Defining what makes a bike special.
Discussion
My current best bike is a 2013 Wilier Gran Turismo - It's currently wearing a set of 50mm carbon rims, Campagnolo groupset and swooshes along on Vittoria Corsa tyres.
I've ridden 10k miles on it and still adore it, it's fast, smooth and has exceptional handling although being honest it handles best on shallow alloy rims.
Sooner or later I'll have to replace it.
What is it about this bike that makes it so special (for me)?
Handling is my #1 priority which would indicate the geometry.
Over the last years I've test ridden or hired the following:
2019 Cervelo S5 with AXS eTap
2019 Pinarello F10
BMC Roadmachine
BMC Teammachine
Cannondale SuperSix
Only the Pinarello is a bike I'd consider worthy of upgrading to.
Perhaps I just need an Italian to make me a custom steel beauty
I've ridden 10k miles on it and still adore it, it's fast, smooth and has exceptional handling although being honest it handles best on shallow alloy rims.
Sooner or later I'll have to replace it.
What is it about this bike that makes it so special (for me)?
Handling is my #1 priority which would indicate the geometry.
Over the last years I've test ridden or hired the following:
2019 Cervelo S5 with AXS eTap
2019 Pinarello F10
BMC Roadmachine
BMC Teammachine
Cannondale SuperSix
Only the Pinarello is a bike I'd consider worthy of upgrading to.
Perhaps I just need an Italian to make me a custom steel beauty
TheFungle said:
Perhaps I just need an Italian to make me a custom steel beauty
Or a Yorkshireman...https://www.feathercycles.com/bicycles
Is it not more about familiarity?
Bikes sort of become part of you when you ride them - therefore it takes some time to "bond" - I had a 2012 Scott Foil that I rode tens of thousands of miles on - this year I replaced it as man math's dictated that replacing all the worn parts was basically the same as buying a new bike.
I bought a 2019 Cervelo S5 based on nothing more than I liked how it looked and I like the brand (I also have a P5 triathlon bike) - I now have a few hundred miles under the wheels of the new bike and it's finally starting to feel like mine - renting or test riding just doesn't give the same opportunity.
Bikes sort of become part of you when you ride them - therefore it takes some time to "bond" - I had a 2012 Scott Foil that I rode tens of thousands of miles on - this year I replaced it as man math's dictated that replacing all the worn parts was basically the same as buying a new bike.
I bought a 2019 Cervelo S5 based on nothing more than I liked how it looked and I like the brand (I also have a P5 triathlon bike) - I now have a few hundred miles under the wheels of the new bike and it's finally starting to feel like mine - renting or test riding just doesn't give the same opportunity.
Dario Pegoretti died last year so you wouldn't be getting one of his creations, simply his companies. No bad thing mind, my friend has one and it's stunning.
I had a Rourke made for me last year an utterly love it, modern retro in 856, comfy and fast.
I had a Rourke made for me last year an utterly love it, modern retro in 856, comfy and fast.
Edited by Brads67 on Thursday 20th June 19:11
Brads67 said:
Dario Pegoretti died last year so you wouldn't be getting one of his creations, simply his companies. No bad thing mind, my friend has one and it's stunning.
I had a Rourke mad for me last year an utterly love it, modern retro in 856, comfy and fast.
There’s a whole team of builders and painters at Pegoretti, quite unlikely that you’d get a ‘Dario’ built bike before he passed anyway. I do feel agree that part of the attraction has dwindled though, it was to be my 40th present to myself in a few years time. Go over, get measured up, talk paint and wait for it to arrive a few months later. I had a Rourke mad for me last year an utterly love it, modern retro in 856, comfy and fast.
I'm with esuuv. It's partly the history you create with it. Mine began with the sourcing, design and build process of a custom-built Ti bike from J Laverack, who also happen to be based close to where I grew up. The bespoke bike process itself is a lovely thing, making it properly yours. Unique. It doesn't hurt that this bike was built for some big adventures and, together, we've 'seen things'.
My other bike - and my first 'proper' bike - was a Canyon Aeroad, which was easy to love. It was so much faster than anything I'd ridden and it looked it too. That snapped a month ago and when Koblenz went all 'computer says nein' on me, I looked at what else was out there that also had that special something. There wasn't much that wouldn't feel like a downgrade, even at twice the money I'd spent on the Canyon, but I finally found one. Now I'm gonna be a prick tease and keep schtum. It's due to arrive in about 4 weeks.
