# What is the "coolest" bike brand?



## grellboy (29 Sep 2016)

Just thinking, some bikes are better regarded than others. Which do you think is coolest? I suppose I am asking, in a way, which brand would you choose if money was no object?


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## Dayvo (29 Sep 2016)

I haven't got one, but I covet a Colnago and a Merckx.


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## Deleted member 23692 (29 Sep 2016)

Out of those on those listed, I'd go for Canyon personally.


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## MarkF (29 Sep 2016)

They all look the same to me, I only notice blue Bianchis, it's the colour and the logo font that do it for me, cool as, I love them!  But don't have one.


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## Specialeyes (29 Sep 2016)

If I was going to be papped (that's a verb now, right?) I'd want it to be on some vintage, Italian, lightweight in steel with chromed forks and drive-side chainstay. Not too blingy, mind. Have you seen how many celeste cars, usually Fiat 500s, there are around at the moment? So I guess that counts as 'other'


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## S-Express (29 Sep 2016)

What follows will be several pages of debate where everyone suggests brands they already own.


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## User6179 (29 Sep 2016)

Ritte is the coolest but a bit expensive..


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## Cubist (29 Sep 2016)

(ice) Cube


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## grellboy (29 Sep 2016)

S-Express said:


> What follows will be several pages of debate where everyone suggests brands they already own.


Ha ha. Maybe, but in my case I've got a boardman. I like it, but can't pretend it draws gasps of admiration!


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## Cubist (29 Sep 2016)

Coolnago


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## Pat "5mph" (29 Sep 2016)

Ime the coolest bikes are the less practical in a hilly area, some can't even take pannier racks 
Example.


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## ColinJ (29 Sep 2016)

I don't think it is cool to use the word _'cool'_ for anything other than temperature!


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## Cubist (29 Sep 2016)

Bird Zero


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## steve50 (29 Sep 2016)

grellboy said:


> Just thinking, some bikes are better regarded than others. Which do you think is coolest? I suppose I am asking, in a way, which brand would you choose if money was no object?



If money was no object and all the brands you have listed and more were to be lined up MINUS the branding and logos etc, which bike would be the coolest?


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## Kernow Cyclista (29 Sep 2016)

There's something about Colnago, (maybe it's my Italian ancestry calling) but I can't afford to pay an extra grand over what I'd pay for a Trek of the same spec.


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## User6179 (29 Sep 2016)

Coolest electric bike - The Fonzarelli


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## screenman (29 Sep 2016)

Ice trikes should be on the cool wall.


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## Cubist (29 Sep 2016)

Trek


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## Cubist (29 Sep 2016)

steve50 said:


> If money was no object and all the brands you have listed and more were to be lined up MINUS the branding and logos etc, which bike would be the coolest?


Cotic


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## Cubist (29 Sep 2016)

Yeti


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## Stealthrider1 (29 Sep 2016)

Orbea or Argon 18


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## Dayvo (29 Sep 2016)

Well, it's there twice on the poll...


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## dim (29 Sep 2016)

not mine .... but I like this (I'd change the handlebar tape though, and change the saddle to a Brooks Cambium C17 Carved):


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## Cubist (29 Sep 2016)

Brrrrrrrr ompton


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## S-Express (29 Sep 2016)

User14044mountain said:


> Bob Jackson
> 
> View attachment 145899



Not cool without a level saddle and fewer spacers.


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## united4ever (29 Sep 2016)

If we're talking specifically 'cool' and not just being the best overall then Italian things will likely compare favourably.....if nothing else the name sounds better....Pinarello, Bianchi versus Trek or Boardman. However, coolness would be only minor criteria for me.


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## dim (29 Sep 2016)

I owned a 1982 Koga Miyata Roadchamp (same colour and components as in this you tube video and it was in immaculate condition) .... It weighed just under 9kg and was a brilliant fast bike. I was sad to sell it, but sold it for 4 times more than what I paid for it .... the guy who bought it was an elderly rich chap who wanted a nice fast bike for L'Eroica rides:


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## CanucksTraveller (29 Sep 2016)

Cervelo, Colnago, or Bianchi are the coolest for me, in that order. Sadly none of them appear in the poll options and I can't vote "other" three times.

From what's there, I'd go for Pinarello.  They were mega cool long before Sky came along, Banesto / Indurain colours for me over Sky black ta.


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## jayonabike (29 Sep 2016)

Cervelo and Ritte are the coolest bikes. Ritte more so, their paint jobs are very cool.


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## wheresthetorch (29 Sep 2016)

Bianchi in Celeste. Obviously.


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## T4tomo (29 Sep 2016)

Slightly odd choice of poll options if your going for cool, all the big dull brands you've listed, and one of them twice!!!


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## raleighnut (29 Sep 2016)

Mercian.


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## ianrauk (29 Sep 2016)

MarkF said:


> They all look the same to me, I only notice blue Bianchis, it's the colour and the logo font that do it for me, cool as, I love them!  But don't have one.




