How do you choose your bikes

how do I choose my bikes

?

like my women…..Sticky side down

Break frame, advertise for frame wanted, buy first single pivot that comes up for good price.

You get used to bikes so as long as it’s basically OK no bother.

Not going though history.

Usually because it’s different or I have listed after it or I just fancy trying it. Mix of used, new & sale options!

I’m not mentioning any names, but I know someone who has to scour the bike press to come up with something he hasn’t already owned. Since a Yorkshire Witch put a curse on his head as a child, he has to do this every three days otherwise he turns to stone.

Sometimes he forgets until it arrives and everyone shouts “you dick! You’ve already had 2 of those! And they were too small too!”

It helps if it as different as possible from the bike before, though possesses all the attributes you said you couldn’t stand about the one before that

Decide on what you want from bike. Look online at suitable options, comparing geometry, weight, material, suspension. Go to nearest LBS that stocks it, test ride around car park to make sure it feels as you think it should. Get hand in pocket. Buy.

I use a simple method to select my bikes.
Is it made by Orange and is the colour pretty?
ha.

1) Honestly assess riding style, skill and need
2) Add 20mm travel at both ends, look for slacker geometry
3) Is it available in purple? how about white?
4) Purchase
5) wow thats a bit too much bike, and a bit bling

At least thats how i bought the last one, to be fair i did have a little go on a few before spending

Clockwork – rode one at Mabie after also riding a Marin and a Specialized and a mates Pink Muddy Fox. Placed order when I returned from the ride.
Sub5 – dragged mates up to Mabie from Sheffield, loaned out the clockwork and was leant a nice shiny Sub5, bought one when I had the moeny. Also tried out a Marin and SantaCruz, and also played on a Sub3 and MrO
Niner – twas cheap, and fancied a play on a 29er…
ST4 – bought it cost it was an Orange…

Have a look at what’s for sale on ebay/forums etc

See something that looks nice or I’ve heard is good

Check out lots of reviews (mags, blogs, users)

Buy

Haven’t bought an off the shelf new bike since my first mtb.

Lean it against boot of the car and ask myself ” how does that look?”

senor j – Member
I use a simple method to select my bikes.
Is it made by Orange and is the colour pretty?
ha.
POSTED 9 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

Good job it’s only the colour that has to be pretty 😆

2003 Scott racing comp – it was in the sale and was a good spec and I hadn’t ridden for 8 years. Did a carpark test but didn’t know what I was looking for. A horrible harsh frame and carp Manipoo forks meant it was a mistake.
2004 Scott Genius – Purchased online in sale on the bases of winning WMB bike of the year. Another mistake,another poor Manitou fork. I never felt comfortable on the bike, always perched on top.
2006 Mongoose Amasa – Purchased full price after reading a good review and needing a winter bike as the Genius’s bearings were lasting 4 months max. I really liked this bike and I finally felt comfortable in technical situations.
2005 Commencal Meta 5.5- Saw it secondhand on the web, spec looked good so took a punt after reading one okish ST review (at that time there. Great fun bike, a millions times better than the Genius) especially when pointing down.
2008 Dialled PA – I had upgraded the Mongoose so much I thought it needed a better frame. Lots of good reviews on STW. The bike was OK but felt dead.
2008 Genesis Vapour CX – Sat on other bikes but this just felt right and looked great. Really enjoyed it but ultimately it was compromised as a road bike and didn’t find the bridleways on a CX that interesting.
2009 Lapierre Zesty – Had been getting really good reviews and saw an ex demo at a bargain price. Maybe not as fun as the Meta on the right trail its very fast.
2007 Gary Fisher Xcal SS 29er – A punt after seeing in in the classifieds. Being tall I had been wanting to try 29er for a while and It’s proven to be a great buy. I wont be buying anymore 26er HTs
So mixed results but a 90% of all demo bikes are a medium so testing beforehand isn’t often an option.

Always wanted a santa cruz, so demoed a blur lt2 and a nomad. Really impressed with both bikes, but nomad was probably too much bike for my everyday riding so went for the blur.

I have also bought bikes based on reviews having not test ridden them and still have these as well, so got lucky i guess.

I decide what type of riding I want to do on it, look at what fits the bill that’s made by a small to medium size manufacturer, whittle them down by looks, then test ride, then buy

Arrived back home from Wales. Went straight to the LBS from the station and showed the guy my seat-post broken Rocky Mountain ETS-X. “Right”, he said – “How soon d’you want your 5?”

91 Kona Fire Mountain – a mate had one and I thought they looked cool.

93 Orange Clockwork – pure lust, as a student I sold my soul for it.

99 Orange Evo2 – I’d spent time on a hired one on holiday.

2003-2005 – just thought it was time for something more shiny and went through a series of mistakes including a Kinesis and an inbred.

2005 – got Dean USA to make me a replica of the Clockwork in Titanium with geometry adjusted for a 100mm fork. Remortgaged my soul. Still loving it…..

Bought first proper bike, Dawes Tamarak, after rave reviews and plenty visits to LBS. Since then I’ve built my own so it’s very much either:

a) I have a fancy to build a particular bike, for example the desire for a burly long travel hardtail led me to a Coyote Dual. Still got, SS now.

b) The frame finds me.

How do I choose my bikes?

Well first I find out what the current niche market is and where all the cool people hang out. Then I find out what kind of bikes they ride. I believe at the moment it’s dirty great big fat bikes with 4 inch wide tyres and no suspension.

