The Holy Grail - have you found yours?

[slowgoing]

Have you found your Holy Grail bike? If so, what is it and why? If you found it, are you still looking for the next Holy Grail, or are you done looking?

[Elefantino]

My Concours + F1 fork = just about perfect.

[phcollard]

Hampsten Giro 88 (Team Pro) works for me :)

[Cat3roadracer]

Found one this past December - Moots Psychlo X, SRAM Force, Ritchey carbon cockpit, King BB, HS, R45 wheels.

[texbike]

My grail bike at this point is a nice and original early Masi GC with the twin-plate fork.

Texbike

[Germany_chris]

I thought grail bikes changed..

[Hartlin]

I'm almost there, would just like to upgrade to full Sram Force, and King BB/HS.

'91 Marinoni Special. Need to get updated photos with my HED wheels and challenge clinchers. Tan sidewalls are a steelie requirement.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-fq3TnkLteUM/THl2RL6C8iI/AAAAAAAAAA4/oPq8-zCpTRQ/w532-h399-k/102_0005.JPG

[fuzzalow]

The thing about Holy Grail bikes is that it is not immediately apparent that it is a Holy Grail bike. Every newly acquired bike comes with a clean slate, high hopes and endears the flush & excitement of honeymoon. Still feel that way beyond a season of riding and an off-season, then you may be on to something.

I am of the opinion that the way the bike fits and is setup for the rider makes more for the Grail-ness of the bike than the frame itself. Too easy to screw up the fitting that transforms a Grail frame to ride ordinary.

Closest I have to a Grail bike is a Colnago C-50. Doesn't mean that I am not always lookin for the next enlightenment. And the nagging suspicion is that it is a steel frame & fork - all this time and all those bikes to come full circle.

[oldpotatoe]

Have you found your Holy Grail bike? If so, what is it and why? If you found it, are you still looking for the next Holy Grail, or are you done looking?

I found two at about the same time – a used Holland Ti from the mid 1990s picked up on the forum, fits great and very smooth after I installed a Serotta F1 fork; and a stock sized Parlee Z2, simply disappears under me, and like the Holland, I can rack up miles all day.

Would be Holy Grail bikes if I hadn’t found the two above:
Used Legend all Ti, used Merckx MXL, Kirk non-Terraplane rando and Spectrum 25th Anniversary rando. I think if I had ordered the first two custom sized for me, they might have been Holy Grail bikes. I thought the latter two were the Holy Grail until I rode the Holland and Parlee. Who knows, maybe they are. But they didn’t stop me from looking for others, which only happened after I rode the Holland and Parlee.

MXLeader for my birthday plus my Moots(rear facing dropouts if I ever want to do the fixie thing)...I'm done.

[Bob Loblaw]

I love what I'm riding right now, but I have learned bikes come and go. I am looking forward to whatever comes next, but I am in no hurry to get rid of my Campy Record TST Ti. Snappy, resilient, sweet handling, and beautiful.

BL

[jr59]

Yes I have. I had a custom Spectrum Ti made for me.

As far as a road bike goes, it's a grail to me.

Now there are other bikes that I would love to have.
Maybe a Confente, or a Rene Herse, or something along those lines.

I also bought a 1992 Mercks corsa, with Deltas and SR. It's as close as I could afford at this time.

[William]

Honestly my Zanc has done it for me. Disappears under me when I ride. Allows me to hit dirt or pavement without a second thought. Now my attention has diverted somewhat off-road and I'm planning a grand adventure. :)





William

[charliedid]

I don't ride mountain bikes anymore but yes I had my Holy Grail ATB and sold it. It was one of the very first Indy Fab frames they sold and it was my personal bike/test ride shop bike for a season. It was the first bike I really rode with suspension and it really fit me great with a higher rise and swept back bars. Prior to that I rode super light Ritchey's, that in the end did not hold up as they were race bikes not ride forever bikes and both rusted through :-)

I sold it to a guy working at another shop and regret it all the time. I hope he still rides it.

Still looking for those road and light/touring do everything bikes but right now that is all about $

As far as franken/city bikes that could be my only, I will always continue to muck around and build up bikes that I know are not forever because it's fun and relatively low cost.

