bwilli88 

We are always talking about N + 1 is the ideal number of bikes to have but what is your "N" bike? I got the idea from this thread Restore a PX-10?. where [MENTION=115501]jont[/MENTION] stated
This got me thinking
While I was at French Fender Day this Oct '18 I asked Peter Weigle what bike was his and he said the silver one outside.

IMG_20181006_133037111_HDR by Bwilli88, on Flickr

But then he said "But the one I will never sell is the black one right outside the door".
This
My picture,

IMG_20181006_130800723_HDR by Bwilli88, on Flickr

His picture

Spring is in the air... by JP Weigle, on Flickr

Well this got me to thinking do I have a "N" Bike, one I will never sell?
I think this might not be a Grail bike but one you have that you will keep even though it is ratty worn but it just gives you the best feeling.

What is yours, please post a picture and a bit of an explanation.

bwilli88 

My thinking
I really like my 74 Raleigh Grand Prix, My first C&V bike, it has been many different configurations and is now my SS But this is not it.

IMG_20150912_164653990 by Bwilli88, on Flickr

Then I thought of my Gravel bike here in Cambodia which is lots of fun but not IT

IMG_20180124_110515120 by Bwilli88, on Flickr

Then I thought of my 73 and 78 Super courses and they while close to the top are not IT

IMG_20180717_114219125 by Bwilli88, on Flickr
Like this a bit better than the 73

IMG_20181001_175313740_HDR by Bwilli88, on Flickr
And now on to my Centurion Pro Tours and the 83 is nice

IMG_20181002_105509465_HDR by Bwilli88, on Flickr

I really think at this point the 81 is my "N" bike

DSC02402 by Bwilli88, on Flickr

merziac

Hopefully I never have to make such a decision, makes my head spin, too many variables, qualifiers, rationales, questions, etc, etc.

Could be one of these two off the top of my head as its spinning.

74 Jim Merz he built for himself, classic touring rig that he is so well known for.



Or 1958 Schwinn Paramount, pretty old, pretty original and pretty good shape, unlike me.

Chombi1 

My 1984 Peugeot PSV. Bought in my last year of college. My first real race bike, bought with my own money.
Still have it and ride it. Everything on it upgraded through the years, except for the seatpost and the headset and the brake cable casings, which are still original. It even still has the Avocet 20 bike computer I bought for it, a year after I got the bike, and it still works! Sentimental value and my preference for French bikes had me keep it with me through all these years. I guess I'll have it till I die....

familyguy

I do sort of have one. My 1991 Gazelle Champion Mondial AB in my size (62c/t). Bought it as a NOS frame in 2015, built it, dirtied it, scratched it, unbuilt it, built it, used it, unbuilt it. Its hanging on a wall for now, but aomeone would have to offer me TOP dollars for it to see it leave.

Maybe if someone offered me an early 90s hand-built Condor I might also be convinced, also...

bikemig 

I'll never get rid of my 1993 Bridgestone XO 2. I love the way the bike rides with plush 26 x 1.75 inch tires and road bike geometry. The gearing is plush (3 x 8, 44-32-22, 11-28) It has all the braze ons I like (double water bottle, pump peg, eyelets, rear rack). The original nitto dynamic stem is nicely upward angling.

I bought it for my dad when i got my first job. He loved drop bar bikes but he was getting on in age. So I figured a road bike with fat 26 inch tires would do the trick. Now it's mine and a road bike with fat tires is just fine for this old man as well, .

gugie 

Speaking of Mssr. Weigle, this is my '73 Raleigh Competition that has been "Weigleized" as a 650b conversion, with wet paint by Ed Litton. Here it's packed and ready for it's first credit card tour. This is my "won't sell unless I need the money to feed my family" bike.

vintagerando

What does the "FFD" on the down-tube stand for?

Jon T

Just to clear things up, my N bike isn' JUST the one I'll never sell--my N bike is my ONE AND ONLY bike--period. It ain't broke so there's no need to "fix" it.
Jon

belacqua

I was wondering the same thing. My guess is "French Fender Day."

Does anyone have more details about this bike?

crank_addict

Yep to FFD. The witty and play on words seems to be on many of his bikes. Recall seeing 'RINko' from small to micro font on a top tube.

vintagerando

I am also curious about make/model of the "FFD" bike.

ok, So, its a Weigle?

non-fixie 

I could well be wrong, but those two Peter Weigle bikes seem to be adjusted for two different people ...

