catgita

When I buy or build a cheap bike, it is always way more fun than the dream bikes that comes later. It starts with an expiriment, or simple lack of money, and I wind up riding the wheels off the thing. Then more money comes along, or clearer vision of what it could be, so the dream bike gets built. But the dream bikes never get as many miles.

Maybe it is an attempt to resurrect the excitement of the experiment, but it's time has past.
Maybe it is disappointing that the unltimate rig really isn't better on the road.
Maybe the shortcomings of a cheap bike are excuseable, but not on an expensive one.
Often the ultimate rig is finished from day 1, while the cheap bike always has one more tweak to prompt a long test ride or 10.

Retro Grouch 

You have a point.

No matter how much money you spend to buy or assemble your dream bike, there will ALWAYS be something newer and cooler next year and your bike will remind you of "cold toast".

1989Pre 

"Life's a journey, not a destination."

Please try to avoid profanity in the future.

andr0id

Obviously you have the wrong "dream bike"

I ride the wheels off my Waterford and love it more every day and it's 8 years old now.

I don't expect to be replacing it anytime soon.

StanSeven

My Waterford is close to 24 years old. I kept upgrading it over time. The original Ultegra 8 speed with Mavic Open Pro wheels eventually got replaced with 9 speed Dura Ace and Kysriul wheels. The threaded headset got replaced with threadless and a new CF fork that Waterford painted to match the original paint. I also switched the bars, saddle and seat post. But it still rides and looks great.

jefnvk

I personally get more enjoyment out of something I have put my time and effort into, over something that came home shiny and new and ready to ride. I never felt the love for the MTB that I do now until I completely stripped the thing down and rebuilt it 15 years after I got it. I've never really had or owned a dream bike, though, so I can't comment on that. My dream bike is something functional and preferably unique that meets my needs, and all my bikes fill that role.

Then again, I get as much (if not more) pleasure out of wrenching as riding.

indyfabz

I don't dream of bikes.

Having your house destroyed by a tornado sucks.

My custom ti bike does not suck.

No charge for the edification.

gregf83 

You suck.

Wileyrat

No they don't.

I had my newest bike built to my specs, and I'm amazed at just how much that bike suits me, and my riding style.

The only issue with it is when I can't get out to ride it enough the motor isn't strong enough to do the bike justice.

Booger1

Dream bikes are GREAT!......In mine,I'm a kid again with a new Sting-Ray.I ride to the top of a cliff and ride off.....Floating all the way to the bottom,only to do it all over.....And then I wake up.

Maelochs

If your dream bike sucks you don't know how to dream.

If your dream bike sucks in real life you don't know how to live.

What you seem not to have realized is that your Ultimate dream bike is a cheap bike you keep tweaking.

No charge for that observation, either.

mconlonx

I continue to build and ride dream bikes. Most off-the-shelf bikes don't do it for me, and I like doing custom builds.

My ultimate commuter is even a custom frame I welded together. The rest of it was spec'd by individual component. It's gone through a couple iterations, but each one was closer to what I thought would be ideal, until it's now exactly what I want.

Before that, was a mtn/urban bike converted to drop bar commuter. Again, exactly what I wanted to build and very satisfying to ride.

And before that one was a complete build from individual parts of an 8sp IGH commuter based on a SS frame, which provided basic transportation for a few years.

Flipside is that I've rode stock bikes and beater bikes and have not enjoyed the experience nearly as much as a modded bike.

Even my beater bike is a dreambike at the tail end of aesthetics and which was built up from a bare frame, and now bears the brunt of parts bin modding as different bits and pieces have failed and been kludged back to running condition.

Dream bikes rock.

ColonelSanders

Do you have any pics of it on this forum and/or can you post one in this thread so that I can looky.

MRT2

Amen. Though I understand OP's point. I used to be an audiophile, and still have a bit of interest in horology. Somehow the pursuit of perfection can be elusive. I would say, unlike those other pursuits, which are mostly passive, cycling is mostly about the cyclist, not the gear.

Leebo

It's not about the bike, it's about the ride. Be the wheel.

kevindsingleton 

I enjoy planning, buying, building, fixing, and riding, all about equally. I wouldn't want to give up any one for any other.

CliffordK

Absolutely.

I just finished building my "dream bike". And it rides like a dream. In fact, the only bad thing about it is that I don't want to ride any of my other bikes.

It isn't 100% "finished". So, I'm hoping it will be more dreamy in the future.

I've already snagged 4 Strava PR's on it. Maybe a couple lesser ones too. And undoubtedly more will fall.

American Euchre

I get where you are coming from. Your expectations are relatively low with inexpensive bikes. Therefore you are likely to simply enjoy the experience of riding a bike, rather than obsessing over the performance and ride characteristics of the bike itself.

When you put together a top of the line, custom bike, ANY problem, however minor, is magnified. And your expectations overall are greatly heightened. It's very difficult to meet sky high expectations and very easy to exceed low or no expectations.

It's really not the bikes themselves but your expectations which determine how much you'll enjoy riding the bikes.

Maelochs

Every bike I ride is the perfect bike to ride, while I ride it.

CliffordK

If it is all about expectations. Then set the expectations low.
Then build a bike that just blows away the expectations.

Now, there are plenty of threads about "it's not the bike, it's the rider". So, if your expectation is to increase your speed by 10 MPH with simply a bike upgrade. Then perhaps it is best to keep the bike in dreamland.

dedhed

I'm a big fan of Dream Bikes

DreamBikes

Roadwanderer

I don't know... my dream bike is pretty awesome. I'm seeing if I can call it into being by fixing up/modifying this old Univega I have.

There's something about tinkering and getting it exactly how you want it.

chedarhead

I bought a dream bike when I was just shy of drinking age and still enjoy it today. I have never tired of tinkering with bikes but I will always enjoy my dream bike even with all the patina on it.

eastbay71

Thought it was just me, I'm quite profane and failed to identify any profanity. Maybe suck is considered profane somewhere outside of the 1950's

Astrozombie

Maybe it's about "feel"? On paper a bike might seem like it's ideal, but actual riding them and "feeling" them out and dialing them in to your body measurements is another deal.