N

[rounder]

Now that we are into the boring winter months and everyone is thinking Spring...just wondering...Everyone here has umpty ump bikes that they love, what would you choose if you could only have one of those bikes.

For me, I would go with my K. Bedford cross bike. I did not need a cross bike (don't race), but got one just to see what it would be like. It was fun. I run fatter (but not fat) tires, no disc, it is smooth and is great for just knocking around. I could see riding this bike forever as an only bike.

[bigbill]

I've had a Big Leg Emma for almost 11 years now. It's on its second paint job and will get its third group at the end of the month when I get motivated enough to do it. I truly loved my steel Argonaut but it burned up in a paint shop fire back in March. It always seems to come back to the Pegoretti, it's been the go-to bike longer than any bike I've owned.

[joosttx]

I am thinking about selling my C60 and getting a gravel Baum if they will not paint it . If not then a custom painted Open U.P.

[MattTuck]

thumbs up for the thread title... wasn't sure what I was getting myself into when I clicked.

My Kirk Terraplane is the bike I ride 99% of the time, so it is definitely the one I would choose. If I were to do it again, I might go with something with slightly bigger clearance... maybe up to 35-38mm.

But really, there's nothing else I would change.

[onsight512]

my Quiring. if it cleared bigger tires (only clears 28s), I'd hardly ever ride anything else.

https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5335/30058388621_b4767d269f_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/MNa6HF)

[estilley]

With the eternal rain and winter of Portland setting in I'm consistently at N = 2.

N sub 1 = singlespeed basket flat pedal commuter.

N sub 2 = full fendered Mr. Pink

Roadie and CX are shelved for the foreseeable future.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Llewellyn]

This is easy. My Llewellyn. No question, fits like a glove and rides like a dream. I won't ride it in the rain but it doesn't rain much here and even if it does I can get by with not going for a ride.

[David Tollefson]

I started twitching when I read the OP...

Anyway, if I HAD to drop down to one bike, like if the house was on fire and I could only grab one, it would have to be the SS MTB. Just because it's the one that I would likely use more often. Add a second set of wheels for road/gravel and another dropout with a derailleur hanger, an eTAP group... and I might be able to do that one bike anyway.

[livingminimal]

Probably my Pegoretti...
...buttttt I am picking up my cross bike tonight.

[fa63]

Would have to be my Motobecane. Found it as a frameset on Craigslist by chance, but it has turned out to be a great bike. Fits 40 mm tires, has rim brakes (I don't like cantis or discs), and rides like a charm with either skinny or fat tires. I have taken it on 20 mph road group rides, and on leisurely strolls on gravel roads; it goes from one to the other with a simple wheelset change.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161216/53139d7554894a9332c3e3dee9fc32fe.jpg

[tv_vt]

I could go down to two. One would definitely be a Hampsten Strada Bianca ti coupled bike. Takes big tires, fenders, and I can travel with it. The other one would be either a Look carbon, Spectrum ti, or the SB's brother, a Gran Paradiso ti.

Fortunately I don't have to choose.

[oldpotatoe]

As I've said before..garage is on fire, can only grab one bike..

[sparky33]

This is a ridiculous proposition.

also, the answer is a Firefly all-road hydro eTap with 650x48s or 700x32s because two wheelsets isn't cheating. It just so happens that this is happening, but I'm keeping the skinny Vamoots and the knobby Highball.

[Hilltopperny]

If I could only have one bike it'd be my duende cross bike. It has that magic carpet ride and fits anything up to 42 tire. Very versatile and a joy to ride anywhere over anything.
http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=193369

[old fat man]

No question

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5751/31352928521_c3ba5c2bce_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/PLxXk8)

[AngryScientist]

i have a lot of nice bikes, too many, realistically speaking.

i would really enjoy getting down to a handful, probably never just ONE.

if it had to be one, it would need to versatile enough to handle at least 32's for dirt road fun, but have good road manners for fast group rides.

i have a few that would meet this criteria, and a new one incoming in 2017.

i will withhold my answer to this question until it arrives :D

[Mzilliox]

I think Im building mine up now, not sure yet, but its looking that way.:beer:

[chiasticon]

my indyfab planet x ti. no question. could ride it all year and still race cross.

(although of course I would need to keep some normal wheels for it as well...)

http://i68.tinypic.com/2b1b1g.jpg

[Tickdoc]

I'm not playing. This game is as painful as the "favorite bike you used to own" game. Ok, slightly less painful, but you get the idea.

