Your Least Favorite Bike You Have Owned
03-25-17, 02:13 PM
#51
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There's some pretty decent bikes in this thread that are surprising. What one finds lacking in a bike there's another thread bousting how great the same bike is. Interesting interpertations. Kind of like the one mans junk is another mans threasure slogan.
03-25-17, 02:14 PM
#52
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About 5 years ago my wife and I bought matching aluminium MEC 1971s from Mountain Equipment Coop (Canadian sports chain). They were on sale for $800 a pop. Cyclocross. I put 28C slicks on them. I thought they'd be good as city bikes and for some crushed stone rails-to-trails paths around here. They are just awful. Super inefficient, and not at all impressed with the mix of Tiagra and Sora components. We rarely ride them now. We had them out for a late winter ride last month due to the very crappy winter roads.
The frame just sucks the energy right out of us. And the brakes... oh my God, dangerous. I was going down a fast steep hill with a railway crossing at the bottom. Good thing it's an infrequently used secondary line. I would not have been able to stop if a train had shown up. Tried changing the pads to no avail. Might be the poor rims.
My runner up is my 2012 Cervelo R3T. Not a bad bike. But I bought it at an end of year sale at a substantial discount thinking I could adapt to the 58 cm frame (too big). I could not. I couldn't ride it more than about 30 km without suffering enough pain that I had to stop, get off, and stretch. I replaced it with a Marinoni with carbon Genius frame. I can ride that one 80 km without getting out of the saddle.
The Marinoni is more stable on fast descents as well. The Cervelo was really twitchy. Trying to sell it now.
The frame just sucks the energy right out of us. And the brakes... oh my God, dangerous. I was going down a fast steep hill with a railway crossing at the bottom. Good thing it's an infrequently used secondary line. I would not have been able to stop if a train had shown up. Tried changing the pads to no avail. Might be the poor rims.
My runner up is my 2012 Cervelo R3T. Not a bad bike. But I bought it at an end of year sale at a substantial discount thinking I could adapt to the 58 cm frame (too big). I could not. I couldn't ride it more than about 30 km without suffering enough pain that I had to stop, get off, and stretch. I replaced it with a Marinoni with carbon Genius frame. I can ride that one 80 km without getting out of the saddle.
The Marinoni is more stable on fast descents as well. The Cervelo was really twitchy. Trying to sell it now.
03-25-17, 02:25 PM
#53
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For a variety of reasons:
-Required a seat post longer than my arm.
-Only 2 or 3 FD's on the market would tuck into that crevice. Mounting required 1/8 of a turn on the wrench at a time.
-Required spacers to get the front caliper out away from the head tube. Required a very short recessed nut.
-Very few rear calipers fit; the cable "arm" hit the frame. Mounting required 1/16 of a turn on the wrench at a time.
-Chain clearance at the rear axle was 1mm at best.
-23's were a tight, very tight fit. Those are 700x22's in the pic.
-Yes, that's a threaded headset.
-Wheel base was so short, nearly impossible to ride in "road setup." Your weight was right behind the head tube.
-Again, short wheelbase, very difficult pace line bike, twitchy to the nth degree.
-Inner ring clearance was maybe 2mm at the BB.
-Anything spilled from that water bottle was all over the bike.
-It didn't come in red.
-The TdF wouldn't let me ride it.
But hey, it looked cool, didn't need any cable stops (cable AND housing went completely from shifter to derailleur and from lever to caliper)
-Required a seat post longer than my arm.
-Only 2 or 3 FD's on the market would tuck into that crevice. Mounting required 1/8 of a turn on the wrench at a time.
-Required spacers to get the front caliper out away from the head tube. Required a very short recessed nut.
-Very few rear calipers fit; the cable "arm" hit the frame. Mounting required 1/16 of a turn on the wrench at a time.
-Chain clearance at the rear axle was 1mm at best.
-23's were a tight, very tight fit. Those are 700x22's in the pic.
-Yes, that's a threaded headset.
-Wheel base was so short, nearly impossible to ride in "road setup." Your weight was right behind the head tube.
-Again, short wheelbase, very difficult pace line bike, twitchy to the nth degree.
