Inspired by the how many/how few thread, it got me thinking which of my bikes has been my favourite. Not the best looking/most expensive/most capable, but the one I genuinely think back on with pleasure. Of 30+ I came up with this

[url=https://flic.kr/p/LFGDy]DMR Switchback – Sep 05 – Dec 06[/url] by Alex Leigh, on Flickr

First bike I really rode outside of the Chilterns. Scotland, Lakes, Quantocks, Peaks, etc,etc and even my first visit to Chicksands. I don’t remember what it rode like but as a time machine and memory bank, it was clearly brilliant. It kind of took me from ‘cycling once a week is fun’ to ‘being a mountain biker’. And I’ve never looked back.

I think of that DMR as my ‘gateway drug’ 🙂

So come on, it’s Friday and time for some pre-weekend whimsy. Let’s have your pics and stories.

Cannondale Prophet, now sold on, always regretted it.

it was one of those bikes that felt great everywhere. Was a bit of a mifit in times when 110-120mm ‘longer’ travel bikes were prevelant, and 150mm ‘enduro’ bikes were at another end. It didn’t fit with what folk thought at the time, but 140mm front and back was great. it was a fast and pretty light XC bike, and could take the rough stuff with ease.

I sold it mostly down to feeling overbiked for what I was riding and what I liked riding. Interestingly I went from this to a 29er hardtail back in 2007.

The Stooge. I built it up as a cheap SS winter bike last year using bargin bin bits and second hand parts.

Wasn’t expecting much from a rigid, 1 1/8th and QR bike. It’s undoubtedly the best bike I’ve ever bought and one of the best I’ve ever ridden, despite it costing less than the forks on my FS bike. Andy has worked magic with the geometry and feel of the bike. It’s simple and robust. I’ve ridden through the winter mud and haven’t had to maintain it whatsoever. It keeps surprising me with what lines I can take and get away with.

I keep thinking of upgrading the brakes, post and other bit but then I realise how fun it is in its current build, and it sort of defeats the original point of the bike.

The only bike this would get sold for is a Stooge Ti.

Nice thread!

I loved my Soul and my Carrera Krakatoa Flexstem, but favourite?

I’ve had it for 5 years, which is as long as I’ve been properly riding there’s possibly not one single original part in it now mind… I suppose I could say, I learned to ride on my Soul but me and the Hemlock sort of grew up together after that- first uplift, first foreign trip, first (and ONLY EVER) TDF climb, first downhill and enduro race (and a hell of a lot since), 3 trips to the alps, the fort william endurance downhill, 2 enduro world series… and broken in 4 different places Everywhere we go, people say “Wow, there’s a Hemlock still going”

At a quick tally, I’ve gone through 10 hardtails in the same time so, it’s done good. I don’t honestly know if it’s even good or not, it’s just that we’re fitted so well together.

1995ish S-works JMC FSR. Bought with a student loan, the first in a long line of buying bikes I couldn’t afford.

I’ve fallen out with all my bikes I’m starting to fall out with my El Guapo now 🙁

Have you spent time with hora, mr fr0sty125?

Mine is my 2003 Rocky Mountain Element. I bought the frame off here for £100 – it was about 5 years old and fairly well used. It was also a size, maybe even two, too small but for the price, I could live with it and thought I’d give it a punt and sell it if it wasn’t decent to ride.

Built up, I just loved it from the first ride – it was efficient but took sufficient edge off the trails to give real confidence. I’ve never felt faster on a bike on technical trails, even with the longer than ideal stem to get some cockpit length. The only thing it wasn’t good at was really steep climbs where the short cockpit and weight over the back meant it tended to wheelie rather than go up the trail.

Unfortunately it snapped after a couple of years (at the dropout – bad design for location of the removable dropout bolts). I’m still gutted about it.

My current bikes are no doubt faster and more capable but I still hanker after the Element.

Orange P7 bought in 1996. Bought it on 12 months interest free credit when I got my first decent salary. Built to my spec and ordered from Stif.

I was living in Aberdeen on my own when I bought it and had some amazing rides at Kirkhill forest. I remember one ride in particular on a hot summers evening, dust kicking up behind me, what a wonderful time.

Sold the frame and the pace forks earlier this year.

Don’t have a pic of my bike but found this on google and its pretty close

Loved this bike, it did everything I asked of it. Taught me how to ride properly

my favourite bike continues to split opinion. ‘spaghetti junction’ ‘shopping trolley’. even after the 4 years it took me to repay the loan i need to buy it in the first place, it remains the most incredible, surefooted and capable bike I’ve ever owned.

