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So, what bikes have you ridden and instantly thought, "Yes. This is perfect!"?
For me, a works Giant NRS and a Whyte 19ti. Both just instantly felt perfect. Bought myself a NRS and still love it after all these years! Pondering building on a Whyte Ti frame at the moment.
would be a choice of 3. my 2002 cannondale F800 ht,my 2010 giant anthem x2.and my current charge duster mid bike.all had felt right to me as soon as i rode them. 🙂
C'dale Prophet, it's what I should have bought 8 years ago when I bought my one & only brand new bike, but it didn't come out until the year after.. I eventually got one 2 & a bit years ago. Regularly still watch them go on ebay, thinking I should buy a spare (jobless & skint though)
cotic soul, fit is perfect combined with the lazyman geometry makes it just wonderful to ride and always puts a smile on my face. Comes with a built in devil whispering in your ear "go on just a little faster, go on push it" 😈
Somewhat surprisingly, the Surly Moonlander. It makes no sense at all, but is just brilliant.
I want one.
Cove Handjob. No journo descriptions - just feels right.
Cotic Soul, Maverick ML7 (2004 and still going) and Kona Explosif (1992)
Both my Stumpjumper and enduro felt like that. Hence I ride an 04 bike and an 06.
Gary Fisher Sugar, even the bottom spec one I had. Wish I had it now, it would ace with modern upgrades.
My Litespeed Occoee. I can remember the moment I gave it some for the first time, and actually whooped out loud. Strangely, after a couple of months I'd gone off it. The first time I rode a Soda I wasn't as struck, but I think it was just the way it was set up. Can't get enough of mine now though.
Cotic Soul, Maverick ML7 (2004 and still going) and Kona Explosif (1992)
Ooh, ML7. Definitely, blown away on the first ride back in 2001. Sold that particular bike and then managed to buy it back again. Still ride it, still love it.
My current bike, the Bionicon Golden Willow.
Thought I'd give it a try whilst at a demo day so as to have a play with that button thing. Next thing I knew, I was grinning from ear to ear and getting my wallet out.
Unfortunately / fortunately (depending on point of view) I've been unable to find another bike that I've thought the same about.
A 2004 Kona Coiler, possibly still my favourite bike I've owned..
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Enigma Ego, both Steel and Ti versions felt amazing. 2010 Lapierre Zesty 514 still makes me smile
Jones spaceframe.
I'd never have even considered buying one if i hadn't had a test ride.
Once i'd been out on one though i just had to have one.
Litespeed Occoee - don't think I will ever fall out of love with her. 8)
Specialized FSR XC and a Swift.
My Surly Karate Monkey ss bought it second hand as a winter bike but can't stop riding it all the other bikes have been hardly ridden since .
Cotic Soul
Orange 5 & Surly Pugsley.
The Orange always seems to have more to give and the other is just ....fun.
My Commencal Titane, it just blew me away.
The Blur didn't have quite the same effect but I guess that's cos it took a bit to get the suspension dialled in, now I love it
My five just loved it. From the demo bike ride O just really wanted one!
Singular Swift was a revelation for me after a very average dabble with a GF Rig had put me off 29er's
Any Kona HT I've owned (AA, Pahoehoe x2, Kula x2).
Think I am always trying to replicate their feel on different bikes, but not quite making it.
Oh, and my next bike, TBA.
Along with quite a few others - my Soul, and then funny old world my Soda.
All the other bikes I've had do some things fantastically well, but are kinda average in other places. Those 2? Just lovely.
Oh, and thinking about it - my SC Roadster too. Bought on a whim, built with a bunch of (bling) second hand bits. I remeber the shake down ride whizzing down through Brixton to go and buy coffee and scaring the living shite out of myself - it was SOOO effortlessly fast.
Jones Spaceframe. First ride was a borrow for 4-5 hours and it took much of that ride to adjust to it, but once it clicked, well I haven't been able to look at other bikes in the same way since.
Whyte Prest1ne, Whyte 46, both eclipsed by this years Transition Covert with reverb best 'one bike does everything' push that saddle down button once and we were as good as wed.
Another Maverick ML7 here, 2004.
My brother in laws Giant anthem X1, his Giant Anthem 29er and his Basso Astra... erm I like most of his bikes actually, they are a lot nicer than mine. When he says have a go he also has a job catching back up with me so we can swap back. I quite like other peoples bikes especiall if they're reasonably expensive and run super sweet!
My Genesis Croix De Fer. Could have been made to measure for me. Bizarrely when it comes to MTB's the one bike that felt perfect was the bike I didn't buy- I demo'ed a Heckler in 2008 and it felt superb but I had my head turned by a cracking deal on an Enduro. Which after a lot of fettling, now feels pretty close to perfect.
Ellsworth epiphany; now trying to put one together without spending a fortune
jameso - Member
Jones Spaceframe. First ride was a borrow for 4-5 hours and it took much of that ride to adjust to it, but once it clicked, well I haven't been able to look at other bikes in the same way since.POSTED 4 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST
Can we expect a [s]Evans[/s] Pinnacle branded space frame then? 😉
Mid 90's Kona Explosif and Cotic Soul.
Never found [i]the[/i] full susser though...
My Ellsworth Epiphany, awesome bike, but looks like it's going as need to downsize the collection 😥
Maybe not first ride as it was the first time I'd ever used a proper FS bike, but the Bullit I have just feels right, despite having "steep" angles compared to other downhill/freeridey bikes. It's not sluggish or wallowy like I'd expected a fs to be and hasn't really felt much out of its depth yet apart from some particularly rooty and techy double black runs where more travel may have been helpful. It even climbs well if you use a tie-down strap to shorten the fork.
Kona Unit....Rigid,SS and clown wheeled.I had'nt owned a mtb for a couple of years (just bmx).Relaunched my love for off roading.That was 6 years ago!!
Niner SIR9 with niner carbon fork, geared..... Absolutey sublime.... Even better than my Singular Gryphon and that's bloody good. Surly crosscheck definitely deserves a mention too 🙂
Cotic Soda with Fox F120s
Another Maverick ML7 here, 2004.
The very same one that did it for me too!
And it's replacement the Durance is more of the same, only even betterer... 😀
Geoffj - certainly not.. : )
Pitch pro...... Three years old and still puts a smile on my face every day 😆
Cotic soul.
On the road, roubaix pro.
Cannondale prophet
My Cove Handjob, I built it up with money I earnt doing a couple of Crimbo shifts and it's just great nearly 4 years later, saying that it's had more come backs than Evander Holyfield 🙂
It's terrible how few of you seem to have ridden a Maverick. You poor things.