If you could only own one

[csiowner]

if you could only own one steel bike what would it be? im torn between a
Kirk(JK) which is high on my list next would be a Peg(marcelo), and last on my list would be either a bedford and or spectrum?:coffee:

[Jonathan]

Without question it would be my Richard Sachs. It's perfect in every way.

[Mike Marley]

if you could only own one steel bike what would it be? ...

I own only one and, circumstances being what they are, I CAN only own one, so I'm keeping my steel Serotta Fierte.

Now, if I could own ANY one steel bike, then the fantasy begins:
Kirk Terraplane all-arounder
Richard Sachs Signature
Bruce Gordon touring
Goodrich, Strong, Vanilla, Weigle all appeal to me.

I'll take a stand and say the Kirk would be my one and only.

[dbohemian]

Since he brought up Bruce Gordon. He is much more than welded touring bikes.







NAHBS best lugs winner. lugged titanium. I hope all can appreciate this one but for a builder when you know what went into this one, My appreciation is immense.

Some of the tidbits I see. one off fabricated stem, lugs, drops, seat binder arrangment and headset cap. Extremely crisp Ti lugs, made from scratch with beautiful lines and of course great paint. Man, even the seat stay bullets welds are filed as they meet the drop-outs. His website is a freakin hoot too.

http://www.bgcycles.com/tours.html

Click on the "tour of the future"

[SeanEasley]

The next one I'm waiting to buy

[Wheelwright]

I tend to keep at least one bike in each category: Road, Mtn, Cross, Track, TT, Sunday to the park, etc. And in each category I ride exactly what I want, with no lusting after my neighbor's ride.

If I had to narrow the list to one discipline, one bike . . . I would keep my Pegoretti Marcelo.

If they were all taken from me and I could get anything on the planet, but only one . . . I would get a Pegoretti Marcelo.

Simply the finest bike for me ever built.

[dbrk]

I get the idea of playing this game and that's all good with me but the thought of only one just breaks my heart. I've spent years getting to where I am now. Okay, so that's promiscuous and outlandish, excessive, whatever one might like to call it, though I'm not sure why anyone would need to have an opinion about why a guy like bicycles, owns them, or does whatever he damn well pleases with them, including not ride them. Is there some sort of moral superiority to a certain kind of bike? or treating a bicycle one way (like riding it) or another (like not)? That's all nonsense to me. I'm guilt free, not interested in feeling badly about what I love that's harmless enough.

There are bikes I could part with and I'm not feeling particularly acquisitive these days but...but...why would I not want more than one kind of cycling experience? Is one bike supposed to suit all styles? All moods, all terrain, all kinds of riding? Clearly I don't believe that's my experience. What would I gain from such monogamy? Don't give me that simplicity zen crapmo atmo. I teach Zen yearly and know my way around those arguments well enough to know that there's no superiority in such preferences. I like race bikes, even euro-trash and I like old French five speeds that imhoatmo ride as sweetly as anything in the whole wide world ymmv/tastewhatever.

Let me add one more thing: I value the bikes that evoke a personal relationship way more than, say, my Colnagos or a rare bike that didn't connect me to the builder. When I take my Sachs, I think of RS, the Mariposa Mike Barry, and the Singers or Toei/Ebisu my long connection with those shops and persons (Csuka, Iimura). I can sell the Colnago, buy another one (maybe) but Ernesto and I aren't pals and some bikes are not only great, they are part of a relationship I value.

Prolixity warrants reprimand. I await thee.

[shoe]

eoro-trash...he makes that sound so sexy..but really now...there is no such thing as only one steel bike..i don't even think hypothetical is real is it..just sayin...d

[shoe]

FYI-prolix-adj---tediously long and wordy...just in case anyone else only made it one year through college and never really paid attention anyway...by no means to be confused with verbose...

[Catulle]

I get the idea of playing this game and that's all good with me but the thought of only one just breaks my heart. I've spent years getting to where I am now. Okay, so that's promiscuous and outlandish, excessive, whatever one might like to call it, though I'm not sure why anyone would need to have an opinion about why a guy like bicycles, owns them, or does whatever he damn well pleases with them, including not ride them. Is there some sort of moral superiority to a certain kind of bike? or treating a bicycle one way (like riding it) or another (like not)? That's all nonsense to me. I'm guilt free, not interested in feeling badly about what I love that's harmless enough.

There are bikes I could part with and I'm not feeling particularly acquisitive these days but...but...why would I not want more than one kind of cycling experience? Is one bike supposed to suit all styles? All moods, all terrain, all kinds of riding? Clearly I don't believe that's my experience. What would I gain from such monogamy? Don't give me that simplicity zen crapmo atmo. I teach Zen yearly and know my way around those arguments well enough to know that there's no superiority in such preferences. I like race bikes, even euro-trash and I like old French five speeds that imhoatmo ride as sweetly as anything in the whole wide world ymmv/tastewhatever.

Let me add one more thing: I value the bikes that evoke a personal relationship way more than, say, my Colnagos or a rare bike that didn't connect me to the builder. When I take my Sachs, I think of RS, the Mariposa Mike Barry, and the Singers or Toei/Ebisu my long connection with those shops and persons (Csuka, Iimura). I can sell the Colnago, buy another one (maybe) but Ernesto and I aren't pals and some bikes are not only great, they are part of a relationship I value.

Prolixity warrants reprimand. I await thee.

Viva el POF...!!!! Viva el Partido del Orgasmo Feroz...!!!!