Yet I find the Bianchi colour friggin' vile.


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## Biff600 (29 Sep 2016)

I'll try again

For a road bike I'd pick a Bianchi

And for a fixie I'd go for an Aventon


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## grellboy (29 Sep 2016)

ColinJ said:


> I don't think it is cool to use the word _'cool'_ for anything other than temperature!


 Apo


T4tomo said:


> Slightly odd choice of poll options if your going for cool, all the big dull brands you've listed, and one of them twice!!!


Apologies on the duplication front but with regards to the choice of brands, I just picked the ones I see around most and that are most common. Maybe I should retitle it " Coolest common brands". Or maybe just shows how I am not remotely cool!


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## 3narf (29 Sep 2016)

No brand is cool. The kind of people who are impressed by brands are not worth impressing.

Read your Naomi Klein!











The coolest bike is the one you built yourself...


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## Drago (29 Sep 2016)

I've nothing against either brand especially, but in what way are Wibble or Canyon cool?


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## vickster (29 Sep 2016)

Depends what sort of bike

For me...Condor, De Rosa, Parlee if money no object


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## 3narf (29 Sep 2016)

Biff600 said:


> View attachment 145908
> I'll try again
> 
> For a road bike I'd pick a Bianchi
> ...



I like that except for the handlebars. What's the point of them swooping down like that then fitting a big stack of headset spacers? Form over function.

It reminds me of the Asterix comic where they divert the course of the river away from the town, so they can build an aqueduct because aqueducts are more Roman than rivers!


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## NorthernDave (29 Sep 2016)

grellboy said:


> Ha ha. Maybe, but in my case I've got a *boardman*. I like it, but can't pretend it draws gasps of admiration!



Mine does. I was batting questions about it away like nobodies business the day I picked it up. 

But back to cool and it's difficult to quantify. One persons cool is anothers humdrum.

But for me it would be something Italian. 
*Cinelli* (not mentioned yet I don't think) make some fantastic looking bikes and I was very, very tempted by one when I bought the Boardman Pro Carbon the other month. 
Theres a guy got an old *Colnago* that I see occasionally around Wetherby and that is a great looking bike too.

But I really want a *Bianchi*. Which even I'd look cool on. Possibly.


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## S-Express (29 Sep 2016)

User14044mountain said:


> I think we'll have to disagree on that count.....it fits me like a glove and rides like a dream, to mix my metaphors.



Maybe it does. Still not cool though.


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## steveindenmark (29 Sep 2016)

Im a Koga fan, I have 3.

Not very common, very well made, never any problem. Great customer care from Koga.


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## S-Express (29 Sep 2016)

User14044mountain said:


> I don't really care what you think, truth be known.



That's the right answer. But it won't stop me from saying that something is not cool, if I think it is not cool.


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## mickle (29 Sep 2016)

Www.rivbike.com


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## dim (29 Sep 2016)

LOL .... my latest purchase:






it was a bargain as it has a full Campy Chorus groupset and it's 'growing on me' now .... uber fast and fits like a glove ... only had it for 3 weeks, but I'm already smashing my previous Strava records ... needs some dressing up (different saddle and different wheels/handlebar tape) .... I use this one as my daily commuter (will use my Surly LHT during winter though), and I will be keeping this one for a very long time


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## Spiderweb (29 Sep 2016)

I would like a British built bike;

1. Brian Rourke.
2. Feather.
3. Shand.
4. Craddock (now Filament bikes I think).


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## 3narf (29 Sep 2016)

I like Canyons, nice clean, unfussy design; German, if you will! Don't know if that has any bearing on it being a 'cool brand' but it's more about the product for me.

Pinararellos are not cool in any way, from their gimmicky fork design to the fact that Alan Sugar has a room full of them, probably because it was the most expensive thing in the shop.


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## dim (29 Sep 2016)

I'm saving up for one of these: (an old Bob Jackson tricycle) .... seen a few on ebay the last few months, but I was skint .... hoping to get one in April next year... I will upgrade to Shimano 105 or Ultegra and use this as a shopping bike with a large saddle bag, and use it for a sunday fast fun ride:


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## Dave 123 (29 Sep 2016)

A cool bike is one that gets you home without incident!

If I had £ burning a hole for a road bike it'd be a Cervelo or Argon 18.


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## 3narf (29 Sep 2016)

Cervelos are quite nice, but again, not because of the brand, because of the design.


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## cardiac case (29 Sep 2016)

I like bare metal. Money no object it would be unobtainium.
And I'd temper colour it. Blues into purple and on to straw and silver.
It would be wasted on me, but I wouldn't care.

But in the real world I'll stick with my painted aluminium.

Sigh !


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## EnPassant (29 Sep 2016)

@S-Express is right, mine, after all, it's got me on it.


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## dim (29 Sep 2016)

3narf said:


> Cervelos are quite nice, but again, not because of the brand, because of the design.



