^ Approved refurb! What’s the deal with the raw fork-dropouts? Clear-coated?

The fork dropouts were bare metal originally anyway, but they did sandblast them and re-chrome them.

Not really a serial swapper, but my Defy SL road bike will never be replaced. Now unavailable in non-disk form, a Classics winner (Paris Roubaix) with full Dura Ace, and the lightest frame Giant ever made.

Not really a serial swapper, but my Defy SL road bike will never be replaced. Now unavailable in non-disk form, a Classics winner (Paris Roubaix) with full Dura Ace, and the lightest frame Giant ever made.

I replaced my Defy with a Roubaix disc before riding Paris – Roubaix so i could fit bigger tyres, regretted it ever since, the Defy rides so much nicer and the Roubaix is OK, but feels a bit soulless

My Solaris frame has just sold, Soul 275 on the way………

That’s funny, I just bought a Solaris.

😀

I wanted a new BMX in 2006/2007ish; I built up a “solid” spec’d Fly Pantera, and I’ve still got it, I doubt I’ll get rid of it TBH.

And since 2006, I’ve had 10 road bikes, 2 CX bikes and 7 MTBs (I may have missed a couple aswell).

BMXs dont really change much, but there’s always the latest and greatest MTB every six months. Road bikes have gone the same way aswell.

I have a Mk1 Soul frame that I don’t want to part with. Ever. Even though getting parts to fit old standards is getting tricky.

Other than the Soul, gone through 10 bikes or frames in 14 years. 😯

I’m hoping this soul will be a long term keeper, should be able to do everything, not bothered about boost, or internal dropper routing, I like to run a normal post sometimes.

Stace, Solaris is all stripped down and cleaned up!

My BMC MC01 SS has kind of won my heart. For my flat commute and weekend road rides it is perfect. For the hilly off road stuff there will always be something better each year.

My poo brown Karate Monkey, I’ve had 2 since, not the same…..

’97 Lava Dome – had it from new. Resigned to summer pub duties now and sans pedals – robbbed them for my Shan. I’ll probably put some semi-slicks on it and maybe some flat bars and re-find some Project 2 forks at some point…

*edit – oh and the Carbon S-Works Enduro frame behind it – can’t see anyone ever buying it, so it’ll go on the wall when I build my new shed

[url=https://flic.kr/p/SM9UqS]2017-03-11_03-52-28[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

My Titus Motolite. Best fit. most stable and confidence inspiring bike I’ve owned.

I have come full circle. Started with a Seven titanium road bike and a Santa Cruz Heckler back in the day. I have tried so many bikes over the years but now have a Seven Axiom road bike with ETap and Lightweights, a Seven Evergreen with SR EPS and discs and a Santa Cruz 5010 with XO1 Eagle. I have had the Sevens for a few years now (unheard of previously) and the 5010 is all the bike I can handle and is bang up to date. Finally I think that suspension design and performance has reached a more stable level of performance and design.

For me (and for the first time), I think I have the perfect horse for a given course and genuinely couldn’t wish for more. The 2 Sevens are classic ti bikes with all of the modern twists and the 5010 is best in breed right now.

My serial bike swapping days are over. In searching for the perfect bike, I realise that (other than updates to modern standards), I already had them. I just enjoy riding them more now but maybe that’s age and the pressures of other things in my life (such as Solarider Jnr!) that mean that finding the time and energy for anything other than riding them is frankly impossible.

I genuinely couldn’t now envisage any other bike making me enjoy my riding more than these do.

Despite going through a fair few frames in the last few years, the one bike I will always keep is my mooto-x. It is great for long distance rides, which is increasingly the emphasis of my riding. Only issue is the straight head tube, which makes getting forks potentially difficult in the future. As others have said, suspension frames I see as more of a short term thing as they tend to age more quickly in terms of design than a classic hard tail frame.

My Capra is the best bike I’ve ever owned, but that will go in a few years

Spesh Singlecross. Brilliant bike and a perfect fit. Not many bikes like this around today and still gets ridden regularly.

I think core speaks the truth. Blingy bikes soon become outdated, but you dont have old faithful for its up to date tech or geo so less reason to update.

I also think theres a distinction between mtbs and roadies.mtbs become obselete within a few years, and there is no doubt that you can buy speed, especially on the downs, through buying the latest wonder bike and fitting it with top kit.

At no point have I ever looked at my road bike and thought buying a new one would make me any faster.