Ever Buy A Bike You Couldn't Stand...

[paredown]

Mine has to be the piece of kaka "mountain bike" I bought at a police auction in Cambridge UK--department store quality or worse.

I made it through my fellowship year riding it around--even a few countryside explorations--but boy, it was BAD--you name the component, it was awful, especially the saddle.

Left it at a professor's house, thinking I would return--then told her to give it to another penniless student when it became clear that I would not be coming back.

[m_sasso]

Yes, this sloping TT chopper Carl Strong road frame no, no! Came to my senses and sold it before I ever put it together.

[Waldo62]

A Peg Marcelo in my size that I bought here. Rode it from home to Mt. Diablo, which I climbed and descended, and rode home for a total of 75 miles. Hated it on flat roads, climbing, and descending.

[donevwil]

Hope I don't get attacked for this but.......

My 2 week ownership of a brand new 1990 Serotta NHX, my 2nd nice bike and a much better fit than #1 (which I still have). Beautiful frameset, but handled horribly and shimmied like mad at anything over ~30mph. Same tubing (SPX) and basic geo as my next two road bikes.

Brought it back to the shop, mechanic called a friend who was ± my size to give it a test ride, same result. Mechanic tore it down and checked the frame/fork, everything was fine and straight. He meticulously rebuilt it looking for any possible culprit, nothing found and no change in handling. They stripped it back down and sent f/f back to Serotta. Serotta said everything's fine so no replacement or warranty exchange so the shop kindly bought it back. Only Serotta I've ever owned.

[rallizes]

Originally Posted by Waldo62

A Peg Marcelo in my size that I bought here. Rode it from home to Mt. Diablo, which I climbed and descended, and rode home for a total of 75 miles. Hated it on flat roads, climbing, and descending.

Your size is a 60cm Peogretti?

[donevwil]

Originally Posted by mistermo

My all time worst bike was a custom ti bike, from a reputable, custom ti builder. .... The experience turned me away from custom builders.

1994, did the same thing. Reputable custom Ti builder, bike handled poorly, albeit not terribly. My mechanic checked some angles and saw the HTA was 74.5° (about 1° steeper than intended) and the supplied fork had a rake of 45mm. Threw in a 40mm fork and the bike was transformed. I found a crack at the ST/BB weld in '98 after the first day of a seven day tour, but made it through the tour. Builder repaired it, cracked again 2 years later, repaired again, raced it for another 6 years and then sold it.

[fourflys]

Originally Posted by Waldo62

A Peg Marcelo in my size that I bought here. Rode it from home to Mt. Diablo, which I climbed and descended, and rode home for a total of 75 miles. Hated it on flat roads, climbing, and descending.

careful saying that around here..

[David Kirk]

In the early 1980's I worked at one of the very first Cannondale dealers in the country. I'd been riding a Merckx and a Raleigh when Cannondale announced and employee purchase program to promote their then new aluminum bikes (they mostly made bags and racks before "borrowing" tech from Klein and making framesets) that were so cheap at $150 for the frame and fork I just had to go for it. They were so light that they just had to be better!

I got it and hung a Superbe Pro kit on it and rode it for less than 2 weeks before I took the kit off and sold the frameset. It was so brutally stiff that even my hips and knees hurt. When you sprinted it the rear end would skitter sideways on the surface which scared your racing buddies even more than it did you. It fit well and the steering was good and it certainly was light but holy crap did it ride like poo.

I felt bad selling it and told the guy it was super stiff and he thought "the stiffer the better" so maybe it worked for him. If I had to guess I'd say that thing was like a fruit cake that gets passed around and never gets used.

Did I mention it sucked?


dave

[rallizes]

Originally Posted by fourflys

careful saying that around here..

Eh, he says it a lot

The frame was likely too big

[fourflys]

Originally Posted by m_sasso

Yes, this sloping TT chopper Carl Strong road frame no, no! Came to my senses and sold it before I ever put it together

I think I'm missing something here as it looks normal to me.. plus, this would be the first harsh words I've ever seen about a Strong.. not that he couldn't build a bad bike, just never heard anyone complain about one.

[fourflys]

Originally Posted by rallizes

Eh, he says it a lot

The frame was likely too big

could be or some Pegs are just don't work for everyone..

[rallizes]

Originally Posted by fourflys

or some Pegs are just overrated.. or not for everyone I suppose..

lots of stuff is overrated

but a 6' 1" guy on a 60cm Pegoretti?

Nope

[Michael Maddox]

Originally Posted by krooj

Wanted to want one and tried several, but ultimately decided they rode like crap: Specialized Aethos.

This goes to show you, it's different strokes for different folks. My Aethos is my favorite bike. It replaced a bunch of nice bikes, including some "dream bike" customs.

Speaking of...those of you who know me, know my "bad bike" story. Ugh. I won't rehash it here.

[Waldo62]

Originally Posted by rallizes

Eh, he says it a lot

The frame was likely too big

It was a 60 with a 58 top tube. I've ridden frames that size since 1986 and still do. But of course you know better.

[Waldo62]

Originally Posted by rallizes

lots of stuff is overrated

but a 6' 1" guy on a 60cm Pegoretti?

Nope

I'm glad you have so much experience fitting me on bikes that you know what you're talking about. Actually, yup.