I like cervello, but to me they don't look super cool .... on the used market, and for value for money, I'd rather get a Giant TCR Pro .... I could not afford a Pro and bought a normal TCR ... nothing special to look at but very fast, and very stiff .... very fast especially on sprints, and I doubt that the Cervelo is much faster even though it's much more expensive... Scott Foil was also on my wish list


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## grellboy (29 Sep 2016)

3narf said:


> Cervelos are quite nice, but again, not because of the brand, because of the design.


Seems like a lot of love for Cervelo. Can anyone tell me what makes one expensive North American brand better than another( Specialized?) Is it just the fancy french/ italian portmanteau?


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## SWSteve (29 Sep 2016)

Cervelo look fantastic, as do Colnago and Cinelli. I've seen a couple of Litespeed and they looked fantastic


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## SWSteve (29 Sep 2016)

grellboy said:


> Seems like a lot of love for Cervelo. Can anyone tell me what makes one expensive North American brand better than another( Specialized?) Is it just the fancy french/ italian portmanteau?



The lines of Cervelos help. And the colours are planned simply with solid blocks of colours


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## GuyBoden (29 Sep 2016)

Harry Quinn. Gold 1981.


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## 3narf (29 Sep 2016)

grellboy said:


> Seems like a lot of love for Cervelo. Can anyone tell me what makes one expensive North American brand better than another( Specialized?) Is it just the fancy french/ italian portmanteau?



Personally I don't like curved top tubes and shell suit colours...


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## 3narf (29 Sep 2016)

3narf said:


> Personally I don't like curved top tubes and shell suit colours...



That's the power of brands, though, isn't it? Not all Specialized bikes fit that description, but it's what I associate with them. It's a double edged sword...


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## outlash (29 Sep 2016)

If you have to ask what bike someone's riding, then it's too cool for you.


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## CanucksTraveller (29 Sep 2016)

Isn't it a sign of madness to quote yourself and then reply to yourself?


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## vickster (29 Sep 2016)

3narf said:


> That's the power of brands, though, isn't it? Not all Specialized bikes fit that description, but it's what I associate with them. It's a double edged sword...


They are just everywhere, so can't be cool as a brand in my book, too common, brands lose their coolness once the hoi polloi have got them


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## Oldfentiger (29 Sep 2016)

vickster said:


> They are just everywhere, so can't be cool as a brand in my book, too common, brands lose their coolness once the hoi polloi have got them


Agree with that.
Exclusivity, rarity or leftfield all contribute to coolness.
If anything is common its rarely cool.


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## 3narf (29 Sep 2016)

vickster said:


> They are just everywhere, so can't be cool as a brand in my book, too common, brands lose their coolness once the hoi polloi have got them



...is what the whole system depends upon!


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## S-Express (29 Sep 2016)

Biff600 said:


> And for a fixie I'd go for an Aventon



You think a generic Chinese frame is the coolest 'fixie' out there?


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## mattobrien (29 Sep 2016)

My Scapin glows in the dark, now that is really cool


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## S-Express (29 Sep 2016)

To me, this will always be the collest bike ever built, in the coolest colour scheme ever painted


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## bikeman66 (29 Sep 2016)

Two words: RALEIGH CHOPPER!

Raleigh may not be the coolest brand, but the Chopper still cuts the mustard in the cool stakes for me. Got a genuine 1972 Mk II undergoing restoration in the shed. Never owned one when I was a kid, so when I got the opportunity to buy one at the local tip for £5, I pretty much took the guys hand off for it. That was 10 years ago, and I reckon at least once every week since then I just gaze at it in wonder at just how damn cool it really is.

Apart from that, Pashley are a cool brand........especially the Pashley Guv'nor.


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## bikeman66 (29 Sep 2016)

S-Express said:


> To me, this will always be the collest bike ever built, in the coolest colour scheme ever painted





S-Express said:


> To me, this will always be the collest bike ever built, in the coolest colour scheme ever painted


That is a thing of total beauty! Seriously jealous!


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## S-Express (29 Sep 2016)

Just to be clear - it's not mine, unfortunately.


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## I like Skol (29 Sep 2016)

Gt road bikes! Big brand (in MTBs anyway) but quite unusual to see them on the road. Not particularly pretentious but IME do exactly what it says on the tin very effectively and without any drama. The rarity and low key effectiveness make them uber cool in my opinion


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## MarquisMatsugae (29 Sep 2016)

Evil.
Having a bike made by a company called Evil must be cool 
And they look great too.


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## bikeman66 (29 Sep 2016)

I like Skol said:


> Gt road bikes! Big brand (in MTBs anyway) but quite unusual to see them on the road. Not particularly pretentious but IME do exactly what it says on the tin very effectively and without any drama. The rarity and low key effectiveness make them uber cool in my opinion


Agreed! No experience of GT road bikes but did own a GT RTS 2 back in the day. Although not the most efficient suspension system, I did and still do love the design.


