Best overall bike you ever rode, bar none. One choice only.
 

Not sure if this is a re-thread or something, but a conversation came up with someone about the Faggin (they said theirs was "the best overall bike they ever rode bar none"), and I thought it might be an interesting question to ask. A friend of mine from the past said the best overall bike they ever rode was an AD Ultima...that it did it all very well. They also had a Colnago, a Peugeot and a Miyata among other high end stuff.

The parameters are simple. Only one choice. Which of the bikes you have ridden did it all, and well...climbing, descending, comfortable over a long day in the saddle, responsive in corners, stiffness in and out of the saddle, maybe even able to throw on a jury-rigged bag, etc...

At this point, mine is my beloved Bella Basso (1987 Gap), but I wonder if the Faggin truly is magic?


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1985 Trek 770.

Light, solid, great climber, handled like it was on rails. All day comfy. Loved that bike.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...03c44da92a.jpg

It looked just like this (not a pic of the actual one I had in 1979 at ten years old) and introduced me to a sport for life. Riding it felt like I had wings. If my Singer ends up feeling half as good as this did I'll be satisfied.

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The 2018 BMC Teammachine SLR01 with Ultegra/Dura-Ace Di2 and Zipp 303's that I recently sold. It's not the most enjoyable (that would be my '94 Colnago Master Olympic probably), but definitely the fastest and best performing.

For me this is easy peasy and it's my 1993 Bridgestone XO 2. It's not the fanciest bike that I own but it is a very well thought out machine. It has road geometry built around 26 inch wheels. Currently I'm running 26 x 1.75 skinwalls but it can easily take fatter tires. The bike is remarkably comfortable for all day riding and it works just fine as an all roads bike which is what it was designed to be. The bar, stem, and headset are original on this bike.

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Semi-custom Parlee Z3 with Di2. Light as carbon, compliant as steel. Unreal bike.
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This. Very comfortable, smooth shifting, lots of gears, great brakes. The keeper, if I got rid of everything else. Only a lowly Trek, obviously my palate is not that sophisticated.
Tim


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c2f7b97c5.jpegSlightly modified 88 Trek 400T ( all Malliard and Matrix items replaced with Shimano and Campy, big improvement )

To me it's like asking which of your children do you love the most. I have 4 bikes on the road and they are very different in character. I love to "cycle" through them regularly.

Man I love those old Trucks. I had a 560 in black back around 1988, and I rode that thing for almost two decades. Outstanding all arounders and really the height of Trek's offerings. It was all downhill from there for them.

My 1972 Bottecchia Professional. I can ride it all day ( The saddle long since replaced, I can't last an hour on that thing.)
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Nice pic PFB, and seasonal

That's a great bike. I posted my XO 2 but my 1979 Trek 510 came a close 2d. The vintage Trek sports touring bikes are terrific bikes. They have classic road geometry (in the early 70s this would have been thought of as road racing geometry but styles change).

The Dinucci. It's not even close
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That bike looks like it could handle anything, and go just about anywhere, really like the color!
Tim

Well, having just gotten done with "testing out" all my existing bikes and with the fact that I let another 20 go in the past year. I can say without a doubt it's the first Giordana XL Super I got.

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Every ride on this is like being in bed with the perfect lover, everything is just right!

It's not my best bike in any category and yet it is! There is just something magical that happens each and every ride on this. It's like nothing else I have ridden and not something I can truly explain. Heck I love this one so much I sought out another exact version of this frame and built that one up with "superior" parts. I thought about upgrading this one but didn't want to risk losing the feeling it gives me on the road. So the new one is 2 lbs lighter with SR/Record parts, carbon tubulars, etc and yet on the road it just another great riding bike that falls short of the experience offered by the original one.

I've let go a De Rosa, Basso Gap, Colnago Super, Ciocc, among others that just fell short of this Billato built beauty.

it must have been sprinkled with pixie dust by the bike fairies when it was made. No other way to explain it!

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Ritchey Road Logic. Like a lot of guys my age, I had stopped riding as soon as I got a drivers license. I started again at almost 40, and the Ritchey was my second road bike. I've owned it since 1997, and last year finally upgraded it from 8 speed to 10 speed so I could have smaller gears. All my other bikes, when I ride them, I think, "Oh, yeah! That's why I have this bike!", but the Ritchey is the only one where I think, "If I only had this one bike that would be okay."
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My Gunnar. Thing is so comfy, so silent, fit is so perfect.

Gentlemen -- avert your eyes -- its carbon, has knobbies and has been built within the past year ----- Given my current circumstances, the Yeti SB-100 is the best bike i have ever ridden - and im not saying that because of the ridiculous amount invested either. Despite being a short travel "downcountry" (new MTB buzzword) bike, this will eat up blue trails at a DH park and on fireroad transitions, will roll as fast as a gravel bike ---- In fact as we enter the winter season, that is my goal to install some narrowish tires and the set of Jones H-bars i have lying about for gravel and pavement cruising.

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Buuuuuuuut -------- If i have to make a choice from my vintage stable , my vote goes to my old DeBErnardi. I rode this as my primary bike for 4 years in the 90's when i was very active so im guessing it has north of 40,000 miles on it -- i restored it a few years ago, and the bike still feels the same -- fits me perfectly and is a sentimental favorite too. The only change i need to make is to procure a set of Highway One bars for it as the super deep drop Cinelli's are no longer kind to my current beer belly

Also, -- a resto mod DeRosa i built --- the way it is specced with the modern cockpit and 31.8 barsmade it feel super responsive. Also sourced a compact Centaur crankset to mimic the gearing on a modern bike. I wanted this one as my primary, ride it forever bike, but alas, it was a hair too big and despite the bikes capabilities, i was never as comfortable on it as the DeBernardi. But it impressed me so much i am passively looking for a 53c frameset, as this one measured 54.5

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Pegoretti Palo Santo.

I've never ridden with overalls on my bike. :innocent:

Me too, that’s why I asked.

Basically what bike would you take with you if all others had to go away, and would do well for you no matter what.

Obviously it necessitated a choice between road and off road, because Bella ain’t going to survive a mountain trail...or maybe Bella would....

Then you have not enjoyed the chafing of a life time!

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Bob Jackson world tourist. I ordered the frameset after a divorce and when I was quite poor financially. It was a bit of a hardship but it has taken me many wonderful places. I rode it out of dark times.

For me it is a tough question. I think the reasons for picking one over the other have to do with time in the saddle, after the final fitting, and configuration of parts.
Although the De Rosa is my favorite ride, the Pinarello is used more often.
The pin was recently converted from a double to a triple. It is more supportive of helping me get up the hills until I get back in shape. It will be converted further from an 8V to 9V with a 26t instead of a 23. It also changes at the other end from 12 to 13. This bike will help me with hills and getting back to a performance level I can enjoy more.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...79bbf125_b.jpgP1050226 on Flickr

The De Rosa is a 10v with the rear block from 11-25 but has a 53/39 chain set comparted to the Pin with 52/42/30. The other difference is clinchers on the Pin and tubulars on the DR.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...998631ba_b.jpgP1040764 on Flickr

Frame size is different too, Pin 57.5, DR 59.1

The bike that was a revelation of good riding was the Colnago Supperissimo. Little did i understand that it is a bit small. I would still rank it up there for best ride (tubulars)
https://live.staticflickr.com/1768/4...6696cafe_b.jpgIMG_20180707_074628 on Flickr

Never rode one without bars, either.