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Best bike you have (ever) owned ?
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trevron73Free Member
My History is ?
Rockhopper 87
Muddy fox bigfoot 2
Kona aa
Cannondale beast of the east 97(still riding)
Cannondale trail SL4I love them all and they are all special in one way or another? My Trail SL 4 is dripping with boutique parts and its amazing, The beast gets plenty of runs out with J3 forks (used to have Z1 which i miss?) the Rockhopper was my first up Skiddaw followed by the AA , i went far and high on the Muddy fox and it was hard to ride on trails but easy on road ,if i had to pick one ?hmm Rockhopper or beast? or the modern dripping with parts .Easy the Beast is my best mate ,my drinking buddy and my oldest friend ? what about you ?
coolhandlukeFree MemberClaud Butler Ravana
Giant XTC
Orange sub 5
On one Inbred (18″ frame in white)
Specialized Enduro S-works (2006 model)
On one Inbred (20″ frame in red)
On one 456 Summer Season
On one 456ti (Lynskey version)
Specialized Enduro 2010 model
Surly Karate Monkey 29erBest bike, without a shadow of doubt 456ti. Still got it and had it since new. Believe the hype about these frames.
Also still got the Spesh Enduro (2010 model) and that’s for uplift and Alp type holidays. It’s great at what I use it for but wouldn’t want to pedal it too much.
Also still got the Surly KM. now turned into a cyclocross bike. Love it like that but it’s going as the frame is too large in that set up and I don’t need another mountain bike.
Loved the Summer Season, that frame made me ride like I’d stolen the bike, a right hoot but terrible for chain suck and as I tend to buy frame and swap bits over, and its not something I’d had or have had since, I can only blame the frame.
The red Inbred was a parts bin bike made up of spare parts and I had that at the same time I had the 2006 Enduro, the enduro stopped getting ridden and turned into an uplift / holiday bike. And then got upgraded to the 2010 model as the hardtails developed from the red inbred to the Summer Season to the 456ti.
ptrockymountainFree MemberStarted with a
Dawes tamarak
Kona dawg
Rocky mountain etsx 70
Orange st 4
Just recently built the st4 and by far the best I’ve had.hairyscaryFull MemberStarted with an emmelle type of thing, then
Saracen Tufftrax
Sunn 5000 (cracked)
Sunn f/s (suspension ovalised in months)
Sunn revolt (mate still rides)
Raleigh TI special racing products. (TJ has it now)
Tomac Revolver
Commencal supreme (cracked)
Commencal supreme (cracked)
Commencal meta 5 (cracked)
Morewood Shova LT
Marin Wolfridge (still got the frame)
Marin Attack Trail.Loved all of them, but the Marin Wolfridge has been the best by a country mile.
mwotsitFree MemberGiant Stonebreaker
Marin Nail Trail 93 (stolen)
Orange P7 95 (destroyed in a fire)
Specialized enduro expert (destroyed in the same fire)
Orange clockwork 2013
All been good in their own way. Never really got on with the specialized more into hardtails really. Took a while to get on the suspension bandwagon. The P7 was ace and I miss it, but my new clockwork is putting a smile back on my glum mug!mindmap3Free MemberBike history is…
1997 Steel Rockhopper in dark blue was my first proper bike but it got nicked not long after getting it.
1997 Kona Koa was its replacement. I loved this bike.
1997 Cannondale SV700 replaced the Koa and was my first bouncy bike.
1997 Marin Mount Vision ever really liked this but ae spec (Z1’s, full XTR, Big ‘Uns etc)
2001 Fly BMX; got nicked at uni. I then had no bike for a couple go years.
1998 Specialized FSR Comp. paint stripped and polished. Did ride this much before the frame and forks were sold to fund snowboarding holiday.
2001 Kona Stinky. Too small for me but I loved this bike and had the frame for years and built it up in various guises.
2003 Specialized Big Hit. Ace bike and my first real big bike.
Plant X Jack Flash. Not sure of the year but got me back into hardtails and BMX tracks.
1998 Santa Cruz Chameleon in baby blue which replaced the Planet X and got nicer parts.
2005 Specialzed Demo 9. Awesome and looked ace with a stealth build.
2005 Norco hardtail (can’t remember which one). Hated it so only had it for a few weeks.
2006 Orange Sub Zero. Bit small for me but a great frame and good fun.
2007 Santa Cruz Chameleon. This one actually fitted me and was a great do it all bike.
2008 Solid Flair built as a DH/ play bike. Great fun, bit different but pedalled really badly!
2006 Orange Patriot 66. Another bike n the hate category.
Another break from bikes.