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## MichaelW2 (29 Sep 2016)

Look always look good in their Mondrian paintjobs.

I saw on older Principia yesterday, the proper Danish-built ones, and they were a pretty cool brand of the day.


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## PK99 (29 Sep 2016)

http://www.icebike.co.uk


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## mcshroom (30 Sep 2016)

or http://www.icetrikes.co/


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## Goggs (30 Sep 2016)

Not on the list but I'd take a Mercian Vincitore Special every time.


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## 3narf (30 Sep 2016)

bikeman66 said:


> Two words: RALEIGH CHOPPER!
> 
> Raleigh may not be the coolest brand, but the Chopper still cuts the mustard in the cool stakes for me. Got a genuine 1972 Mk II undergoing restoration in the shed. Never owned one when I was a kid, so when I got the opportunity to buy one at the local tip for £5, I pretty much took the guys hand off for it. That was 10 years ago, and I reckon at least once every week since then I just gaze at it in wonder at just how damn cool it really is.
> 
> Apart from that, Pashley are a cool brand........especially the Pashley Guv'nor.



No.

Unfortunately, by issuing an updated Chopper and acknowledging its 'retro' appeal, c/w tongue-in-cheek irony, Raleigh completely killed the analogy.

The Chopper can no longer lay claim to any cool appeal, from now until the end of days.

The same goes for the Mini and the Fiat 500.

My wife's Pashley Princess is cool, but the Guv'nor, sadly, can never be. Too self-consciously 'cool.'


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## Ajay (30 Sep 2016)

Tommasini, obvs..


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## slowmotion (30 Sep 2016)

This geezer's.....


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## clid61 (30 Sep 2016)

Commencal , don't own one . Son used to ride their BMX


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## grellboy (30 Sep 2016)

Kuwahara! This guy rides one!


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## Goggs (30 Sep 2016)

User14044mountain said:


> Cool??? It's cheap and nasty and looks like it came from Poundland.



Klein was anything but cheap.


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## MarquisMatsugae (30 Sep 2016)

Gary Klein's bikes were very sought after bikes in the Nineties.
I tried in vain to buy someone's Attitude in the next street.
No chance was the answer I got for a few years.


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## MarquisMatsugae (30 Sep 2016)

vickster said:


> They are just everywhere, so can't be cool as a brand in my book, too common, brands lose their coolness once the hoi polloi have got them


Ned Overend on a Spesh was always cool.


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## S-Express (30 Sep 2016)

User14044mountain said:


> Cool??? It's cheap and nasty and looks like it came from Poundland.


Haha, and all because I said your bike wasn't cool. Good job you don't care what I think


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## Shut Up Legs (30 Sep 2016)

I saw people of all ages riding bikes of all types in France and Switzerland the week before last, wearing all types of clothes and helmets (or lack of). That was pretty cool, I think. It was cycle chic at its very best.


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

Klien blew any credibility they had by being found guilty of dumping paint into the local stream. 

Specialized blew their credibility by threatening to sue a bicycle wheel manufacturer for daring to use a French place name they thought that they owned. 

Trek? Sided with Lance Armstrong in his attempted destruction of Lemond - both as a brand and as a brand. 

Planet X? There's nothing wrong with generic rebranding Taiwanese made frames. But cool they are not. 

Pinarello. What the fark is going on with those fork legs? Different for the sake of being different is Not Cool.


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## bikeman66 (30 Sep 2016)

Blimey..... I never would have believed that "cool" came with such stringent criteria!

If the original Raleigh Chopper (even with the taint of its latter day cousin) can't be classed as cool.............I think the planet is doomed, doomed I tell ye'.


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

Cannondale once had a warranty fail rate of 25%. Things have improved, but it nearly drove them to the wall. Their original product was a child trailer called the 'Bugger'. Not cool.


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

Giant employed living legend and all round nice guy Mike Burrows to impart some coolness to the brand. And over the course of his contract ignored every suggestion he came up with because their existing designers and engineers felt agreived by him being brought in above them. Uncool.


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

Canyon? Backwards italics are not cool. Backward italics are used to convey sarcasm. Sarcasm is cool but not as part of a brand's corporate identity.


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

Boardman would be cool if they hadn't associated the brand so closely with Halfs.


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

Ribble. Mail order is not cool.


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

Raleigh. Any Raleigh. Not cool.


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## 400bhp (30 Sep 2016)

Serrotta


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

Kona. Stole Rocky Mountain's groundbreaking sloping top tube design and went off to Taiwan to undercut RM. After changing it just enough to avoid being sued of course. Not cool.


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## User169 (30 Sep 2016)

Coolness comes from the details: nice looking tyres from Challenge, Nitto seatpost and bars, shellaced cotton bar tape (Newbaums), tool roll rather than a fanny pack, Velo Orange or Paul brakes, etc..


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

Dawes. Pish poor quality assurance is never cool.


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

Merida. CIty bikes with no mudguards. Not cool.


