Post your fugly bike pics – the bikes that only you could like and even then only when weary Rose Rosie's rosiest rose-tinted glasses…
Only two rules:
1. You have to either own or have owned it (so no random google pics)
2. Explain why you have/like it?
Here's mine – Klein Mantra – built up when I basically got it for free from the classifieds and I'd always fancied seeing what they rode like with a rigid fork which was how they were originally intended. Needless to say, it was like riding a full susser with a rigid fork which was a bit rubbish 😉
As a full sus SS though, it's not bad actually – It doesn't bob around when gurning out of the saddle, the suspension takes the edge of the bigger hits and it weighs about the same as my 853 inbred frame so no real weight penalty.
Ugly points:
Built in crudguard
Yellow paint with red anodised bits
Mary bars that are actually pink rather than the red I wanted
Odd cross pattern wheels
Glow-in-the-dark grips
It looks better in the flesh – honestly (though only by a bit!)
It rides & handles excellently, stops on a dime, and climbs like a bas**rd……and keeps on going whatever gets thrown at it.
Put this up on the Frankenbike too. Had to sell my 456 and bought this as a very cheap replacement. Now has non matching wheels, it has double+ bash at the front with mech and shifter still attached, although it only works on the bigger ring. Does occasionally get suspension forks, bigger tyres and gears but it spends most of its time like this for commuting. Had a big crash last week and I just need to clean the blood off and "good as new".
It is pretty heavy even as rigid SS, but good fun to ride. Although it is rated for 5" forks it doesnt feel right at 130mm, much better at 100mm
That Marin and the Sunn appeared while I was typing – not sure mine is Fugly enough!
I will eventually try and make it look a bit better, but not entirely sure where to start
bigyinn it's a very old skool sunn dh thing ,, a normal ss tensioner doesnt pull enough chain to take into account the difference in chain length between full topped out and fully compressed 17mm i think,
i could have put a rear mech on but didnt like the look
epicyclo i actualy like that,, it's a great solution to belt drive niggles, but,, there always is a but you must have the longest hose in the world on those front maguras
I love Preston. Just think, a slight deviation in the evolutionary road and we could have all ended up riding bikes like that. Well, maybe not quite like that.
I'm with Tazzymtb re the elsworth – it mings. I'm sure it rides well, but boy is it a case of function over form.
It's fair to say that most of the bikes I've owned have looked a bit grim due to their gateishness, but this is the one that has drawn the most criticism aesthetically.
I rode one (not mine I hasten to add). Nice enough but funny on hard cornering (where it seemed to fight against you
if you hit a bump) I found and nothing to make up for the way it looks 😉