Your favourite bike and most used bike?

Johnmcl7

For some people I realise that their favourite and most used bike may be the same but given the mix of people on the forum I thought it would be interesting to see what bikes people favour.

My most used bike is my hybrid, a 2010 Trek Soho Deluxe which I chose to start cycling with again a few years ago when I wanted to avoid using the car for short journeys due to its DPF. The idea of a bike without a chain, derailleurs and rim brakes really appeals and now four years later and more experience of other bikes I'd still have made the same choice as it's a very solid and reliable bike that gets used pretty much every day without issue.

Plus at a glance it's a cheap looking bike compared to some of the road and mountain bikes it's locked up alongside:



My favourite bike is my fat bike which is a recent acquisition I managed to get in autumn last year, I wanted one after the previous year marveling at how well a couple of other riders on them could get through mucky trails and the lack of suspension meant no wearing down expensive components. While it looks completely ridiculous it works extremely well not just in the wet muddy winter rides but to my surprise it's been great in the dry as well offering a huge amount of traction giving confidence to really through it harder at the trails. My plan was to switch back to the 29er for the drier seasons but I'm now thinking of just sticking with the fat bike, road riding is an absolute killer but it's not much fun on an MTB anyway.

fred246

The only thing we can agree on is that suspension is useless.
I had three Shimano Nexus hubs. All packed in in less than 18 months. Very expensive and total rubbish. I love chains, derailleurs and rim brakes. Hate fat bikes but I don't have much mud to ride through.

Marco_Panettone

My most used bike is a Fuji Classic Track bike (2012 model), used for my 12.5km each way commute. I had the choice of the cheaper aluminium frame, or steel. I chose the steel frame for a softer ride. Fixed gear, very little to go wrong. Nice and responsive and quick in traffic.


My favourite bike is a difficult one. It's either of my other two - a 1960-somethingish Elswick Hopper with rod brakes and steel wheels (yep - I know!) and 3-speed Sturmey Archer Dynohub, which is used for shopping, or pottering about on, or going on adventures - a proper transport bike named Bob.


There's then my race bike - a full carbon, full Ultegra speed machine that has taken me places I never imagined and is a joy to ride. It doesn't get the use it deserves at the moment, but I have unfinished business in the sport.


3 bikes, 3 different purposes for riding, and all of them brilliant.

skivenov

One that I built from scrap when I was at college. Nice light Raleigh racing frame. Nameless drop handlebars. 10 speed with the change levers on the lower frame, and wheels that don't match. But it goes like heck.

brat

Cycling for me is 95% sport/hobby, 5% function/commute. I've really only got two bikes I use now, preferring to buy less but better.

My regular (and favourite) bike is the one pictured below, a Cannondale Supersix Evo Hi-Mod with Sram Red groupset and Mavic carbon wheels.



I don't pretend to know too much about bike types, and I'm pretty crap at mechanicing; but like Forrest Gump, I just like to get out and run or ride. I know what I enjoy, and I know who to ask to help with the stuff I don't enjoy so much.

I definitely could get into mountain biking, but I haven't either the time or the money.
My other regularly used bike is a Whyte cyclo-cross, I use it when the weather is poor, when on my hols, on cycle tracks with the family, or when my main bike is off the road for service.

Tobster86

Only have the one bike, so couldn't call it favourite but it does a heroically sterling job given what is expected of it; a 12.5 mile each way commute on most days and about 3000 miles since last June.

It's a Raleigh Triton Firejet 10-speed MTB that must now be at least 20 years old, bought on eBay for £40 in 2006. Generally just leisure use since until I started serious commuting on it last summer.

I've fitted very bright front an rear lights for winter rural commuting in the dark, a cheap speedometer from Wilkinson's, bar ends, SJCAM4000 action camera, spoke reflectors, lots of rings of florescent orange tape, and a decent rear view mirror on the right which I now feel I cannot be without.

Running on 1.5" semi-slick tyres that take 65psi, which seem to have made it really quick. It could now do with either a cassette with less than 14 teeth on the small cog or a crank with more than 48 teeth on the big cog to raise the top speed; neither of which seem to exist in a form that is compatible with it.

It's needed a rear wheel and crank bearings in the last six months, and is generally starting to show it's age a bit. I do wonder how much faster a decent modern hybrid would be?

Effyb4

I have two bikes. A hybrid and a road bike. The road bike is my favourite and has done the most miles (1,252 miles last year) and the hybrid I mostly use for utility rides (589 miles last year). You can see that most of my cycling is for pleasure.

Throbbe

My favourite bike was, until a week ago, my only bike since childhood. A Trek hybrid with which I rediscovered cycling over the last 2-3 years.



It's tatty, and I've upgraded the wheels, pedals and saddle, as well as numerous worn out components, but it's seen a lot of use including an imperial century ride, a number of sportives, commutes to work, trips around the local reservior with the family and even some (reasonably gentle) off road trails. It's earned a semi-retirement but will still see use for shorter/mudier/wetter trips and for all that it's given me may always be my favourite.

Sadly, a younger skinnier model has come along and I'm infatuated. Still getting used to the riding position/twitchier steering but I've got a long ride planned on Sunday as a warm up to a coast to coast ride in April.

Nebulous2

I was an occasional cyclist until 4-5 years ago. I then decided to lose weight and improve my fitness, so I bought an Allez elite. I absolutely loved it from the start and did thousands of miles on it.

I paired it with a tourer with a pannier rack from Edinburgh bike for commuting.

Then last year I lost them both. The tourer was written off following an accident with a car and the allez pretty much fell apart.

I replaced the tourer with an Edinburgh bike cross bike, like this



without the yellow tape on it.

It has taken a while, but I've finally managed to get a decent roadbike. I liked the look of the supersix Brat, but given my history with the Allez it was hard to look any further than the Tarmac and I bought this.

Keep_pedalling

My Thorn Raven Sport Tour in stealth black. Steel framed, 26 inch wheels, 14 speed Rolhoff hub, Dynamo front hub with a great set of LED lights for night riding. By no means the fastest bike I have ever owned by far and away the most comfortable mainly used for day and Audax rides.

vikingaero

About 16 years ago, when I was young, fit, rich and good looking (now I'm just good looking ) I bought a lightweight aluminium Gary Fisher Mt. Tam MTB for an eyewatering £1,500.

I've never found another bike to replace it. It's had a couple of new saddles, brakes, chains, more comfortable stem, switched to hybrid tyres etc, but everytime I eye up a new bike they are too heavy or just don't fit.