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## raleighnut (30 Sep 2016)

[QUOTE 4490573, member: 259"][/QUOTE]
I don't think Raleighs are cool, the old steel ones are bloody nice though.


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## MistaDee (30 Sep 2016)

Coolest bike brand is 'Lightweight' as their wheels are sublime and incredible quality, and the Urgestalt frame is without doubt one of the most impressive frames around in terms of quality. Although I can often been found drooling over the Cervelo RCA


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## e-rider (30 Sep 2016)

grellboy said:


> Just thinking, some bikes are better regarded than others. Which do you think is coolest? I suppose I am asking, in a way, which brand would you choose if money was no object?


you are not cool that's for sure - I could name 30+ brands that are 'cooler' that the ones you listed (which are all the absolutely not cool mainstream brands)
or, perhaps you mean 'what is the coolest mainstream brand?'?


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## S-Express (30 Sep 2016)

mickle said:


> Giant employed living legend and all round nice guy Mike Burrows to impart some coolness to the brand. And over the course of his contract *ignored every suggestion he came up* with because their existing designers and engineers felt agreived by him being brought in above them. Uncool.



Mike designed the TCR, did he not?


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## TheJDog (30 Sep 2016)

Raleigh Banana.

Always partial to a Klein - amazing paint jobs. They folded into Trek, didn't they, so old school cool, too.


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## Accy cyclist (30 Sep 2016)

Specialeyes said:


> If I was going to be papped (that's a verb now, right?) I'd want it to be on some vintage, Italian, lightweight in steel with chromed forks and drive-side chainstay. Not too blingy, mind. Have you seen how many celeste cars, usually Fiat 500s, there are around at the moment? So I guess that counts as 'other'


The Fiat 500 in celeste, with a black soft top is my favourite car at the moment They look so stylish, though i don't think they're built for 6ft plus blokes.


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## CanucksTraveller (30 Sep 2016)

S-Express said:


> Mike designed the TCR, did he not?



He did indeed. In fact Burrows was solely responsible for the Giant's full range of road bikes changing from traditional horizontal top tube to the distinctive "compact frame" sloping geometry. So Mickle's post isn't remotely accurate. (Although I suspect he's probably just looking for mischief).


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## Tin Pot (30 Sep 2016)

grellboy said:


> Just thinking, some bikes are better regarded than others. Which do you think is coolest? I suppose I am asking, in a way, which brand would you choose if money was no object?



Cinelli obvs.



http://www.cinelli.it/site/index.php/who-we-are?&lang=en


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## grellboy (30 Sep 2016)

e-rider said:


> you are not cool that's for sure - I could name 30+ brands that are 'cooler' that the ones you listed (which are all the absolutely not cool mainstream brands)
> or, perhaps you mean 'what is the coolest mainstream brand?'?


Yes, I did, which is what I posted slightly later on to clarify things, when I said perhaps be retitled "coolest common brand". Keep up.


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## smutchin (30 Sep 2016)

3narf said:


> I like that except for the handlebars. What's the point of them swooping down like that then fitting a big stack of headset spacers? Form over function.



I thought the point of the downward swoop was to give a more natural hand position on the tops (see also: flared drops).


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

400bhp said:


> Serrotta



Cool.


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

S-Express said:


> Mike designed the TCR, did he not?



Yeah, and then they slowly shut him down.


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

grellboy said:


> Kuwahara! This guy rides one!
> View attachment 145967



Kuwahara = cool.


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

GT. Triple triangle bollox. Not cool.


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

Diamond Back. Were cool in 1984. Now owned by Raleigh. Therefore not cool.


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

Mongoose. Were cool in 1984. Have been in decline ever since. Uncool.


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## winjim (30 Sep 2016)

Other. No matter what's on your list the answer will always be _other_. That's how it works.


Or SP!N custom titanium of course .


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

Schwinn. Everything they ever made is cool - up until 1996.


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

bikeman66 said:


> Blimey..... I never would have believed that "cool" came with such stringent criteria!



This is very important stuff!


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

Redline, Skyway, Hutch, DeRosa, Cinelli, Colnago, KHS, OffRoad (Proflex), Yeti, Ventana, Electra. Cool.

Saracen, Claude Butler, Surly (trying soo hard to be cool is not cool) anything own brand (Pinnacle yeuk) = uncool...

... except Ridgeback, Madison's own brand. Which is cool.


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

Also Condor. Cool.


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

Brompton (i hate to say it) _uncool._

Dave Hon, cool. 

Sorry, the truth hurts.


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## Ian H (30 Sep 2016)

A bike is only as cool as the person riding it.


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## Toshiba Boy (30 Sep 2016)

Ian H said:


> A bike is only as cool as the person riding it.



That's my bikes stuffed then!


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## raleighnut (30 Sep 2016)

mickle said:


> Redline, Skyway, Hutch, DeRosa, Cinelli, Colnago, KHS, OffRoad (Proflex), Yeti, Ventana, Electra. Cool.
> 
> Saracen, Claude Butler, Surly (trying soo hard to be cool is not cool) anything own brand (Pinnacle yeuk) = uncool...
> 
> ... except Ridgeback, Madison's own brand. Which is cool.


