Today's bikes, tomorrows classics. What are they? Excluding custom builders or smaller production fabricators here is my stab at it:

Bianchi Project bikes
Caad 10, Super Six(most of them will have busted frames in 20 years! lol)
Pugsley (without a doubt the original white ones)
Kona Explosif, Jake the Snake(already has a huge following)
Anthem, Anthem 29
SL4 Tarmac, SL4

Kestrels
The last aluminum Fuji Team Pro's
Kleins

+1 on CAAD 10, a lot of bang for the buck.

+1 on the Pugsley

There's been several Jake the Snakes on local CL over the last couple of years, stayed there a good while.
We'll see if the Tarmac has staying power; I already see guys who had Madones, then Tarmacs, now Evo's....(it's them, not the bikes)

I would say the CAAD 8s and 9s will be because they are made in the USA and much prettier than the 10s. I think the BMC team machines or whatever will be classics. Cervelo R5 CAs and Cervelo prodigies for sure. Steel lemonds from the early 2000s are already classics. For mountainbikes I would like to say anthems because I love mine, but I really don't think they carry the panache. I think Kona Stinkies will be classics for sure.

My kids said fatbikes.

edit: I re-read the no boutique part.

In that case, it's a fatbike or variant all the way. In this case a 29 x 3.

You can't throw a rock without hitting one of these things in Minnesota this winter.

So I'll say a Surly ECR.

I test rode one for three hours this morning and they are very nice.



or a Pugsley Black Ops.

us postal Trek Madone

I think the Fixie-bikes from the Detroit Bicycle Company will have lasting appeal.

I think more love will fall on the early bonded frames, whether that was aluminum or carbon. I have a Raleigh Technium 460 that is a nice ride (a bit too small for me), and a Mangusta that is the right size, but waits for refurb. I'd like to ride an Alan and and early lugged/bonded carbon bike as well.

But I'll stay with steel forks, thank you.

I don't think there will ever be much interest in the bonded frames, but we'll see.

Todays classics - well, you already limited this by saying no boutique builders...I think the real answer is Moots.

I'd say Trek Madones, Lemonds, especially Poprads, Orbea Orca, CAAD 10, Pinarello Dogma, Tarmac.

I know it's a minority opinion, but I think fat bikes are a passing fad.

+1 On the Poprad. I'd add the Ibis Hakkalugi will be a classic as well.

Not in Minnesota Aaron.

I've changed my tune on fatbikes.

They are everywhere and not going away.

They are getting Minnesotans outside in a goshawful winter and I say more power to them.

I just saw over 40 of those things down at the river bottoms this morning.

I happen to like them more than snowshoeing or x country skiing, which were my favorite winter pass times.

Plus, fatbikes are difficult to beat for winter exercise.

For sure, but I would add a Salsa La Cruz to that list.

Slow connect. Double post.

Don't get me wrong GMG - I want one and think they're awesome, but I also think they're going to die down in most areas.

Maybe you're right, but I doubt it will slow down anytime soon in these northern climates.

They can't keep them in stock in our local shops.

I would take one of these for the cabin.

I agree. They are huge in Scandinavian countries too. Singular released on in the last 6 months and they are set to do a run of 29x3" bikes too of which they just got the prototype and it will go to production way sooner since they learned a lot on the Puffin project. I hope they do a kickstarter on that one too and I might be in this time. I think Puffin's are still being patiently awaited for first production run.

The local shops thought they would sell a few fat bikes to the die hard bikers in our town of about 26K and our territory of ~35K (that is right a whole territory bigger than most of the lower 48 states that is only 35K people)... anyway... sales continue to grow year after year and there are two shops in town. The smaller one all but closed in the winter, but this year it is open 5 days a week to serve it's fat bike customers and the increasing number of winter commuters... estimate are that there is well over 100 fat bike owners in town now.. I see their tracks everywhere I go on mine. Read publications like Bunyan Velo to see how people are choosing these for adventure touring more and more and companies like revelate designs growning... It's huge. I bet there are 1000's of fat bikes in Alaska but I really haveno data. It's quite amazing to see the explosion of this industry. Suspension is on it's way (X fusion has a model in the works to sight one example)...

I love Bunyan Velo.

Totally hooked me.

I am also a big fan of Singulars and I can't really say why I don't own a Peregrine at this point.

Great design across the brand.

FWIW it's snowing hard here again today and it's all I can do to not hop over to the shop and buy an ECR with Knards.

Man, are they a great bike.

I was not really down with the whole fat bike thing,until I rode a mates, an old 90's MTB conversion riding with this mate on some very very sandy tracks . . . I was blown away, we had rode this track a few times but not this fast or with some much certainty! I will have one eventually, I just missed out on my mates one before he sold it to go to the UK.
I will do what he did and convert something early 90's CroMo frame and fork . . I think Sixtyfiver did this a while ago too?

lol

Well, as a fan of the C&V steel but we're talking today and the future classic, give me a CF Specialized Venge (got that coolness McLaren F1 DNA).

My votes:
caad9 - last of the American cannondales
allez smartweld - new alloy tech in a carbon world
dogma - not the prettiest bike, but a lot of podium finishes
Serotta (any) - I'm calling this one obvious assuming you consider them a medium builder

for steel... 2013 Ritchey Road Logic ....

Lynskey

Very nice Road and MTB.

Especially, the helix tubing



(although, I'm biased)

Well, I can't account for anybody else's taste but for bikes produced in the last 10 years or so I like Klein's, Kestrel's, and 853 Lemond's.

I am officially jealous.

Glad to hear my caad9 will soon be classic, though personally I can't wait till it gets warm enough to paint it -- it's hideous!