clubman 

Humble Lemond Tourmalet, crappy non drive pic. Stripped of RSX brifters and reduced to decade-earlier Suntour friction (Cyclone 3 pulley derailleur, RX100 triple crank). Mismatched wheels. Go hard all day with comfort.
No blue tires

USAZorro

I had an '84 Trek 760, and it was too small for me too - but possibly because of that, it was never amongst my favorites.

My tongue in cheek answer is, "the bike I don't have, but am dreaming about". However, if a steel bike from 2000 counts, my Bob Jackson Arrowhead is my favorite for a spirited ride.

I have a couple other bikes that I'm either building, or don't have enough mileage on to really decide how much I enjoy them (I can't stress enough how miserable it is to attempt going out on the road in Northern Kentucky - between the lack of shoulders, drivers who aren't used to seeing riders, limited sight, and steep dropoffs just a foot or two off the pavement) that are in the running. I do have high hopes for a number of them - especially four of them that have been in the "build" stage far too long.

The tried and true, incredibly versatile, yet seldom the first pick on any given ride, is my Fuji Finest. It has a plush ride, planes well for me, is relatively light when I don't have it set up with bags and a rack, handles confidently, and tends to get compliments.

Sadly, photos of the vehicles referenced were saved on Picasa, and have met their demise. New photos will need to be taken as time and light allow.

DMC707

Not much surprise that my current fave is my recently built DeRosa

The components work well together, but the big star of the show is the bars -- Love the Salsa cyclocross bars -- the modern cockpit keeps everything feeling stiff and lively -- compact drivetrain is a treat







My De BErnardi is made up of a more modest tubeset than the DeRosa (Aelle) -- so it is a bit heavier, --- I installed a triple drivetrain to haul me over hill and dale , --- but again - I had to go modern on the bars, even when coupled with the Technomic --- plenty of hand positions and a wide platform --- love it .

Just writing this makes me want to ride them both again

jimmuller 

Tough call indeed. The bikes are subtly, or not so subtly, different so it really depends on what the day's ride is projected to be like. Probably the Masi. It is wonderfully balanced and loves to run hard. The Gazelle is pretty durn good too, very comfortable, easy to ride far and fast, and has a slightly lower low gear for really hilly routes. When I finished the Motobecane and took it for its first spin, I thought "Wow!" For a serious sprint-type ride, the Grandis wins. On my commute I appreciate the others too.

Why do you ask tough questions like that? You know we can't answer them!

easyupbug 

Retired so ride daily, Southern AZ with extended Summer stays in OR, WA and WY so:
AZ - Colnago Master, CIOCC Designer '84, Pinarello Asolo, Davidson
OR & WA - Pinarello Montello
WY - LeMond Zurich, Kona Lava

johnnyace 

I haven't had much chance to ride my 1983 Team Fuji yet, but I sense it will be much the same.

johnnyace 

Oh, you know, it's just fun to read a bunch of bike nuts waxing philosophic about their bikes. The usual.

OldsCOOL

This.....

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

bulldog1935

It's mean to make me pick. My Moser is definitely the fastest. My upright is definitely the cushiest (and it's still plenty fast, just not aero).
I'll have to go with the moustache bar bike - my '74 International. No one is lukewarm on these bars - everybody loves them or hates them and the people who hate them don't understand why the people who love them do (we set them up correctly and grab them in the right places)

plonz 

Same question my wife asks when she gets tired of seeing all this bike stuff.

If I were forced to pick, oddly enough it wouldn't be my most prestigious bike, or my fastest bike or my most expensive bike. It would have to be my first C&V build and still the one that puts the biggest smile on my face; my 1984 Raleigh Competition with modern componentry. An absolute pleasure to ride.

Wildwood 

They are all favorites, that's why they are here. 30 years in the making, so to speak.
Just looking for the next one - preferably German or Spanish, early 80s.

bikemig 

I like the group picture, very nice

SuperLJ

Agreed on all counts.


IMHO, Trek really nailed it with their early 80's sport touring bikes. I've put 500+ miles on my '83 620 in the month since I rebuilt it. Maybe I'm still in the "honeymoon" phase, but this bike just seems effortless to ride, even with the stiff Pasela TG's I've got on their right now. Gonna try some cushier tires one of these days - I can't even imagine what that'll be like!


I've got bikes that are worth 10 times what I paid for this old Trek that don't perform as well.

lotek 

I'd have to say my 1974(ish) Zieleman, it rides like a dream, quick and responsive but soaks up road chatter and bumps like it has shocks.
I guess that's due to Ko building bikes to ride northern classics.

After that I'd say my Trek 770, very nimble bike but just doesn't ride as comfortably as the Zieleman
Jury is still out on the DeRosa as I still haven't built it up.

Marty

Fahrenheit531 

The one that's stuck around while many others have come and gone... '71 Paramount P15-9, found thanks to somebody ahead of me at the coop cash register and a very fortunate glance to my right as I stood waiting:



EDIT: How bizarre is it that somehow the chain looks to be in front of, not through, the FD in this pic? I'm trying, but just can't un-see it.

Roger M

Depending on the weather and who I'm riding with:

Nice weather



Bad weather



Who I'm riding with

Wildwood 

Easy to tell some favored riders = look at the handlebar tape. Love it.

SJX426 

I am with the depends group. that doesn't sound right! Well, in this weather, cold and sometimes wet, the RockHopper is my favorite to commute on. I call it my truck. I have over 4500 miles on it.


When the weather is good, its the Pinarello Montello with over 3000 miles on it since I purchased it a couple of years ago.


Both these bikes are an integral part of my rides, that is, they feel a part of me. I don't have to guess or "try" to do anything, they just respond. Yeah, the RH is a push and the Pin is a run to catch up, but like others have said, it depends on the mood, weather and often route.


I can hear the Colnago in the back ground asking "what about me!" Your a favorite too! The others I really have not established a relationship with.

base2 

Well, if the question is "What is your favourite bike, regardless of vintage?" I'd have to say my 2013 Scattante DX350. I only had to upgrade everything except the handle bars, bottom bracket and crank arms. I've owned it 21 months and it has 4100 miles on it. The Mavic Aksiums and Ultegra 6800 groupset and Avid BB7 with 180mm disc really transformed every aspect of the budget Performance Bike branded Fuji. In looking at all my data it's less than .1 mph slower than my 2016 R5, and it doesn't feel dead like the R5 does. The R5 only got 2600 miles this year. It'll be 3000 by years end because it's been relegated to the trainer for the winter.

But if the question is "what's your favorite vintage bike?" I'd have to say it's my 45 year old varsinental. (Currently being built) Included is 1 picture, I'm reserving the rest for a picture thread for when the build is complete. https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0qWv-k7GhWCR1V2UURpcHZXSDVJTE9pWEd4eXFRWFVfbG1J

non-fixie 

"To ride" and "favorite" do not fully overlap for me. There are many more aspects of a bike that make up "favorite", like its history or rareness. Or the fun I had building it. Or what I paid for it. Or just the way it looks in my living room.

If I just take the way my bikes ride into consideration this rather scruffy early seventies Gitane TdF wins. It's the one that feels most like a body extension.



An honorable mention goes to my Springfield, the only bike on which I managed to keep a former world champion behind me. (That he was 86 years old and his pacemaker hadn't been properly adjusted probably helped a bit):

johnnyace 

This bodes well for me.

Wildwood 

you've got a body like @non-fixie ???

non-fixie 

Yes, it does.

non-fixie 

I thought we'd agreed not to talk about this on the forums ...

johnnyace 

No, I just borrow his occasionally.