[Tim Porter]

Today it's between these two. (Tomorrow might be different).

http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a583/porterphoto1/IMG_0329_zpsofpu09jd.jpg

http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a583/porterphoto1/IMG_1219_zpsw7uinyis.jpg

[merckx]

If I had a fire in my house I would step over my bicycles and grab my two children.

[DRZRM]

Funny, the one bike I'd theoretically keep if I had to is actually the first one I'm likely going to sell...well maybe, I never really sell many bikes, but it will be the most superfluous. I love riding the ti DeSalvo gravel bike so much that I'm going to order a custom TI gravel bike with disc wheels and clearance for bigger tires. I'll out my builder down the line.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f302/drzrm/20161118_120907_zpstfjewtim.jpg

[ltwtsculler91]

I don't see myself ever going back to just one bike, 3 seems to be a happy number between road (No22 Reactor), cross/winter (Trek Boone), and a fat/MTB (Charge Cooker Maxi) but if I had to my Reactor would definitely have been ordered as a new Aurora.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0220/2502/files/AuroraSideKFC_dbfd3008-eec5-4e19-8da0-9cae88970d79.jpg?v=1478659952

[unterhausen]

I don't think there is much of a choice, I would keep a gravel bike. Not the one I have now, which is sub-par. Don't tell my wife, but I could be pretty happy with 2 bikes, MTB and gravel. With an extra set of road wheels for the gravel bike.

Maybe if I lived in a place without so many rocks I could live happily with one.

But I have a crummy commuter so my good bikes can live an easier life.

I recently counted for fun, I have somewhere between 6 and 20 bikes depending on the criteria.

[don'TreadOnMe]

The Don.

[mhespenheide]

I think the title of this thread should be "n=1".

Just sayin'.

[adamhell]

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h184/adamleibow/071325BB-BB37-4C1B-9317-1E6A6E560C20_zpstmftqa0d.jpg

i've never ridden a more versatile bike. i've done full on mountain bike rides, loaded mountain overnighters (pictured), and i'm riding SF>LA with it in January. i also ride road with it when i don't feel like putting on a kit & shoes.

[OtayBW]

Peg Stainless...

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j42/zelmo_2006/IMAG0142-2.jpg (http://s77.photobucket.com/user/zelmo_2006/media/IMAG0142-2.jpg.html)

...although the De Rosa is becoming a close second.

[flydhest]

If I had a fire in my house I would step over my bicycles and grab my two children.



Funny, I was actually thinking I would grab my daughter's bike (on the assumption the kids are already safe) rather than one of mine. I think I actually get more joy from her riding than mine.

[Bob Ross]

garage is on fire, can only grab one bike

No-brainer: I grab my wife's bike.

[David Tollefson]

No-brainer: I grab my wife's bike.

Thanks for making us all feel like a$$holes... ;)

[572cv]

No-brainer: I grab my wife's bike.

Right answer!

[bikingshearer]

Most likely the Eisentraut.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u46/bikingshearer/My%20Eisentraut/IMG_1055.jpg (http://s165.photobucket.com/user/bikingshearer/media/My%20Eisentraut/IMG_1055.jpg.html)


But the Ron Cooper would give it a run for its money.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u46/bikingshearer/Ron%20Cooper/photo22.jpg (http://s165.photobucket.com/user/bikingshearer/media/Ron%20Cooper/photo22.jpg.html)

[jet sanchez]

My old Merckx is super solid and fits me really well.

http://i.imgur.com/1saZaaN.jpg

[oliver1850]

I still don't have the perfect bike. If I could only have one I'd probably keep my Bob Jackson and have rack mounts brazed on.

[Matthew]

Probably my Moots Compact. If I had to keep just one. Fortunately I don't have to!

[woodworker]

I recently counted for fun, I have somewhere between 6 and 20 bikes depending on the criteria.[/QUOTE]

Trying to figure that one out. Partial ownership, kinda bikes, loaners? How loose is the criteria given a range of between 6 and 20? Just curious.:o

[thermalattorney]

Having going through this a couple of times, it really hurts going down to one. For me:

N: Practical city commuter (fenders, front rack, gears and an upright riding position)

http://i.imgur.com/3o2X8LH.jpg

Thank god this is just a thought experiment, because I'm never going to back to one bike again if I can help it. :p A second commuter like a sporty fixed gear helps keep breakup the boredom.

[montag]

My old Merckx is super solid and fits me really well.

Gorgeous Merckx. My Corsa Extra is currently "N" and it's working out just fine.