So at least I own 1 'cool' bike.


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

Pfiff, Nihola, Nijland, Amtryke, RickSycle, BuddyBike, ROAM, ICE, Hase, Onderwater, Winther, Bakfiets, Wincheetah, Varna, Maximus, Huka, Day 6, Taurus (Italia). Cool.

Christiania, DiBlasi, Supatrike, Tomcat, KMX, Wulfhorst, Van Raam. Uncool.


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## ianrauk (30 Sep 2016)

mickle said:


> GT. Triple triangle bollox. Not cool.


Amen brother


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## vickster (30 Sep 2016)

mickle said:


> anything own brand (Pinnacle yeuk) = uncool...
> 
> ... except Ridgeback, Madison's own brand. Which is cool.


Pearson own brand  in same way as Condor


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## si_c (30 Sep 2016)

@raleighnut and @400bhp got close, but unfortunately the correct answer is Pegoretti. All others are uncool.


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## User169 (30 Sep 2016)

Stoemper and Rivendell from the US
St Joris from NL
Jaegher from BE


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## Toshiba Boy (30 Sep 2016)

DP said:


> Stoemper and Rivendell from the US
> St Joris from NL
> Jaegher from BE



+1 for Jaegher.


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## RegG (30 Sep 2016)

Bianchi should be on the list.....

This is one cool bike.....







2017 Infinito Ultegra


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## MarquisMatsugae (30 Sep 2016)

RegG said:


> Bianchi should be on the list.....
> 
> This is one cool bike.....
> 
> ...



Nah,needs more stickers.


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## ianrauk (30 Sep 2016)

RegG said:


> Bianchi should be on the list.....
> 
> This is one cool bike.....
> 
> ...




Nice bike, Vile colour scheme.


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## Tin Pot (30 Sep 2016)




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## ianrauk (30 Sep 2016)

Tin Pot said:


>



Now I like Cinelli bikes, but that just looks dull.


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## Tin Pot (30 Sep 2016)

ianrauk said:


> Now I like Cinelli bikes, but that just looks dull.


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## MistaDee (30 Sep 2016)




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## bikeman66 (30 Sep 2016)

mickle said:


> Redline, Skyway, Hutch, DeRosa, Cinelli, Colnago, KHS, OffRoad (Proflex), Yeti, Ventana, Electra. Cool.
> 
> Saracen, Claude Butler, Surly (trying soo hard to be cool is not cool) anything own brand (Pinnacle yeuk) = uncool...
> 
> ... except Ridgeback, Madison's own brand. Which is cool.


I have a 1993 Kona Lava Dome (silver to blue fade paint job).

Dare I trouble you Messiah, to pass on your infinite wisdom and tell me if this bike is anywhere near cool?


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## 3narf (30 Sep 2016)

smutchin said:


> I thought the point of the downward swoop was to give a more natural hand position on the tops (see also: flared drops).



Hmm... I'm not convinced


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## 3narf (30 Sep 2016)

MistaDee said:


> View attachment 146070


Bad engineering for the sake of visual novelty!


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## fossyant (30 Sep 2016)

RegG said:


> Bianchi should be on the list.....
> 
> This is one cool bike.....
> 
> ...



Shimano on an Italian bike is wrong.


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## MistaDee (30 Sep 2016)

3narf said:


> Bad engineering for the sake of visual novelty!



Unconventional engineering perhaps but I'm interested to know what makes you believe that it is bad engineering


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## dim (30 Sep 2016)

RegG said:


> Bianchi should be on the list.....
> 
> This is one cool bike.....
> 
> ...



it's the colour of the Bianchi that you like .... not the bike 

here's one similar (you might like this too)


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## wheresthetorch (30 Sep 2016)

dim said:


> it's the colour of the Bianchi that you like .... not the bike
> 
> here's one similar (you might like this too)



Totally the wrong shade. They try, but . . .


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

bikeman66 said:


> I have a 1993 Kona Lava Dome (silver to blue fade paint job).
> 
> Dare I trouble you Messiah, to pass on your infinite wisdom and tell me if this bike is anywhere near cool?



What size is it?


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## mickle (30 Sep 2016)

MistaDee said:


> Unconventional engineering perhaps but I'm interested to know what makes you believe that it is bad engineering



Seconded.


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## RegG (1 Oct 2016)

fossyant said:


> Shimano on an Italian bike is wrong.



Comment accepted...... How about this one then?






2017 Specialissima Super Record EPS


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## RegG (1 Oct 2016)

dim said:


> it's the colour of the Bianchi that you like .... not the bike
> 
> here's one similar (you might like this too)



No.... totally wrong colour!


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## Tin Pot (1 Oct 2016)

ianrauk said:


> Nice bike, Vile colour scheme.



