A good bike disappears into the experience of riding it, the simple complexity of your stimulated perceptions and the true beauty of the floating world you pass through while riding. Time flies, but a good bike is a timeless machine.

Timeless? no someday the bike will have a failure and get replaced by a newer model, just like cars and other stuff, so nothing is timeless.

I wasn't speaking on that level. Have you ever had a ride where you feel unhooked from the mechanics of routine and, briefly at least, in a state of mind not dominated or even formed by time?

But on the mechanical level, I believe astroarchaeologists have now determined that the first bicycles were formed shortly after the Big Bang; however, it took many billions of years before they wound up on Earth, via asteroids. So they are kind of timeless.

I want some of what you're on.

Haven't you forgotten "N+1?"

Seriously, I still ride bikes from the 70s...

Some of my life is like that. But, on the bike I (and others) call it "riding without the chain."

Well I guess that makes us timeless too.

That goes for me too.

Buzzkill.

It's our job.

I like you.

I like the quote ... there are some days that are just special like that!

I've experienced that when the bike is working perfectly and I'm digging deep, in a struggle to get maximum power down, thinking the next pedal stroke, the next breath . . . but not about the bike. It does seem to disappear . . . !

It's there, of course, but your concentration is so completely focused on exceeding the perceived limitations of your body, not being consumed by the pain, pushing through the pain barriers, that there's nothing upstairs left to think about the bike.

Not during those intense moments.

Rick / OCRR

well said!

I rode my mountain bike (2.1 tires) to work two days ago. Not fun, even though it is a great mountain bike. My commute is 1.4 miles one way. It was like bringing a tuba to a Stairway to Heaven solo competition. A good bike off road. Not a good bike on road. Def not timeless.

I agree and disagree.
Three years ago I purchased a new Trek Madone 4.6c and thought it would have it forever. Yesterday I ordered a Emonda SLR and put the Madone up for sale.

Forty years ago I purchased a new VW Beetle... Its timeless and I still have it.

Wish I still had my '66 Corvette Coupe or my '74 Lotus Elan.

There are more "good bikes" per square head in Colorado, Oregon and Washington. I do hear they're starting to appear in Alaska and D.C., though.

I do know the feeling Zapdaba's describing, though. Good rolling tires, silent drivetrain and soon you'll forget it's not part of your person.

It's called "a bike".

It's tough trying to class up a classless joint...

Silly me. I hadn't realised that was what he was writing about.

And I was not thinking about a joint, classless or otherwise.

of course it was said with a smile...

I think I have one of those "timeless" road bikes. I'm getting used to people coming up and admiring it for it's "timeless looks" until I realized most of those guys are either old like us and it takes them back to their younger days, or they're guys that weren't born when the bike was built.

I never was much of a fan of VW Beetles new or old, but it is cool you kept it all those years so for you that would be timeless. I bought a 58 Plymouth Fury 2dr Golden Commando about 36 years ago and still own it, I guess that's timeless for me at least until I either sell it, I die, or a some sort of natural disaster befalls upon it. Nothing lasts forever, even the great Pyramids are falling apart.

They're not all slow.... 200hp, 5 speed and go kart handling