[adamhell]

that rock lobster is TITE

[EPOJoe]

Have to grab this...

[joep2517]

If I had to ride just one bike, it would be this bike.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb67/Joep721/IMG_2058_zpsk5okkjfx.jpg

[rounder]

I still don't have the perfect bike. If I could only have one I'd probably keep my Bob Jackson and have rack mounts brazed on.

Mark, with all your bikes how could you not have a perfect bike.

[donevwil]

Hands down it's my Potts. Perfect bike? I'm not going there. Perfect for me at this point in my life? Absolutely. Fits like nothing I've owned, handles like nothing I've owned and is good-to-go for anything I feed it (crit, RR, century, fondo, Cinghiale tour, local off-road extravaganza, or just a local jaunt with friends).

Oh. and sorry for the absence of bar tape. It's been a few months and I just haven't found the time.

http://forums.thepaceline.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1697915987&d=1456879302

[oliver1850]

Mark, with all your bikes how could you not have a perfect bike.

My Serotta CX also lacks rack mounts. Might take it over the Jackson if it was one size bigger. I like to take plenty of provisions on my long winter rides and need to be able to carry extra clothes, so rack mounts are a requirement. A CRT would be ideal but have never seen one for sale in my size. The Jackson has perfect geo, looks like a normal road bike but fits 38 mm tires, just lacks rack bosses. The Columbus tubed Nishiki is another near miss. If it were 2 cm taller, I might take it over the Jackson. My Cannondale touring checks all the boxes but I'd prefer the N bike to be steel.

[572cv]

N. Not sure it is achievable, or even desirable, but one can try to have a top dog. I mean, I have a truck which I need for things my car can't do, and a car. And I have my avatar for the sheer joy of its goofiness. But the distilled essence of my most cherished ride characteristics showed up last month, and I am beginning to get it settled. The few rides I have been able to do were fantastic. This could be N in a pinch.

[texbike]

Only one? My Redline MonoCog 29r.

Texbike

[fuzzalow]

If limited or restricted to only one, for me, it makes no difference. They all gotta fit, which is a precision down to the millimeter, or the bike can't be kept. All of the bikes I've had were only as good as I was capable of setting up and using them to be.

Today, if I hadda pick one, it would be the Pinarello Dogma F8 based primarily on that it is the only bike I have with Campagnolo EPS. Using EPS is like being pricked by a syringe of cybernetics heroin.

[OtayBW]

If limited or restricted to only one, for me, it makes no difference. They all gotta fit, which is a precision down to the millimeter, or the bike can't be kept.I'm a stickler for my contact points, too, but - wow!...this is like the Princess and the Pea! :D

[ColonelJLloyd]

I've sold off most of my bikes and put a deposit on a custom. Multiple wheel sizes, lightweight steel, perfect geo. . . . . The reason wasn't because of a fire, but maintaining fewer bikes and making space for them are two big reasons.

[bocobiking]

1974 Schwinn Paramount P-13. It has given me a renewed appreciation of why I embraced cycling in the 1970s: the bicycle is meant to be the simple machine. Leather saddle, Reynolds 531, 6 speed, friction shifting, and the unmatched aesthetics.

[fuzzalow]

I'm a stickler for my contact points, too, but - wow!...this is like the Princess and the Pea! :D

That degree of precision works for me. I don't take issue with your skepticism. I know what I'm doing.

An optimized position supports a range and speed in output from the rider/engine: there is a different ergonomic loading for spin souplesse @ 120rpm versus climbing torque @ 85rpm. In a good fit & position the same position balance is used for either mode without detriment to either with a seamless transition along the range. Do it right and there is actually no position compromise anywhere along the range of output - the rider does not need to reposition himself on the saddle or use any core to stabilize the stroke outputs irrespective as to velocity or loading in the pedal stroke.

There is the reason & use for precision at this level in setup. I just told you why.

[Mzilliox]

That degree of precision works for me. I don't take issue with your skepticism. I know what I'm doing.

An optimized position supports a range and speed in output from the rider/engine: there is a different ergonomic loading for spin souplesse @ 120rpm versus climbing torque @ 85rpm. In a good fit & position the same position balance is used for either mode without detriment to either with a seamless transition along the range. Do it right and there is actually no position compromise anywhere along the range of output - the rider does not need to reposition himself on the saddle or use any core to stabilize the stroke outputs irrespective as to velocity or loading in the pedal stroke.

