50 Greatest Bikes Ever (Cycling Weekly poll)

[citoyen]

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/532138/vote-now-the-50-greatest-bikes-of-all-time.html

[clarion]

My bike

[Peter]

Don't you love these polls ending "of all time"?  I suspect that there's probably quite a bit of "all time" left.

[jogler]

Not neccessarily,depends how old you are.It could be later than you think so vote now

[clarion]

Haven't all the best bikes already been made?

Some lovely and interesting bikes in their selection.  As it happened, I bought the mag yesterday morning, and one of the bikes came up during the tour.

[Domestique]

That Eddy Merckx long wheelbase looks very odd.

[Salvatore]

That Eddy Merckx long wheelbase looks very odd.

I think that's the one designed for/by Steve Bauer (specifically for Paris-Roubaix). It didn't catch on.

More here

[Domestique]

Same year, 1993, as the suspension fork bike as well for Paris-Roubaix.

[Rhys W]

Haven't all the best bikes already been made?

I'd normally agree, but I've just spent the afternoon in Bespoked Bristol. So many fantastic frames, most steel and all special. So good, that a never-ridden, immaculate early 80s Colnago Mexico in Saronni Red with a Campagnolo 50th Anniversary groupset looked a bit humdrum.

[Rig of Jarkness]

Surely the greatest bike ever is by definition the first ?  Take a bow (arguably  ) Dumfries & Galloway blacksmith Kirkpatrick Macmillan.

[rogerzilla]

I like the Molteni team bike, because bikes haven't really evolved much since then (things like gears and brakes are easier to operate, but the basic design is the same).

The Kirk Precision was a way to find a use for a load of magnesium and to show off casting techniques more than a serious bike.  No-one dares ride them nowadays because they snap without warning.

[Arch]

But with the exception of 4 or 5, they all look the same to me!

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Macmillan's "bike" almost certainly had more than two wheels...

[spesh]

I like the Molteni team bike, because bikes haven't really evolved much since then (things like gears and brakes are easier to operate, but the basic design is the same).

The Kirk Precision was a way to find a use for a load of magnesium and to show off casting techniques more than a serious bike.  No-one dares ride them nowadays because they snap without warning.

They used to snap without warning back in the day as well, I knew someone at university who had a Kirk mountain bike, and he had returned two frames that had gone at the rear dropout. You would think he would have got the hint... 

[citoyen]

I never understand why the Raleigh Chopper always makes these lists. It was a shit bike.

Also... the Raleigh Burner? Of all the great BMXes they could have chosen, they chose that one?

Nothing against Raleigh - I've owned several Raleigh bikes in my life and loved them all, but those two were far from being the finest examples of Nottingham workmanship.

d.

[dasmoth]

Some fairly dodgy images there.  Not convinced that 1962 Moultons had space frames.  Or belt drives...

Also, a distressing number of flat top tubes...

[essexian]

I never understand why the Raleigh Chopper always makes these lists. It was a shit bike.

Saw a "fat" lad of about 12 riding one down Sheepwash Lane yesterday (love the name of that "road").... took me back to when I was a fat 12 year old.

[mrcharly-YHT]

That Eddy Merckx long wheelbase looks very odd.

Indeed. What was supposed to be the advantage.

I had to pick the 'Carlton Flyer' because I used to have one.

The bike missing from the list is Andy Wilkinson's bike, the one he used for the 24hour record.

I think it is a fascinating machine. It breaks several conventions about what makes a 'fast TT' bike, yet is undoubtedly quick, yet he can still tour on it!

[citoyen]

That Eddy Merckx long wheelbase looks very odd.

Indeed. What was supposed to be the advantage.

Presumably it would have been much more comfortable over the pavé than a more conventional wheelbase. Does looks very odd indeed though.

d.

[Arch]

Why no Itera?  That was fabulous, if you liked the sensation of riding a jelly on blancmange.

[mattc]

That Eddy Merckx long wheelbase looks very odd.

Indeed. What was supposed to be the advantage.

Presumably it would have been much more comfortable over the pavé than a more conventional wheelbase. Does looks very odd indeed though.

d.

The problem with all these ideas is that P-R riders have to race on 200km of pan-flat tarmac as well as the cobbles, so you can't make the bikes too heavy or squishy. (I think CW actually mention this in the article. There's also a bike with suspension forks ridden on PR).