Author Topic: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread  (Read 7061 times)

ABlipInContinuity

The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« on: 14 November, 2008, 12:33:23 pm »
My first bike as an independant adult.

I bought it when I was 18. It was a Raleigh Spirit Hybrid. It was fine to start with. But when I started using it for winter commuting, I ended up spending more time fixing it, stripping and regreasing parts then I did actually riding it!


The second has to be a "professional mountaineer" that someone gave me. A mild steel MTB with a sloping down tube and ashtabular cranks. It was uncomfortable and my knees hated with wide Q-factor.

So which have been your least favourite?

Manotea

  • Where there is doubt...
Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #1 on: 14 November, 2008, 12:39:12 pm »
Pompino. Like riding a cart horse on Temazepam.

Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #2 on: 14 November, 2008, 12:40:06 pm »
A halfords bike that I bought for my son. It seemed to be one that had ended up with the wrong price - ally bars, seatpost, rims etc, when most in that price range were still steel, decent components too.

It just rode DEAD, DEAD, DEAD - like trying to run with wellies on.
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #3 on: 14 November, 2008, 12:43:09 pm »
This one - it was in the shed of a gite that we rented in Provence. I did use it - rode a couple of miles down to the village every day for bread, and to the local swimming pool (where this photo was taken), but it was a piece of rubbish and every pedal stroke took twice the energy it should have!



Actually, looking at the photo makes me nostalgic, so maybe it wasn't all bad  :)

border-rider

Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #4 on: 14 November, 2008, 12:45:48 pm »
Pompino. Like riding a cart horse on Temazepam.


 :o

Mine was damn fast.

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #5 on: 14 November, 2008, 12:46:39 pm »
When my OGME  was stolen, I decided for some bizarre reason, based on the amount of roughstuff I was doing at the time, to buy a hybrid.  I won't name the shop, as it was my fault not theirs.

It was an Alpinestars Xross.  Never buy a bike whose name youcan't say ;D

It was a bit too long, and I found out that straight bars are not for me.  My mileage dropped dramatically, and eventually I gave up riding. :(

It had a decent outcome, though.  After Pagan tried riding it unsuccessfully (wrong size again, and rode too damn heavy), I donated it to a kid I formerly did youth work with.  The son of a colleague and friend, he was trying hard to keep out of bother, and needed some way to get to work.  He was very happy to have it.

Last time I saw it, the rear tyre was worn through, and the rear brake cable was missing. :-\  Nonetheless, it was used.
Getting there...

Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #6 on: 14 November, 2008, 12:46:56 pm »
The Pompino is very comfy; slow-ish it is true though but a good workhorse and winter trainer.

I'm no big fan of Bromptons.
Frenchie - Train à Grande Vitesse

Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #7 on: 14 November, 2008, 12:48:26 pm »
Pompino. Like riding a cart horse on Temazepam.


 :o

Mine was damn fast.

Mine still is ;D

Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #8 on: 14 November, 2008, 12:49:53 pm »
my first proper bike was an all alloy Saracen something or other with a standard double, also too big for me.  It had an incredibly harsh ride, my hands, arms and shoulders would be in agony after about 2 hours, and the saddle was murder.

(I quite like my pompino though :) )

border-rider

Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #9 on: 14 November, 2008, 12:50:56 pm »
The Pompino is very comfy; slow-ish but comfy.



Comfy I agree.  Slowish ?  Not in my experience.  With light tyres and light wheels, it just flies.  OK it's not as snappy as a carbon TT machine, but then it's not a carbon TT machine.  It's gloriously stable on descents, which makes it actually a lot faster on hilly/rolling rides than something twitchier.

border-rider

Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #10 on: 14 November, 2008, 12:52:33 pm »
Pompino. Like riding a cart horse on Temazepam.


 :o

Mine was damn fast.

Mine still is ;D

Mine now has big heavy wheels, a hub brake/dynamo and Marathon Plusses on.  In that configuration it is slower than when it did PBP.  As is the rider.  But you can't blame the frame for that.

Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #11 on: 14 November, 2008, 12:53:34 pm »
The Pompino is very comfy; slow-ish but comfy.



Comfy I agree.  Slowish ?  Not in my experience.  With light tyres and light wheels, it just flies.  OK it's not as snappy as a carbon TT machine, but then it's not a carbon TT machine.  It's gloriously stable on descents, which makes it actually a lot faster on hilly/rolling rides than something twitchier.

It won't match my other fixies for speed. It is much more designed to be a stable Cadillac than a Ferrari. It takes quite a hill for my Orbit to become dangerously twitchy.

Note that I like my Pompino and its guards, rack (and panniers) and Schmidt+E6 combo... I like it a lot for some riding.
Frenchie - Train à Grande Vitesse

border-rider

Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #12 on: 14 November, 2008, 12:57:46 pm »

It won't match my other fixies for speed.