There is the reason & use for precision at this level in setup. I just told you why.

i do love reading a well thought out fuzz post from time to time. Next time you are in So Oregon, I'd love some tips on fit.:beer:

[fuzzalow]

i do love reading a well thought out fuzz post from time to time. Next time you are in So Oregon, I'd love some tips on fit.:beer:

I would never DK (Dunning-Kruger) any of you fellas. The web is fulla half-baked and half-assed; I don't wanna add to that kinda noise. Especially not here.

Bikes are a good thing. Anybody who rides one is not anybody I wanna see thrown under a bus. Comrades in wheels. Oops, with Russia being in the news lately, maybe that's not a good word to casually toss around these days...might be interpreted as un'Murican. HaHa, did Lenin really coin the term "useful idiot"? Today who might that be...hmmmm.

[OtayBW]

That degree of precision works for me. I don't take issue with your skepticism. I know what I'm doing.

An optimized position supports a range and speed in output from the rider/engine: there is a different ergonomic loading for spin souplesse @ 120rpm versus climbing torque @ 85rpm. In a good fit & position the same position balance is used for either mode without detriment to either with a seamless transition along the range. Do it right and there is actually no position compromise anywhere along the range of output - the rider does not need to reposition himself on the saddle or use any core to stabilize the stroke outputs irrespective as to velocity or loading in the pedal stroke.

There is the reason & use for precision at this level in setup. I just told you why.What works for you is fine and dandy and I don't doubt that you know what you're doing at all. But yes - I do remain skeptical that you can reliably and with precision (ahem...) detect in a blind test a difference of only 1 mm in saddle setback, or drop, or reach, etc. I think that's just too thin of a cut for most of us to really feel. If you're that sensitive, I'd hate to have to sell you a mattress....

[fuzzalow]

What works for you is fine and dandy and I don't doubt that you know what you're doing at all. But yes - I do remain skeptical that you can reliably and with precision (ahem...) detect in a blind test a difference of only 1 mm in saddle setback, or drop, or reach, etc. I think that's just too thin of a cut for most of us to really feel. If you're that sensitive, I'd hate to have to sell you a mattress....

No problem OtayBW. I take no umbrage at you, or anybody, taking a dig at me - some of which are playful digs and some of which are vindictive digs. This difference is not lost on me but I don't really care either way because I will always consider the source.

I could also explain where the 1mm gets into but I won't - I am not trying to convince you or anybody. But I'm mindful that Paceline readers lookin' for ideas will pick up on the possibility - I'll always give you enough logic to back up & chew on what I say. Your arguments are all based on skepticism that something can't happen based on something you don't know how to do or don't know why. That is not said as a comment on you personally but pointed at your rebuttals. Well I can't split an atom but I sure as hell know it can & how it's done.

You're straight with me. I'm straight with you. We both like bikes and we're just talkin'. Whaddaya wanna talk about?

[PaMtbRider]

Not to pile on our pal Fuzz, but if you can detect 1mm differences in fit you are quite the princess. Let's see... a new pair of gloves, I need to adjust my reach... different shorts, there goes my saddle height and setback. If you can detect the difference, and claim it makes a performance difference, you are in a very, very small percentage of the population.

[fuzzalow]

Not to pile on our pal Fuzz, but if you can detect 1mm I think I know what I'm doing in fit you are quite the princess. Let's see... a new pair of gloves, I need to adjust my reach... different shorts, there goes my saddle height and setback. If you can detect the difference, and claim it makes a performance difference, you are in a very, very small percentage of the population.

No worries Pa(w)MtbRider. How have you been, I trust you and MawMtbRider are well.

I can answer your post in saying you can't feel a difference in minute changes in setup because your setup requires riding with enlistment of core. Which likewise means the feedback perception is used differently and towards different ends. That may sound foreign to you and might even call me on BS. Fine with me. All of your feedbacks are derived from the origin of your approach. There's that word again!

Changing the approach changes the fundamental precepts changes the implementation changes the feedback loops.

My apologies on this tangent - it was snowing here in NYC today and I'm hangin' around the apartment. I am outta this thread, see you at the next stop.

[SleepyCyclist]

Merlin Extralight.

No matter what else I ride, there's just something special about this bike that always has me coming back to it.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161217/17cab77a5e3f8d10494ab048f4e1b8a9.jpg

[gomango]

I have a few road and gravel bikes.

I usually grab my Yeti SB5C mtb though.

By far, the best mtb I've owned.

That Yeti and my Bilenky get loads of saddle time.

Third place goes to my CSI.

I'm off road 80% of the time nowadays.

[bob heinatz]

My Peg Duende. Fits perfect and smooth ride. Kirk close second.

