dashuaigeh

if you could only choose two bikes to own, what two *types* of bikes would you go for? i.e. fixie + touring, road + mtn, etc. etc.

a hypothetical question that I'm asking myself for a not-so-hypothetical situation

KonAaron Snake 

Wow...only two is rough...and it would also depend on where I lived and if I had a car. In my situation, which is no car, down town area:

I'd pick a touring or cyclocross bike for its versatility and use it as a commuter...

I'd keep a winter/cargo bike...a rigid steel MTB of some sort.

beech333

Can you pick two of the same type? If I had to do this with my collection, both would be road, although one would be for pseudo touring. I'd go with my Special Road Racer and a Professional Super Record, both Fuji of course.

I could easily understand the need for a mtn, but it isn't for me.

If you haven't been with the girl for long and she is already setting ultimatums, let her go and keep the bikes, unless she is super hot.

KonAaron Snake 

+1

I go out of my way to make my hobby as non-intrusive as possible, but everyone, including your partner, has something about them that's annoying. Mature and sustainable relationships require accepting some things that annoy you.

gomango

I'd get by with these two:

Bruce Gordon - Rock 'n Road

Part touring, part MTB, part cyclocross with the monstercross wheelset and a lowered stem. A really fun, inexpensive bike.

With the Surly Rack on the back, and the Nitto m12 on the front I can even take it grocery shopping.



De Rosa - A red one. I like to go fast, and this one fills the bill.



My wife and I have been together for 25 years, married for 21 of those years, and I'm quite sure I have irritated her beyond belief once or twice.

The trick is I always make up for it, usually by a wide margin.

dashuaigeh

unfortunately, she is my mom . Had surgery which has left me bedbound for a good 2 weeks (total recovery of 3 months), and she flew over to help me out. so, say what you will, I am very grateful to have her here even if it does mean listening to her complain about me having too many bikes. additionally, as a more legitimate reason to trim the stable, I don't have much room in my apartment.

however, I am incredibly amused that a significant other is the first thing you guys thought of when I talked about downsizing my collection .

slushlover2

OOOOH! That Bruce Gordon looks familiar.

gomango

Yes, special thanks goes out to Slushlover2 for hauling it halfway across Iowa to deliver her to me!

I'll always appreciate that. Very nice bike and very nice folks driving the delivery wagon.

By the way, I found another Phil Woods hub and a Mavic MA2 rim for the rear. Built it right after my knee surgery.

Riding again on a daily basis, and the BG is an absolute favorite right now.

Thanks again sir!

KonAaron Snake 

Hope you feel better as quickly as possible, and you're being responsible for sure. Maybe rent a sotrage unit?

KonAaron Snake 

AWESOME eye candy...and great choices. Love the Bruce Gordon...it's sort of the soul mate to my Koga Miyata!

mazdaspeed

Two road bikes hands down

10 Wheels

My Two;

r0ckh0und 

Full on MTB and a vintage road bike.........................

dashuaigeh

Thanks *really* looking forward to being able to walk and ride again. I do have a storage unit underneath my building (public to all residents), so I could potentially put the cheapest bike down there.

Kinda surprised - everyone's listed touring or road type bikes with drop-bars. no townies or fixie/ss enthusiasts at all?

mazdaspeed

A road bike does everything a fixie or townie does but faster.

dashuaigeh

no doubt, but personally, if all i wanted to do was go faster, I'd drive.

gomango

Good luck with your recovery as well!

I love SS and fixies!

I only received two choices though.....

Here's my SS Miyata Trail Runner. She's up at the cabin, and rode her this morning to go fishing.

Oscuro

My Aluminum touring bike and my Miyata 912 will be good enough for me.

dashuaigeh

@gomango - nice bike big fan of miyatas myself. I suppose I was considering selling my road bike, because for around-town short rides, I've found my road bike more aggressive than needed for stop-and-go traffic situations (not like a fixed is much better, though...).

Reynolds 

1 road, 1 flat bar commuter with fenders, lights, rack, and if you live in a flat area, SS.

gomango

Thanks.

You should see it loaded down with fly fishing gear. What a sight!

......and Aaron, your Koga is a top shelf bike. I've seen pics of what you've done with the frameset, and it's all 1st class.

A super versatile bike if I've ever seen one.

rhm

My commuter bike is a folding bike with 16" wheels. It folds up pretty small. It has dynamo powered lights, on all the time, and countless other indispensible modifications.... I ride it somewhere around 3,000 miles per year. I can't get to work without it. I can't say I love it, or even like it much; in some ways I really kinda hate it, but it's a workhorse, and I fantasize about it breaking in some utterly catastrophic way so I can say "Well, time for a new one!" but (sadly) it keeps on keeping on. But if I could only have one bike, that would have to be it. And if it broke, I'd have to replace it with almost exactly the same thing.

The second would have to be all my fun bikes rolled into one. So it would be an old touring bike, upgraded with an internally geared hub, racks front and back, useful for shopping, randoneuring, touring, whatever. So it would be my Trek 720. I've had it since '83, and it's a great bike, though that one, too, I can't say I love it. But if it broke, I'd replace it with exactly the same thing, if I could.

Buikema

1. one road bike: fast-ish but not so racy as to be uncomfortable, some wheel clearance for fenders in the winter and all that, to be the round town/road ride bike
2. real deal mountain bike: for real deal mountain biking

redneckwes

One tight clearance no compromises full double butted steel frame road bike.

One somewhat relaxed tourer. Fenders and racks.

bigbossman 

Road bike, top tier Italian

Mountain bike, dual suspension