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What's the single best bike you've ever owned & why?


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5 hours ago, Prince said:

Snap on the Cannondale

Cannondale Hub.JPG

I remember this one.

Thought it would be the Prince.

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The OP said "bike you regret selling" still got the Prince!

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I would have to say there are two bikes.

The first MTB I owned, a Gary Fisher Hoo'Koo'E'Koo, triple butted heat treated Chromoly framed bike that got me into cycling, then through tertiary studies and so many other life challenges. This pic taken around 1997 in Citrusdal, on my first race, and the very first time I cycled with clipless pedals that I fit to her the morning of the race.

image.jpeg.6fa44504b9b70ae51810234f4a906093.jpeg

The a bike I should never have sold, my On One Inbred SS 29'er. I could, and did ride her everywhere, she made me fit and strong, and was an absolute pleasure to ride. Best race on her was the long route for the Elgin Country Club Race. 

image.jpeg.f1c984a75c35cc8676b75c0fd4ae8e43.jpeg

I really do miss both these bikes, the Gary Fisher more from a nostalgic point of view, and the On One because she was just really that good.

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5 minutes ago, Hairy said:

I would have to say there are two bikes.

The first MTB I owned, a Gary Fisher Hoo'Koo'E'Koo, triple butted heat treated Chromoly framed bike that got me into cycling, then through tertiary studies and so many other life challenges. This pic taken around 1997 in Citrusdal, on my first race, and the very first time I cycled with clipless pedals that I fit to her the morning of the race.

image.jpeg.6fa44504b9b70ae51810234f4a906093.jpeg

The a bike I should never have sold, my On One Inbred SS 29'er. I could, and did ride her everywhere, she made me fit and strong, and was an absolute pleasure to ride. Best race on her was the long route for the Elgin Country Club Race. 

image.jpeg.f1c984a75c35cc8676b75c0fd4ae8e43.jpeg

I really do miss both these bikes, the Gary Fisher more from a nostalgic point of view, and the On One because she was just really that good.

that the last time you rode a bike no?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Best bike I ever owned was the one i spent multi-week tours on; a Cannondale M300, Alu itself was newish at the time, (1990’s, or thereabouts) and front shocks were either not a ‘thing’, or JUST emerging…

Did a trip around England, Ireland and Wales, and then later through Norway to see the midnight sun, then later from Pakistan into China (Gilgit to Kashgar), one of the more popular - and challenging - Silk Roads (the Karakoram ‘Highway’, open for just 3 months of ‘summer’, per year!)

It was super-reliable, had a triple-chainring, useful for the Khunjerab Pass (4697m), the bike had few moving parts (no front nor rear shock), and cantilever brakes, useful for the big downhill(s).

At the time, the Karrimor pannier bags were really good; I just did not have money for the better-quality German made Vaude, nor the equal-quality Ortlieb!

Bought the bike in London, around an hour before beginning a tour, and then owned it for 20-odd years, before selling it here in Sunny SA; am sure it is STILL doing duty around Cape Town, somewhere!
 

Pic #4; that is 1  million odd Apricots, drying in the sun, with a person sitting amongst them for scale!

Fun memories!

IMG_0338.jpeg

IMG_0340.jpeg

IMG_0341.jpeg

IMG_0344.jpeg

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3 hours ago, Zebra said:

Best bike I ever owned was the one i spent multi-week tours on; a Cannondale M300, Alu itself was newish at the time, (1990’s, or thereabouts) and front shocks were either not a ‘thing’, or JUST emerging…

Did a trip around England, Ireland and Wales, and then later through Norway to see the midnight sun, then later from Pakistan into China (Gilgit to Kashgar), one of the more popular - and challenging - Silk Roads (the Karakoram ‘Highway’, open for just 3 months of ‘summer’, per year!)

It was super-reliable, had a triple-chainring, useful for the Khunjerab Pass (4697m), the bike had few moving parts (no front nor rear shock), and cantilever brakes, useful for the big downhill(s).

At the time, the Karrimor pannier bags were really good; I just did not have money for the better-quality German made Vaude, nor the equal-quality Ortlieb!

Bought the bike in London, around an hour before beginning a tour, and then owned it for 20-odd years, before selling it here in Sunny SA; am sure it is STILL doing duty around Cape Town, somewhere!
 

Pic #4; that is 1  million odd Apricots, drying in the sun, with a person sitting amongst them for scale!

Fun memories!

IMG_0338.jpeg

IMG_0340.jpeg

IMG_0341.jpeg

IMG_0344.jpeg

Those look like some awesome memories 👌🏻 the 90s was probably the decade where we saw the most changes. 

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Awesome memories Chris, that must have been an incredible trip 👍 Check the chainstay length on that Cannondale, it was absolutely perfect for long days in the saddle. I recon you'd be able to run 700C wheels in that frame 😄

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  • 1 month later...

I started mtb'ing in 1987 and have never stopped enjoying it since then. Over the years I have owned a number of hardtail mtb's (never took the full suspension plunge) but the best bike I have ever had and still use is a Trek Stache 9.5. (Carbon fibre hardtail, 29x3.0" tyres, 1x12 Sram, dropper seatpost). The wife and I don't ride competitions but we love exploring wilderness areas, hence these bikes (she has a Stache too) join us on all our 4x4 touring trips to the Karoo, Richtersveld, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and even as far as Uganda. With their 29x3.0" wide tyres they go almost everywhere and we tour river beds, sandy tracks, beaches or gnarly jeep tracks.  (honourable mention is the Bridgestone MB-1 I bought in 1989, I loved that bike. No suspension but what a bike at that time.)

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My first 29er (circa 2010) - fell in love with the lines :) First rode it single speed rigid just for fun (I had other bikes for "serious" riding) then 3x10 rigid and raced it like that for a year or so (by then this was my "serious" bike) and then relented and got a squishy fork. 10 years of happy miles until the bonded bottom bracket shell worked its way loose from the frame :(  (sold it cheap to someone with the patience to repair it). 

image.jpeg.3ec1f0db93a77da2bc4e3bb2f040cff6.jpeg

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My only montainbike that I still own and ride (when I do ride)

Got the frame circa 2011, and has served me very well. 

Sent me to hospital along with many other great places. Has been repaired, and I will probably ride this bike till " cant ride anymore.

I have had the pleasure of riding more expensive modern bikes, but none has the character of this bike.

 

on one.jpg

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