How much of that is gearing/wheels/tyres ?

Quote
It takes quite a hill for my Orbit to become dangerously twitchy.

Sure, but if you factor in poor road surfaces too...


Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #13 on: 14 November, 2008, 01:10:35 pm »

It won't match my other fixies for speed.

How much of that is gearing/wheels/tyres ?

Quote
It takes quite a hill for my Orbit to become dangerously twitchy.

Sure, but if you factor in poor road surfaces too...


I accept all of the above. The "rear end" of the Pompino just feels more lazy than my fast bike (even without the panniers!  ;)). Again, it doesn't make the Pompino a bad bike. In fact I took it in all its "touring" glory and with hybrid 28mm tyres on a club run last Saturday and we were doing fine. For sheer speed and response, my Orbit is still better. IMO of course.

EDIT: Mine has OPs and 28mm Conti tyres (City Contact?).
Frenchie - Train à Grande Vitesse

Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #14 on: 14 November, 2008, 01:12:05 pm »
Just feel I've got to step in and defend the Pompino.
I have a carbon planet x, but don't mind at all commuting and winter training on my Pomp.
Its got guards and 32mm marathons on but it still feels good, and it corners very well.
It might look like a tractor but it doesn't hang around.

ABlipInContinuity

Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #15 on: 14 November, 2008, 01:13:38 pm »
I had a dream about a Pompino once. I dreamt that I had just taken delivery of the bike and locked it up because I couldn't ride it straight away. And then someone stole it.

The next morning on the way to work, I saw a Pompino. First time I'd seen one for ages!

This thread is just making me want a Pompino.

Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #16 on: 14 November, 2008, 01:39:35 pm »
A bike I had as a kid. I can't remember what make it was, but it was called a "Pixie". All my mates had bikes with much more macho names which made me feel inadequate  :P

It also had solid tyres. I can still feel the vibration now.

I eventually managed to persuade my parents to buy my a Grifter for xmas. Then I rocked  :thumbsup:
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #17 on: 14 November, 2008, 01:40:52 pm »
Mine was damn fast.

That's cos it had you on it, shurely?

The only bike I bought that I didn't like was a Sterling House BSO that cost all of £40 and is now languishing at the back of the garage. I bought it reluctantly because my wife wanted to get into cycling but didn't want to spend any money in case she didn't like it, despite me telling her that she was never going to like it on such a low-quality machine!

Point proved, I have since given her "my" Edinburgh hybrid, which she actually enjoys riding and now understands why I was reluctant to get the Sterling House bike in the first place!

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Rhys W

  • I'm single, bilingual
    • Cardiff Ajax
Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #18 on: 14 November, 2008, 01:49:39 pm »
Re-read this, but substitute the equivalent English word for pompino:
I had a dream about a Pompino once.

The next morning on the way to work, I saw a Pompino. First time I'd seen one for ages!

This thread is just making me want a Pompino.
;D

Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #19 on: 14 November, 2008, 01:50:48 pm »
An old steel Saracen Rufftrax. It was heavy, too big (my fault), had horrible gripshift, useless canti brakes, kept bending rear axles and the wheels went out of true as soon as you looked at them. It might still be in my dads shed.

Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #20 on: 14 November, 2008, 02:27:41 pm »
Dawes Discovery 501 hybred.

Dreadful handling. Spokes brokes within days of buying it, and I was riding small mileages on the road. Despite the bike costing £500, all cables were 'rustless' rather than stainless. They rusted overnight. Clark disk brakes that required constant adjustment.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Si

Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #21 on: 14 November, 2008, 02:43:53 pm »
Caloi or airnimal, mainly because they kept breaking under me.


bikenerd

Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #22 on: 14 November, 2008, 03:50:21 pm »
My Giant XTC SX MTB.  (Hey acronyms!)
It was a nice bike, just the wrong bike for me.  A very stiff, very racy MTB with 80mm travel fork.  Everytime I tried to do something technical or went down a rough downhill, it felt like it would throw me over the bars at any point.  Leaving me to walk down stuff.

Replaced by a Pipedream Sirius steel hardtail with slack(ish) angles and a 120mm travel fork.  Now I can actually ride stuff again!  :thumbsup:

Salvatore

  • Джон Спунър
    • Pics
Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #23 on: 14 November, 2008, 03:56:18 pm »
A Thorn Club Tour.

Heavy, uncomfortable, clunky and the brakes never worked properly.
Quote
et avec John, excellent lecteur de road-book, on s'en est sortis sans erreur

blackpuddinonnabike

Re: The "bikes you didn't like" Thread
« Reply #24 on: 14 November, 2008, 04:00:18 pm »
I can honestly say I liked every bike I had at the time I had it. And that includes the awful Halfrauds Full Sus MTB and the replacement Halfrauds Full Sus MTB when I cracked the frame on the first one.