2005 Specialized SX Trail. Current main bike….love it.
Original Intense Tazer. Cracked, do only ride it once or twice and is now wall art.
2012 Cotic BFe in XS built as a DJ/play bike.
2013 Specialized Allez Sport.The last three are my current bikes.
It’s hard to pick out just one, but the Koa sticks in the mind just for the good times I had on it as a kid ragging about the woods with my mates, the Big Hit was brilliant and probably better than the Demo be ause of the Push tuned shock, the 2007 Chameleon was a bike that I shouldn’t have sold (it should have been the Flair that I had at the same time) but I would say my favourite so far is the SX. It’s a bit old now, a bit battered and a bit heavy and probably too much bike for what it gets used for but I love it. Even though its poo brown, I still think its a good looking bike.
tazzymtbFull MemberBike history far too long to post, but best bikes for me: dave lloyd custom my first proper xc race bike, sinister splinter for loony fun, ellsworth epi for for just being fab at everything, jones space frame for being far more capable and fun then any rigid bike should be. Bikes I hated orange 5 really didn’t live up to the hype, marin mount vision again wss touted as being awsome, won all sorts of magazine awards…foul piece of cack.
MackemFull MemberGiant Coldrock
Orange p7
Stumpjumper m2
FSR
Litespeed Lookout mountain
Orange p7
Pace RC303
Orange P7
Chumba HX1Have fond memories of the 1st p7(1995). The Litespeed was the blingiest. The FSR was shit, the Pace broke. The second p7 was a hoot, the third too heavy. The Stumpjumper was stiff as and v.fast.
Best bike, my current one, helped by good wheels, tubeless tyres and a dropper post.
fazziniFull MemberPuch Pacemaker – I was 10 years old and it was the most amazing thing I had ever owned! 🙂 That was 30 years ago!
steviedFree MemberRaleigh Avanti
Raleigh Dyna-Tech Pro (Team Issue)
Giant ATX 990
Giant NRS Team
Giant Reign
On One 456 Carbon
Intense 6.6All have been great for different reasons. Tha Avanti got me into MTB from road bikes but I bent the forks then it got stolen. The Dyna-Tech was brilliant, light and fast but sold it when I got my 1st motorbike. The ATX got me back into MTB when I worked in Oz. The NRS was used on 2 Alps trips, much to the amusement of my fellow riders on bigger travel bikes. The Reign was my 1st introduction to proper full suss. The 456 was a change back to a hardtail which I enjoyed for a while. It was super quick, climbed like a goat but took it’s toll on my aging body.
The 6.6 is a bike I’d wanted for ages and finally got one. Bought the frame 2nd hand and rebuilt from scratch. Full respray etc. Offset bushes fitted to tweak the geometry. I’ve almost finished it now, just need to replace the linkages/bolts and buy a dropper post. It’s the best bike ever owned, will take anything I throw at it but still climbs really well….I’ll be keeping this one for a while 🙂bullandbladderFree MemberMy ’92 GT Karakoram (still got it). Purely for the fact that it was the bike on which I cut my teeth and fell irrevocably in love with mountain biking.
In practical terms, my Mk.1 Giant Reign from ’05 – still a very viable 6″ go-anywhere bike today. I foolishly chopped it in for a Reign X in search of more skill compensation after my first trip to Les Gets.
tomhowardFull Member06 demo eight, built with wishlist parts as I had just got my first proper job, and was living at parents still, so I had desposable income falling out of my ears. It got nicked in whistler in 08. Still miss it. 😥
Militant_bikerFull MemberHmmm, not sure if this starts with a ‘proper’ bike, but it was all my parents could afford – bless ’em
1993 Townsend Warlord (it had elevated chainstays 🙂 )
1997 Trek 6000, later completely upgraded, ended up with Bomber Z4s, Hope Mono Minis, bargain bin XT/XTR bits, proper wheels etc.
2001 Viper frame with many nice bits from above.
2003 2nd Hand (1998) Sintesi Bazooka frame with evolution of nice bits, Viper becomes a SS
2004 Giant AC with further evolution of nice bits – stolen 1 month after building
2004 Giant AC, Viper becomes commuter
2006 Specialized Langster, Viper becomes ‘pimp’ SS
2008 Specialized Tarmac
2009 Bionicon Ironwood
2010 Genesis iO frame for the SS.
(then I left the bike trade…)Still own the last 4, and they actually get about the same number of outings.
Best bike? The bike I spent the most on and loved the most through it’s life, probably the 2004 Giant AC, it ended up with Boxxer U-Turns, full X.0, Hope M4s, spangly wheels and finishing kit. It died when a bearing wore out after 5 years, and was completely seized into the frame. It took months to get fixed and sold, in which time I bought the Ironwood.