-Inner ring clearance was maybe 2mm at the BB.
-Anything spilled from that water bottle was all over the bike.
-It didn't come in red.
-The TdF wouldn't let me ride it.
But hey, it looked cool, didn't need any cable stops (cable AND housing went completely from shifter to derailleur and from lever to caliper)
Last edited by RobbieTunes; 03-25-17 at 02:44 PM.
03-25-17, 02:33 PM
#54
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I had the same era, same polished finish R800. Equally hateful.
Fast, Light, Stiff, Mean, Cold, Useless.
Fast, Light, Stiff, Mean, Cold, Useless.
Cannondale R-900. It was a lightning-fast and soulless machine that I quickly dubbed "The Terminator." I imagine many would hold onto this bike forever, but it gave me very little enjoyment. I kept it less than two months.
[EDIT] I chose not to include the Godzilla Takara here, because that one's just too obvious.
[EDIT] I chose not to include the Godzilla Takara here, because that one's just too obvious.
03-25-17, 02:50 PM
#56
On the road
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All-time: Specialized Hardrock mountain bike - never could get anything adjusted properly on it and just never liked the ride.
Vintage: 1970s Samurai 10-speed road bike - harsh riding and never really comfortable. The Suntour parts were fairly decent though.
Vintage: 1970s Samurai 10-speed road bike - harsh riding and never really comfortable. The Suntour parts were fairly decent though.
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Classic American and British Roadsters, Utility Bikes, and Sporting Bikes (1935-1979):
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Classic American and British Roadsters, Utility Bikes, and Sporting Bikes (1935-1979):
https://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/
03-25-17, 02:50 PM
#57
No one cares
i bought this thing for spirited uphill climbing and planing around steep mountain road passes. Just sucks, i don't know what else to say.
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Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .
I prefer emails to private messages - holiday76@gmail.com
Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .
03-25-17, 03:57 PM
#58
Senior Member
My parents bought two new Schwinn Suburbans sometime around 1969. Both were dark green. One step through girl model & one boy's bike. These hideous electro-forged monsters probably weighed about 50lb each. Tough **** if you lived somewhere that you had to carry bikes inside at night. (It's true - you just can't make this stuff up). I'm sure by now that these bikes have been recycled & are serving their true purpose as gussett plates on a giant steel bridge somewhere. I remember how exhausting it was just trying to pedal one around the block. Probably had less than ten miles each on them when they were disposed of. No wonder Schwinn went broke.
03-25-17, 04:05 PM
#59
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03-25-17, 04:11 PM
#60
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A Klein Mantra.
I don't have any pics of it but it looked like this one.
I don't have any pics of it but it looked like this one.
03-25-17, 04:33 PM
#61
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When you really hate it; turn it into a fixie and flip it for a profit:
Pig heavy and bog slow, the Ross Super Grand Tour Professional is the answer to the question, "Just how bad can a lugged steel bike be?" Made a pretty cool (looking) fixie, though.
Pig heavy and bog slow, the Ross Super Grand Tour Professional is the answer to the question, "Just how bad can a lugged steel bike be?" Made a pretty cool (looking) fixie, though.
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● 1971 Grandis SL ● 1972 Lambert Grand Prix frankenbike ● 1972 Raleigh Super Course fixie ● 1973 Nishiki Semi-Pro ● 1979 Motobecane Grand Jubile ●1980 Apollo "Legnano" ● 1984 Peugeot Vagabond ● 1985 Shogun Prairie Breaker ● 1986 Merckx Super Corsa ● 1987 Schwinn Tempo ● 1988 Schwinn Voyageur ● 1989 Bottechia Team ADR replica ● 1990 Cannondale ST600 ● 1993 Technium RT600 ● 1996 Kona Lava Dome ●
● 1971 Grandis SL ● 1972 Lambert Grand Prix frankenbike ● 1972 Raleigh Super Course fixie ● 1973 Nishiki Semi-Pro ● 1979 Motobecane Grand Jubile ●1980 Apollo "Legnano" ● 1984 Peugeot Vagabond ● 1985 Shogun Prairie Breaker ● 1986 Merckx Super Corsa ● 1987 Schwinn Tempo ● 1988 Schwinn Voyageur ● 1989 Bottechia Team ADR replica ● 1990 Cannondale ST600 ● 1993 Technium RT600 ● 1996 Kona Lava Dome ●
03-25-17, 04:56 PM
#62
Keener splendor
Pretty much any low to mid range power climber POS MTB is going to suck worse than any road bike and then some. So the Pug is just middling at best on the suck scale. Of road bikes I have owned the worst was a 80's Lotus 3000 looked like a good bike but even rebuilt with some upgraded parts it was a soft noodle that felt like you were going backwards if you peddled hard.
