The best cyclist ever? Merckx? Armstrong? Wiggins? Or Nigel Sylvester?

[zennmotion]

This guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgUC0zyu4p0&t=16s

[Dekonick]

Neil Peart.

[reuben]

Originally Posted by zennmotion

This guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgUC0zyu4p0&t=16s

I've seen that, and agree. Benjamin is an excellent choice.

Ron Bartle is another good choice. They're both exemplars.

We were just trying to get away.
Away from, civilization, I suppose.
The further away the better.

When I was younger I was doing about 20,000 miles a year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNwO-RJBH38

But cycling isn't the point. It's getting outside - seeing, listening, smelling, moving.

[m_sasso]

My dad in his 90's cycling back from a Bocce Ball game in 2013, passed away a few years ago.

https://vimeo.com/59594276?fbclid=Iw...whr9FDrh93BM6s

[jdp211]

If we're talking bike racing, the answer can only be Marianne Vos

[Nomadmax]

That's something special

Originally Posted by m_sasso

My dad in his 90's cycling back from a Bocce Ball game in 2013, passed away a few years ago.

https://vimeo.com/59594276?fbclid=Iw...whr9FDrh93BM6s

[54ny77]

Who is Nigel Sylvester?

[oldguy00]

Another vote for Armstrong.

Remember he never tested positive.





Joking!!!! But still........Armstrong.

To be clear, if we were voting on who the -nicest- person ever in pro cycling was, Armstrong would be far down the list lol.

[mortirolo]

Marco Pantani - Momenti Di Gloria

[TDot]

It may no longer be true but for a while I believe that, at least statistically, it was the great Marianne Vos. It was amazing to see her again this spring after some years where she was injured etc. What an incredible cyclist.

In the same vein but off track a bit, the competitiveness of women’s cycling right now is fun. I love the perennial battle between Fem and Puck in cyclocross, but I digress so I will Stop.

[TDot]

Originally Posted by jdp211

If we're talking bike racing, the answer can only be Marianne Vos

Just wrote the same thing without seeing this so that’s a big +1.

She is awesome still.

[osbk67]

I thought people were joking when they said Armstrong. Even if his voided results counted his seven Grand Tours, one Worlds, a small handful of classics/semi-classics and no Monuments leaves him behind Merckx, Hinault, Anquetil and Coppi’s’ shadows.

Marianne Vos. Olympic Champion on the track and road. World champion on the track, road and cycle-cross. Not as strong in mountain stage races as Merckx but almost as dominant everywhere else and much more versatile. For years longer too.

Opinions vary, inevitably, but my vote goes to the cyclist who has been best in the world in multiple disciplines - track, cross and road - over those who no matter how dominant have excelled “only” in one, be it road, track, downhill mountain biking, ultra distance, bike packing, bicycle polo or trick cycling.

Honourable mentions to Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Mathieu van der Poel but both have a way to go to approach Vos’ palmares, and neither are likely to get near her stage race wins.

As for the suggestion that John Starley, as great as his invention was, is the greatest ever cyclist, to me makes as much sense as saying the Wright Brothers are the greatest ever aviators.

[downtube42]

Charles W Miller aka Charly Miller as the American candidate
(He may have been a German immigrant, originally Charles Muller)

The king of one-man sixes

5th place in the 1901 2nd running of Paris-Brest-Paris, which he rode self supported in an era when the pros had pacers and support

Married in the middle of a 6-day race, where all the other racers paused to attend.

Of course, the inspiration for La Société Charly Miller