the bike was as CIOCC that i had and sold in the early 80's. i have replaced it in fine style - grail acquired. the other bikes i have are mostly a result of what i read and learn here. i am embarrassed to say i didn't know what a DeRosa or Cinelli was two years ago. but i now know they are nice.

kroozer 

No grails for me, I'm already obsessive enough enough without The Search for The One. I kind of like being surprised by something really cool just popping up. I do like some brands more than others, for whatever strange reason. I much prefer having a variety of styles, brands, and nationalities, than concentrating on one brand.

repechage

When I learned about "sew-ups" when I was 10, I knew I had to have them, so exotic, the concept of super low rolling resistance was so alluring.

repechage

For kids bikes, there was no competition.