Originally Posted by
lightspree
If you were going out on a solo weekend recreational ride for a few hours (on pavement), which bike or bikes would you want, if you were looking for the best ride quality -- something exuberant, something that wakes you up and makes you feel like laughing it's so good?
Are there bikes that don't make you feel like that? Really, almost anything with good tires and a comfortable saddle that fits me well meets those criteria. A bike that doesn't fit or has an uncomfortable saddle can be miserable to ride. Heavy tires can kill the joy of a ride. A heavy bike can take away some joy but can't really kill it. After that, the differentiators get to be pretty small. Geometry can make a difference, but which type of geometry is better might depend on my mood.
Sticking to my the C&V-ish bikes (which are all great fun to ride)...
This one dives into turns and is a real blast on windy roads.
This one flows through turns like they aren't even there. The effortless elegance of that is a joyous thing to experience.
This one seems to be a bit more stable than the others. It takes a little more encouragement when cornering but is maybe slightly easier going on straight roads.
I think the LeMond is my favorite right now, but all three of them leave me feeling like I want to ride them again as soon as I'm done riding.