It’s a deceptively simple question: What’s your dream bike? Custom? Exotic? Practical? Stylish? Mountain, road, urban, touring, cargo…? 
The concept bike, shown above, that surfaced at CarniVelo last week (which is a definite "work in progress" that may never exist beyond that) got me thinking about the multiple dream bikes I’d find use for, were space and money no issue.
A custom titanium frame has been on my mind since January, but that's no small matter—a “lifetime” purchase—so I’m taking my time with the thought. It hasn’t helped that 2 different colleagues have recently gotten frames of their own. And the whole process of spec’ing out the bike… it’s agonizingly satisfying in a twisted kind of way. I mean, it may seem preposterous to spend a week (or more) trying to figure out what handlebar you want, or what color ferrules to use with the also-needs-to-be-decided cable housing, but it’s a gratifying process in the end. It becomes *your* bike, down to the last detail.
Then there’s also the urban, jack-of-all-trades bike I’ve been pondering since seeing a Spot Bikes Black & Tan a couple years ago. The idea of a belt-driven, internally geared hub makes me salivate. Throw in a steel frame, disc brakes, swoopy bars and some nice Honjo fenders… yes, please.
Or maybe a hardtail singlespeed 29er… or a travel bike with S&S couplings… or a sweet all-mountain rig… or an AfricaBike… or (and so on)
Thing is, I still hold on to a hope/desire/belief that one bike is plenty. Sure, it’d be fun to ride any/all of those dream bikes, but at the same time my steel cyclocross bike has worked wonderfully over the past 3 years. It’s not a road racer, it’s not a trail monster, it’s not a cargo hauler; but, like Goldilocks’ porridge, it’s kinda just right. I’m able to ride it, and that’s all I need it to do. Plus, the dent in the top tube, the scratches on the seat stays, the ground-down spot where the used-to-be-integrated seatpost binder was… not to mention all the adventures I’ve been on with it… it’s all stuff I look at with a fondness that a new shiny bike can’t come close to. I still remember how great it felt getting back on it after having ridden another bike for half a year. It was like coming home, to be a little overly sentimental about the matter. So, maybe I’ve found it for the time being. Until, y'know, that Ti frame comes together.
What about you, what’s your dream bike?
Ratings and Comments
All Carbon Cervelo / Giant / Ridley with the Campy components and carbon wheels
This sounds simialr to "It's All about the Bike: The Pursuit of happiness on Two Wheels." I just finished reading the book review in The Economist......
changes every day, but right now, my 1987 Centurion Cavaletto takes the cake. Otherwise I rotate between my '06 Novara Rivet frame that I need to build up, my Bonanza single-speed with Holy Rollers, and my '83 Takara fixed gear conversion. All of them work well for different things, but I think the Rivet is going to take the cake when it gets going... It's going to be a crazy build!
Riding my bike is about freedom and adventure. It is the ability to explore new places without leaving behind a carbon footprint. My ideal bike is the Randonee with a few modifications to make it more my own. I added a Ritchey Pro Stem and Seatpost. Swapped the 105 rear derailleur and Cassete for an XT rear derailleur and 11-32 cassette. Upgraded the brakes to Avid Shortys. Lastly I installed a Brooks Saddle and the matching leather bar tape for a retro touring look.
If you are looking for ideas I would like to see a future Randonee frame with a pump peg on the seat stay for a zefal pump. Second i would like to see a thrid set of bottle mounts for a stove bottle. Lastly how about adding 5cm to the head tube so those of us that are getting older and less flexible can have a more upright position when we want it.
I agree with you on a custom titanium frame, and would also like one with couplers so that the bike could be disassembled easily.
If money is no object, then added TT bars and electronic shifters with two sets of buttons so that the gears could be changed when in aero position or upright. A third brake lever on the right TT bar would be nice, as would internally routed cables.
An integrated, wireless cadence/speed sensor on the non-gear side of the chain stay.
A dynamo front hub with power cable routed internally in the fork up through the top of the head post where a power connector (USB?) would reside. Power would also be routed internally back near the servo motors for changing the gears (allowing for a smaller/lighter battery) and up the seat stays to light up flashing, integrated, tail lights. Oh, and the headlights would be in the ends of each of the TT bar ends.
Well, you asked.
my dream bike would be three, a $2,000 mountain bike, super fast road bike and, if possible a carbon fiber touring bike
Unable to Post Comment
We were unable to post your comment at this time. Your opinion matters, so please try again later.
Close