mstateglfr 

^ I'll see your 1 and raise you 5.

Andy_K 

I might be a bit in denial about which bike is my number 1. The bike I ride most often is my Specialized Sequoia. It's a great bike -- comfortable, versatile, reliable, and fits just the way I want it to. The problem is, it's not sexy. I don't want it to be my number 1 bike.



In fact, last year the Sequoia wasn't the bike I rode most often. That's probably at least in part because of the denial. When I'm picking a bike, I sometimes pass over the Sequoia because I want to ride something more beautiful. I've got a lot of bikes in the stable, so none of them get a lot of miles in any given year. Last year I took my 1974 Masi on a credit card tour, and that trip alone put it past most of my other bikes in mileage, and as a result it was far and away my most ridden bike in 2022.



The Masi is undeniably worthy of being my number one. It looks great. It rides great. It has a prestigious reputation. I like it a lot. But it's still not the bike I'm most infatuated with. Until recently, the bike I was most infatuated with was my Stella SX-76.



That one is dead sexy and checks any other box I'd want to put on my list. It's maybe not as versatile as the Sequoia, but for most of my riding I don't really need versatility, and I have other bikes with specialized purposes like gravel riding or touring when I want to do that. So the Stella was my number one until late last fall when I stumbled across this Pinarello Super Record Special.



It was a Pinarello Gran Turismo in this same dazzling, rich, metallic red color that kicked off my addiction to C&V bikes about seven years ago, but it was too small for me. Ever since I had been looking for another bike that had this look. The new Pinarello Super Record Special fit the bill, and it has a few more chrome accents, which I love. It also feels just a bit more lively than the Stella. My infatuation for this bike may also be surpassed some day, but right now I'd say that the Pinarello is my number one.

jet sanchEz

My old Professional.

There's no real reason, it is just perfect for me

OldsCOOL

1988 Cannondale Criterium series with Shimano 600, alu fork. Why? Light, quick and is a climbing fool. Fantastic bike of the day. I’m 65 and just love it. No other bike compares to the lightning quick handling, almost intuitive.

wrk101

I've owned about 750 bikes over the years, as most have come and gone, the one that has stuck around is my 1988 Schwinn Cimarron LE. I've had many "desirable" bikes and brands, from the usual Italian suspects including a couple of Colnagos, to several Ti bikes from Lightspeed, Merlin, and more. All of those are gone. The other challengers right now are my two 1987 Schwinn Prologues.

Lately, I've had some custom US builders enter into my stash. Right now, I am playing around with a Ron Stout, seeing if I can dial in the fit (its a bit small). We will see if it bumps the Cimarron from it's #1 position. It's changed a bit since this picture.

AdventureManCO 

Wow, 750 bikes. Did you keep any sort of a list? Were a lot of those bikes that passed through a co-op or something, or from running a donation program. What was it about the Cimarron that beat out the others?

USAZorro

Three brake levers is pushing it a bit, but four?!?!

At the risk of nlerner consigning me to eternal damnation...





I'm not certain what magic sloar performed, but looks, handling, speed, comfort, good construction, excellent gearing... this checks all my boxes.

I say this having had and having ridden a 1954 Hetchin's Magnum Opus, A 1978 Raleigh Team Professional, a lovely, 1977 Argos, an 80s Trek 760 (meh), a 2000 Bob Jackson Arrowhead, a gugified 1972 Raleigh Competition, and this bicycle's nearest contenders - a 1972 Fuji Finest and a 1950s J.A. Holland (which I traded for the Hetchin's, and would take back in a heartbeat if I could). All of the other bicycles (except the Trek) I really did/do enjoy riding, but this one won me over.

