How did you choose your bike?

[eofelis]

Finding the right bike(s) for me was also a learning process that took a few years and a few bikes.

I started out with a steel Giant Rincon rigid mtn bike. I didn't know anything about bikes, but it took me all over town and lots of commuting, shopping and yard saling(!)

Then I met my bf. He knows a lot about bikes. I learned a bit and decided I was ready to move up a bit. I decided I wanted a touring type bike and got a Novara Safari (mtn type touring bike) on sale for about $400. I rode that for a couple of years, mostly as a commuter, and then wanted something a bit faster. So I got a Trek 520 touring bike. I rode that bike for a few years, as a road and touring bike. When I decided I wanted a road bike, I had a much better idea of what I wanted. Using the measurements off the Trek 520 my bf helped me choose a Surly Pacer frame and a group that would suit my needs. I have been riding the Pacer for 4 years and I love it.

The Giant Rincon was sold to some friends of ours and it still gets ridden quite a bit.

I came across a NOS Novara Randonee frame (steel) for $15! So I replaced the aluminum Novara Safari frame with that, (I prefer steel) and sold off the Safari frame. The Randonee is my commuter now.

I got a Haro V4 hard tail mtn bike when bf was working for a Haro dealer. It was my first mtn bike with a shock. I don't mtn bike much, so I didn't want an expensive bike. Then I got a steel Gunnar Rockhound hard tail frame on ebay and moved the parts off the aluminum V4 and sold the frame.

I liked my first Surly so much that I wanted another. I wanted a Long Haul Trucker touring frame. I felt my 520 was a bit long in the top tube, the LHT is 2 cm shorter. So I got the LHT and sold off the 520 frame.

I can say I'm presently quite satisfied with all my bikes right now, not looking to buy another one or change much of anything on any of them. Never mind that I have ridden very little in the past couple of months, due to a Calculus class taking over my life! (The bikes will be there when I'm ready to ride again!)

[Kitsune06]

I started out with a good will bike, $20 (some huffy "mountain" hybrid) but it was huge and slow, and heavy. When I showed my interest in biking, we (ex and I) looked for a good bike for me. Miz Cakes called to me from Collins and sat there, so quietly and patiently as I ran my fingers over her FS counterparts, then shuddered at their price tags. Then she quietly called me back, and I took a close look at that quality work on her soldering and joints- she was so much lighter than the other bike I'd had... and I took her out for a ride.
It was love!
She and I have been together ever since... I admit I didn't really try other bikes. I researched her and her reviews online before looking.

[guest1]

My first bike was in college -- a Trek 520 tour bike. For WHATEVER reason I decided I wanted to bike over spring break, so I went to the local college bike shop and told them I wanted a tour bike. They had last year's model on sale and I bought it. It ended-up being 2 sizes too big, but I didn't know it then! I rode it and rode it a long way, only to get hurt because it did not fit me. It was 15 years until I rode again and bought my next bike.

My next bike was a mountain bike. I rode it on the road because I didn't like trails. Six months later, I bought a road bike, Giant OCR1. I studied bikes and components and the OCR1 was a really good bike for the money. I shopped around for last year's model, to get a deal, and I found it! My only downfall was I did not understand compact geometry and bought a size too large. After riding for a few months, my local bike shop helped me fit to the bike, changing components and explaining why. I rode it for 2 years.

Now I had "bike experience" and started searching for a "dream bike". It was a bike I knew I would build, with help of friends, and not a stock bike. I found a used Bianchi steel frame on eBay. It was NOT my ideal frame, but it had so much character and the geometry seemed perfect, so I bought it. I then hand picked my components, wheels, etc., and built the Bianchi. I have NO REGRETS!! What a BIG BIG difference the Bianchi was to the Giant -- proper geometry and great components rule!!!! I rode it for a year and a half.

Now that I had gotten a geometry that fit me well, I wanted a better frame -- an Italian carbon frame. So I started looking for deals and discovered a new 2006 Italian carbon Battaglin frame at half price. It was MY GEOMETRY!! So I bought it and took my Campy Chorus components off the Bianchi and put them on the Battaglin. It is my dream bike. I hope to be riding it for a very long time!