[palincss]

I get the idea of playing this game and that's all good with me but the thought of only one just breaks my heart. I've spent years getting to where I am now. Okay, so that's promiscuous and outlandish, excessive, whatever one might like to call it, though I'm not sure why anyone would need to have an opinion about why a guy like bicycles, owns them, or does whatever he damn well pleases with them, including not ride them. Is there some sort of moral superiority to a certain kind of bike? or treating a bicycle one way (like riding it) or another (like not)? That's all nonsense to me. I'm guilt free, not interested in feeling badly about what I love that's harmless enough.

There are bikes I could part with and I'm not feeling particularly acquisitive these days but...but...why would I not want more than one kind of cycling experience? Is one bike supposed to suit all styles? All moods, all terrain, all kinds of riding? Clearly I don't believe that's my experience. What would I gain from such monogamy? Don't give me that simplicity zen crapmo atmo. I teach Zen yearly and know my way around those arguments well enough to know that there's no superiority in such preferences. I like race bikes, even euro-trash and I like old French five speeds that imhoatmo ride as sweetly as anything in the whole wide world ymmv/tastewhatever.

Let me add one more thing: I value the bikes that evoke a personal relationship way more than, say, my Colnagos or a rare bike that didn't connect me to the builder. When I take my Sachs, I think of RS, the Mariposa Mike Barry, and the Singers or Toei/Ebisu my long connection with those shops and persons (Csuka, Iimura). I can sell the Colnago, buy another one (maybe) but Ernesto and I aren't pals and some bikes are not only great, they are part of a relationship I value.

Prolixity warrants reprimand. I await thee.

I'm sorry, you do not deserve a reprimand. You've expressed yourself well, if at length, and you've pointed out a couple of big reasons for having more than one bike (i.e., different riding experiences, and emotional connections). Unless driven by sheer necessity, I really can't understand the whole "could only have one" thing.

Even if your interest in a bicycle is only for transportation, you quickly learn you need at least two. That way, the need for maintenance doesn't become a crisis.

[Catulle]

You've expressed yourself well, if at length,

I feel lucky when I can read dbrk at length. Different strokes for different folks...

[soBRIquet]

I'm sorry, you do not deserve a reprimand. You've expressed yourself well, if at length, and you've pointed out a couple of big reasons for having more than one bike (i.e., different riding experiences, and emotional connections). Unless driven by sheer necessity, I really can't understand the whole "could only have one" thing.

Neither do I, but my wife is constantly trying to teach me.

I feel lucky when I can read dbrk at length. Different strokes for different strokes...

I feel lucky when I can understand him!

[DCT]

I value the bikes that evoke a personal relationship way more than, say, my Colnagos or a rare bike that didn't connect me to the builder. When I take my Sachs, I think of RS, the Mariposa Mike Barry, and the Singers or Toei/Ebisu my long connection with those shops and persons (Csuka, Iimura). I can sell the Colnago, buy another one (maybe) but Ernesto and I aren't pals and some bikes are not only great, they are part of a relationship I value.

well said d.

[davids]

If it could only be one, I'd have to say either an IF Club Racer or a Hampsten Classic OS (made by IF...) 'cuz I think they'd make me the sweet, snappy "all arounder" that I want to compliment my Nove and Love #3.

However, if this hypothetical steel frame was going to form the basis for my one and only bike, I would have to select a Pegoretti Responsorium. I'll have to get back to you regarding the paint scheme, though.

[SteveP]

If it could only be one, I'd have to say either an IF Club Racer or a Hampsten Classic OS (made by IF...) 'cuz I think they'd make me the sweet, snappy "all arounder" that I want to compliment my Nove and Love #3.

However, if this hypothetical steel frame was going to form the basis for my one and only bike, I would have to select a Pegoretti Responsorium. I'll have to get back to you regarding the paint scheme, though.

david was broken hearted when he saw catulle with the nixon portrait on his.
he was ready to be the first...

how about reagan? w?

[davids]

david was broken hearted when he saw catulle with the nixon portrait on his.
he was ready to be the first...

how about reagan? w?

I'm thinking of a native son:



You voted for Silent Cal, correct?

[Jonathan]

david was broken hearted when he saw catulle with the nixon portrait on his.
he was ready to be the first...

how about reagan? w?

I'd go to Zank for my new portrait work. He knows how to set a brutha up.

[Dave]

Let me add one more thing: I value the bikes that evoke a personal relationship way more than, say, my Colnagos or a rare bike that didn't connect me to the builder. When I take my Sachs, I think of RS, the Mariposa Mike Barry, and the Singers or Toei/Ebisu my long connection with those shops and persons (Csuka, Iimura). I can sell the Colnago, buy another one (maybe) but Ernesto and I aren't pals and some bikes are not only great, they are part of a relationship I value.

I like this.

My entire gig (teaching) is about relationships, so maybe I am force fed or have bought into this more then most.

I will be getting a bike mid june that I have lusted over for a bit. The best part of it is the relationship I have with a few of the folks. One in particular. Friendship can add a value to something that causes the owner to see it worth more then another.

It will ride as well as my old one. It will look different, but will be built to the same geo and rock just as hard.

The relationship with the people mean more to me then anything. The bike will be a tool for great times and as I listen to much wiser people then I, it is the experiences that mean the most. One bike or 100 bikes; doesn't really matter to me.

[oldguy00]

I'd vote for one of Zank's MAX bikes. :thumbs_up: