Ibis, great bikes and supposedly good customer service although not needed it. The mrs has got four and her cx one is her fave bike ever.

Cotic. Brilliant people to deal with and I really like the open and honest design and marketing philosophy behind the brand. Helps that the bikes look great and ride pretty fantastically too.

Hardtail, sloping top-tube. ATB or MTB. Currently ATB with drops.

Brands? Not really loyal. Genesis, Kona, Rocky Mountain, Kinesis etc. Have owned more Konas and Cannondales than others (three of each)

My perfect fantasy-league contender XC-bias MTB would be:
Frame: Slacker/higher front-end Cannondale mid-range F-series (CAAD3, made in USA)
Wheels: 29er
Fork: 100mm lockout Headshok that only needed servicing every 5000 miles.
Gearing would be Deore 2×10 with Deore 10spd thumbies.

I guess as I’m on my sixth Cotic frame

Either you have a lot of bikes or a lot of crashes 😉

I’ve had a number of Cotics and I love them.

I’d always consider a Cotic option.

Giant – if I wanted a middling bike (doods, I live in the new forest – it’s pretty unduro) they’d be the first place I’d look

Not “always” – I’ve never owned one but definitely on the list for my next proper bike are Cotic, Bird and, err Trek; all on customer service grounds as well as rep for good riding.

I do like Turner’s (historical?) attitude to CS but they’re small and a long way away and their current bikes aren’t doing it for me

That new Pivot sounds great but something’s not right for me – I think it’s too much for me (money and, “bike” but more importantly, “brand”)

Liking Ibis… I know they come up short on the top tube for sizing, but get the one that fits…
Liking Orange: The 5 we had was as tough as nails and just did it all…
9:Zero:7 Fatbikes, they fit really well and are well thought out.
Transalpes.. just won a Fat 5 frame and the whole bike I tested worked well.

Hates.. Specialized… bad warranty service and their overly litigious stance.. its not really necessary ..

Dream bike? The SC V10 Fatbike that was a on-off, geez a shot of that!

Red ones.

Edit: Not only faster but easier to find in the foliage after falling off.

I have two Specialized bikes and another five for the rest of the family but that is more to do with my LBS being a Spesh main dealer than anything else (I get a hefty discount) 🙂

I like Cotics too but I’d make do with any decent ‘trail’ steel hardtail with a couple of pairs of wheels, that’s what I couldn’t do without. Oh, and bottle cage mounts that aren’t under the sodding downtube right in the path of dog shit.

Anything ‘fat’ 8)

Rapha – their passion for the history, traditions and mystique of cycling matches mine. The high prices reflect the commitment required to be a real cyclist.

10/10 yossarian

Feels a bit fanboi posting this now, but given the levels of service, advice and assistance – on top of making bikes so fun and fast they’re bordering on lethal – Bird will now be our go-to first choice. Just need them to make a rigid steel 29er and I’m set..

It would have previously been Specialized but their geometry seems to be headed in the wrong direction of late, plus it feels good to support a local bike company who are putting their all into what they do.

Always based on merit and looks for me, but have always been impressed by responses and design ethos from Cy (Cotic), Dave (Turner) and Chuck (Ibis), so these would top of my list.

When originally looking for an LT 29er, I wanted to like the Ripley, but their insistence on using the same rear triangle for most frames, ruins the looks for the larger sizes. The Mojo (1), Tranny and Silk were a design high point for Ibis in the late naugties.

I like Surly as simple no bull bikes/frames but overpriced when new like everything I guess.

Surly for me too. They do sometimes come across as trying a bit hard to be cool and rebellious, but because they’re American it seems quite sweet.

Also DMR, no nonsense solid kit built to ragged.

I have 2 Surlys and 2 DMRs, so money where mouth is etc.

Marin. They make the best looking bikes.

Rapha – their passion for the history, traditions and mystique of cycling matches mine. The high prices reflect the commitment required to be a real cyclist.

😆

Marin. They make the best looking bikes.

LOLZ!!

metalheart – Member
I guess as I’m on my sixth Cotic frame, err, Cotic

WTF have you been doing to them?? I mangled a BFe, was offered a crash replacement that didn’t appeal to my “give me a massive discount cos I’m a loon” side and got something else instead. Got a Simple a few years later; have to admit, they make good frames 🙂

Ànother Cotic fan here :oops:. Looking at buying another to go with my Bfe.
Also Rose Bikes. The UK rep, fin, has always been helpful and even contacting the German office was a pleasure. Having a great well priced product also helps.

Would never buy a bike purely based on brand, but i’ve never ridden a bad Scott, and they’d usually be on a shortlist.

Interesting the love for maxxis, the only one i’ve found that doesn’t drag like an anchor is the aspen and thats made of tissue paper. They’re pretty much now bottom of the list of tyres i’d try.

