Bicycles - what do you have?

[salad]

Yer I took a look at the crois de fer when I brought my vapour, I felt that I did not rely need to pay the extra dosh for disk brakes on a bike like that.I can understand disks on a mountain bike but not on a cyclo cross, I don't think its worth the extra weight.
Would be happy to recommend test ridding the vapour as I love mine, however you should make up your own mind as whats right for me may me not so good for you

 

[hairyhippy]

errr.. Pinarello Sestriere fixed gear, SJS everyday road bike, Marin mtb, just got rid of a 1957 Viking, I have a problem you see and no room in the garage.

 

[Beorn]

For the longest part of my existence I'm a bike maniac. Because of limited money as a student , I'm down to one at the moment , but it handles everything I want to do with it:



I can fix a rack, fender are an option (if it gets really wet and I'm riding to town) and it tows my children's carrier and more important, it brakes well enough for that! Also I can reach remote spots without my non-existing car, it's the best way to get out, because the bus service in remote areas is .......

 

[John Fenna]

Mine is a £65 special from our local bike shop - a replacement for my £75 one that needed a service and new tyres - the new bike was cheaper than the service and tyres would have been......
The £75 one was the one I used for several years and which was my trusty steed when I wrote my book "Discovering Pembrokeshire by Bicycle" (Gomer Press).
She certainly paid for herself many times over!

 

[Colin.W]

I have an old muddy fox that was left at a house we were called in to repair after chavs had destroyed it, run up the rent bill, "bought" loads of stuff on mail order and got the gas and electric turned off through non payment before doing a runner, presumably to do it again to another poor sucker who rents a house to them. it's not brilliant but it gets me from A to B

 

[shogun]

i have a gt agressor xc2 had it about 3 years now!! i am going to add panniers so i can cycle and wild camp...

 

[shogun]

I,ve got a trek 6500 and i really need to get on it again and get this beer belly off.

thats a nice bike m8

 

[Oarsnpaddle]

I have one of these (Dahon Smooth Hound) with a titanium Brooks saddle and better pedals:

 

[1972]

I use my bike for pretty much the same things as you describe - a bit of commuting (in the summer) and a bit of touring.

Its a Scott mountain bike that I've added to and swapped bits on over the years. I dont think you really need to spend a fortune on a bike, just go with a brand name and look after it and you should be fine. Mine's getting on for 15 years old now and its still going strong.


Out of the parts I've added/changed on mine the bits I've found most useful are:

Tyres - Halo Twin rails, actually really good tyres designed to be used on or off road by adjusting the pressures. I think most of the commuter/light off road tyres would make an improvment of the big stubbley things most mountain bikes come with though.

Saddle - Brooks. not showen in the photo but it was after that trip that I decided to change it, 26 miles and I could barely walk the next day

Panniers - once you've used them you wont go back to a rucksack, They're much more convinent.

Mud guards - make riding through puddles a lot more comfortable.

Peddles - I'd swap these for some decent metal ones if they're not fitted

 

[bilmo-p5]

Currently riding a Raleigh Traveller; pretty much as it was when new in 1985. I added the panniers and the Brooks Flyer when I bought it a couple of months ago (£23 ex-ebay) to use whilst another bike ('87 Raleigh Montage mtb) gets a much needed overhaul. 3-speed Sturmey Archers were a bit of a shock to my unfit system but I was surprised the difference that road tyres made.

 

[locum76]

I've got a trek 4100. I love it. It's a bit underused just now what with looking after the baby and that.

 

[Lithril]

I bought a trek portland http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/urban/portland/portland/ on the works cycle scheme to use as a commuter, lovely bike to ride, copes with luggage nicely you can put cyclocross tyres on it if you want to however most of what I'm riding currently is road/country lanes with the odd cycle path.

 

[pastymuncher]

I have several but I have just found the bike of my dreams-
http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=26317
Biking and bushcraft in one

 

[Ben Trout]

I've got a hardtail Specialized Stumpjumper and a ropey "can't even remember what it is" road bike.

The Stumpy gets used for off roading, towpath for work occaisionally and nipping into town (past all the traffic ). It has a Rohloff Speedhub; 14 gears sealed away in the rear hub. Expensive, but bombproof, jamming with mud proof and has epic wear life. The big S, whose name I refuse to utter, have quite a few hub gears on the market and will be a good option for commuting. Since I got the Rohloff my opinion of Derraileurs has slowly dropped and dropped.

The cycle to work scheme is well worth looking into. http://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/

 

[Lasse]

I'm riding around every day on my Thompson Athena. Added a rear rack, switched the mountainbike tyres to something more speed friendly and also added fenders by now (really nice in wet weather when you don't want to get all muddy...). When it started snowing this winter I threw the mountainbike tyres back on for extra grip, will swap the tyres again by early spring I guess.
Love the bike, but it's gotten a bit too small for me so am on the lookout for a new one. Which I'll be building myself hopefully (looking at Surly Long Haul Trucker or VSF Fahrradmanufaktur T400 framesets)

 

[marcelxl]

I have a Kona Hoss, just actually got back on it (had troubles starting it for a couple of years!) trying to get fit again and lose some timber!

I love it, its a "clydesdale" for the larger cyclist and never had any trouble with it despite it being thrashed a good few times in the past, so glad I'm feeling the love for it again!


Lucky where we live too, some superb MTB routes and country

 

[Oblio13]

Have several decent-quality road bikes built up from parts scavenged from the scrap metal pile at our recycling center - "Dumpcycles". Whenever I see better components than what I have, I grab them and upgrade. Have had to buy a few saddles, tires, pinch bolts, pedals, and handlebar wraps, but that's about it. Some I've converted to five-speeds, and one to a single-speed. (My house is where derailleurs go to die.) One is reserved for rainy weather. One is a "stealth bike", with no reflectors. I try to keep them in good repair, but ugly, so that they aren't attractive to thieves.

 

[WeThePeoplexfbm]

i has wethepeople custom bmx ^^ and a good old rusty 26 inch bike ^^ with muddy wheels

 

[alpha_centaur]

I've got too many bikes tbh. In use at the moment, I've got a surly LHT touring bike with 26" wheels, an audax bike thats doing the commute and a Cove Handjob.

The Surly would do what you need of it with no problems. but be warned for an expensive bike its overengineered (heavy).

 

[naefearjustbeer]

I have a Haro flightline sport and a Genesis Core 20 both buried in my shed. Once the weather picks up a bit I will be taking them out of hibernation. The haro is for bashing around the town. And the genesis is for proper MTB trails and forestry track cross country etc.