03-25-17, 05:19 PM
#63
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03-25-17, 06:08 PM
#64
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Raleigh LTD-3. Those steel rims were heavy as lead and offered little in the way of stopping. The brakes weren't too good, either. Once I'd fixed the bike up, it looked really cool but was still sluggish and heavy. I put new alloy wheels on it but the ride was still sluggish. I have hills to contend with so I sold the bike to a coworker who needed a commuter and happened to live in flat country. I sold him the bike for what I'd spent on the new wheels(with SA AW-3 hub).
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03-25-17, 08:45 PM
#67
Cyclist
My '84 Trek 610. Nicest rebuild/resto I've ever done and the bike was a total rough-riding slug.
03-25-17, 08:49 PM
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Lemond Maillot Jaune 853
Everything I heard about Reynolds 853 led me to believe that the ride would be fantastic. I picked up this frameset off of Craigslist, built it up and took it for the first ride.
I stopped several times in the first few miles to check if the rear tire was going flat. It was fine. The frame felt like the rear triangle was disconnected from the front. It was the most miserable riding bicycle I have ever owned. Vertically stiff and laterally compliant.
I kept it for a year and probably put 1000 miles on it, but I hated the way it rode.
Stripped it down, and moved it on for what I paid.
I stopped several times in the first few miles to check if the rear tire was going flat. It was fine. The frame felt like the rear triangle was disconnected from the front. It was the most miserable riding bicycle I have ever owned. Vertically stiff and laterally compliant.
I kept it for a year and probably put 1000 miles on it, but I hated the way it rode.
Stripped it down, and moved it on for what I paid.
03-25-17, 08:51 PM
#69
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For a variety of reasons:
-Required a seat post longer than my arm.
-Only 2 or 3 FD's on the market would tuck into that crevice. Mounting required 1/8 of a turn on the wrench at a time.
-Required spacers to get the front caliper out away from the head tube. Required a very short recessed nut.
-Very few rear calipers fit; the cable "arm" hit the frame. Mounting required 1/16 of a turn on the wrench at a time.
-Chain clearance at the rear axle was 1mm at best.
-23's were a tight, very tight fit. Those are 700x22's in the pic.
-Yes, that's a threaded headset.
-Wheel base was so short, nearly impossible to ride in "road setup." Your weight was right behind the head tube.
-Again, short wheelbase, very difficult pace line bike, twitchy to the nth degree.
-Inner ring clearance was maybe 2mm at the BB.
-Anything spilled from that water bottle was all over the bike.
-It didn't come in red.
-The TdF wouldn't let me ride it.
But hey, it looked cool, didn't need any cable stops (cable AND housing went completely from shifter to derailleur and from lever to caliper)
-Required a seat post longer than my arm.
-Only 2 or 3 FD's on the market would tuck into that crevice. Mounting required 1/8 of a turn on the wrench at a time.
-Required spacers to get the front caliper out away from the head tube. Required a very short recessed nut.
-Very few rear calipers fit; the cable "arm" hit the frame. Mounting required 1/16 of a turn on the wrench at a time.
-Chain clearance at the rear axle was 1mm at best.
-23's were a tight, very tight fit. Those are 700x22's in the pic.
-Yes, that's a threaded headset.
-Wheel base was so short, nearly impossible to ride in "road setup." Your weight was right behind the head tube.
-Again, short wheelbase, very difficult pace line bike, twitchy to the nth degree.
-Inner ring clearance was maybe 2mm at the BB.
-Anything spilled from that water bottle was all over the bike.
-It didn't come in red.
-The TdF wouldn't let me ride it.
