Someone reading my blog just asked if my new XStream is my main bike?.

The short answer is “No, but it is still a bike I will ride a lot, and it has the potential to become my “main” and my eventual “Big Boss Bike”.

So, this got me to thinking about why my favorite bike is my main ride, what my next purchase will be, and my future “Big Boss Bike”. For me it is possible to have more than one “main” bike; as I seem to prefer different bikes for different rides. But, in order to pick a main bike among main bikes I considered the following talking-points that are of particular interest to me:

Rough-road comfort
flexible frame
ability to mount larger tires
Basic seat comfort
tailbone, back, and neck issues
Rider position
upright angle for visibility
handlebar position for good arm circulation and comfort
low BB for good lower body circulation and feet comfort
seat height for ease of putting feet down at stops
Speed
safe at speed
availability of aerodynamic tail boxes and fairings and ease of attachment
ability to chase wabbits
Environmental
cold and wet weather readiness: e.g. good fairing fit and ability to mount fenders
Weight handling
suitable for a heavy rider and a heavy load
easy to balance, whether stopped or moving
easy to attach storage
Distance
last mile as good as the first.
Ever eat something where the first bite was heaven but the last not so good?
Just plain fun

When I consider all that, but not so much “low-speed stability” or “bike weight”, then the answer is clear, at least for me for the time being. My main bike is the Stratus XP. Its lead over the other bikes I own is so great that I’m now thinking my “Big Boss Bike” will be a new a Ti-Stratus XP. However, before that happens I still need to ride/experience other bikes, especially a lowracer. I also need to continue riding and tuning bikes I currently own that are still in the competition, i.e. Xstream, P-38 (which I have not ridden at all due to its weight limit), and the Rocket (the upgrade would be a VRex or Ti VRex, assuming a similar ride as the Rocket). A Tour Easy (like my wife’s), or one of its siblings, would be in the running if I owned one. But I’m thinking they are too much like the Stratus XP to purchase or differentiate (Your comments are welcome). Of course, Jeanne might let me ride her Tour Easy … maybe when she is out of town.

Here are a couple examples of my other “main bikes for different rides”:

I have already decided that I am not a highracer kind of guy; it’s a personal thing. However, I expect to keep riding my Strada which is the best looking bike I own, mostly because of the color coordinated, red aerospoke wheels. It even has red valve-stem covers and red bottle holders. When I want to look especially sharp, my Strada is my main spiffy bike.

I like my Greenspeed GT3 and look forward to many miles on it. I adjusted the seat-web tightness which addresses the only problem I had with it, i.e. sore tail bone. However, 3 wheels do make it a little wide and slow for some rides, e.g. it is a little hard to navigate around trail or road trash. However, the GT3 is and will probably remain my main social and trip machine. It folds for easy transport and is an easy perch for parking lot socializing. And, of course, when riding with other trikers it is a party on wheels.

So, I’m consolidating my thoughts, reviewing my experiences (it’s a winter thing) and planning next year’s rides, bikes, and modifications. I’m also especially contemplative about my eventually “Big Boss Bike”. Your thoughts are welcome.

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 3rd, 2010 at 1:15 pm and is filed under Fun. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.