L134 

My 1982 720 because it has been raining a lot and the Trek has fenders and dynamo lighting. Its a mess!

smd4

White saddle, bar tape and brake hoods FTW.

ehcoplex 

It's fun, it's French, it's comfortable, geared to handle the hills around me, aside from 'technical single track' I don't hesitate to take it about anywhere, and I think it's pretty nice to look at, too.

delbiker1 

Not sure I can actually pick a number one bike. I can say that my favorite one to ride is my 2001 Lemond Tourmalet. It was a real mess when I acquired it, 2018, and I came close to returning it, seller ok'd that. I liked the ride immediately, so kept it, stripped to bare metal, had it powder coated, and totally rebuilt it. It now has 6600 ice grey derailleurs and brake calipers, black 6750 crankset, and 4600 sti levers. I recently made some fit changes due to spinal, shoulder, and age issues. I mounted a Ritchey Beacon bar and a 90mm stem with 17 degree rise. I have been quite surprised by how much I like the Beacons bars, very shallow drop and short reach. The wheels on it now are Zonda's, but I have a set of Hed Belgium rims with ice grey 6800 hubs that will be going onto the bike with 28mm GK slicks.
The set up performs flawlessly, the bike is fast enough and very agile. The comfort level with the new set up is excellent. The bars have just about eliminated stress on my arthritic thumbs. Just today, I took it out for a 25 mile ride, the first actual ride with it as it now is. It took a very short time to realize it is once again my favorite ride. It is the bike that I most feel like we are one. The handling is like muscle memory, no conscious thought to do as intended.
I have a Soma Smoothie and a Lemond Poprad, and love to ride both of them. They do not "communicate" with me quite as well. They are both very versatile, and capable, and have seen more miles than the Tourmalet the last 2 years. I believe that is changing.

Loving the set up with the Beacon bars.

chain_whipped

First post.
Just because.

seagrade 

If not my outright Number One then at least first among equals alongside my Bianchi TSX.

I'd wanted a Masi since reading reviews of the 3V/Volumetrica in c. 1986 and after missing out on one or two over the years realised that time was running out and chose this c. 2005 derivative at Milano Sport in CT in early 2017.

Clearly there's no pretence of historical accuracy nor of following The Knowledge and the natural order of things. Instead it's a collation of various components I've acquired and/or admired over the years. The Super Record rear changer was a given, and the newer crankset was a clearance-priced 177.5mm variant lighter than newer four-arm versions, and a nod to silver aluminium C-Record/Record predecessors.

Wheels shown are 24/28 Record Pave on Mavic hubs, a reversal of the GP4/GL330/GEL280 on Record sets which were prevalent when I started. I always liked the Mavic hubs for their design and simplicity, and broke enough Record hub axles to rule those out. I'm in the lengthy process of gluing Vittoria Corsas to some French Roval wheels, which I thought were well ahead of their time back then, and will soon replace those shown here.

I only picked up the Look carbon setback seatpost a few years ago, but always thought them a useful solution to the steep seat tubes of many 1980s frames. The Selle Anatomica saddle is there for the time being at least, comfortable albeit perpetually squeaky.

Record brake levers an easy choice as super light and super simple, as are the retrofriction shifters. The Simplex versions shown have been put aside for a pending Ron Cooper project, as have the Campagnolo/Mavic wheels, with C-Record Doppler shifters now in place.

The frame happened to have a 1" threadless fork steerer, leading to the Nitto stem and bars. The stem is on borrowed time until a 130mm version which isn't a Cinelli Sesamo surfaces.

Time to switch time on the computer for time in the workshop...

Edit - I should add that this bicycle rides really well, which after all is what it's all about. Very nearly if not very actually as well as my long-lamented c. 1988 Concorde Gavina SL. The comparison is more than 30 years apart but the Masi perhaps a shade firmer and less compliant, as could be expected comparing the tubing, but equally stable and predictable.

iab

Nice. What year?

masi61

Andy_K you're collection of triple crank bikes is substantial.

You have collected up some especially choice Campy triple groupsets on your favorite rides. Can you talk a bit on how having a "three by" bike plays into prioritizing it as your "#1"?

seagrade 

Cheers thanks. The bb shell is marked ME60 and 506. The former I suspect references the size (frame is 60x58 c-to-c) and ME perhaps a builder or model code. The latter 506 _without further research_ I have interpreted to indicate a 2005 or 2006 build, although it could be an undated serial number. Early 2000s would seem to loosely fit the OS tubing (no decal) and 1" threadless fork steerer.

WaveyGravey

My Bianchi 1885. Followed by my Litespeed Tuscany.

iab

Thanks. I like seeing how his work changed over the years. I recently saw a 2022 Simone D'Urbino Masi. I know, a new builder but things need to move forward. All great stuff.