My other bike - and my first 'proper' bike - was a Canyon Aeroad, which was easy to love. It was so much faster than anything I'd ridden and it looked it too. That snapped a month ago and when Koblenz went all 'computer says nein' on me, I looked at what else was out there that also had that special something. There wasn't much that wouldn't feel like a downgrade, even at twice the money I'd spent on the Canyon, but I finally found one. Now I'm gonna be a prick tease and keep schtum. It's due to arrive in about 4 weeks.
Matt_N said:
Or look to Colnago for something similar to your Wilier but better (
Colnago fan here)Of the bikes you listed in your original post I've ridden the F10, Timemachine and SuperSix - all fantastic bikes but the F10 is head and shoulders above the rest (imho). When I was in the market for a new bike I whittled it down to a Colnago C60 and the F10, there really isn't much 'in it' other than the F10 was a bit more aggressive/stiffer. Something intangible 'clicked' with me and I went with the C60, it might have been the fact I'd had 'nagos in the past - can't quite put my finger on it but there was almost an emotional attachment with the C60, whereas the F10 felt more like a purposeful exchange!
I don't think it's possible to quantify what makes a bike 'special', that comes down to the rider and their individual personality - for some it's a brute of a speed machine built with the singular purpose of going fast and if it is put together on a production line in the Far East then so be it, for others its a comfortable steel steed that's nice to look at and hand made by a craftsman in a shed, if you're like me then you fall in love with the idea of a hand built Italian with classic looks but modern performance and something that is as nice to look at as it is to ride!
Gruffy said:
I'm with esuuv. It's partly the history you create with it. Mine began with the sourcing, design and build process of a custom-built Ti bike from J Laverack, who also happen to be based close to where I grew up. The bespoke bike process itself is a lovely thing, making it properly yours. Unique. It doesn't hurt that this bike was built for some big adventures and, together, we've 'seen things'.
I have to disagree My winter bike, a Genesis Equilibrium with 105 and Hunt wheels is set up very similar to the Wilier yet it lacks that 'something', it's a capable mile muncher and I've had plenty of adventures on it in the last few years.
A huge concern with going custom is that the end result doesn't quite work, at least with an off the peg poser special you can test ride beforehand!
I didn't think I'd ever be a Pinerallo fan, I've a Prince booked in Gran Canaria next month so looking forward to seeing if my initial impressions are there after slogging it up the mountains.
Bespoke is the way to go, unless you find comfort in being part of a herd (nothing wrong with that if that makes you happy!) and are happy that all the choices were made by marketing men in suits!
When you are young you worry what people think, when you are old, like me, you realise that other people don't think about you at all, just themselves!! It gives you great freedom , only one of my bikes is 'off the shelf' the rest are all unique to me and I love them all!!!
When you are young you worry what people think, when you are old, like me, you realise that other people don't think about you at all, just themselves!! It gives you great freedom , only one of my bikes is 'off the shelf' the rest are all unique to me and I love them all!!!
TheFungle said:
A huge concern with going custom is that the end result doesn't quite work, at least with an off the peg poser special you can test ride beforehand!
It shouldn't happen with a good builder. I doubt any bike could feel special if it didn't ride well. That's kind of a prerequisite. A proper bespoke build doesn't start cold. I test rode examples to understand the ride. Then made adjustments from their base design to suit what I needed from the bike. A decent frame builder should know how the variables impact the ride feel.
I think Clarkson (as he often does) put it the most succinctly.
"You can buy better dogs than my West Highland Terrier. But I like my West Highland Terrier".
There's no defining it, you just fall for certain bikes, just like you fall for certain dogs or certain people. I know I don't have objectively the best bike in the world, but I wouldn't swap it for a £12k custom Wyndy Milla thing. I wouldn't swap it for two, even.
"You can buy better dogs than my West Highland Terrier. But I like my West Highland Terrier".
There's no defining it, you just fall for certain bikes, just like you fall for certain dogs or certain people. I know I don't have objectively the best bike in the world, but I wouldn't swap it for a £12k custom Wyndy Milla thing. I wouldn't swap it for two, even.
'Bespoke' is common as a necessity when you are racing on a budget - so hardly unique in concept. When I was a Junior I couldn't afford a great bike so started with a 531p frame made up for me by a local frame-builder and built the bike up from there - over time, it became fairly decent. I remember fondly visiting the UK one holiday and returning home with a new Campagnolo seat-post and Cinelli handlebars!
Eventually, the frame gave way to a 2nd-hand Vitus aluminium, then Trek Carbon with full Campagnolo C-Record that I put together thanks to sponsorship monies. I went back to steel in the form of a Pinarello briefly - looked pretty, but I didn't like steel anymore for racing - and then, finally, Cannondale and Dura Ace which was the last bike I raced on and was, at the time, top-of-the-range off-the-shelf, my first.
