Now that we have succesfully put all anti posers in there places what bike or componant do you wish you still had?As a new cyclist I had the good fortune of being fit by Tom Demerly.This was about 10 years ago and I beleive being comfortable on that bike has helped make riding such an enjoyable experiance.Eddy Merckx TSX Century Road Tuti Fruti.
my custom 1983 Colnago. what a sweet handling bike. Record hubs with GP4 tubulars, Phil Wood BB, Superbe Pro components…good friend until I broke the bb shell in half in a sprint in 1998
Mine is similar…Last summer, I made the mistake of selling my 1988 Eddy Merckx SLX (54 c-c) in Team Domex paint scheme…
I loved that bike. I’ll probably pick up another Merckx SLX when I’m in Europe for the 100th TdF in July;-)
I had an old Merckx SLX bike with Dura-Ace 8 speed, down tube shifters, pre-STI. Kelme green I think. Awesome. I won 11 races in a row on it. Destroyed when I collided with a concrete telephone pole in a race in northern France on a descent. Broken arm, concussion, broken tail bone, broken bike. I miss that bike though.
Bridgestone MB-0 mountain bike. Dang that was one sweet riding bike. I had such great times on that bike. I’ve still never ridden a suspension bike, and I wonder what the hell all that suspension is for. A nice light steel frame that fits and handles perfectly takes all the shock out of the trails that I needed.
I gave it to my poor broke sister who now rides it where she lives about 20 miles out into the woods outside of Steamboat.
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As a child I was loaned a bike from Lon Haldeman (as in the RAAM Lon Haldeman) -(or was maybe it his buddy Tom or Tim or something like that?). It was a 3Rensho with Suntour Superbe Pro grouppo on it and Ambrossio wheels on Campy hubs. I used that bike to run away from the foster homes I lived in on that bike. I can not count the days and nights I spent on that bike running away from everything…and running towards the love of my life. For years and years I had abusive parents…that 3Rensho made it all go away.
That bike was stolen one day from me. I had left it alone for 5 minutes at a buddys house in his front yard. I still to this day look at every bike I see when I am in that area of the city I live in to see if it is my 3Rensho.
Oh, I forgot- I had a yellow Quintana Roo Private Reserve I got in the pre-ABG days. The new bikes are killer, especially the 2003 Kilo, but that yellow private reserve with the head tube fairing was so nice. Dan Empfield (I think) designed it. He believed in round tubes at the time. It rode great. I loved that bike and had some incredible, come from behind (I’m a poor swimmer) races on it. I loved it so much I sent Dan a note thanking him for the bike after I got it. We’ve always been a QR dealer, always will be.
1986 or 87 Steel SLX Razesa. It had a chrome underlayment with a translucent blue paint over the main triangle…the forks and rear triangles were chrome only. Great looking, great riding. I thought it felt like spaghetti when I first rode it, my other bike was a Cannondale, but I got to the place that I even liked climbing on the Razesa better…chainrings grinding both egdes of the front derailler during maximum pounding and all!
Wow, where do I start. Would it be my first real top-end ride, an SL tubed Pinarello with Dura Ace 6spd indexing? I really miss that bike, the BB cracked in 8 months and Gita sent me a replacement that was 2 cm too small.
My other would be Pro Miyata, circa 1986. Man, what a great bike. It cracked, too.
My latest would be wonderful sleeper of a brand I came across last year, Fort. I bought a Zona tubed steel frame as a filler while my other two frames were being warrantied for cracking (see a trend here?). That Fort was just a fabulous all-around ride. I sold it when the other two frames came back, couldn’t justify keeping it. I do miss that great ride. I was so impressed with that brand I just bought one of their aero frames to replace my too-large GT Edge aero. Just like the first Fort, I’m very impressed at the value. I hope i don’t crack this one.
Still got the bike that I wish I still had. 1986 Miele Alizee. Used a rebadged limited production Bianchi frame that was made in Japan of Ishiwata 022 quadruple butted steel. Beautiful frame, one of the best production frames of that era. Considered superior to the Italian made Bianchi frames of the time. When a TCR and 2PK showed up in the house with the Miele, I almost sold it for a whole $200. Thank God I came to my senses.
I wish I had my Ritchey Breakaway back.
sniff.
-SD
Battaglin SLX, Chrome fork and stays. Campy C Record with friction shifters and Delta brakes. Sweeeeet.
My Schwinn Pea Picker circa 1969 It had front shock and a sissy bar. Weight 45 lbs with a 5 speed stick shifter. I could probably swap it for a new Cervelo. If you are older than 40 you will know what I’m talking about.
My 1st VDC Changa (bmx). I sold the frame and fork on ebay last year for $850!!!
The good news is that I have another 4 at my mom’s house I’m visiting this weekend along with lots of other “vintage” bmx gear…
99 R1. Much more fun than any bike I’ve ever had. My current Klein is a distant second.
either my Kestrel 200sci…well no actually I wish I did not sell it and take sponsorship with XXXX brand. The bike I miss the most is my Lemond 853 steel frame. That thing handled like a champ, better than any bike I’ve ridden and I’ve ridden at least 7 different brands.
1978 Powerlite 20" BMX with mag wheels & coaster brake. That thing was indestructable (I tried). With no hand brakes, and no gears, there was very little that could go wrong with it. I gave it to a couple deserving boys in 1986. I’d like to have the opportunity to give it to my 5-year old son today.
Never get “rid” of a bike. I give them to the club as “team” bikes. I love to get beat by guys on my old bikes. Yea buddy. Love them all too much to get "rid"of. This way they are still in the family and they get to run with the herd.
My early 70s Schwinn Varsity, with the shift levers up at that gooseneck stem. Damn thing weighed a ton, but it was a cool blue, with that plasticky blue handlebar tape and what, at the time, I thought was cool skinny tires.
Sighhhhh…
T.