I’ve never cycled further or as regularly as a i do now. I’m out myself 99.9% of the time in all weathers, at all elevations. its x3 times more than I’ve ever spent on a bike previously and was a serious gamble as i’d only read about ‘jones’. i hadn’t even seen one in the flesh before collecting it after i got it built up. i’d be man enough to admit at some point after that, i may have got it wrong or its all hype but even now, its still got a very positive feeling, its the only bike i personally need for a long long time. and adding the fat front after a few years just totally nailed the whole thing.

i probably bored jeff in oregon and biff here to death, trying to described it –

“I could talk about traction, compliance and general riding stuff but its just easier to say it all works to an extent way beyond my own ability or requirement for a bike. I still have that grin…”

I would need to find a pic of it, Alex, and it’s a relative newcomer to my bike collection, but my SS converted 1995 Kilaeua has to be at the top for its ability to do a lot of stuff, miles covered (Scottish coast to coast off-road, inter alia), smiles generated – all for £75 off a forum/other forum member.

As I recall it all started when I won a pair of RC31s in an STW competition – “they’d be ideal on a SS” said macpuppy. “But I don’t have a SS” I said. Long story later and lo I did. And still do…

Classic case of being ‘over-biked’ but no other bike I’ve owned has made me smile so much. I sold it for something lighter, with less travel, and less bump-sucking capacity but I still kinda regret it :/

[url=https://flic.kr/p/3wHL5E]Reigning in The Hermitage[/url] by Kit Carruthers, on Flickr

I had a Switchback too, awesome bike, quite steep by modern standards, but on smooth-ish trails it was like riding by telepathy compared to modern slack and low geometry, you just thought where you wanted the bike and it jumped across the track to where you wanted to be! Sold it and apparently the seatstay broke soon after. Don’t think I’ve kept any pics :_(

Replaced with a 456 which was possibly better allround, but lost some of that zing.

Replaced with a Sanderson Life 853, now that was a fantastic bike, sadly outdated by 29ers, but at the time if was practically perfect in every way as an XC/trail bike.

Then a Swift, which is probably not far off the Sanderson in ride and feel.

Then an El-Mariachi, which is OK. It’s a bit stiffer than the Swift which possibly makes it faster, but I don’t feel quite as attached to it.

But the bike I’ll remember is my Pitch. Blow me that thing was capable when it was in once piece. Trouble was I had one problem after another with it. Eventually sold it and apparently the new owner has broken the jinx and it’s been faultless. Ohh, and it broke my arm.

zinaru, it’s you John. You got one then.

How are you, we haven’t spoken for a while.

Some great pics and stories… keep ’em coming. Most of the people I rode with back in my switchback days are still mates today.

nemesis – Member
Mine is my 2003 Rocky Mountain Element.

Also one of my favourite bikes I’ve ever owned.

Grapil

My new grapil – sold my stumpy fsr a couple of years ago, swore to get a new bouncer but never did, 2 kids later and new bike possibilities were looking sparse then this rascal came along cheap and I love it. a proper fun bike 150mm upfront 120 at the back and it rides like a drunken labrador. bit like the stumpy but stiffer and a bit firmer suspension – poifect.

jeesus how can you pick? I’ve got 6 favorites all for different reasons and I couldn’t choose one over the others. unless really really really pushed..then the answer is

Jeff Jones spaceframe

or Black Sheep

or Stooge

Or singular puffin

or Ellsworth epiphany

or salsa selma

or even my custom dave lloyd from 1991

Wish I never sold this, a lot of good times on this bike! Was my first full sus and the bike I took out to Whistler with me. My new bike with more modern geometry is better but this was still fun. And just looked awesome.

My mk2 Evil Sovereign. I’d sold an XC-style HT about 6 months previously, but only having an FS was getting a bit boring and I want something more playful this time around. It was going to be a small BFe, but then CRC started churning out the last of the Sovereigns at half-price and I had to have one. That makes it 2nd longest I’ve owned any bike now. It’s done everything I’ve asked of it, and I ended up riding it so much that the FS was sold after about a year too. Recently it’s been a little neglected due to family circumstances and another bike arriving too. Been getting back into it lately though. Using it mainly for ‘messing about’ on: dual-slalom racing, BMX tracks, and that sort of thing. The first time I rode it I swore I’d never sell it and that still stands.

This is an older pic. Fork’s lowered and chainstays slammed since it was taken
[url=https://flic.kr/p/uasSqG]2014-02-19 13.02.09[/url] by Mike Jones, on Flickr

i still miss this, I had two trips to Canada on this bike. Ahead of its time.

Photo from pinkbike is not my actual bike.