Hey Ian, C4 popped around and gave your kitchen a free makeover


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## Dirtyhanz (1 Oct 2016)

Any thing from Italy


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## outlash (1 Oct 2016)

wheresthetorch said:


> Totally the wrong shade. They try, but . . .



To be fair, I don't think they're trying. That's a Trek Boone crosser. Not something Bianchi exels in...


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## Dirtyhanz (1 Oct 2016)

Just put my sunglasses on and cycles away what ever you ride that is cool just ride


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## MistaDee (1 Oct 2016)

The coolest bikes are disability bikes as they enable independence and freedom to the rider that they may not typically have.
I think they redefine awesome as do the people facing & overcoming challenges to enjoy the freedom of cycling.


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## GuyBoden (1 Oct 2016)

mickle said:


> Raleigh. Any Raleigh. Not cool.



I like the look of the 1980's Raleigh Record Sprint, even if the components weren't the best. They ride well, it's a 501 steel frame.


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## mickle (1 Oct 2016)

MistaDee said:


> The coolest bikes are disability bikes as they enable independence and freedom to the rider that they may not typically have.
> I think they redefine awesome as do the people facing & overcoming challenges to enjoy the freedom of cycling.



Innit.


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## mjr (1 Oct 2016)

grellboy said:


> Yes, I did, which is what I posted slightly later on to clarify things, when I said perhaps be retitled "coolest common brand". Keep up.


Yeah but even among common brands, you've missed obviously cooler ones like Bianchi and listed some of the most awfully dull ones like Specialized. Were you very, very drunk?


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## grellboy (1 Oct 2016)

mjr said:


> Yeah but even among common brands, you've missed obviously cooler ones like Bianchi and listed some of the most awfully dull ones like Specialized. Were you very, very drunk?


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## grellboy (1 Oct 2016)

mjr said:


> Yeah but even among common brands, you've missed obviously cooler ones like Bianchi and listed some of the most awfully dull ones like Specialized. Were you very, very drunk?


ha! Not drunk, just lazy. Remembered an old thread entitled "What big bike brands do you own?" and simply swiped that. Badly though, hence the duplication of Giant. Tbh though, it is a fair representation of the bikes I see most often, but then again I do live in Norfolk![/QUOTE]


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## swee'pea99 (1 Oct 2016)

To be uber-cool it has to be a brand no-one's heard of. Like my Olmo. I saw another one. Once.


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## MarquisMatsugae (1 Oct 2016)

swee'pea99 said:


> To be uber-cool it has to be a brand no-one's heard of. Like my Olmo. I saw another one. Once.



Tell me more.


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## 3narf (1 Oct 2016)

MistaDee said:


> Unconventional engineering perhaps but I'm interested to know what makes you believe that it is bad engineering



Try holding a wheel by the spindle, one hand on each end, and get someone to spin it. Now 'steer' it; due to gyroscopic precession the reaction is felt at 90deg to the input force.

Now try the same holding just one end of the spindle; the forces are immense trying to twist (and succeeding) the thing out of your hand.

The good news is you don't have to clamp the spindle at just one end, unless your business plan dictates that marketing gimmickry is the most important aspect of your design. Cannondale, I'm talking to you.


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## bikeman66 (1 Oct 2016)

mickle said:


> What size is it?


18".

Don't tell me............. 16" or 20" is cool, but not 18"!


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## mjr (1 Oct 2016)

grellboy said:


> Tbh though, it is a fair representation of the bikes I see most often, but then again I do live in Norfolk!


At least for West Norfolk, it's definitely missing Raleigh, Claud Butler, Cinelli and Boardman... maybe others which I'm forgetting.


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## raleighnut (1 Oct 2016)

MistaDee said:


> The coolest bikes are disability bikes as they enable independence and freedom to the rider that they may not typically have.
> I think they redefine awesome as do the people facing & overcoming challenges to enjoy the freedom of cycling.


Judging by the number of youths that'd love a go on mine I'd agree with you,


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## MistaDee (1 Oct 2016)

3narf said:


> Try holding a wheel by the spindle, one hand on each end, and get someone to spin it. Now 'steer' it; due to gyroscopic precession the reaction is felt at 90deg to the input force.
> 
> Now try the same holding just one end of the spindle; the forces are immense trying to twist (and succeeding) the thing out of your hand.
> 
> The good news is you don't have to clamp the spindle at just one end, unless your business plan dictates that marketing gimmickry is the most important aspect of your design. Cannondale, I'm talking to you.



I think your over simplifying things and these are not engineering issues which can not be resolved and have been, high performance motorcycles have featured single sided swing arms for years and is not considered to be an issue. Likewise motorcycles with single sided front ends have also been produced such as the BMW d1200r

http://thekneeslider.com/d1200r-bmw-goes-into-limited-production/

Unconventional but by no means bad engineering imho


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## mickle (1 Oct 2016)

3narf said:


> Bad engineering for the sake of visual novelty!



