How many bikes since you bought your "forever bike"? - Page 2

unterhausen · #16 03-02-2021, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spdntrxi

forever bike is a bike you keep forever.. not meant to be confused with last bike or best bike or recent bike or any other kind of bike.

I suppose this raises the question of how long did it take before you sold your "forever bike."

I'm going with my original idea that most "forever bike" purchases have been premised on the idea that it's the last one.

I have come to realize I can buy bikes if I get rid of an old one. In fact, getting a bike for free is just as bad as buying one as far as spousal attitudes at my household goes.

prototoast · #17 03-02-2021, 12:07 PM

I bought one bike that I thought to myself would be a forever bike, and sold it three years later. That process taught me something important: trying new bikes is fun and there's no sense in trying to find a bike that lasts forever, because my tastes will change.

Now I try to view my bikes as consumables, with the goal to ride them so much and so hard that I can throw them out and feel like I got my money's worth.

buddybikes · #18 03-02-2021, 12:08 PM

1970 Flandria
1973 Viscount (
1974 Flandria Pro (same as TDF version) I worked for US importer in high school
1976 = built my own first frame
1981 - built my second frame
1982 - de Rosa (wish I had this bike today)
1989 - Kestrel 4000 (stupid)
1999 +/- Kestrel EMS
2010 - Spec Roubaix SL2
2013 - Firefly - going to my grave
2020 - Incoming Alchemy e-bike

other lineage for mountain, cross that I don't consider lineage

Dead Man · #19 03-02-2021, 12:12 PM

"titanium is forever tho baby" is likely a statement i could have made at some point to the wife to justify another "ridiculously expensive" purchase to her... god im so glad im not married anymore. ill never again allow myself to be in a position of having to justify myself to a lover.

things like "forever bike" smack of a sentimentalism im just never going to have toward material possessions. i might love a bike, like i love a woman - while were together, i love true and hard ... but the time to move on always comes

eippo1 · #20 03-02-2021, 12:19 PM

I keep selling my forever bike. My last forever bike was my Dean El Diente SL that I still loved, but found I couldn't get into the drops like I used to. Took me about 8 bikes to get to that one. Only have one ride on the DeSalvo steel that replaced it, but it's not coming out until the salt is off the roads.

Funny thing is that in terms of forever, I've almost always had a Tarmac. I'm on my 3rd one and feel like I always need one in my stable. So I guess in a way, it's my forever bike because it fits me great and I love how the geometry handles.

Otherwise, I have a forever gravel bike in my Salsa Warbird Ti that I friggin love, but ride most often on the trainer and find myself looking at Zukas, Rock Lobsters, and some lovely Ti over at Lindarets.

Actually, I do have one additional comment. My forever bike was supposed to be the stellar Della Santa that I got from Fuzzalow back in 2014. Got it built up with some sweet silver Campy bits and loved riding the bike as much as looking at it. Only problem is that 56 square with a short head tube and 120mm stem still didn't fit me all that well so I passed it on to another PLer. Still miss that bike, but not the lower back pain I got when climbing.

NHAero · #21 03-02-2021, 12:20 PM

I have bought a lotta bikes since I bought my forever bike. I had a custom Bob Jackson built in 1972 when I was 18, it's my forever bike. It's now STI 3x10 so I can still ride it comfortably - all the Nuovo Record stuff is in the drawer. It's not the main ride, but it gets ridden. I even just put a Paul Racer on the front to improve braking (vs. the Tektro 559 that was on there).

I've had that frame/fork re-painted three times too.

Ozz · #22 03-02-2021, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dead Man

"...things like "forever bike" smack of a sentimentalism im just never going to have toward material possessions. ...

Or, practicality...the first thing I think I want a new bike is: What is this bike going to do that my current bike does not?

The answer usually comes back as "nothing"....so I stick with what I have. Buy well, buy once.

I am trying some new things now with wider tires, carbon wheel sets, compact gearing, etc....but the frames of the bikes I have are plenty fine.

I tend to keep cars for 10-15 years too....

rotasia · #23 03-02-2021, 12:28 PM

Saving up still

marsh · #24 03-02-2021, 12:47 PM

Around 2003 I picked up the GT Zaskar Team frame that used to drool over in the Supergo catalogue. Just got back from our lunchtime ride on it and I still love it, but I've been through at least 15 other bikes since trying to fill the road/tour/gravel niche.

sevencyclist · #25 03-02-2021, 12:50 PM

My forever bikes are

Richard Sachs for the road 2007
Coconino for MTB 2012
Peter Weigle for fendered randonneur 2013

However, now I am itching for a Colnago Carbon. My first venture into carbon technology. I promised my wife that it would be the last..... until I need an e-bike.

pdonk · #26 03-02-2021, 12:52 PM

I got my moots as a forever bike, as stated before, I will have it forever, but may ride my speedvagen - another forever bike more.

I have kept both of my forever mtbs - my brodie and my dekerf.

My dekerf is getting a new fork this fall to make it into a drop bar gravel bike. My brodie is fun to ride with my kids, so will see lots of use over the coming 10 years.

d_douglas · #27 03-02-2021, 12:53 PM

My Speedvagen is a long time bike, but if the right thing came along, I would sell it, so I guess that is not really a 'forever' bike.

Truly, the bike that I have owned the longest is an old disc'd titanium Redline that I commute on. It is worn and has taken on many formats (SS/Alfine/1x/2x/650b/flat/drop bar/fenders) and while it sits dormant right now, I am always reminded of what a great, versatile bicycle this is.

Two summers ago, I took it on a family vacay with 35mm knobbies and spent a week mostly singletrack mountain biking - it performed perfectly. It now sits with 32mm slicks and fenders and rides like a great old-school road bike for rainy winter weather. Its a total chameleon.

This is as close to a 'forever bike' as I have ever been, I would say...

Coffee Rider · #28 03-02-2021, 12:54 PM

I have multiple bikes that I plan on keeping forever and didn't really imagine ever selling when I got them. I have two more in queue and will be stopping for quite a while after that. I consider rim brake bikes to be "heritage" bikes and have a "few" to build up after I get my next two, one of which will be lugged steel and the other will be Ti disc or maybe carbon/Ti.

unterhausen · #29 03-02-2021, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ozz

The answer usually comes back as "nothing"....so I stick with what I have. Buy well, buy once.

This is why I still have my All City gravel bike even though I dislike it a lot.

So I don't know if I did the "buy well" part, but it does what it needs to do pretty well. Replacement is in the works though.

lavi · #30 03-02-2021, 01:55 PM

I don't think I own my "forever" bike yet. I have a few that I could keep forever, but who knows how things go.

When I got my SV in '08, I thought that was the ultimate pinnacle for me. I owned it for 13 years. Sold it last year. It was time to move on. Back in 2008 I'm sure I would have sworn up and down that it would never leave my possession. Times change.

I'm hoping my incoming Hampsten Ti SB will be the one that sticks "forever". It's going to be an all-road chameleon. I could put some whopper fatty 650s on it, I can also knock it down to 28 or 32s for fast road duty. So hopefully along with it's versatility, the ride will be sublime enough to achieve the forever slot.

But as others have said, it's also lots of fun to try new stuff. So maybe the forever bike gets cemented in place and then a handful revolve around it to suit current whims. That sounds nice to me.