Back on topic: whenever I buy a bike or frame these days, it needs to be better than this. I suppose that defines "N" for me.

lasauge

If all my money was stolen, my home set on fire, and all my earthly possessions destroyed but one I could choose, I'd save my Pake touring/commuting bike. As practical transport that works in all weather and can carry heavy and bulky loads anywhere it's not a sporty bike, just a reliable mule of a machine:

Drillium Dude 

This is my N-bike:



It's the bike (well, frame/fork/HS/BB) that got me into all this, so it has a lot of sentimental value. Monetary value, too; I was once stopped on a ride and offered some crazy money if I were to sell it. Most of all, however, are the memories invoked - I've had some big days on this Colnago. I will most likely be buried astride it

DD

scozim 

I'm with Chombi [MENTION=172094]Chombi[/MENTION] on this one. Now that I have it back after almost 20 yrs my 84 Peugeot PSV would be my N bike. Many, many miles with smiles have come on this bike.

RobbieTunes

Probably no surprise from me. I have Italians, some US-made gems, a modern steel and a unique carbon. My "N" bike is an Ironman. It came from oddjob2 and has been with me quite a while, through Shimano tricolor, cheap Campy 8-sp, 9-sp DA, 5800 to get by, and now 6800 as you see it. I've walked for miles with it due to broken spokes, flipped it once when the RD disintegrated and ended up in the rear wheel.. I can "go to" a lot of bikes, but this one is mine.

I will always ride an Ironman, I suppose. I will ride with about anybody, any time, but let me ride the legend.

Not Your Daddy's Ironman.

CV-6 

I guess this would be my N bike. I have owned it since 1972 or 73. My mind is murky on the year.


Lejeune Pro Pancake 2 by L Travers, on Flickr

bwilli88 

I think the black Weigle bike is a modified Raleigh if some sort.

themidge

Any excuse to post photos of my bikes


My Grandad's 1938 Hetchins Brilliant (he was born in 1940, so I'm not even the second owner!)

79pmooney

Two bikes are keepers for me, for quite different reasons. My workhorse winter/rain/city fix gear; the bike I can ride all but maybe 4 days in a typical year, go anywhere, and lock anywhere (well not "anywhere" but in a lot pf places where I would never bring a "good" bike and the odds are very good that other bikes on the stand will be a lot more attractive - the "I don't need to be faster than the bear, just you" theory). It's a powdercoated ~1983 Trek 4-something. And my Peter Mooney, the bike that has been my link to sanity over the crazy post-head injury years, that I have put so many epic rides on and that has finally found a niche for which it is perfectly suited. (It was designed as a truly versatile bike. It was designed to and has - toured, done hard club rides, epic long rides, epic climbs, seen really bad weather (rain that kept the frogs indoors, forded deep river-like puddles, snow that actually brought it to a standstill - iced up freewheel no longer accepted the chain. It did all these well, but not great. The ability to do everything means that it does none as well as a purpose built bike - until I ran it fix gear. It is a classic English fix gear road bike! In that application, sweet, sweet, sweet! Unless I do a tour, gears will never go back on.

And sadly, if I had to trim to 2 bikes, my Ticycles customs would go. Theft worries. The Carlton Raleigh Competition. Too low a BB to ever ride fix gear, not stiff enough to be a good touring bike (at least I think).

Ben

nlerner

I've had bikes that I definitely thought at the time were my N bikes: a 1950 Raleigh Clubman that was essentially given to me for free by the original owner, an Ebisu 650B semi-custom, an 80s Peter Weigle, a super rare 1973 Raleigh RRA, an also rare all-original 1975 Raleigh Super Tourer, heck, even my 1979 Raleigh SuperCourse that I bought from the original owner in 1986 and moved cross country a couple of times. Eventually, they each got sold, essentially replaced by a new N (so, not quite N+1). If there's one in the current fleet that's the least likely to get moved on, it's my 1974 Norman Fay tourer. It was an eBay find, but I've been in contact with the original builder, and he only made about 80 of these all together in the mid 70s. Still, I don't ride it much these days, and that's usually the kiss of death for staying in the current fleet!

bikemig 

That's a great looking bike. You have a fine collection of unusual British bikes.

Roll-Monroe-Co

FFD ==> Front Freewheel Drive

AZORCH

Easy one for me to identify, the one I will never part with is my Boulder Brevet.