The Genesis iO is probably the one I’d keep if I had to choose but one. I’ve had so much fun with this one, rode actually thousands of miles in the USA on this when I wasn’t working.
Most expensive – Bionicon Ironwood. I have a love-hate relationship with this bike. When it works, and in the right place, it’s brilliant. But it needs constant fettling and I live in the flatlands :-(.charliedontsurfFull MemberStarting in 1989, so ignoring bmx and pre mountain bikes
.. Raleigh mirage
Saracen tart fux (tuff trax with stickers rearranged)
Giant cadex
Specialised rockhopper
Specialized FSR
Giant road bike
Specialized steel road bike
Specialized allez
Sunn single speed conversion
Santa Cruz chameleon
Rock lobster cross bike
Surly long haul trucker
Surly cross check
Surly karate monkey
Surly steamroller
Niner sir9
Salsa dos Niner
Surly big dummy
Surly pugsley
Salsa vaya
Kona humu
Kona honky road bike
Salsa Fargo
Salsa Fargo ti
Salsa spearfish
Canfield nimble9
Ritchey road logic
Surly pugsley again
Surly krampusFavourite? It’s got to be the krampus. The new format is such a game changer. I am riding way faster on it, carrying speed through corners like crazy, it handles corners like a suspiciously muscley prostitute on crack.
Part of it is that the best bike is often the newest, because its dialled towards your current needs, but the krampus is more than that. It’s effin incredible.
charliedontsurfFull MemberI’m curious, would like to see sheldons list, shaggies list, and Steve worlands.
Now that would be interesting….
patriotproFree MemberWearing my rose-tinted specs on it has to be my Raleigh Boxer I had when I was about 6-7.
In reality, the Pitch I have now.
FarticusFull Member1993 Cannondale M700
1999 Stumpjumper
2002 Orange Sub 5
2003 Turner XCE
2004 S Works Enduro
2004 Kona Explosif 18″
2005 Kona Explosif 19″
2005 Turner 5The best full susser was the Enduro (even though I’ve kept the 5 Spot from new and still have it today), but if I had to keep one bike it’d be the 19″ Explosif.
But I have high hopes for the Curtis XC9 I’m drooling over and waiting for.
brFree MemberBest bike, without a shadow of doubt 456ti. Still got it and had it since new. Believe the hype about these frames.
+1
Bought mine in 2008 to replace a steel 456, my only bike if you ignore the steel 456 frame which has been hung on the wall for over 4 years…
benslowFree MemberGenesis Altitude 853 frame.
Loved it and got me back onto steel bikes.
DaveyBoyWonderFree MemberTough one… out of all the bikes I’ve had (a lot), I’d say the one I miss most was my mk1 Chameleon. One of the first on these shores, first set of 5″ Z1s available to the public, Hope brakes etc. An absolutely brilliant bike and I often say that if it hadn’t been nicked about 6 months after I got it, I’d still have it.
But in terms of the best all round bike I’ve ever had, I’d have to say my old Blur 4X. Another one of those bikes where you have to believe the hype that surrounds them. OK, it ate bearings and shock bushings and wasn’t a particularly modern frame but maybe thats why it was so good – ahead of its time in a way.
It went to a new home at the end of last year to be replaced by a new Five which on paper was basically the same but a touch longer which was one of the main negatives for me on the Blur (felt a touch too short sometimes). Still dialling it in but I reckon it could easily become better than the Blur… its just about there now 🙂
Another one worthy of a mention was my old Inbred SS. Bought cheap off here from firestarter, was my introduction into the world of singlespeed and to this day one of the best riding bikes I’ve ever had. Rode just as good, if not better than my current Curtis S1.
ska-49Free MemberHas to be the Kona Explosif 650b. Had issues with sizing and travel in the past but the Kona is the perfect size with the right angles and boy is it fun!
loddrikFree Member1981mikedFree MemberCotic Soul.. Wish I hadn’t sold my last one’
Orange ST4 runs it close mind you.
For the older stuff.. My first proper mountain bike: Trek 930 or my Trek Y22..
I find Trek’s rather boring now!
NorthwindFull MemberWon’t do a list of failures. My current bikes are the best bikes I’ve owned- I wouldn’t have kept them and sold the others if they weren’t 😉 Best is my Hemlock- it just never fails to inspire, I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad ride on it. Waggiest tailed bike I’ve ever ridden and that’s more important than anything else, by miles.
stevied – Member
What will be interesting is Hora’s list…..