[Uncle Jam's Army]

Not sure how to answer this question, as I have been lucky enough to acquire several bikes that ride unbelievably well and, as has been said before, "disappear beneath you." A Kirk JKS-X (to cover the OOS lugged frame on the bucket list) and a Moots Psychlo-X RSL (cyclocross frame) and then I'm done......I hope.

[rockdude]

Road- Spectrum: handling, stiffness, fit
Cross- Serotta Concours: handling & Fit
MTB- Moots Cinco: need I say more

[AngryScientist]

i dont subscribe to the concept of a grail bike myself. there are just too many really, really nice bikes out there.

it's also totally cliche to say, but it really isnt about the bike. its about the riding, the scenery, the friends, and the fitness. honestly, when i'm out of shape, i feel like hell on even the nicest bikes in the world; when i'm on my game, and the weather is nice and i'm feeling good, i can ride centuries on the crappiest of bikes and enjoy myself.

[thinpin]

Not sure how to answer this question, as I have been lucky enough to acquire several bikes that ride unbelievably well and, as has been said before, "disappear beneath you." A Kirk JKS-X (to cover the OOS lugged frame on the bucket list) and a Moots Psychlo-X RSL (cyclocross frame) and then I'm done......I hope.
I've got three in this catagory A kirk terraplane, a pegoretti duende and merckx EX. Somes days I'll pick one over the othe for no other reason than I can. I was not looking for "grails", holy or otherwise, but have been lucky enough to aquire these three gems.

[nooneline]

I don't know about Holy Grail, but I've got a bike I can't justify having, and that I can't bear to sell. It's also the bike that's been with me the longest of anything else I've got.

I've tried, once or twice to sell it, and each time I've never even come close to letting it out of my hands.

It's a 1973 Pogliaghi. Built under Sante's supervision, stamped PSM. Decked out in appropriate parts, though not period correct or anything. Paint job's been to hell and back and there are a ton of funny little errors on the frame.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2056/2453094712_71c87dd6b9_z.jpg

I once loaned it to Taliah Lempert (http://www.bicyclepaintings.com) so it could model for her:

http://www.bicyclepaintings.com/studio08/mattioprofile/images/3.jpg

[William]

i dont subscribe to the concept of a grail bike myself. there are just too many really, really nice bikes out there.

it's also totally cliche to say, but it really isnt about the bike. its about the riding, the scenery, the friends, and the fitness. honestly, when i'm out of shape, i feel like hell on even the nicest bikes in the world; when i'm on my game, and the weather is nice and i'm feeling good, i can ride centuries on the crappiest of bikes and enjoy myself.

Hey Nick,

Though I agree with you in theory, from my Clydesdale perspective, I've ridden a lot of off the shelf bikes that didn't quite fit. It's doable, but there is always a compromise to get close to a proper fit. When you finally get a custom that is fit to your proportions it's an "ahhhhh..." moment. I'm sure there are a lot of folks who could build me one that I would get that same feeling, but it's mucho dinero for me to get there. When I'm on a bike that I don't give a second thought to when riding and I can concentrate on enjoying my ride....I'm there. :cool:




William

[harryschwartzma]

You mean this?

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2679/4128805349_2168f3632e_z.jpg?zz=1

or this?

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2746/4288287056_8f873f0ecf_z.jpg?zz=1

or this?

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4011/4708271761_02d6b89eeb_b.jpg

[saab2000]

Zanconato produces holy Grails.

[FlashUNC]

i dont subscribe to the concept of a grail bike myself. there are just too many really, really nice bikes out there.

it's also totally cliche to say, but it really isnt about the bike. its about the riding, the scenery, the friends, and the fitness. honestly, when i'm out of shape, i feel like hell on even the nicest bikes in the world; when i'm on my game, and the weather is nice and i'm feeling good, i can ride centuries on the crappiest of bikes and enjoy myself.


+1, though I wouldn't kick a Kirk Terraplane or Colnago C-40 in Mapei paint scheme out of bed for eating crackers...

[Bob Ross]

i dont subscribe to the concept of a grail bike myself. there are just too many really, really nice bikes out there.


^^^This. Not only have I not yet found my Holy Grail Bike, I'm not even looking for a Holy Grail Bike!

