which bike do you use?

[gavroche]

If you are fortunate enough to have more than one bike, how do you decide which one to use?
I have 3 bikes; a 20 year old MTB ( weights a ton) a Vitesse Sprint ( bought from Amazon and a cheap entry into road cycling) and a Specialized Allez ( bought 2 months ago).
If I need to go into town for banking, I take the mtb as it is the cheapest if it gets stolen ( I always padlock it though).
For a quick run around ( about 6 miles) I take the Vitesse as I like the colour ( blue) and it is very quiet on the road.
For longer runs ( 10 to 30 miles) then I take the Allez as it is the lightest and very sleak.
When I use the first two bikes, I dont bother about wearing the full gear but I do on the Allez.

 

[Hip Priest]

I've got a Carrera Virtuoso and an old steel-framed Raleigh MTB ("The Tank"). I use the former for pleasure and the latter for commuting, simply because I have to leave it outside with the weather and thieves. I've just taken delivery of a rusty old Ridgeback MX25 hardtail from a mate. It seems a bit knacked, but I can salvage the brakes, saddle and slick tyres to put on The Tank, so I'm happy.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

I've got the Scott Voltage YZ-1 MTB for off-road and if I don't want to pressure my knackered knees climbing. When I want to just fly, out comes the 1980's Carlton Kermesse 12 speed.

 

[tyred]

Where to start?

I have 12 bikes and make a point of riding them all at least occasionally. I have an old Townsend MTB which is only used in the snow, an old Raleigh folding bike which I tend to take with me in the car if I'm going away somewhere for the weekend and a completely original 1944 Elswick which only gets used on VCC rides. The rest all get used regularly, depending on the mood, fixed gear Carlton if I want to push myself, old roadsters (1939 Elswick, 1951 Rudge, 1960s Batavus and 1980s Record) if I want a gentle pootle or to go to the shop, geared road/touring bikes for longer rides (Viscount Aerospace and 2 x Peugeot).

 

[Rob3rt]

Road bike - Training

Fixed - Fun

Tri/TT - Racing

 

[Hacienda71]

2 Road bikes used most of the time, for commuting and training.

1990's rigid mountain bike for messing around with the kids and when it is snowing.

I hire a modern hardtail mountain bike twice a year to do battle with some Welsh mountain trail riding that my rigid mtb would have difficulty handling. (Can't justify the expence for two trips a year)

 

[Dora]

Touring Bike - Everything

Road Bike, MTB, Beach Cruiser, El-cheapo WSD from Halfrauds - Shed Fillers.

I used to ride the MTB before I got the tourer - it's comfy so I keep it as a backup.
The Beach cruiser, I feel like a bit of a buerk riding unless it's really sunny - but it makes me happy so that stays.
The el-cheapo, I've never actually ridden - It was my Mums and she doesn't want it. It now gets lent to whoever is small enough to ride it.
The Road bike, I could just never get to grips with. It's twitchy and uncomfortable, but since I built it myself and I'm not a bike mechanic, the only place it can possibly go is the tip. I keep in the hope that I'll suddenly learn to ride it one day.

 

[DiddlyDodds]

Scott road bike for summer
Townsend 70's road bike for winter

BSO MTB for pottering round the park with my little one in the kiddie seat

 

[John the Monkey]

Road bike: Long distance at speed, occasional dry weather commuting, fun riding on road.

Tourer: Canal towpaths & routes with less than perfect surfaces, long distances at slightly slower speeds, carrying stuff, "long" commute.

Bromtpon: Errands, commuting to sites where I don't know what the bike parking will be like, "short" commute, commuting if I have to work later (and so get a train where I can't be sure of a bike space).

 

[mickle]

Super duper mountain bike - in bits, haven't ridden it for more than two years.

Schwinn Black Phantom - ridden only on a very few dry days.

Colnago, sold.

Kona Africa bike - was my daily until I bought this! :

 

[clarion]

The idea is that I use the fixed for commuting, the tourer for touring (natch), the fast bike for, er, fast things, and the vintage bike for posing around on. And the folder for occasional utility trips.

But the stats don't lie. I use the tourer for touring and about half the commuting, the fixed for the other half of the commuting, and the very pretty fast bike barely got any fresh air this year, I'm afraid to say.

Last time I took out the vintage tourer for a decent ride, I got knocked off by a RLJing motorist cutting across me and, while I don't blame the bike, the Police reaction to that offence was so offensive in itself that there's a bad taste in my mouth.

Things are up in the air right now, though. My fixed is off the road pending some re-routing of the cable for the S3X hub, and I broke the crank on my tourer last night. So I'm on a borrowed fixed, and enjoying it very much.

 

[Norm]

Giant Talons (MTB) when I plan to ride off road.

Secteur (roadie) when I plan to stick to the tarmac.

Tricross (cx) when I've no idea where I'm going.

Giant ColdRock (20 year old MTB) when I'm riding into town.

I have no problem choosing which bike to take, once I've chosen where I'm going. That's the difficult bit for me.

 

[HLaB]

I'm fortunate enough to have a few bikes.

My Bianchi is my summer bike (it has only seen 700miles this year which tells you something about our summer ).

My Kinesis is my trainer/ leisure road bike.

My Sirrus was my extreme weather road bike but its on the turbo until I get a new rear wheel.

My Ridgeback Velocity is my general utility bike.

 

[ianrauk]

Have 4 bikes.
Specialized Roubaix Elite 2009 as my main bike.
Specialized Secteur Elite 2010 as my commute bike
GT Legato 2008 Flat bar road bike as my hack/shopping bike.
Catrike Musashi Recumbent 2011 as a bit of fun.

 

[User16625]

2 main bikes. Saracen ariel 1 is my mountain bike, its about 2 years old and is a full sus bike. I use this on anything that aint tarmac whether its canal paths or more serious mountain terrain.

Scott CR1- This is the bike I use most often. Its lighter than air and goes like the wind, used for all my road rides however short or long.
Giant SCR1- Another road bike with a yamaha superbike in its name. Its about 4.5 years old and recently had to change the bottom braket on it coz its started to wear out. Still reasonably good condition tho. I will use this in winter when its too icy too risky ridin my motorcycle to work, no other use for it since I purchased the CR1.