Daveyates

I'm with you when it comes to a carbon bike.
I would love to have a full carbon mountain bike.

gomango

Congrats on the De Rosa.

You are in for a major treat. I've only seen the pics, but you purchased wisely.

sloar 

thanks grady, and thanks for the info. i'm pretty excited to get it. only problem is its below zero and the roads are solid ice, its going to kill me not being able to ride it.

gomango

I know.

It's so cold here, they have closed our schools for the day....

For the third time this winter. This is shaping up to be a real beast of a winter in Minnesota.

Hardly riding weather. Imho

KonAaron Snake 

I took a spin on Tuesday, hit some ice wrong and suffice it to say, I'm in a fair bit of pain. Still worth it

gomango

I actually have two on my "wish" list.

A Niner Jet 9 carbon. The 3 star of course.

Or

A Giant Lust Advanced.

I could see myself being incredibly happy with either of them.

But for now I'll stick with my El Mariachi. Heck of a hardtail for the $$$.

The Golden Boy 

I just got one of my grail bikes.

The 85 Trek 720.

It was a slippery, snow flurry drive home when I picked it up. There was an accident on the freeway- I could see a really long backup, so I took sidestreets home. I kept angling my rear view mirror down to see that bike in the back of my station wagon...

Right now, the bike is in my basement- it's almost OK that it's -5 right now, it gives me time to go over, clean up, lube up everything on the bike- score pretty parts to make it even prettier...


But as it's said, it's a moving target.

Now I'd love to find a fillet brazed Ritchey tourer.

For a "new" bike, because of Stan's Wages built Waterford- I'd love to have an Ellis made for me. A fillet brazed tourer- either stainless or chromed... yeah...

iab

I have 2 bikes I would like to acquire. I don't know if both are grails but one will take effort to find. That being a cambio corsa Cinelli. The other is my ultimate commuter. No real searching for that one, just searching for the funds for a custom stainless frame with custom bars, racks, electronics and other features.

Italuminium

oh, and I really want to have a classic roadster build for me with a modern lightweight tubeset, loony high end parts and some stellar wheels.

blilrat

Mine would be the Yamaguchi that was posted in the forum last year. Beautiful bike!

Giacomo 1 

My grail bike has always been Italian. I couldn't afford them when I was young, and it always seemed like the older, well heeled kids had them, so it became sort of natural to believe that they were a cut above the rest. Not to mention its always great to ride the bikes the pro's did as they won countless Giro's, and Tours with. Such a wonderful history.

I think I now have my Italian grail - a 78 Colnago Super.

It's really such a nice bike in so many ways and fits me like a glove.

The Golden Boy 

I just looked at the one from 2009. It's interesting to see where my "grail" concept was 4.5 years ago.

gomango

I've always thought it was one of the nicest/prettiest Italian steel bicycles that I have seen.

...and such incredible condition.

gomango

I did as well.

I counted the bicycles that I have owned since that thread and I didn't have enough fingers and toes to count them all.

Giacomo 1 

Well, you would know my friend!

Thanks!

rootboy 

I want a Durango 95

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6u7gHwLx4w

The Golden Boy 

What timeframe is the Cinelli from?


In your "custom" scenario- who do you want to build it?

KonAaron Snake 

To further the other question, what style of bars? Why custom bars? What parts are you thinking? Why stainless? Details

Cougrrcj

I have several in mind, each with their own intended use. I have a road bike and touring bike in mind. I've never ridden either one of them, so who is to say that we'd like each other.

Even though I've been riding 'decent quality' bikes for over 35 years, I'm pretty much an amateur when it comes to bikes. I love the way my old Fuji rides, but it is getting a bit long in the tooth. At 26 pounds, it was a good mid-quality bike and somewhat 'light' compared to crap boom bikes in it's day, but many advancements have been made since then.

I just like the classic styling of a diamond-frame bike. The modern trend of sloping toptubes is not my cup of tea. Lugged steel - that is a given. I tried aluminum and didn't like it. It might have been the bike (Trek 1100), but I don't know. No CF, that's for sure. Not a fan of cable routing through the top tube, but I might have to overlook that to get what I want in regard to other frame materials/features. Where the bike comes from and the name on the frame isn't as important as the ride. Maybe I'm missing something by never having ridden an Italian, but I doubt I could tell the difference between an Italian and Japanese of similar quality.

Soooo... For a road bike, I'd like a '86 Pro Miyata, 57cm - not a Team. Otherwise I'd be happy with the 712. Touring bike - either a Fuji Touring IV or V, a '86 Miyata 1000LT or the Univega Gran Tourismo also from the mid '80s.

Yep, I'm stuck in a rut.

obrentharris 

You're not alone out there Jim.
I am smitten by a wide variety of hand-made bikes, but the long term love affair is with the road...
Though I do spend an inordinate amount of time trying to put together just the right bike for that road!
Brent

crank_addict

My grail bike... mythical.
Oh well, will play along. I'll take a late 40's dressed Rene Herse.

sloar 

how many of you have bought your "grail bike" then realized it really wasn't?. my problem is, i like the hunt more than anything. once i finally get it and clean it and get it just right, i find another bike i want more. are we ever really satisfied? i'm glad I'm not that way with women....anymore.

rhm

For a while, my 'holy grail' bike was a Norman Rapide. And I eventually found one, too; it was a little too small, but I could and did ride it; but between the condition being near perfect, even though the bike was over 60 years old, and the size being less than perfect, it just didn't make sense to keep it. I eventually sold it on to someone who rides it more. The thread on that, with pictures, is here.

To replace the Rapide I thought I wanted a Raleigh RRA of the same vintage; and I found that, too. It's a 1948 frame in original paint that's bad enough I don't have to worry about hurting it, and it's a great bike. But once I had it, it turned out to be just a bike. A very nice one, but it's just a bike.


And then I wanted an American made road bike of that vintage. And I found that, too, in the form of a 1954 Alvin Drysdale. I lovingly restored that... and it fits me perfectly. But that, too, in the end, is just a bike.

I no longer have a 'holy grail' and don't even believe in the idea any more. I mean, sure, I'd love to have a Paramount track bike from the 30's or a 50's Cinelli or... well, I could list a lot of bikes I'd love to have. But if ever pick up any of them, it'll be because an opportunity presents itself.

Wulf

I keep my eyes open for an Eisentraut 'A' frameset late 70s or early 80s.

gioscinelli 

My current collection and ridden bikes are my photo signatures! My Gios Pro is over 25 yrs old, Cinelli SC is 23 yrs old, Merlin Spectrum is 20 yrs old and my most recent purchase, 2006 Colnago C50. My grail bikes!