Since then, I've had only two road bikes, neither high-end, both off-the-shelf, my current is a Bianchi Sempre which is fine but needs better wheels really. However, I've moved to MTB and rarely ride road anymore and so treated myself to a KTM Scarp Sonic 2019 recently which I am enjoying hugely.
So I would say the bike that is special is the one you ride best on - the one that isn't necessary a beauty queen to admire and stare at, but the one that makes you the most satisfied with your performance when actually riding it. The one you have great results on - the one when the ride is done, you pat the saddle and think, 'good bike this, that was a great ride'.
Eventually, the frame gave way to a 2nd-hand Vitus aluminium, then Trek Carbon with full Campagnolo C-Record that I put together thanks to sponsorship monies. I went back to steel in the form of a Pinarello briefly - looked pretty, but I didn't like steel anymore for racing - and then, finally, Cannondale and Dura Ace which was the last bike I raced on and was, at the time, top-of-the-range off-the-shelf, my first.
Since then, I've had only two road bikes, neither high-end, both off-the-shelf, my current is a Bianchi Sempre which is fine but needs better wheels really. However, I've moved to MTB and rarely ride road anymore and so treated myself to a KTM Scarp Sonic 2019 recently which I am enjoying hugely.
So I would say the bike that is special is the one you ride best on - the one that isn't necessary a beauty queen to admire and stare at, but the one that makes you the most satisfied with your performance when actually riding it. The one you have great results on - the one when the ride is done, you pat the saddle and think, 'good bike this, that was a great ride'.
It’s an interesting discussion - i just spent this weekend at the Brownlee Centre up in Leeds on a Cyclist Magazine sponsored test weekend. Rode 11 bikes of which every single aero machine felt heavy and uncomfortable, The BMC Team Machine was a very nice bike I could live with and the Colnago C64 was also a wonderful bike that did feel a bit special The 785 Huez RS by Look was a 6.2kg stiff as granite flying machine, a total weapon but also totally uncompromising to the point of having no paint and almost looking like a pre-production prototype - Mega thing though, was surprised at what looked so simple was so flippin' hardcore.
Nothing made me wish I could change from this though, it’s light, quick, comfy, fits me like a glove and looks wonderful - i’m lucky its mine and I wouldn’t swap it for anything else.
Nothing made me wish I could change from this though, it’s light, quick, comfy, fits me like a glove and looks wonderful - i’m lucky its mine and I wouldn’t swap it for anything else.
Edited by oddball1313 on Monday 24th June 21:36
oddball1313 said:
It’s an interesting discussion - i just spent this weekend at the Brownlee Centre up in Leeds on a Cyclist Magazine sponsored test weekend. Rode 11 bikes of which every single aero machine felt heavy and uncomfortable, The BMC Team Machine was a very nice bike I could live with and the Colnago C64 was also a wonderful bike that did feel a bit special The 785 Huez RS by Look was a 6.2kg stiff as granite flying machine, a total weapon but also totally uncompromising to the point of having no paint and almost looking like a pre-production prototype - Mega thing though, was surprised at what looked so simple was so flippin' hardcore.
Nothing made me wish I could change from this though, it’s light, quick, comfy, fits me like a glove and looks wonderful - i’m lucky its mine and I wouldn’t swap it for anything else.
That's a great looking bike you have there oddball.Nothing made me wish I could change from this though, it’s light, quick, comfy, fits me like a glove and looks wonderful - i’m lucky its mine and I wouldn’t swap it for anything else.
Edited by oddball1313 on Monday 24th June 21:36
I too was at the Cyclist magazine test day and tried everything that I could in the time available. The aero bikes, although great to look at, I found to be to nervous and twitchy for my liking. The bikes that impressed me the most were, in order;
1) Colnago C64 disc- This was my first time ever on a Colnago and I was curious as to why the brand has this cult status. The bike was comfy and stable. It definitely has the X-factor and a very special ride quality. Probably the best bike that I've ever ridden.
2) Bianchi Infinito CV disc - half the price of the C64 and almost as good.
3) Specialised Tarmac - a great allrounder and surprisingly I preferred it to the latest Roubaix which I was seriously considering and looking forward to try.
I'm now considering my options for a custom C64 build.
The thing is that the current crop of superbikes are IMO crazy money and the technology and standards is constantly evolving. I'm not sure I want to be spending that much on a bike that will rapidly depreciate.
Edited by Ballistic on Tuesday 25th June 09:51
Edited by Ballistic on Tuesday 25th June 09:52
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