Ain’t nobody got bandwidth for that!
ddmonkeyFull MemberWay too many to list, my Santa Cruz Blur 4x was amazing fun but too small for me to be practical. Orange 5 has to be up there, but…
My current bike a 2011 Specialized Enduro has to be the best all-round bike I’ve owned.
julianwilsonFree MemberBestest (and by that I mean most fun and ‘pedalled one cog better’ than others) I had were kinesis maxlight xc pro, yeti asr-sl (100mm xc) and sc bullit (although I suspect the tf-twiddled/setup dhx5 was a big factor in that one!).
Having fallen for the hype in years past, I have had three fsr/horst link bikes which were good and I suppose quite fast, but not as fun, and I’ve borrowed/ridden a loads of other single pivots or faux-bars which were a real hoot too.thewandererFree MemberTurner 5-spot
The ’03 horst link one that I took around Australia, NZ, the states and Canada – rode it for 8 years..
Oh and the ’11 – cause it’s so much better than the Horst Link..
Want to try a Burner now
P20Full MemberTrek 830
Trek 930
Stumpjumper M2
Cannondale Raven
Ritchey P20 (still ride it)
Klein Adept
Klein Palomino
Stumpjumper steel ss
Stumpjumper M2
Yeti 575
Bontrager OR ss
Stumpjumper steel (last steels they made)
Cannondale Raven with lefty
Dialled Love/Hate ss
On One carbon 456 (still ride)
Yeti ASR5-C (still ride)The ASR5-C is the best out of the lot. It will do everything I need, light, stiff, responsive, brilliant handling. The P20 is the one i’ve always said that I’d never sell. The one regret selling is the Bonty, just a really nice bike to ride. Default bike will always be a Stumpjumper, you just can’t go wrong!
gmex619Free MemberBest bike was my 97 zaskar. M950.. pace. Spins.. rode like a jewel.
Also my c456. Built with xo. Fox. Reverb etc..
Some of your bike lists are way shorter than mine and I’m 19!
Cannondale m2000
Orange patriot
Orange aluminium o
Orange clockwork
Scott endorphin
Scott super evolution
Scott pro evolution
Gt zaskar 1994
Another gt zaskar 1994
Gt zaskar 1997
Specialized stumpjumper m4
Specialized fsr
Specialized stumpjumper steel s works
Gt avalanche
Santa cruz heckler
Kona kula
Proflex 857
Carbon on one 456
Titanium 456
Another ti 456
Hoffman bmx
Gt rave
Peugeot team road
Raliegh mirage
Far chance yo eddynodrog2Free MemberRose tinted glasses has to be a 1997 Kona Explosif. Best bike I own and have ridden is my Cotic Rocket.
trickydiscoFree Member1997 Kona Explosif
My mate has a rigid 97 explosif and I love it. Offered to buy it off him several times and he won’t (even though he owns a ti hei hei)
PJM1974Free MemberIt’s really hard to be objective here.
I’ve just retired my ’04 Enduro, which took me all over the UK on trails as diverse as Thetford and Ae, during which time it must have covered well over 12,000 miles.
The Camber I replaced it with is stiffer, much faster and more secure downhill, has better suspension and geometry. However, I still own my Enduro frame, which has pride of place on my living room wall. That’s an honour the Camber won’t have in eight years time.
In addition there’s a 2009 Marin Wolf Ridge, a 2003 Rockhopper I sold to a mate (my first MTB in fact), a 2008 Rock Springs and a 2011 Orange Pure 7 which really is a lovely piece of engineering. Each of them were built for different things, so I guess it’s a case of whatever and wherever I’m riding.
My Enduro will always be special though.
sprockerFree MemberTo many to remember all of them. The best = 2010 Spicy although my whyte t120 is closing in. Worst a heckler just felt wrong as did a chameleon, alptitude, inbred, pitch the list goes on.
pitcherproFree MemberMy 2011 enduro , can’t think of anything to replace it ( not that I want to)
cooieFull Member’86 Ridgeback something.
’87 Ridgeback 603 XT
’87 Alves custom frame and fork
’88 Ridgeback 604 XT
’88 Overburys Pioneer
’90 Ridgeback 704 XT
’92 Kona Explosif
’94 Kona AA
’95 Kona Cinder Cone
’96 Proflex 856
’98 Mk1 Heckler
’02 Mk2 Heckler
’05 Schwinn moab
’06 Kona Unit 2-9(bought s/h in ’12)
’08 On One Inbred 853
’09 Lapierre Zesty 314
’11 Heckler mk4
’12 Inbred 29
’12 Salsa Horsethief
Be One Karma commuterBest was the mk2 Heckler, loved that bike. Then it cracked 🙁
Haven’t ridden the Horsethief in anger yet, so it could change 🙂
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