Wildwood 

Grail or bucket list, which is it?

At one time I wanted the cross country trip, but I've decided it would be more fun (for me) to find great rides in each state, while crossing the country with wife or friend driving a camper. There are states where I could spend a lot of time and others where a day might be fine. If west Texas is on the route, chauffer me.

And I agree that for many of us there is no grail bike. Grail is for those who make great sacrifice - me, I just like to ride a variety of "really nice" bikes. As many have said it's the ability to ride that is better than the bike.

ftwelder

Lanie and I have a trip planned for the middle of next month to a B&B that my friend owns up in Weston VT. We have Friday off and are leaving in the morning from our town and stopping for nice meals along the way. It's a full-day ride for us, fifty miles with stops in Grafton and Chester. Though not a grail bike and may be off topic, it's sure nice to be able to ride ride off our porch on to some of the sweetest roads that I have ever seen with the woman I spend my real time with.

I have been making bikes for 35 years. I have been lost in Switzerland, freaked out in vegas and broke down in Buffalo and she has been through it all with me but this is only the second or third time time we have really enjoyed bikes together. We will both be riding French bikes and I am sure we could use a French theme... Except I like beer LOL.

jimmuller 

You just have to find a good French beer. ...naaah!

Sounds like a wonderful trip, Frank. We expect a full report, with pics or it didn't happen, of course.

rhm

Belgian beer is close enough to French!

Really does sound like a wonderful trip, Frank. Enjoy!

-holiday76

I still cringe when I see people use the word "grail", because it basically just means any one of many bikes an individual might want. The term is overused and cheesy. Do you realize there are four pages of threads in c&v with grail in the title? Maybe I'm just bitter or mean spirited....

Anyhow, how's everyone else doing on meeting their dreams and/or acquiring the , uhg, grail(s)?

My son is now 5 and a half, and loves riding his bike. In fact i just finally found him a Gitane Midget Racer that he's going to love, and might help him move forward a few steps towards some type of bike tour. I'm looking forward to that.

rhm

I want to ride them all, at least once. Aside from that, I'll go for the tour.

daf1009

I actually like the term of "Grail"...I think most people here understand that it is a bike that someone really wants...and that it might be part of their "dreams"...while it might be overused here, this is one of the few places I see it used...so...it is somewhat specific.

Also...if you look up various topics (I.e. Brooks Saddles), I bet that there are a dozen pages of threads on how to condition a saddle...and...again...I have no problem with that...I can sort through what I want to read.

On a more positive vein...great to hear that your son is getting involved!

noglider 

I guess I learned the word grail from the movie title Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

OldsCOOL

I miraculously acquired the '86 Trek 760 that eluded me for 2yrs. It was worth the dreaming. Now, on to a Colnago.

(I had a thread about the bike that was one of the 4 pages you mentioned)

Glad to hear of your rides with your young son. My son's son is 7 and he has been riding with me since he was three. In two years he may need me to build him a jr roadbike.

cyclotoine

Trailer dude.. people do this all the time. There are people out there that set off a six months and spent the rest of the child's preschool on the road (yeah like 3-4 years)... crazy but that kid will be a gift to humanity.

The Golden Boy 

"Ownership Goals."

I think the "grail" term is a bit too strong- but it's been diluted enough that people know what you're talking about.

When I first got into cycling, my "grail" was a Paramountain. One year, limited edition mountain bike. As my experience with bikes changed, I started changing what I wanted in a bike. I no longer lusted after a "mountian bike" per se, but I wanted the qualities of that bike that suited what I wanted to ride.

I saw a 1986 Trek 400 Elance. That color combination and that decal scheme just looked PERFECT to me- and that became a goal- to find one. I found one and it's still what I consider to be the most beautiful bike. Somewhere around this time, I figured out that touring bikes had that balance between "mountain" and "road" and the concept was that idealistic vision of "just go." I set my sights on the 1985 Trek 620- really fueled by Skip Echert on the Vintage Trek site. I chased that one pretty hard- and found it funny that 3 people on C&V within a period of a week or so found 1985
Trek 620s.

I think I was really quite satisfied with the 620. I still am. I became obsessed with parts. Parts that I thought looked cool, or had great reputation and looked cool or just thought was cool for some reason. Somewhere about this time- I think I looked at a Trek 720 as a "grail." Something that is conceivably out there- but you know it's beyond your reach. I didn't really bother even looking.
And then one day, I wasn't even looking and a 1985 Trek 720 came flying at me. It just so happened I happened to check CL and the bike had just listed, I just happened to email/text the guy just in time and he just happened to choose me to sell it to. And then the seller just happened to be asking an amount of money that I just happened to have access to. A lot of things converged.

Over the course of this summer, the 720 has evolved into that "favored bike" status. I love riding my 620. I got a Schwinn Voyageur SP right before the 720- and out of all my bikes, THAT was the bike I could not wait to ride come Spring. But the 720 has eclipsed everything. I've gotten to the point that I'm blinging it up with everything from special components to pulleys.

Someday, I'd love to get a custom built jobbie- something chrome-y, fillet brazed, biplane forked, long wheelbased, gazillion braze on points... something that combines all the things that I've learned that I love. I don't know that it's a "grail." I could have it if I sold and saved and rode my bike down to Waterford to Ellis Cycles.

I have this dream of riding across the country, or riding through Europe. I don't see having the time to do that. My wife isn't into bicycling- so this is just me, it's not something we do together- so that makes a tour of any level even more difficult to do. But there's that dream of "just go."

I still haven't seen a Paramountain in person.

3alarmer 

...no sir, it is inspirational. I now want to load that Bob Jackson with the racks and bags out in the garage and hit the road. Sadly, it is raining..

ofgit

My 7th grade (mid '60s), 20 something year old, english teacher had a pairamountains and liked to wear dresses with plunging necklines. When she would stand, lean forward and put her hands on the desk to explain stuff...well there were a lot of nervous adolescent males stretching, straining to sit up straighter.

sloar 

It's all in the hunt for me. I get more excited finding the "Grail" bike, cleaning it, fixing it and passing it along. Once I'm finished with it I get bored of it and want to find the next rare bike. Every time I thought I found the one, it ends up not being what I thought. In the end it just ends up being another nice bike.

The Golden Boy 

Ah yes... young men sitting up straighter to pay more attention and learn these important English principles.

fietsbob

Indiana Jones or Monty Python Holy Grail ?

browngw 

Sometimes I get the feeling that"grail" bikes are actually bikes that everyone else wants, not me. The few bikes I've had that others liked were a bit of a disappointment to me. My favorites would likely not even be considered worthy of keeping by most.
I will just keep on doing what I'm doing and not think about the grail.

jaguiler

Just added a new grail post after reading this thread -

crank_addict

Grail-
1896 Lu-Mi-Num
cast aluminum, made in St. Louis
Fixed Gear Gallery :: 1896 Lu-Mi-Num Fixed Gear for the Gallery - StumbleUpon

Barchettaman

Wow.

The Golden Boy 

So it's odd this thread re-popped back up, just an hour ago or so, I was looking at a Jack Taylor for sale in my size. It looked like it was in incredible shape. As I looked at the parts, I was thinking- I could swap this out and that out and... then I realized, as much as a Jack Taylor is a beautiful bike- it's not meant for me. Unless it came as a frame/fork/racks...