mikemowbz

As the Labour Day weekend is upon us, I thought it might be fun to ask: which arrow in y'all CV'ers quiver has stood out as the 'bike of the summer' for 2018?

Which one of your bikes has received the most attention and appreciation, and provided the most enjoyment out on the road in the sunny months this year?

Maybe it's the same bike that you would have selected in response to the same question in 2017, 2016, 2015 - or maybe it's a new addition to the herd, or a bike that you've had hanging around a while but have recently gained a new-found appreciation for (either after a few key tweaks to the build, or simply because it's growing on you due a previously under-appreciated 'je ne sais quoi'...)

Tell us why the bike you choose is 'the one' for summer of 2018...and post a pic of the machine in question (obviously!)

For me, the 'bike of the summer' has to be my 1984 Mercian Professional. I've owned this bike for a number of years now, having picked it up via an awesome facilitation by @Drillium Dude. I've always enjoyed it a great deal, and it is unquestionably one of my most 'special' bikes, a hand built English custom with some nice features (531c frame, tight-but-comfy geo, uber-clean and simply elegant finishing work, long points on the BB shell, amazing stove enamel finish...) A key modification that really makes this a time-and-again go-to for me has been the fitting of Challenge Paris-Roubaix tires, nominally 700x27s but measuring 30mm fat on the original Mavic G-40 clinchers. Plush, and look the part. A few recent tweaks to the fit - saddle height and fore-aft, stem height - and the addition a 1984 Brooks Pro I picked up a little while ago from @rootboy have been icing on the cake.

This one has been my go-to for almost every sunny-day pavement ride this summer, including a quick 40-minute loop this morning in sunny Vancouver, BC:


What's *your* 'bike of the summer' for 2018?

3speedslow

merziac

There are 2, the 58 Paramount was rehabbed and ridden on a couple of rides and used as a commuter for 2 weeks, a little finicky but cool as heck.

Then the big Merz which is # 4 in the fleet, ridden on Bridge pedal, current commuter for last several weeks and ridden about 50 miles in the last 4 days including a ride to and stop at its original home base in Cascade Locks Oregon where the original owner lived and was the locks manager when he had it built. I am the second owner and finally have a bike that fits me, rides better and better the more I ride it.

belacqua

Post it! Surely vintage parts are justification enough.

GrainBrain

My '96 Zurich. Made changes to the chain rings and got a tight cassette for fantastic gearing in my area. Had to buy a new wheelset mid-season that was icing on the cake. Still need to shorten stem reach by 25mm, probably pull the trigger on a Brooks before next summer.

All in all it has provided me with over 2k miles of trouble free and fast riding this summer. It's been a memorable one, and I'll continue to enjoy it as long as I can. Then, it's 29er time

Vonruden

ascherer 

sloar 

rjhammett

I own 17 bikes. I ride each equally. I ride the next one in the line. I have gotten rid of all of my lesser quality bikes. No bike rises above the rest.

Spaghetti Legs 

seedsbelize 

79 Trek 930, which I took possession of in June of this year. The best fit I've ever experienced. And the best ride. I didn't know there were bikes like this out there.

ryansu

I bought this bike in May for 3 reasons;I'd always wanted to try an Allez, it was cheap -$80 instead of the $200 + I was used to seeing, and it was a 56cm frame which I had been wanting to try. I normally ride a 58 cm but had wanted to try a size down to test the fit. I ended up doing the following:

-new tires
-stealing a set-back seat post and brooks saddle from another bike
-borrowing a stem/bars/brake-levers from a build that was in process but didn't need the cockpit yet

I tried to make it work but at the end of the day and after about 100km it just didn't feel quite right. Perhaps I'll find a 58cm one of these days. This bike will get the spa treatment this winter and get sold when spring comes


IMG_3827 by Ryan Surface, on Flickr

seedsbelize 

Talk to me about the double bottle cage, please.

thinktubes 

Kilroy1988 

Definitely the 1948ish Carlton Continental. It came and went during the summer, but was interesting to fiddle with and ride around a bit. T'was slightly too small for me and I was able to turn a profit on it, which was what I initially promised my wife when I purchased it... So that worked out well!

-Gregory

merziac

https://www.ebay.com/itm/TALLAC-Stai...ss!97266!US!-1

jamesdak 

Well checking my logs it was this....barely. Maybe it has earned an upgrade to modern components.....

Greg LeMond Maillot Jaune, TSX/Campagnolo goodness with a sprinkling of Italian magic mixed in.




Was able to convert a modern cassette with new spacers to allow me to mount new wheels on this 8 speed setup.



Another beautiful day out on the road.

This one has a way of carrying speed by itself even when I'm tired.

repechage

What are the dimensions of that frame, looks big for a 56... but it might be how it is measured. The head tube just looks big.

As to what I have been riding this Summer, the bulk of the Summer was on a '71 Cinelli Super Corsa.
I need to glue on some tires for whatever will be next up.

ollo_ollo

I rotated through my bikes over the Summer. Some I rode briefly, some I rode far, some were quick and nimble, on others I just cruised along, but I think it was mainly Stella that made me stronger. I turned 78 in August, and when I hit the big hills, her 52/45 crank and 13/24 free wheel had me huffing and puffing like the old man I am. A few times, I endured the walk of shame when another bike would have eased me over the top, but I didn't avoid her, and kept coming back for another ride. At Summer's end, Stella and I are topping those killer hills without the low gears on my other rides. A small victory that still feels good. Don

bwilli88 

Did you do a build thread on this and I missed it? I like how the shift lever looks and would like more pictures of that.

brandonk

With bike thievs working long hours in the summer and people zipping around and salmoning on electric scooters, I decided it was time for a theft resistant upright ride.

vp1337

My trusty Diamond Back for sure:

Cl904

Pompiere

It has to be this 1988 LeTour I found at a local flea market last year. There was nothing wrong with the Sun Tour Accu-shift, but I had a 7 speed wheel and a Tri-color group and a set of dual pivot brakes sitting there. I swapped out a piece here and there and the next thing I knew, only the frame and seat post were left. With 27x1 1/8 Paselas, it smooths out all the bumps and vibrations.



1988 Schwinn LeTour

top506

I've tried to ride everything in the barn at least once, but most miles have been on this:




And this:



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