VegasJen

What's your favorite bike? And why?

I ask because I have several bikes, all older used bikes. My CF Specialized Roubiax is light, fast and reliable. It's the road bike I paid the most for and should be my favorite. But somehow it's not. Last year, I picked up a K2 from around the same era as the Roubiax. It's aluminum frame with CF forks and seat stays, so it's also light, but not quite as light as the Roubiax. It is similarly equipped with 105 hardware, but I have had issues getting the shifting set up correctly. And I've had some bad luck on the bike, include that one spill last fall when I broke my wrist.

Yet somehow, for reasons I can't explain, I just like this bike better than the Roubiax. It doesn't really make sense. By all rights, the Specialized is a better bike. But there's just that thing, you know, a thing you just can't describe, that makes me like this K2 better.

Roubiax:



K2:

BobbyG

I have a 1984 Nishiki International 12-speed that just speaks to something in my soul. From a technical standpoint it's not my best bike, but it feels more right in my body and mind.

We admire perfection in people and things, but we love people and things that approach perfection despite their faults and short-comings. I suspect it's because they're more like us. Or maybe that's just me.

Technical excellence can be measures empirically. True love and desire rely on an murky, inexact alchemy involving emotions, past experience, aspirations, other intangibles and a little magic.

mstateglfr 

A steel frame road bike that I built during the winter of 2018 in a local class. It fits perfectly without any kludge adjustments, which at my height and classic steel frames, is rare.
2x11 drivetrain, 32mm tires, rim brake. Perfect.

Maelochs

Is your avatar King Kong on a bicycle?

Wildwood 

I'll take a turn, even tho' picking one best is impossible. Been in the road bike rabbit hole for 35+ years. Vintage, modern, e-bike.

When on the bike I feel racy. Here's the vintage and 'modern' tailor-made favorites.

Must be the Campagnolo. DeRosa and Calfee.

pdlamb

I've got a small handful of bikes. Strangely enough, my favorite is the oldest and least expensive (even though it's not rideable at the moment -- Shade Tree Mechanic needs to get busy!). I don't know why; I've got a couple custom bikes that are good, but not as much fun as the old Fuji Touring.

This apparent disconnect between specs and comfort, or price and fun riding, is the reason I recommend to newbies, Go to your LBS and ride some bikes. Pick your favorite, because that's the one you'll want to ride most.

Lombard

I'm guessing the K2 probably fits you better than the Roubaix.

genejockey 

I have 10 bikes. I use Strava to record mileage etc. and I make sure that each ride is properly assigned to the bike I rode. In 2020 and 2021, I split my riding up so that all the bikes got a fair amount of use. Last year, though, I really favored one bike - the 1995 Litespeed Ultimate I bought at the end of 2021 and built up in early 2022. I put about half my total mileage on that one bike. I'd sometimes ride other bikes, and remember why I liked them, but if I was daydreaming about a ride, it would be on the Litespeed.

alcjphil

One thing I notice is that the saddle on the Specialized has a noticeable up-tilt to the front. Try levelling it out

mstateglfr 

Sorta. Its a tattoo on my back right calf. Sasquatch riding a bike. Or a gorilla riding a bike...same difference. 6'5 220 and I often feel like that when riding next to people.

rydabent

My favorite bike now is not even a bike, it is a trike.

prj71

More than likely that "thing" is the that geometry of the K2 bike fits you better.

If the specialized had that same exact geometry than it would be better from a frame standpoint. Carbon > Aluminum.

wheelreason

Well then, my favorite trike is a bike...

VegasJen

This guy gets it.
Probably. I may do some measurements at some point to see why it's different since they're both supposed to be 49cm frames.
That's not my normal riding position. I was just messing with the angle when I took the pic.

jaxgtr

I have a 2016 Trek Emonda ALR that fits me like a glove and I absolutely love it. Bought it over the Emonda SL I was looking at at the time as I found the ride better and it cost a lot less as a benefit. I have a very nice Domane SLR 7 AXS, but the Emonda is my go to ride. Love the Emonda so much, I put Force AXS on it recently and just put some new Ritchey bars on it. I need to update the pic.

Lombard

Geometry is almost certainly different as well as little differences in fit.

asgelle

It’s worth taking the time to figure out what it is about the K2 that makes you like it more so that if you’re in the market for a bike in the future, you can choose one with those characteristics.

VegasJen

Good point.

rumrunn6

mountain bike, not so much because of the bike, but rather because of where I go on it

Camilo

This.

If we assume that the saddle, bars, seat post, stem, every contact point is the same (are they?), the fit could be as close as possible, but probably not exactly the same between the two. Fit measurements always have at least a little +/-). As a starter, it could definitely be the photo angles, but it looks like the saddle-bar drop looks different, but that's just one of the main fit measurements.

On top of that, there could be very small and subtle differences in the geometry that just make the bike feel better in whatever way a bike would feel better to her. Angles, BB drop, chain stay, wheel base, etc. Feeling better could be in any number of ways: over all comfort, handling, stability, the way it rolls over imperfect surfaces, let alone differences in contact points that might not actually be the same exact parts (similar is not the same as identical). We'd have to know all the differences in parts, geometry and measurements.

But it really doesn't matter - there's no arguing with an opinion that something just feels better for no obvious reason. It's good to have a favorite bike! Be glad you have one and aren't always searching for it!

Tony Marley

Easy Racer Ti Rush long wheelbase recumbent

VegasJen

Bumping my thread here.

Since I'm getting ready for a tri next weekend, I wanted to get some seat time on the Roubiax and see if that was the bike I would use again. Since I bought it a couple years ago, it was my go-to bike for triathlons, mainly just for the weight.

But I rode it today for the first time in probably six months and I think I figured out why I don't like that bike as much as I feel I should. It's a fast bike for me, there's no doubt. But it has a weird feel to it, like it transmits more road harshness than my aluminum bikes. Is this a normal experience with CF bikes?

I find that I feel every little crack or pebble on the road, and I'm constantly checking my tires to make sure they're not going down. It's almost like the entire bike vibrates with road input. So even though the bike is fast and smooth, I just never feel comfortable on it. Not a physical comfort, but a psychological comfort, like I'm going to be stranded on the side of the road at any minute. Ironically, I think I've only had one flat the entire time I've had this bike. I had two flats the first two weeks I had my Ridley. Go figure.

Lombard

When a bike transmits more road harshness than another bike, my first suspect is your tires. What size and type of tires do you have on this bike compared to your other more comfortable bike?

Frame material has very little to do with comfort. Frame geometry and tube shapes however can have some affect on comfort.

VegasJen

I don't recall exactly which tires at the moment. I think they're either Vittoria or Contis. As for the tubes, I pretty much run Kenda in all my 23c tires. Right now, most of my bikes run 23c because that's what was on them when I got them and I just didn't know better. As I replace tires, I'm starting to experiment with 25c and 28c. Have 25c on my K2. I didn't really notice much change in the ride quality with that small change.

terrymorse 

As you change to wider tires, remember to adjust your tire pressure downwards.

The ride will be smoother, and your rolling resistance will likely decrease (depending on the road surface).

I use the Silca Tire Pressure Calculator as a guide.