Giant. They do nothing badly and lots very well, whilst providing good value.

Orange for me.

Loved their image as a kid back in the early days and loved my orange/white fade Clockwork. Having been out of the saddle for years I got a GT back in 99 which I hated so got another Orange in 2004 and have been on them since. Tried plenty of other brands but am yet to find anything I’d change to.

ton – Member
surly. because they are strong and unfussy.

+1

I like what I call honest bikes. Good handling, well enough made, but not so precious that I’d feel bad dragging it over a rock or through heather.

Surly and the Brant era On-Ones fit that bill. IMO there’s some future classics among them, 1×1, Pugsley, and the SCandal. Not to forget the Pompino. Those are the bikes I’ve hung on to.

I’ve had some much fancier stuff, and the only one I regret selling was my Singular Swift. It was just too pretty. I couldn’t bring myself to treat it like my other mtbs, so it ended up being a garage queen.

As far as brands are concerned, I’d buy Surly on trust based on previous experience, but not so sure about modern On-Ones though.

The bike I really want would be a road bike with lugs, nice steel (not self-branded gas pipe), and most importantly able to handle balloon tyres, ie 29er clearances. The Singular Peregrine came close and although it was an excellent bike, it fell short for me.

Hope for brakes/hubs, & Orange, love my 2011 5. If I ever get another bike, Orange would be my 1st consideration, & It would have Hope bits on.
I’m still using original M4’s on my HT which have never been any problem. X2’s on the 5 from new, again, no problems.

WTF have you been doing to them??

Soul – bought ’07/08. Recently ‘donated’ to the Loon (he didn’t have a bike, I didn’t have the space)
Soda – sold as I preferred steel…
Solaris (orange) – sold to get Solaris (green)…. 😳
Rocket – sold at a biking low and it was just gathering dust… 😳 😳
SolarisMAX – bikepacking stalwart.

Hope – having been tempted by the cheap shimano idea XT’s are not that good or reliable.
Still running 4 year old Hubs and BB’s with very little attention.

SRAM their 11sp just works and it works well. It’s head and shoulders above the rest and goes to show what happens if you can push things.

Santa Cruz, genuinely good bikes with amazing back up. Again the bearings are well sealed and lasted fine for me. love VPP and the way they ride.

Maxxis – no nonsense good tyres

Morvelo Clothes – really nice cut, fit and feel.

Interesting the love for maxxis, the only one i’ve found that doesn’t drag like an anchor is the aspen and thats made of tissue paper. They’re pretty much now bottom of the list of tyres i’d try.

Brand endorsement is a great marketing tool. What you have to remember is that they also make the Crossmark.

Will probably always use Hope hubs, not the lightest but super reliable. Now on my 3rd set of Stans rims across 3 different bikes and disregarding the fact I put a sizable ding in an old crest xc rim while throwing down it antur they’ve all been spot on, love my new Arch MK3’s. a recent addition is 7mesh, their gear is just incredible, the fit is unbelievably good, the quality is second to none and having dealt the good folks there directly they are a pleasure to deal with. On the mtb I refuse to wear anything else now, it’s that good. Ibis is another good shout, I no longer own one but funds and a test ride allowing I’d be awfully tempted by a new Ripley. But I do love my T130C RS as well so it would have to be good!

Thompson for stems and seat posts
Hope for hubs / brakes
CK for headsets
Shimano drivetrain

Started with trek, as a kid I wanted one, when I got one a few years back it was great a had a 6500, it was the right bike, then got a fuel ex7 but it felt short, tried another a few years later and the fit was wrong. So no more trek’s, so where did I go? Specialized, they just fit perfectly! Currently I have 3, work commute crosstrail, a fuse and camber, my next bike will probably be another speshi.

I aspire to owning an orange 5 or 4, I just can’t justify the money 🙁

I’ll probably always trust:

Mavic for rims
Hope for hubs and brakes
Chris King for headsets
Thomson for stems and rigid seatposts (never tried their dropper).
Maxxis for tyres
Odi for grips
Shimano for cranks
Alpkit for socks
Wildcat for Bikepacking gear
Fizik for saddles

–

I used to trust Shimano for drivetrains until their stubborn refusal to accept 1x forced me to SRAM (which has been excellent).

I’ve owned a lot of bikes (I think I would beat ton above if I sat down and counted them all – I can’t help swapping them out and trying something else!)

Favourite brands/kit:

Hope: brakes, hubs
Stans: Rims
Chris King: Headsets
Thompson: stems/posts
SDG: saddles

Orange, Reilly, Rourke, Cotic are all frame brands I would go to

Surprisingly very good experiences with the Boardman Elite range too – amazing value for money and very good bikes