Originally Posted by Andy_K

I might be a bit in denial about which bike is my number 1. The bike I ride most often is my Specialized Sequoia. It's a great bike -- comfortable, versatile, reliable, and fits just the way I want it to. The problem is, it's not sexy. I don't want it to be my number 1 bike.



In fact, last year the Sequoia wasn't the bike I rode most often. That's probably at least in part because of the denial. When I'm picking a bike, I sometimes pass over the Sequoia because I want to ride something more beautiful. I've got a lot of bikes in the stable, so none of them get a lot of miles in any given year. Last year I took my 1974 Masi on a credit card tour, and that trip alone put it past most of my other bikes in mileage, and as a result it was far and away my most ridden bike in 2022.



The Masi is undeniably worthy of being my number one. It looks great. It rides great. It has a prestigious reputation. I like it a lot. But it's still not the bike I'm most infatuated with. Until recently, the bike I was most infatuated with was my Stella SX-76.



That one is dead sexy and checks any other box I'd want to put on my list. It's maybe not as versatile as the Sequoia, but for most of my riding I don't really need versatility, and I have other bikes with specialized purposes like gravel riding or touring when I want to do that. So the Stella was my number one until late last fall when I stumbled across this Pinarello Super Record Special.



It was a Pinarello Gran Turismo in this same dazzling, rich, metallic red color that kicked off my addiction to C&V bikes about seven years ago, but it was too small for me. Ever since I had been looking for another bike that had this look. The new Pinarello Super Record Special fit the bill, and it has a few more chrome accents, which I love. It also feels just a bit more lively than the Stella. My infatuation for this bike may also be surpassed some day, but right now I'd say that the Pinarello is my number one.