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

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

Old 11-09-21, 01:33 PM
  #51  
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Originally Posted by tkamd73
Yeah I really shouldn’t do that, old Treks really do start at quite a high point, in the pecking order. Thanks!
Nice choices on the upgrades too.
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Old 11-09-21, 01:43 PM
  #52  
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Originally Posted by shoota
Hey OP didn't specify I mentioned the word "steel" in my post, doesn't that count for something?

But if I had to pick a steel bike it would be a tie between the '83 Trek 630 and the '86 Schwinn Voyageur.
No worries but it is carbon, very modern, high tech carbon at that, right?

Certainly very cool no matter what.

My default here is that C+V is always implied, what do I know?
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Old 11-09-21, 01:55 PM
  #53  
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Y'all've seen this one before. 1965ish Cinelli Speciale Corsa with Campy 10sp triple. Repainted by Ed Litton. The other bikes I have are truly great, but this is the best one I've ever ridden. Ever.

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Old 11-09-21, 02:27 PM
  #54  
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Originally Posted by bikingshearer
Y'all've seen this one before. 1965ish Cinelli Speciale Corsa with Campy 10sp triple. Repainted by Ed Litton. The other bikes I have are truly great, but this is the best one I've ever ridden. Ever.

A very worthy choice, no question.

Fantastic and so beautiful.

I could pick that from here.
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Old 11-09-21, 02:30 PM
  #55  
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I haven’t ridden a better bike ever. AND It was a gift from my wife. She put me in the Queue and 5 years 7 months later I removed it from the bubble wrap.

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Old 11-09-21, 02:52 PM
  #56  
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1997 Swiss cross. I will ride this off-road before any of my mountain bikes. Just magical.
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Old 11-09-21, 03:03 PM
  #57  
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Originally Posted by Oldairhead
Bridge of the Gods? Were you riding the CRT?
Hi neighbor!
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Old 11-09-21, 03:06 PM
  #58  
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Originally Posted by merziac
No worries but it is carbon, very modern, high tech carbon at that, right?

Certainly very cool no matter what.

My default here is that C+V is always implied, what do I know?
I'll admit, I was semi-trolling. But I'm serious, that's the best bike I've ever ridden, and it's nearly two sizes too big.
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Old 11-09-21, 03:08 PM
  #59  
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OK, after reviewing the photos here and some other spots on this site, there are quite a few rear brakes that have about a 30 degree slant backwards with the pads aligned to the rims. Since my knowledge, that that it is, only proceeds to about 1990, nothing more recent, what is the advantage of this configuration? Thanks for the education...
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Old 11-09-21, 03:08 PM
  #60  
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Originally Posted by seypat
I guess I'm different. For me, the bike is truly a keeper when I don't notice anything about it while riding. We become one and it becomes an extension of me. That's a great bike.
Thats where I was going with the topic...several of you said the words magic and feel so this is what I was getting at. Bella Basso is that (I have not ridden a Ciocc or DeRosa so cannot say).

and not to worry about non CV...I did not specify.
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Old 11-09-21, 03:12 PM
  #61  
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Originally Posted by balindamood
1997 Swiss cross. I will ride this off-road before any of my mountain bikes. Just magical.
This bike is amazing. I love it.
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Old 11-09-21, 03:12 PM
  #62  
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Originally Posted by bikingshearer
Y'all've seen this one before. 1965ish Cinelli Speciale Corsa with Campy 10sp triple. Repainted by Ed Litton. The other bikes I have are truly great, but this is the best one I've ever ridden. Ever.

And this is pretty much the bike of my dreams. My very last unicorn. Sigh.

Late 60s to, maybe, '71 Cinelli S.C. Triple sigh. . .
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Old 11-09-21, 03:45 PM
  #63  
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86' Centurion Ironman 56cm , Tange 1 tubing , Prestige Tange 1 Cr-Mo fork . Tubulars , Selle Supercorsa saddle , SIS , Tektro brakes , Shimano 105 levers . Newbaums bar tape .

IMG_0599 by mark westi, on Flickr

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Old 11-09-21, 04:24 PM
  #64  
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That's always a hard to answer question. I would say that my Dayton Roadmaster is the best overall bike. Of the bikes I ride it's the heaviest (at around 26 lbs), the brakes are rubbish, the gearing is limited with 3 speeds. The bike isn't as fast on road as any of my other bikes and it doesn't have the off road chops of any mountain bike. The bike is crude and around 70 years old, but of every bike I've ridden it's always the one that I come back to. The best description I have is that it rides as the bicycle equivalent of an old British sportscar


1950s British 3 speed (Dayton cycles). The fun one
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Old 11-09-21, 04:42 PM
  #65  
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106100-002-026f by iabisdb, on Flickr

DD_2012 057 by iabisdb, on Flickr
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Old 11-09-21, 05:01 PM
  #66  
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This One …
JD


Caad5 911 Commemorative Edition
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Old 11-09-21, 05:19 PM
  #67  
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I've spent my time "in the trenches", so to speak; wrenching in shops. So I've ridden a lot of nice, high end bikes. Saying that, my summer acquisition C.N.C. Special is as electric of ride as anything else I've ridden. The PO told me he'd never ridden a bike that went up hills by itself before that one. It has the eyelets and clearances to be used year 'round, but it's a little too dear for me to ride this time of year.

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Old 11-09-21, 05:24 PM
  #68  
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Originally Posted by jim dandy
This One …
JD


Caad5 911 Commemorative Edition
Nice, love patriotic schemed bikes.
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Old 11-09-21, 05:34 PM
  #69  
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I have a couple of bikes that I purchased this year. They might reach 'overall' status at some point, but for now I don't have enough saddle time in them to make that call.

That said, I've put thousands of miles on this bike. It does everything well as a road bike.

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Old 11-09-21, 05:49 PM
  #70  
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I’ve said this before - if my house catches on fire the Carrera is the first bike I’m taking out.

Very honorable mentions, my De Rosa Pro, Merckx Century, C40, and my Tommasini (but only has one bottle cage). Also if this hell where you’re only allowed to have one bike has gravel roads then my VO Randonneur might be picked.

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Old 11-09-21, 05:49 PM
  #71  
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1978 Team Champion.
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Old 11-09-21, 05:59 PM
  #72  
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The best bike I ever rode was a Huffy like this one:




Perhaps the cute girl riding on the saddle had something to do with it.

The same bike was later ripped off when I stopped for a bite on my way home from the bars. I had a fried chicken leg in my mouth and the guy behind the counter said “I think some crackhead just rode off with your bike.”
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Old 11-09-21, 06:19 PM
  #73  
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Originally Posted by rogerm3d
That is interesting cable routing, non aero/aero?
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Old 11-09-21, 06:53 PM
  #74  
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I was just thinking about this a couple days ago. The one I'd keep is the 1980 Trek 414.
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Old 11-09-21, 06:59 PM
  #75  
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This Jamis Quest is my go to bike for any long rides when I want to be as comfortable as possible. After riding the same bike for 27 years, in 2011, I decided it was time to reward myself with a new one. It's a production frame, but it fits like it was made just for me. I try to mimic the fit on my other bikes. The only thing I have changed from as delivered is to add a Brooks B17. It isn't classic or vintage yet, but it is steel.


2011 Jamis Quest
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