I own a beautiful Cannondale R3000si. It is fast and heavenly with full Dura-Ace and Ksyrium SSCs. It weighs 17.5 lbs, ready to ride.

Last week, I built an errand bike. It is an older DeBernardi with a mish-mosh of parts gathered from various garages. Its a single front chainring with a 9 speed rear. It has 26c touring tires on it and weighs 22 lbs (!).

I built the DeBernardi to run errands on, but since it has been built, I've been riding it for everything. Yesterday, I took it on a 30 mile ride along the coast - a ride that, presumably would have been suited for my Cannondale. In fact, since the DeBernardi has been built the 'Dale just sits there in all its glory, while the errand bike gets nod for weapon of choice for almost every ride.

Why is my $0, 22 lb errand bike so much more fun to ride than my uber-Dale?

Why must the 'dale look at me so. I feel so guilty for cheating on my all-american beauty with a fatter, older Italian that is just more fun to ride.

Is this so wrong?

I've just checked the Cannondale out on the website, and man you've got to get down the doctors!

Only joking, happy riding, Portent

I'll give you $100 for your Cannondale...

You're just experiencing the thrill of cheating on the 'dale. In time it'll wear off.

or your excuse for riding the new bike more and more is you're making sure everthing was put together properly

I'll bet the next time you ride the 'dale it'll feel like a dream as well.

Zack

for me, when i got my new road bike, it intimidated me...

it intimidated me because it beckoned me to ride much harder and faster than my old mountain bike did.... it's like i wasn't "worthy" to ride it cuz i wasn't riding hard enough.

also, i think you have built up more of a relationship with the de bernardi, since your blood, sweat, and tears? have been poured into it.

getting to know a new bike is kinda like getting to know a new person.... you kinda gotta ease into things in the beginning.... then you'll know true love

What you are really experiencing is the "magic" of a steel frameset. That is the ride that all "steel-o-philes" know and cherish. Ain't nothing else can do that. No matter how much money the marketers spend telling you that they can/have. Only steel rides like steel and lasts a lifetime. Enjoy!

hmm that's true.... i pine for my old cromoly MTB

I pined so much that I got rid of my Fuel 90 (aluminum, full suspension, pig) and bought a Scapin hard-tail MTB made with Columbus steel tubing and couldn't be happier. A HUGE improvement in ride quality. So much so that I just bought a new Scapin road bike made of Columbus Nivacron tubing. Can't wait to get it on the road in another week or so. Oops. This isn't my thread, is it. Sorry.

I wondered if the steel is real folks would try to hijack my thread

There's something to the intimidation factor, I grant you. The 'dale is more bike than a rider of my level could ever use. The DB is friendly and warm and doesn't mind tooling along at 13mph.

Anyone else have a favorite bike in their fleet that (by all accounts) shouldn't be?

I ride my SS Kona all the time over my nice road bike. There's a time and a place for every bike. When I go to groups rides and stuff, I don't want to be on my Kona, but when it's just me rolling along, the simplicity is great.

Although steel is awesome.

Fact is you built it. It's like Frankenstein. You are proud displaying your new creation. Just watch out for those villagers.

I have been having alot of fun with the worst* bike in my fleet, the Peugeot UO-8, partly because I recently finished rebuilding it, partly because it is my first bike with SunTour ratchet barcons, and partly because it is so theft-resistant. The 27 x 1-3/8" knobbies are great on dirt trails and acceptable on pavement. It is definitely the most practical bike I own, and I ride almost as much for transportation as for recreation.

I enjoy having five bikes with five very distinctive personalities. I suppose the Capo is still my favorite, because of its ornate lugwork and its small family business roots. It is also delightfully comfortable on a long ride. I have enjoyed trading emails with Harald Cap, the son of the company's founder, Otto Cap. Lots of people have Peugeots, Bianchis, and/or Schwinns, but I have met only a half dozen fellow Capo owners!


*The only one lacking an integral derailleur hanger and a double-butted moly steel main triangle.

I think you are experiencing a simplicity thing. You enjoy riding the simpler bike just because itīs more simple. You donīt have to have a fancy bike to enjoy cycling. Just keep on riding.

I prefer my beater commuter bike to my custom Bob Jackson touring bike. They are both steel, but the commuter (possibly Orbea road bike) is just a bit more sprightly.

I test rode a friends Klein he wanted to sell me for a little over 500 miles, even swapped out the front wheel for mine and replace the tires, tubes and seat with mine. The deal was fantastic at $500 with less than 25 miles on it when I test rode it; but even though the thing would surge up hills, I felt more tired on it due to a buzzer and/or jarring ride. When I got back on my steel ride if felt much better and I did not feel as tired. If had wanted a racing machine I would have bought it, but I don't do that anymore.

I don't think it is so wrong at all. I am one of those "steel is real" people. I have a 20+ lb road bike with 25c tires. And while it cost me a little more than $0, I have much more fun on it than the lightweight, flimsy bikes I have had.

Don't get me wrong, as far as I am concerned, to each his own. However, with a lighweight road bike, I found myself worrying about every little road pebble and imperfection. To me, that wasn't so fun. My heavier road bike takes the beating of the road like a champ.

I'd still keep the Cannondale. There may be those days when you long for that fast, pure road ride. However, it seems like you have found a great thing with your new rig.

Enjoy!