Does anyone have a make of bike they're ashamed of ?

[NormanD]

Me too. Though I did keep one behind me up a long, steep hill yesterday. Mind, he was probably filming me for youtube or something.

Thank you HP you made a fine windbreak going up that hill, made my life so easy

 

[Hip Priest]

Haha! I was expecting an overtake and had my 'have you got a tow-rope?' quip all lined up.

 

[lynol01]

some people on road bikes give me a strange look when they see me on my hybrid in full lycra but it makes it all the more enjoyable when i over take them. so don't worry what other people think just show them a clean set of heels when your out on your bike which i think looks spot on mate

 

[Rouge Penguin]

I have a Carrera hardtail. Bought it as i had some vouchers and thought it would be something different in the summer from my Road bike. Funnily, its the same spec as a friends branded bike and a couple of hundred quid cheaper. Dont be ashamed of what you ride, at least youre riding and its the user that make its better, not the sticker.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I sometimes ride a Mk III Strida. Whilst I'm not ashamed of it, it does provoke a lot of very extreme reactions from onlookers and other cyclists.

 

[palinurus]

Two Specialized bikes. As bikes they are fine, lot of 'em about though. Steel bikes with some wrinkly guy's name on the frame are better.

 

[wiggydiggy]

I sometimes think I should be ashamed of my Carrera Subway as its a 'halfords' but its mine, and it does the job I need it to. Theres a wide range of bikes at work from brakeless BMX's (really!) to full on carbo-racers and none of my fellow riders seemed bothered so TBH I think being 'ashamed' of your bike is only something posers are bothered about.

Not that I'm suggesting anyone here is a poser

 

[BrumJim]

I have a (very) old Peugot steel frame horror of a thing. It's my N+1 and i HATE it. I put a nice comfy seat on it cos the other half and i share it and she's not a cyclist - does the Sky ride and that's about it. But the seat is rather wide, and rubs on my legs, and......moves from side to side when i cycle - don't laugh. I don't know why it does that cos the seatpost bolt is tight enough...but anyway.

I use it to commute to work, and huff and puff around on its heavy twelve speed frame with great fat tyres.... but it sure as hell makes me appreciate the road bike!

I had the same seat problem with my Peugeot Carbolite bike. Never found out what the problem was, but I think that the seat somehow rotates on the stem. Hated the bike so much that I got rid of it for free. Which started me on here and my daily commuting by bike. And Audax and Sportive rides. And meeting up to bash the hills of North Worcestershire monthly.

 

[mog35]

I've currently got a Falcon Reactive which I bought last year. It may not be the fastest bike, or the lightest, or sexiest - and I'm sure quite a few people would regard it as a BSO - but I really like going out on it. It's got a couple of quirks and the odd thing needs repairing or adjusting from time to time, but what bike doesn't? It does me just fine.

If other people want to look down their nose at it or me, that's up to them. I don't particularly want to have anything to do with snobs and elitists anyway.

I used to have an Apollo bike from Halfords before this, and got a lot of mileage out of that too.

I'm considering getting a road bike soon. I'd keep my Falcon for commuting purposes and going to the shops, and keep the road bike for longer excursions.

 

[supercooper]

The best way you can improve that is to take it to a shop and part ex it for a road bike

 

[Fiona N]

I don't have one () but I would be very embarassed to own a Porsche bike

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I'd keep my Falcon for commuting purposes and going to the shops.

Good idea - perfect shops and pub bike mog!

 

[kenatnam]

I've got a Univega that I bought new in about 93/94 which I love to bits! Its taken me all over the country & to Holland 3 times on heavily loaded tours. I used to be slightly ashamed of it when in the comapny of the likes of Trek & Marin etc & all the new fangled hybrids till my local bike shop guy saw it & started enthusing how he used to race the exact same one in the 90's & how light steel frames were becoming sought after! I went away a happier man. Still like my Trek Valencia though.

 

[HLaB]

I couldn't care less what folk think of my bikes, my ridgeback is a bit of a beast but its reliable and does what I ask of it. Its predecessor was even more of a beast a black diamond atlanta (a make I've never seen anywhere other than the lbs where I bought it) it was mine though and I certainly wasn't ashamed of it either and again albeit slower it done everything I asked of it.

 

[sabian92]

I have a Diamondback Hybrid (cost me 180 quid from JJB as well, so it's not even like it's a Halfords bike, it's a JJB bike....) and I love it to bits. It's my own form of transport - it's my freedom. I can go anywhere I like on it and it's free. I took the stickers off because when I used my Muc-Off Degreaser to clean it up a bit, it was eating through them, so I just took them off. The one on the front fork is still on, because the wire for my computer was too long so I had to gaffa tape the wire to the fork, but it doesn't make me ashamed. I learned to drive at 17 and I was desperate for a car (even though I started learning knowing I wouldn't be able to get a car for a number of years), but now having a bike has taken over that. I still love cars, but I don't feel the need to constantly want one even though I can drive. Instead I want a carbon road bike, although the girlfriend sees it as a bit of a waste

That, and I have a little grin every time I go past people in cars because of the fortune they pay