Hey,
Haven't posted in ages. What are your opinions of the best bikes ever made?
Thanks for Replying.
Little Lance
Haven't posted in ages. What are your opinions of the best bikes ever made?
Thanks for Replying.
Little Lance
Your Opinion of the Best Bike Ever Made?
- Thread starter Little Lance
- Start date
Your phrasing is confusing. Do you want us to tell you what the best bicycle ever made was? Or do you want us to tell us what we think about the best bicycle ever made (whatever it may be)
I think it was this one. It was the first ever bicycle to use a chain-drive. This was the pinnacle of bicycle evolution, it was a revolution in technology. Our design has essentially not chenged for over 125 years, the components just got better.
Maybe this one instead. It was the first to ever use two equal sized wheels and a chain drive. the saddle looks an awful lot like a brooks.
Or the first ever 'safety-bicycle' which is exactly what we use today. Not bad for something over 110 years old, I see couriers using those.
I think it was this one. It was the first ever bicycle to use a chain-drive. This was the pinnacle of bicycle evolution, it was a revolution in technology. Our design has essentially not chenged for over 125 years, the components just got better.
Maybe this one instead. It was the first to ever use two equal sized wheels and a chain drive. the saddle looks an awful lot like a brooks.
Or the first ever 'safety-bicycle' which is exactly what we use today. Not bad for something over 110 years old, I see couriers using those.
To an engineer being ask the question "which one is the best" means you can't give an answer without asking more questions.
What are the requirements to be considered the best? To be the best what things must be considered and what are the weightings of each aspect?
best for light weight
best for stiffness
best for comfort
best for handling
best value
best style
best durability
best history (ie that bike won 28 pro races)
etc
If you let each person choose the weighing of those issues, you would get different bikes picked and the options would be wide ranging. Even if two people have the same scales, they would rate bikes differently.
BobbyOCR will likely tell you the BMC is the best bike ever
Somebody would say anything Merkx road was the best bike ever
A custom frame with silver brazing and crome lugs and air brushed finish would be suggested
Then some Lance-o-phile will suggest a Trek
Will be interesting to see what people think, but ultimately its an imposible question to answer.
What are the requirements to be considered the best? To be the best what things must be considered and what are the weightings of each aspect?
best for light weight
best for stiffness
best for comfort
best for handling
best value
best style
best durability
best history (ie that bike won 28 pro races)
etc
If you let each person choose the weighing of those issues, you would get different bikes picked and the options would be wide ranging. Even if two people have the same scales, they would rate bikes differently.
BobbyOCR will likely tell you the BMC is the best bike ever
Somebody would say anything Merkx road was the best bike ever
A custom frame with silver brazing and crome lugs and air brushed finish would be suggested
Then some Lance-o-phile will suggest a Trek
Will be interesting to see what people think, but ultimately its an imposible question to answer.
Phill P said:
hahahaha, sort of a safe assumption, but not correct. There are many bikes out there which are better in different ways than a BMC. As you said, it is an impossible question to answer.I quite like this
Big Leg Emma, by a manufacturer who's name should be synonymous to style.
LOOK AT THE CHAINSTAYS 35mm of steel power.Their Love #3 is breathtaking as well.
I do have a softspot for the SLT01 though
, only because the SLC01's crossloc skeleton and sloping geo make it look a bit out of proportion.Oh yeah, I hate Treks.
I'm sure some people here read Bicycling...did you see that $23k bike. It was so sweet. It had bronze cable housing, with campy record that was touched up with some bronze paint job. It was really sweet.
Saw the pictures on weightweenies. A bit much, if you ask me.rudycyclist said:
I am not so much into the funky bronze/gold colors. Much rather have a set of Boras for bling effect!
I really like the Colnago Carbonissimo. What an incredible frame!!!
Currently, I am really into the ROI Frames [specifically Mag-Ma Frame] from Italy. Super ineresting frames with incredible road manners and comfort to boot.
Currently, I am really into the ROI Frames [specifically Mag-Ma Frame] from Italy. Super ineresting frames with incredible road manners and comfort to boot.
Little Lance said:
To me the Cervelo Soloist SL carbon fiber is the best. But if you want non aero round tube bike then the BMC made with carbon nanotube technology is the best. CNT is so much stronger and lighter than carbon fiber, but somehow some people don't like the Easton CNT forks. For the best TT bike I like the CF Cervelo P3. Yes, I'm a Cervelo fan, but these bikes are truly aero!
Aren't the best bikes ever made really the balloon-tired/single-or-3-speed/whatever which first propelled us into the world of two-wheeled self-locomotion regardless of how heavy OR old-or-hand-me-down it may have been by today's standards?Little Lance said:
Yes? No?
Regardless, for ride quality (i.e., comfort), almost any post-War but pre-90s steel, French frame will probably provide the most satisfying (ergo, "best") ride.
Just looking at the bikes in my collection, here are some that may qualify...
Schwinn Varsity - These were made for well over 20 years, used a unique frame building technology, were bomb proof, introduced millions to cycling, and rarely wore out. They're slowly becoming collectible too.
Raleigh Sports - The ultimate utility bicycle, like the Varsity they were well made and would last forever with little maintenance, Raleigh made about a billion of them, almost all components from the tubing to the rims to the saddles were made by Raleigh or one of it's subsidiaries, and there are still an awful lot of them around today.
Schwinn King Sting - My personal favorite. Made in 1981 and 82, Schwinn had a nice riding all terrain bicycle but failed to market it as that. It had a lightweight, handbuilt, butted, cro-mo frame, alloy components, fairly low gearing, and a 1982 ten speed version weighed in at 26 lbs. With better brakes and maybe a triple crankset, Schwinn could have had a decent mountain bike in their lineup but at the time they saw off road riding as a "fad".
Surly Pugsley - How can you not love a bike with 4" wide tires??!??
Schwinn Varsity - These were made for well over 20 years, used a unique frame building technology, were bomb proof, introduced millions to cycling, and rarely wore out. They're slowly becoming collectible too.
Raleigh Sports - The ultimate utility bicycle, like the Varsity they were well made and would last forever with little maintenance, Raleigh made about a billion of them, almost all components from the tubing to the rims to the saddles were made by Raleigh or one of it's subsidiaries, and there are still an awful lot of them around today.
Schwinn King Sting - My personal favorite. Made in 1981 and 82, Schwinn had a nice riding all terrain bicycle but failed to market it as that. It had a lightweight, handbuilt, butted, cro-mo frame, alloy components, fairly low gearing, and a 1982 ten speed version weighed in at 26 lbs. With better brakes and maybe a triple crankset, Schwinn could have had a decent mountain bike in their lineup but at the time they saw off road riding as a "fad".
Surly Pugsley - How can you not love a bike with 4" wide tires??!??
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