But hey, it looked cool, didn't need any cable stops (cable AND housing went completely from shifter to derailleur and from lever to caliper)
03-25-17, 08:59 PM
#70
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Everything I heard about Reynolds 853 led me to believe that the ride would be fantastic. I picked up this frameset off of Craigslist, built it up and took it for the first ride.
I stopped several times in the first few miles to check if the rear tire was going flat. It was fine. The frame felt like the rear triangle was disconnected from the front. It was the most miserable riding bicycle I have ever owned. Vertically stiff and laterally compliant.
I kept it for a year and probably put 1000 miles on it, but I hated the way it rode.
Stripped it down, and moved it on for what I paid.
I stopped several times in the first few miles to check if the rear tire was going flat. It was fine. The frame felt like the rear triangle was disconnected from the front. It was the most miserable riding bicycle I have ever owned. Vertically stiff and laterally compliant.
I kept it for a year and probably put 1000 miles on it, but I hated the way it rode.
Stripped it down, and moved it on for what I paid.
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Steel is real...and comfy.
Steel is real...and comfy.
03-25-17, 09:03 PM
#71
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I know this won't sit well with all but my first 10 speed, Peugeot UO-8, bought new on 1967. The plastic derailleurs were not intended for use by clueless teenagers and it didn't take long for the dropouts to get so mangled that using a rear derailleur was no longer feasible. Years 5-9 were spent riding single speed. Then I rode it fixed and never went back to a freewheel.
That bike was a huge part of my "growing up" as a rider. Riding Boston winters, training for racing, a core part of my life for years. It served me well and I rode it into the ground. Chainstay broke 1980. Had it welded. Ended the bike on a car door 1982 at 22,000 miles. Put the parts on a Japanese built Schwinn. What a step up! All 4 frames that followed the UO-8 were much better rides.
That bike was a huge part of my life. But a good bike? Nah. (Except those brakes. I now use much newer of the same as front brakes on both my all weather city bikes.)
Now, the bike that was the worst investment was the Lambert I bought 6 years later. I loved the ride but it had one detail that was completely life changing, and not for the better - the fork crown. Incredibly poor design. Its failure nearly cost me my life and did cost me thousands of dollars, years of my life and my profession. It also introduced me to racing and a couple of years of world class fitness, the highest of highs. I have very mixed feelings about that bike.
Ben (edit to correct typos)
That bike was a huge part of my "growing up" as a rider. Riding Boston winters, training for racing, a core part of my life for years. It served me well and I rode it into the ground. Chainstay broke 1980. Had it welded. Ended the bike on a car door 1982 at 22,000 miles. Put the parts on a Japanese built Schwinn. What a step up! All 4 frames that followed the UO-8 were much better rides.
That bike was a huge part of my life. But a good bike? Nah. (Except those brakes. I now use much newer of the same as front brakes on both my all weather city bikes.)
Now, the bike that was the worst investment was the Lambert I bought 6 years later. I loved the ride but it had one detail that was completely life changing, and not for the better - the fork crown. Incredibly poor design. Its failure nearly cost me my life and did cost me thousands of dollars, years of my life and my profession. It also introduced me to racing and a couple of years of world class fitness, the highest of highs. I have very mixed feelings about that bike.
Ben (edit to correct typos)
Last edited by 79pmooney; 03-25-17 at 10:19 PM.
03-25-17, 09:30 PM
#72
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03-25-17, 10:06 PM
#73
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03-25-17, 11:06 PM
#74
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Besides the obvious Walmart junk, it was the Schwinn Crosscut I really didn't like. Out of all of its issues, the weight bothered me most. I only had it a few days before putting it up for sale. Got a lot of calls/emails about it though...ended up selling it to a guy who wanted it to replace his stolen Crosscut (same year/color IIRC).
03-26-17, 12:42 AM
#75
Pedalin' Erry Day
Aside from bikes that were obviously junky, the one that surprised me most that I didn't enjoy was this Schwinn Voyageur. It had so much going for it: good looks, great components, interesting vintage history (first imported Schwinn), and everything was setup 100% correctly for me... but it felt like a slug on climbs unless I stayed out of the saddle, and it transferred all the road buzz straight to the bars.