Sure, I want bikes that fit wonderfully, that disappear beneath me, that make me think "nothing could be improved, so nothing could possibly be better"
...but I don't necessarily want a bike that makes me say "that's it, I'm no longer interested in any other bike" because I am interested in bikes and I am especially interested in variety.

[firerescuefin]

Right now...Kirk jks-x terraplane road with hydro discs. Just seeing what Dave has in the works has me asking myself if my kids shouldn't go to a JC their first few years of college ;)

I imagine it's being protected by some Crusades-era knight in a cave somewhere, surrounded by a bunch of hong-fu carbon custom painted pretenders with deep dish Zipp knock offs......."Choose Wisely"

[MattTuck]

I was on the quest, but it was tiresome to have someone banging two coconuts next to me every time I went for a ride. :bike:

[Len J]

Sach's. been riding for 40+ years and never rode anything that fit me better or disappeared under me while inspirring confidence.

Len

[Germany_chris]

I think a Sachs goes into grail or bucket list bike..

[tiretrax]

I love my Seven Mudhoney SL, but I'm thinking about a Moots Psychlo x with disc brakes (maybe coupled).

[Mr Cabletwitch]

My grail bike changes every time I build another grail bike. Its always the next one I want but don't have. So all my keepers are grail bikes in a way.

[witcombusa]

No grail bikes here. And it IS about the bike, and a lot of the other things too.
I like variety, different types of frames, different groups from different manufactuers. Friction, indexed, side pull, delta, canti, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9sp, freewheel, cassette, tubular, clincher, fixed, double, triple.....etc.

I'll never say "done" :)

[Chance]

Have you found your Holy Grail bike?
Yes. Now if it were only mine. :rolleyes:

[old fat man]

my Zank road bike is a holy grail bike and build. i kind of wish i didn't put such nice parts on it so I'd ride it more though.

my Zank cross frame is absolutely a holy grail bike. leaps and bounds ahead of my seven ti cx, salsa cx, and cannondale cx framesets before. and it's built for business with reliable but not over the top parts.

of course, i have to do my part to keep the industry going so i have a few others that i ride just to keep it interesting and keep me appreciating the two zanks that much more.

[witcombusa]

my Zank road bike is a holy grail bike and build. i kind of wish i didn't put such nice parts on it so I'd ride it more though.


I don't follow your thinking here? :confused:

Why exactly are you afraid to ride it?

[saab2000]

I don't follow your thinking here? :confused:

Why exactly are you afraid to ride it?

I have this problem too.... All my nice bikes have nice stuff. I don't like wrecking nice stuff.

My winter, fendered Redline has single speed stuff and is generally not a bike I care much about. So I have no real limits in how I ride it.

[firerescuefin]

I have this problem too.... All my nice bikes have nice stuff. I don't like wrecking nice stuff.

My winter, fendered Redline has single speed stuff and is generally not a bike I care much about. So I have no real limits in how I ride it.


Happy birthday by the way....Nice bikes need riding too. I've never had a trailer queen bike...they get ridden. Then they get maintained...if that's tearing it all the way down so be it.... I wouldn't downhill it, but rain, snow,etc....you gotta ride it.

[christian]

Nah, but I have some fine riding bicycles that I love. That's enough for me.

[tiretrax]

I have this problem too.... All my nice bikes have nice stuff. I don't like wrecking nice stuff.

My winter, fendered Redline has single speed stuff and is generally not a bike I care much about. So I have no real limits in how I ride it.
I really don't understand how riding is wrecking. That's what they are meant to do. It's rare that I fall, so how do you wreck the components.

[d_douglas]

I have had one bike designed *FOR* me. I have had several very nice bikes, but this one is in a league above.

While I don't have the money to buy bikes often, let alone fancy ones, I think that having one designed to your dimensions is what really makes a bike feel special.

Mine is a Speedvagen, but I would guess that a Curtlo or Gunnar or ??? designed to these specs would also yield a very nice ride. Maybe not quite the same, but pretty damned close.

I would say that naming a list of beautiful bikes is less relevant than having it made for you. That said, Moots (for example) is on my drool list, and I would love for them to build a custom one for me!