Cokie +1

Built a Stooge a few months ago (cheers Andy!) and have loved every minute of owning it so far. I have a young family and a fledgling (very busy) business, so time has been limited, but been grabbing 2 hour blasts most evenings and a few day epics – outstanding fun and a pleasure to ride (although mine is 1×10 as opposed to SS) 🙂 🙂 🙂

It’s not a mountain bike, but it is the bike that got me back into cycling over 10 years ago and has taken me many, many miles since. Bought as a commuter, I also off-roaded on it (until I bought an MTB), did 70+ mile day-trips on it and toured on it (until I bought a road bike). It’s still my commuter and my ride-to-the-shops bike. If I could only own one bike I think this would still be it.

changed my mind

its this jones diamond with unicrown, just the most fun a rigid fat front single speed could possibly be*

* until i sold it and got a jones spaceframe

so the answer to any “what bike for?” question is a Jones…with a fat front and singlespeed.

I did think about posting a pic of my old revolution courier. £125 it cost me. Did 4 years of daily commuting in London. The best thing about that bike was it meant I didn’t have to get on the tube. But I couldn’t choose it in the end because 50% of commuting was still miserable!

Planet-X Jack Flash, built reasonably light with 100mm Marz coil forks, v-brakes and old XT kit. It felt like a BMX for a “grown up”, but one that with a very long seatpost I could ride XC with, I bloody loved it.

Sadly, I ruined it by putting big forks, heavy wheels and big brakes on it in an effort to turn it into a mini DH bike. I’ve sold it now and have no pics, a real shame.

Mines a case of love the one you’re with.
Slackline 631
Changed my riding for the better. I’m always tinkering with it and enjoy building bikes so there will be a day when Blue Steel goes, but whatever replaces it will have to have that same playful feel to it (and be made of steel and look good)

My new bike is the best bike I’ve had, no doubt, but this old dude is my favourite bike. Just loved that old 5 Spot, rode it for years, took it to Canada, the Alps, uplift days it, raced it, crashed it, dented it and it just kept going. And when I sold it, it was snapped up so quickly and with no price negotiation, just ‘I’ll take it.’ Do hope it’s still going.

Sadly sold after moving to the Lakes served me well over the years!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/7QKotK]My honey :-)[/url] by Richard Munro, on Flickr

On reflection best bike owned, lovely feel to it being steel. Shame whyte discontinued it. Corny I know but it felt absolutely spot on straight from the box. Was a proper jack of all trades. Bloody wish I never sold it now…..

My Vassago. The #1 Bullheart bike. Has kept me alive…

Well that’s the /thread then 🙂

Hurt my knee so bought this frame to save the impact of going up kerbs and my off road commute.
On riding my “good bike” ( Giant NRS) it felt like poo. Bought a new shock ,still felt like poo. 2 more bikes have been seen off by the Marin.
My Spearfish is good but if you rode them blind you wouldn’t think 13 years separated them. I’ll never get rid of it. In fact I bought another .

My first full sus – bought it because my mates had upgraded to FS’ers and I was struggling to keep up on my Kona HT. It’s probably not as good as I thought it was at the time, but I bloody loved it. Might buy another frame at some point

We refrubed a mate 2007 version of that ^^ frame. Junked the knackered 5th Element shock, changed all the bearings, converted it to 2×10, added reverb and new brakes (it was all original and pretty tired). And it rides brilliantly. I’d happily ride it as my only bike. Amazing to think how far – or not – frame technology has moved on in 8 years….

My Jones steel spaceframe.
It does a good job of touring, road riding, commuting and is amazing fun to ride at bike park Wales. It just seems to work well everywhere, amazing.

The Jones and i on Dun Mountain, New Zealand in January.

This..a Kawasaki KMB 450! No motor in sight. My dad spotted the advert in one of my bike magazines (MBR I think) . I was looking for a new ‘proper’ mountain bike but couldn’t afford much, I was still at school. My dad lent me the money £450!) and I repaid him through a summer job in an office furniture factory , putting rubber bungs in the end of table legs all day… 😯

I think Kawasaki tried building MTB and didn’t sell too well so they sold them off direct,

Anyway I thought it was the bollocks, Team Green, Ritchey dropouts on the frame, STX gearing and an RST fork with elastomers! Look at the size of that stem!

I was about 16 At the time and the bike enabled me to go off and explore and get into riding. Wish I’d not sold it, but when you needed an upgrade at 18 I had to sell it on for the money. This photo is not mine , one I found online.

Good thread – thanks.

My Ti Inbred – got it new over 10 years ago and it’s still in the shed as my main bike. Loads of bike have come and gone, but this one will stay. We’ve been through a lot together – from races, coast-to-coast, too many trailquests to count, many all-day rides. It’s starting to look very old skool now – and it’s still on its original Hope wheels!

It’s the bike every other bike I’ve owned has been judged against, and nothing has quite come close.

When first built in 2004…

In it’s current state…

My original build of a 99 Zaskar LE frameset.

Did everything well and felt like a hooligan the first time I rode it 😆

Regretted selling the frame, even though I got reasonable money for it.