Then I go and very carefully determine which one will make me look the biggest arse and buy that one.

This will be why I own two singlespeeds, two fixies and a unicycle.

…and the rest?

XC bike: Originally built up from bits mostly bought because they were cheap/ what I could find second hand. Chose the frame because it was recommended by a good local shop. Parts have slowly been changed to more suitable choices but still mainly chosen on cost bike was over the original budget though. Road bike: bought complete, went to a good local shop chatted to the guys about what I wanted it picked one (slightly over budget) tried it out liked it (and it was white.) Track bike: was going to buy a cheapish complete one but bought bits and built it up in the end, parts were recommended by a mate as I didn’t really know what track stuff was good, full build turned out a little over budget and despite the frame being grey on the website it (oddly) was white on arrival. Just in the process of buying a TT bike, chose this properly, got on a jig at Bikescience and was recommended two frames (C’dale slice, Blue Triad) don’t like the look of the slice, went for the Blue Triad EX (over my original budget surprise, surprise) chose Ultegra as I have 105 on the road bike and Planet X wheels as I can’t afford any other deeps.

So for me whether method of choice was totally random, recommendation of a trusted bike shop/ tired it out, recommendation of by a mate or bike fit the result for all my bikes was basically the same, slightly over budget and white.

Iain

It has to be coowell and none of the nerds in the local bike club ride it and be reasonable value for money but not cheap (or the nerds would get one) then the moment I see a nerd on one like it, I sell it immediately.

And shiney and black and it must turn left.

I buy my bikes upon the following factors

Past reviews / view of the bike company etc
Discount available
Second hand values

EG bought a Lynskey 456ti frame when they went on sale at £799 from £1100 and after having a 456 summer season, inbred and an inbred. OK I’d never ridden a 456ti but had ridden plenty of On One’s so thought it would at least be similar in its ride, angles, feel, setup etc. Lovely frame and still made up with it after nearly 2 years.

Bought a second hand 2006 S-works Enduro frame years ago because it was an S-Works Enduro

Sold it this year and bought a 2010 Spesh Enduro cos I think the look ace and the reviews were all good regarding the frame anyway. I wasn’t wrong either as it was a blast in the Alps this year.

Bought a Spesh Globe elite with the nexus rear hub 8 speed cos it had £200 off, i wanted something I could commute on and wanted an internal rear hub. The thing rips along and only takes an extra 5 minutes over my Spes Allez Sport.

Spesh Allez was bought on the c2w scheme because it was going to work out as half price and I didn’t have a racing bike and wanted to see what all the fuss is about. Bought because I know they sell second hand quite easily….

PS not a Spesh nut by the way. Just happened to be available when I had the dosh.

well i never get this years model as you can save loads buy getting one in the end of season sale, normally get on of the net to save a few more pounds, pauls cycles always seems to have a few amazing deals, i got a full xtr giant trance for £2100 it was less than half price, and its a amazing bike. Any all mountain joby that’s not a orange is normally a good ride these days.

1st bike was easy: went to LBS and bought one in a sale. 23″ Giant Escaper. Great choice!

Got a M2000 Cannondale after being persuaded to try one out by my mate. Even with a shonky rear hub is was way better than the bike I had so bought one.

Got a 2nd hand Kona Explosif frame off another bike shop manager. Had it resprayed and added a rear eve brake stop. The bike I rode best on. Loved it. The fact it was british racing green and nobody else had one like it was just icing on the cake.

Went out to demo a superlight and a heckler. Couldn’t make my mind up so bought a Motolite… Pity the head angle was so steep and the sizing wasn’t the best though.

Spoke/emailled Cotic because of sizing. Took the plunge and ordered it (mainly because of the Kona lineage). Definitely my best bike! Bought a Soda because I love the Soul…

Also bought a handjob, heckler and vf2 all undemo’d and they didn’t click… Been sold on pretty sharpish.

First question – Is it steel?
Then it’s down to the bikes versatility (can it be racked up or not, happy running SS or gears), then it’s geometry, (and how much that can be hacked without it all going to pot). Must be happy fully rigid.

Bonus points for weirdness / instilling incomprehension / FUD in others.

Colour and price don’t come into it, nor do suspension choices – running fully rigid renders such questions redundant). Colour especially so, as I look like a tramp on a bicycle anyway, so it’s not like it’s going to matter.

The last time I bought a bike ‘off the peg’ was in 1993, everything since has been frame (or frameset) only, and built up from there.

I don’t try stuff … who’d have it in anyway? I just work it out from the spec (and hope for the best 😛 )

Haven’t bought a whole bike for 6 or so years. These days I tend to pick up frame-only based on level of shinyness, previous personal experience and the reviews/thoughts of others.

hundreds of hours of neurotic research,and sleepless nights.

I must admit, aesthetics have always played a part – apart from the large Mmmbop, which wasn’t very pretty. As time has gone on, purchases have related more to what I know to be my riding style and past experience. That said, I’ve just gone for a full sus 29er, despite previously deciding full suspension wasn’t for me, and having never ridden a 29er. It was cheap and quite pretty though.

I don’t think I could own an Elsworth however good or cheap it was. Just looks too wrong.

Bought a complete new bike earlier in the year but after a few months there was so much i wanted to change (and did change) that it would’ve been easier and cheaper for a ground up build to my spec….

….so that is what i’ve done for the next bike.

Picked a frame based on size and angles, the rest pretty much falls into place once thats sorted.