Fahrenheit531 

My number one? The same one I always post, since I got rid of the rest:



Why? Because I set it up with all my favorite components (a pleasing blend of first-gen Dura-Ace, Cyclone, and Superbe) after discovering how much I loved the fit and ride when I was running it single speed. The color doesn't hurt either, being a super sexy scarlet that will never come through in pictures. It's been with me through two century rides and two minor wrecks. The gearing is set up to give me maximum options in the midrange, and while I suffer a bit on climbs and top-end speed that's an okay tradeoff. Bonus: the clack-clack of the brake levers is at just the right tone to grab the attention of roadrunners as I approach.

northbend 

I sold my "flagship" last year when I realized it deserved a better home than mine.
You see, I'm a lousy collector from a preservation standpoint.
My bikes get ridden "enthusiastically" and great memories are made but they suffer for it.
Over time I started to feel guilty about that on the rarer ones and so, I stopped riding them so much and then they lose their appeal.
So the Singer passed onto Gugie.
Ready for Cino by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
I'll likely sell the Hobbs soon as well for the same reason. It deserves to be someones flagship but it isn't mine. I'd like to see it go to a good home
The Old Brit by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

My flagship has to be my Woodrup. The frame was custom made for me 4 years ago.
This one gets the call most often by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
It looks good and works great, and it's so useful.
I've accumulated a lot of good memories riding that thing.
Part of that attachment I have with it is the fact that friends like the Bowmans, Bob Freeman and Mark (Gugie) have contributed to making it.
The bike is still being refined as I continue to make it an expression of me as a cyclist.
It's currently in 'dry dock' at gugie 's for some custom racks which I'm very excited about.
I hope to tour on it in Europe later this year fulfilling another dream I've had for a long time.

kwhiner

Started as a $200 grab off of Ebay. Turned out the previous owner had spray painted it out of a can in primer black. It was more than a bit ugly, but went ahead with the build anyway mixing Campy Chorus and Centaur parts. Brakes, hubs and rear mech Chorus. Cranks, shifters, and front derailleur Centaur. Headset and seat post vintage Super Record and last but not least a set of NOS MA40s for the wheels. Rode the bike some not a lot but really enjoyed it. Then along came a chance to grab up a Merckx TSX Century. So rather than shop for new components I took the parts off the Schwinn and transplanted them over. Well couldn't have that Paramount sitting bare in the garage like that. So over a few months I collected a Centaur 11 groupset and the other pieces needed and assembled it. One thing I forgot to mention very important I had the frame powder coated in a Super Rootbeer metallic. Bit of a long story, but I believe ultimately this will turnout To be my #1.

jim dandy

These two fight for #1 depending on my mood …

JD

Restomoded 2002 LiteSpeed Arenberg …

2002 Kestrel Talon

Chombi1 

After building it up (I bought it from "DD" as almost a bare frameset. Except for the Campy BB, Campy SR crankset and yellow cable casings and Campy Record shifters which he included.) and owning it after some years now, I think my #1 bike is definitely my 83 Davidson Signature.
Sure, it's not as flashy, maybe as expensive or as well known as some of my Euro 80's race bikes, but it exudes an understated classiness (It doesn't even have a tubing sticker or a serial number. How's that for minimalist?!) that American built bikes from that era seems to have in large amounts..... This is backed up by an excellent, super glossy, deep and very durable, Imron(?) paint job and flawless craftsmanship and detailing by Bill Davidson. It rides really smooth and sublime.
I just knew I will love the bike more than any other I had so far after seeing it for sale, so I jumped on it right away and had no regrets, since!


But,..... I do have an early series 753 tubed Raleigh SBDU frameset in my build cue..... It might actually give the Davidson Signature a run for its money..... Naaahh!...

merziac

And again with this, also beautiful dark red, rides like a dream, nothing short of amazing for me.

plumberroy

I have 9 bikes 4 that would be considered vintage but my Surly LHT and Cross Check ( flat bar & 1 x 9 drive) see 70% of my miles. Although I just picked up another Raleigh C-30 . I had one that I bought cheap years ago and I rode it a lot of miles my 75 Raleigh Sports is short trips and rides with my grandkids