[Dana Kilalps]

It feels so good.

[thwart]

Five pages... two plastic bikes... and one's a MTB.

Now this place likely has a higher average age than 'the typical road cyclist', but that says something.

Grab one? OK, the Neo Primato.

[weisan]

Five pages... two plastic bikes... and one's a MTB.


yeah, that mtb pick of my good pal texbike...I dunno what got into his head lately...he's choosing that over his Pegoretti, Colnago, BMW, Porsche etc...:rolleyes:

[rounder]

Five pages... two plastic bikes... and one's a MTB.

Now this place likely has a higher average age than 'the typical road cyclist', but that says something.

Grab one? OK, the Neo Primato.

Yeah. I went to a Serotta meet and greet a few years ago. Ben said that at as long as he was building bikes, he would build steel bikes. People must still want them.

[FlashUNC]

Not even all that close really. As amazing as my Rock Lobster and Pinarello are, the DS would be the keeper. Even Paul when I picked up my Lobster frame was a bit wistful he sold his Della Santa many moons back.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1680/24956099662_f842562e42_b.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1566/25890833645_eea77a5400_b.jpg

[weisan]

Having "N" bike is more than just a concept for me. When we were away living in another state going to grad school, travelling abroad, working in Asia, and upon our return to the States for a period of time, I literally have one bike and that's my one and only custom steel bike. It has served me well in many different places and riding in different terrain...three things ensure its versatility and adaptability:

1) Built within a range of fit that makes me feel at home whether it's riding in fast group ride or in an event like D2R2.
http://alicehui.com/pic/bike/mini-taylor_cross.jpg

2) Ability to take up to 35 mm tires

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WSXDJgCIpBw/V7uM1gMCQpI/AAAAAAAACis/66vauWGaST8OSbHGfo_exd6xjPVuB5WGACLcB/s1000/P1080751.JPG

3) Ritchey breakaway couplings for ease of travel

http://alicehui.com/pic/d2r2_2013/DSCN2607.JPG

This was taken merely a few days after it was first built up as a brand new frame...in St Louis.

http://alicehui.com/pics/Taylor/img/taylor8.jpg

And since then, it has been to...

Australia

http://alicehui.com/AUS/pics/mini-P1120200.JPG

3-day bikepacking trip on Katy Trail

http://alicehui.com/pics/katy/img/35.jpg

Blue Ridge Parkway

http://alicehui.com/pics/nc/img/81.jpg

D2R2

http://forums.thepaceline.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1697925344&stc=1&d=1471913009


So yeah, I can live with "N" but I also like N+1. If you have the storage space and you see a great deal come by, and it fits...why not?! :D

http://alicehui.com/bike/rivendell/IMG_6594_1200x.jpg

[Black Dog]

This would be it. My Ti bike would be close but like OldP said: 'if the house were on fire and I had to grab one...'

http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/ac209/BlackDogryka/Serotta%20CII/IMG_2946_zpscvn7ndy6.jpg

[PaMtbRider]

My "n" bike will be the next one I buy:) At least that's what I'm telling my wife.

[Tickdoc]

they pull me back in!

Ok, after much thought and deliberation, this one is grabbed and to the hell with the rest.

the others are replaceable....almost.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/Handgod/IMG_5010_zpsxf52rjta.jpg

[unterhausen]

I started twitching when I read the OP...

Anyway, if I HAD to drop down to one bike, like if the house was on fire and I could only grab one, it would have to be the SS MTB.
this is kinda funny, because Penn State just doubled down on their anti-bike in labs policy because "people grab their bike when there is a fire" :rolleyes: But it's the most pro-car and anti-pedestrian campus I have ever been associated with, so this is probably to be expected.

Actually, the people I know would probably just keep working. I actually saw that once when I was in the Air Force, people were still working as the building filled with smoke from a fire in the air conditioner.

[merlinmurph]

In a way, I already had to make this choice. When we headed out on our 6-month trip around the USA in July, I could only bring one bike. So, I ordered up a Seven Evergreen and had two sets of wheels built up for it. I gotta say, this bike has worked out great, from riding the hills of Napa to the trails in Bend. I've definitely spent more time with the fat tires.

http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac62/merlinmurph/RV%20Trip%202016/C360_2016-10-09-17-03-53-897_zpsa9a1x8sj.jpg (http://s886.photobucket.com/user/merlinmurph/media/RV%20Trip%202016/C360_2016-10-09-17-03-53-897_zpsa9a1x8sj.jpg.html)