Pick One
 

I know all you C&V folks probably have a pile of bikes. Pick a favorite and tell me about why you like it so much. Components, ride quality, build narration, memories, whatever. Tell me a compelling story about your one forever keeper.

When I ride to my bro's house 2 hours away, I ride the 57cm Bertoni. There's a long steep section. And on return, I need great braking and stability in traffic. This bike gives me the most confidence on the route.

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I've said it before, I really appreciate your bikes, SurferRosa .
Always such clean builds, enhanced by the way they're presented in photos too.

Thanks, Matt. Just wish I had your core strength.

So ... if you "picked one," which one?

How about this one? It's a 1971 PA-10, a typical starter racing bike of the era. It has Peugeot's "cadre allégé" tubing and such features as a cottered steel crank and Delrin derailleurs. Yet it has such a lovely ride! It's a bit heavier than models with 531 and aluminum parts, but the bike gives away nothing for the sheer pleasure of riding

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Easy one for me, our Rodriguez tandem. Exactly 38 years ago today, my wife and I set out on our honeymoon ride (yesterday was our anniversary) which covered the length of State Route 49 through California’s Gold Country. We had front lowriders with panniers and a rack top bag for our clothes and essentials as we stayed entirely within historic hotels and inns….the numerous deep river canyons we bisected on the route each day left us in want of hot tubs and saunas!

A few updates and touch ups over the years but this beauty is still a gem to ride. We have also taken the Rodriguez on a couple California Eroicas, Pacific Northwest Tandem Rally, camping trips, and some centuries as well.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...078eeaa2c.jpeg

The Pink One....
 

1988 Schwinn Paramount, originally bought on eBay about 20 years ago as a birthday gift for my son.
Outfitted with full Suntour Superbe Pro.
He was totally into David Bowie "Ziggy Stardust" at the time and I thought he'd dig the Pink color (I was wrong - he hated it).
It arrived damaged in transit, a big hole punched through the box ruining the wheels and putting a dent on the inside of the right fork leg.
I worked out a deal with the original seller and kept it, parted it out, then frame hung in the garage neglected for years.
Taking my son down to Elliott Bay Bicycles in Seattle for a replacement, he selected a Pinarello "Team Banesto" frameset from Bob Freemans used frames collection.
And I built up a bike he was happy with that he still rides today.

Eventually I took the dented fork to Elliott Bay Bicycles to see if it could be repaired affordably.
Bill Davidson looked at it and deemed it structurally sound and gave it back to me after aligning it.

I bought a cheap fixed gear wheel set and assembled it with spare parts I had laying around.
Maybe I'd like riding fixed? If not, I wasn't into it for much money.
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Initially it was like learning to ride again, kinda of freaky starting and stopping.
A few scary moments when I'd forget you can't coast and it felt like I was going over the handlebars.
But you learn pretty quickly and soon I was taking it out for longer rides.
There is something really engaging about riding fixed.
You're always in the wrong gear :-) and you have to adapt to that.
The drivetrain is so quiet.
And the bike itself is so light and simple to maintain.
You're so much more attuned to the road surface and terrain.
Over time, riding fixed gave me much better leg speed and that helped me to relax.

I was in my mid-50's and going through a phase in life where I was challenging myself physically.
Am I still viable enough to do hard things?
One thing I set my sights on was riding RAMROD in 2010 on the fixed gear.
It's one of the premier cycling challenges in Washington State where riders Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day.
150 miles, 10,000 feet elevation gain. It's something you have to prepare for; you can't just 'wing it'.
Much of my training, was riding the Paramount to work each day (56 miles R/T, lots of climbing).
Weekends, I'd go do rides in the mountains.
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A month before the Event, I rode the Seattle to Portland (STP) one day ride. That proved the distance was possible.
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So in late July, I did it, finishing in 10 1/2 hours.
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I continued to ride fixed a lot after that ride but my desire to prove myself through challenges pretty much ended after RAMROD.
No more training.
About 5 or 6 years ago I wore out the rims on that cheap wheelset and the bike ended up hanging forlorn and forgotten in the garage.
Until last Fall.
Bob Freeman laced me up a fresh rim and I re-assembled the bike with a new Saddle and Crankset and started riding it again.
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I had forgotten how fun and engaging riding fixed is.
Even though the bike is put together with a mix-mash of parts, I think it is one of the most visually appealing bikes I own.
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I'm slower and not as strong as I used to be but I can still turn over the pedals on this thing comfortably.
I love how responsive acceleration is riding fixed, riding hills on it is so appealing.
I can always switch to a smaller chainring or a bigger toothed sprocket in back to keep this going into the future.
And it's funny how a bike falls into or out of favor with you over the years.
I'm just glad I never got rid of this bike.
A few years ago, when I was building up my touring bike I looked into culling one from my small herd.
Eventually, I've let the Merckx and Singer go.
But I had asked my son "which of my bikes would you want when I can no longer ride them?"
He had a choice of a Bruce Gordon, Merckx MXL, Bill Holland and Singer...
And he said he wanted the pink Paramount :-)

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Aww. That's awesome. Hadn't heard that fantastic story before. Brilliant!

When just out enjoying the day it's been this Colin Laing made for me.
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These are all meaningful stories. Thanks for sharing them!

Still figuring out my own one keeper. I built one for our forthcoming honeymoon in the Dordogne (not a tandem though), and another that was a great stress relief valve after our lovely child was born. And another that o tote said child around town with. Had one I rode all over NYC in my 20’s. It’s sadly dead, but has become a lamp in the workshop.

All is to say, thanks for sharing some stories. And, keep them coming. Bump to the top.

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This one. The frame is a Cinelli SC from the mid-1960s with a Campy 10sp triple drivetrain. Man of you have seen and heard about this ad nauseum, so I'll link to other threads rather than repeat it all here.

I got the frame in 2017 by trading a 1986 De Rosa frame and fork for it. That story is here. After a Paint-or-don't" inner debate (and asking for thoughts from the collective - that thread is here - I had it repainted in 2020 by Ed Litton. The fork was a redone 1960 one from a different Cinelli, and in 2023, it decided it had had enough. That story is here. So once again, off to Ed Litton - I asked him to clone the old fork, and he did.

So this frame has been through a lot with me and me with it since 2017. I loved the ride on Day 1 and I still do. It was and remains the best riding bike I have ever been on. I am also fortunate enough to have a 1978 Albert Eisentraut and a 1982ish Ron Cooper, and they are great bikes that are a lot of fun to ride. But to me, this Cinelli rides just a little bit better in ways that are hard to quantify.