You need to have a serious word with every car manufacturer on the planet. Who'd have thunk they've been attaching their wheels wrong all this time?


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## 3narf (1 Oct 2016)

MistaDee said:


> I think your over simplifying things and these are not engineering issues which can not be resolved and have been, high performance motorcycles have featured single sided swing arms for years and is not considered to be an issue. Likewise motorcycles with single sided front ends have also been produced such as the BMW d1200r
> 
> http://thekneeslider.com/d1200r-bmw-goes-into-limited-production/
> 
> Unconventional but by no means bad engineering imho



And, of course, you're entitled to that opinion!

If you have critical component like, say, the attachment hardware of a wheel; to subject it to a design that's entirely reliant on the quality of material used, purely for reasons of form, _that_ is bad engineering.


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## 3narf (1 Oct 2016)

mickle said:


> You need to have a serious word with every car manufacturer on the planet. Who'd have thunk they've been attaching their wheels wrong all this time?



You are being facetious. There are obvious advantages to attaching car wheel on a stub axle; those advantages are not applicable to a bicycle.


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## 3narf (1 Oct 2016)

MistaDee said:


> I think your over simplifying things and these are not engineering issues which can not be resolved and have been, high performance motorcycles have featured single sided swing arms for years and is not considered to be an issue. Likewise motorcycles with single sided front ends have also been produced such as the BMW d1200r
> 
> http://thekneeslider.com/d1200r-bmw-goes-into-limited-production/
> 
> Unconventional but by no means bad engineering imho



Yes, I ride an R1200S. The swingarm/shaft drive housing is a neat, clean design, but it could have been just as strong, and much lighter, if it was a conventional 2-arm design.


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## CanucksTraveller (1 Oct 2016)

To get back to the question, and if I can go for a defunct brand, Peugeot. In earlier decades they were _fairly_ cool, and some decades on they've just got way cooler, in my opinion at least. 

Are we allowed defunct brands OP?


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## sackville d (2 Oct 2016)

How about the Aldo Gios branch of Gios.


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## grellboy (2 Oct 2016)

CanucksTraveller said:


> To get back to the question, and if I can go for a defunct brand, Peugeot. In earlier decades they were _fairly_ cool, and some decades on they've just got way cooler, in my opinion at least.
> 
> 
> Are we allowed defunct brands OP?



Yes we are. I rode the London to Brighton on a Peugeot 25 years ago. Slaughtered my mates on the then "new fangled" mountain bikes! Still bailed out on Ditchling though!


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## mickle (2 Oct 2016)

3narf said:


> You are being facetious. There are obvious advantages to attaching car wheel on a stub axle; those advantages are not applicable to a bicycle.


Shows what you know.


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## 3narf (2 Oct 2016)

mickle said:


> Shows what you know.



Yes, I agree. In showing what I know, as a mechanical engineer, I probably _am_ being a bit pedantic...


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## RoubaixCube (2 Oct 2016)

The 'coolest brand' is quite subjective. Everyone has their own opinions of cool.


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## EatSleepRideRepeat (2 Oct 2016)

I thought the question was, which bike is the coolest........................this was feckin' freezing.


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## MarquisMatsugae (2 Oct 2016)

EatSleepRideRepeat said:


> View attachment 146278
> 
> 
> I thought the question was, which bike is the coolest........................this was feckin' freezing.




Brilliant.
I would a wee shotty of one of those bikes to be fair


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## Glenn (2 Oct 2016)

I used to think my Steyr-Daimler Puch was a cool bike back in the late 70's


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## MarquisMatsugae (2 Oct 2016)

Glenn said:


> I used to think my Steyr-Daimler Puch was a cool bike back in the late 70's



Just had a look at them.
I agree,they are way cool


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## vickster (2 Oct 2016)

@GuyBoden 

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/reduced-raleigh-record-sprint.208056/#post-4493845


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## GuyBoden (2 Oct 2016)

vickster said:


> @GuyBoden
> 
> https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/reduced-raleigh-record-sprint.208056/#post-4493845



Thanks, that's in very good condition, I've got a mint 1987 Raleigh Record Sprint too (60cm), I take it out for a ride on nice dry summer days.

Original Black Selle Royal Saddle (fake suede?)


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## grellboy (2 Oct 2016)

EatSleepRideRepeat said:


> View attachment 146278
> 
> 
> I thought the question was, which bike is the coolest........................this was feckin' freezing.


Wow! Looks awesome. Where was that?


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## EatSleepRideRepeat (2 Oct 2016)

grellboy said:


> Wow! Looks awesome. Where was that?


Outside my house of course, only a lunatic would go out in those conditions


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## Lilliburlero (10 Oct 2016)




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## Mrs M (10 Oct 2016)

Lilliburlero said:


>


That's rather nice (and the bike's ok too)


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## the_mikey (10 Oct 2016)

None of the brands listed come close to "cool" on my radar, that said I'm quite happy enough with the two Giant's in the shed , I enjoy riding them.


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