What's the perfect road bike in your mind's eye?

[fa63]

After seeing several of them in person, the stem has sort of grown on me as it matches the lines of head tube quite well in real life. But I think Argonaut have now switched to Enve stems.

Originally Posted by d_douglas

This is a beautiful bike, but those stems are awful looking in my opinion. Just a plain old round tubed stem, please.

[pinoymamba]

Horizontal TT, Campagnolo, 32mm tires, and lugged.

[Matthew]

We could have closed this thread with ltwtsculler91's bikes. Wow, that No.22 and Hampsten are incredible. Who makes the Hampsten carbon frames?

[Hilltopperny]

I have 3 road bikes. All are steel and rim brake, but the Vagen has a carbon seat tube. The Waterford has been with me the longest as the other two I picked up over the winter.

Each one is a joy to ride and has it's own unique characteristics. I need to get the Pegoretti and Speedvagen out on the road once the salt season is over to determine which of the 3 is best suited for me!

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

[jamesdak]

I've been avoiding replying because every time I think about it I'm surprised about which bike comes to mind.

It's not my fastest, it's not my best feeling on the road, it's not the most original, it's not the most modern, not the lightest, not the most aero, etc.

Yet every since I finished the build and got it on the road it's been the bike that stirs my soul the most. Can't explain other than that.

So I guess for now the perfect road bike for me as a total package is lugged steel with a killer paint job, short chainstay with the rear so tucked in that nothing taller than 23mm tires fit, DT friction shifting, rim brakes, narrow wheels and born from the forge of an Italian master.

[gbcoupe]

Originally Posted by jamesdak

I've been avoiding replying because every time I think about it I'm surprised about which bike comes to mind.

It's not my fastest, it's not my best feeling on the road, it's not the most original, it's not the most modern, not the lightest, not the most aero, etc.

Yet every since I finished the build and got it on the road it's been the bike that stirs my soul the most. Can't explain other than that.

So I guess for now the perfect road bike for me as a total package is lugged steel with a killer paint job, short chainstay with the rear so tucked in that nothing taller than 23mm tires fit, DT friction shifting, rim brakes, narrow wheels and born from the forge of an Italian master.

So you're full of Losa Krapf?

[shinomaster]

Originally Posted by username

I was out walking the dog this morning, and a guy rode by on a Motorola Merckx. "Lovely bike!" I called out. He stopped, turned around, said thanks, and then pulled up alongside me. As we chatted, I got a good look at his ride: a Century TSX, blessed with a box-crown fork and chrome chainstays, and adorned with a Chorus 10 group—I'd like think the hubs were Record; I should have asked, but the conversation had turned to dogs—a white Flite saddle, and white tape.

I'd say the above is about as close to the ideal road bike as I can possibly imagine. I suppose I might prefer a DeRosa Professional in red or a Molteni Merckx, but maybe not. Anyway, it's funny how things get fixed in our heads at key moments in our lives and then live on forever after as glorious nostalgia.

Sweet. Anything other than a $15,000 Specialized for me,

[Dadoflam]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

For a road racing bike? This is it, this right here.

Waaay too flexy for someone my size - and I prefer steel, but a magical combination to watch.

[jamesdak]

Originally Posted by gbcoupe

So you're full of Losa Krapf?

Yep, clear up to my eyeballs full of it so I can't see straight.

[ltwtsculler91]

Originally Posted by Matthew

We could have closed this thread with ltwtsculler91's bikes. Wow, that No.22 and Hampsten are incredible. Who makes the Hampsten carbon frames?

Thanks, I've been lucky to work with some awesome people to build these bikes. Steve has Peter Graham, formally of MadFiber, building the carbon frames "in-house" and they had consulted a bit with Nick Crumpton when starting up.

Originally Posted by Alistair

No, I'm at N+1 and if I sell another one of my wife's bikes to make room, she'll divorce me!

I should probably sell my All-City and order something custom, just hard to bring myself to spend the money when my primary focus these days is gravel. And I'd really hate to spend $$$$ only to rip around on chunky gravel and ruin the paint.

Sounds like you need a more "dirt-road" type with 32's for road and less chunky gravel, a Kirk Onesto would be perfect for that - no paint!

[choke]

Originally Posted by jamesdak

Yet every since I finished the build and got it on the road it's been the bike that stirs my soul the most. Can't explain other than that.

I understand where you're coming from, I think I would be hard pressed to pick one between my Hampsten and my 'Schneider' Losa. There's just something about the way the Losa rides that makes it near perfect.