What's the worst bicycle you ever owned?
#1
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What's the worst bicycle you ever owned?
I'm stealing this idea from a motorcycle forum I visit. I saw a similar thread there and thought this would be a great conversation starter here as well.
We talk a lot about our favorite bikes, but what about the rest?
Tell us about your LEAST favorite bike.
As far as parameters, this doesn't have to mean the worst quality, just a bike you didn't like for whatever reason.
I can start: My 00 Trek 2000. To be fair, it was really the wheels that were the problem more than the bike.
I loved the bike when I bought it. It fit and handled well, no complaints there. Components were good - solid, reliable Tiagra all around. Plus it was pretty, it had this beautiful dark maroon paint job that I really liked.
But those WHEELS! It came with these Rolf Vector wheels, and they were terrible. I had nothing but trouble with them. They simply would not stay true, no matter what I did. And the shop couldn't fix them either. The mechanics told me they couldn't do a thing with them, they had to send them back to Rolf to be trued.
I ended up selling the bike after one season - not just because of the wheels, but they certainly sealed my decision to part with the bike.
How about yours?
We talk a lot about our favorite bikes, but what about the rest?
Tell us about your LEAST favorite bike.
As far as parameters, this doesn't have to mean the worst quality, just a bike you didn't like for whatever reason.
I can start: My 00 Trek 2000. To be fair, it was really the wheels that were the problem more than the bike.
I loved the bike when I bought it. It fit and handled well, no complaints there. Components were good - solid, reliable Tiagra all around. Plus it was pretty, it had this beautiful dark maroon paint job that I really liked.
But those WHEELS! It came with these Rolf Vector wheels, and they were terrible. I had nothing but trouble with them. They simply would not stay true, no matter what I did. And the shop couldn't fix them either. The mechanics told me they couldn't do a thing with them, they had to send them back to Rolf to be trued.
I ended up selling the bike after one season - not just because of the wheels, but they certainly sealed my decision to part with the bike.
How about yours?
Last edited by Agent Cooper; 11-23-15 at 03:52 PM.
#3
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I've never had a bike I didn't like. Each bike I've owned has been better than the last in its genre, so I'm sure if I went back to the first bikes I'd be appalled, but when I owned them they were great. I even loved my Huffy.
If I have to pick, it was the one with training wheels. A bicycle represents freedom, and training wheels did not. Also, it's not a bike until you're riding a 2-wheeler with cards in the spokes. So, the best and worst bikes were the same frame, trading the training wheels for cards.
If I have to pick, it was the one with training wheels. A bicycle represents freedom, and training wheels did not. Also, it's not a bike until you're riding a 2-wheeler with cards in the spokes. So, the best and worst bikes were the same frame, trading the training wheels for cards.
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Can't say I ever had a bad one. The most disappointing was my Giant TCR C2 I bought new in '06. I fell for the carbon hype and during my first real ride I knew I had wasted over 2000 dollars. The magic carbon carpet ride I had heard all about never materialized. Sold it after a year, I had other steel and alu bikes I rode more. Good looking bike, though.
#8
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Redline R740 with Sora shifters, triple with 8 in back. Horrible bike. Everything about it sucked. I learned a lot from it but it was literally a painful journey. Frame geometry was really off from advertisements and matched up to 3 particular bikes but not completely. Was a small medium and large depending on measurements. Redline and bike shop avoided me after I bought it. It looked normal but could not get comfortable for any ride of distance. Just a strange bike.
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mid 90's Cannondale hybrid with 7 speed twist grips and 1 1/4 tires. bleck.
#10
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if we're talking real road bikes, a colnago carbitubo
#12
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2013 Raleigh revenio with 8 speeds and double up front, the problems I had were the inner tubes 10 popped in 8 months and was very twitchy steering.
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Motobecane Fantom Cross Outlaw, bought as a frameset.
It had a God-awful unforgiving, buzzy, jarring ride even with 700x32 tires.
It had a God-awful unforgiving, buzzy, jarring ride even with 700x32 tires.
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Easy! Raleigh Commando I got new for Christmas as a kid. Brakes never worked the seat was like sitting on a rough brick and cotter pin cranks always had slop in them.
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2007 Kestrel Evoke. I bought it as a frame set from Bikesdirect in a group buy here on Bike Forums back in 2007 and built it up myself. The quality of the frame was excellent but it was one size too big and I could never get it to fit right. My neck and shoulders were always sore after long rides. I had it for a year and a half before I sold it. I bought a different Kestrel frame the correct size and am still riding it. It fits like a glove.
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Back in the 1960s I had some big-box-store type of monstrosity; a single speed with a coaster brake, 26" wheels with 2-1/2" wide tires, all steel frame with way too many elements, chromed fenders, chain guard, kickstand, top tube fairings that enclosed a headlamp, luggage rack. The thing must have weighed 50 lbs. It was like a 1960 Buick for kids!
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An old green Huffy, c. 1970. Don't recall the model, but it was a tank. The Raleigh Record that replaced it was to me at the time a lithe racing machine.
#20
Portland Fred
Probably this one. But I thought it was awesome at the time
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Worst built bike was an Iverson Grand Sport. 44 pounds of gas pipe and stamped steel. Great big hunk of junk but I loved it.
Worst bike was a non name brand knock off of a Schwinn sting ray.
Best bike for me is my Tarmac
Worst bike was a non name brand knock off of a Schwinn sting ray.
Best bike for me is my Tarmac
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I love that bike. I agree that it should be spec'd with Campy but either way it is an awesome frame. I could suffer with the Scram if I could have the frame.
The worst bike that I ever had was a trek 820 mtb. I hated that bike from day 1. It never fit right and I just did not like it. I couldn't stand the owner of that shop and have hated Trek ever since. Good bikes but I can't get past the jerk that owned the shop.
As for your cx 7, it's beautiful
The worst bike that I ever had was a trek 820 mtb. I hated that bike from day 1. It never fit right and I just did not like it. I couldn't stand the owner of that shop and have hated Trek ever since. Good bikes but I can't get past the jerk that owned the shop.
As for your cx 7, it's beautiful
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Back around '90, I had an '88 or '89 Cannondale SM800, the old style design with the cantilevered dropouts. Damn that thing rode harshly, yet was not really responsive. It's the one bike I never learned to ride; I just could not flow with that thing on the trails.
For road bikes, it was a '91 Diamondback Master TG that was the most vague and dead feeling thing I have ridden ever, and despite 36h rims, it broke spokes constantly.
For road bikes, it was a '91 Diamondback Master TG that was the most vague and dead feeling thing I have ridden ever, and despite 36h rims, it broke spokes constantly.
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When I was stationed in Korea in 90-91, I bought a new "MTB" off base to commute from the barracks to the airfield, I think it was $80. I don't remember the brand name, but it was a Korean made POS. The derailleurs were never happy and within a couple of months, the square taper on the right crank arm wasn't so square anymore. It was awful, but I was riding!