I have three mountain bikes (four if you count one with rear wheel missing) and just bought my pride and joy a which uses Giant's OCR frame geometry and pretty much top-spec components (well, certainly a lot better than on any of my previous bikes!). Sort of like a racer with straight handlebars for a comfier riding position. Bought it for my 40th birthday at end of last year - only arrived a couple of days ago but have been out on it four times already!!! Love it to bits.

I have four bikes, of which the favourite has to be my Thorn Club Tour tourer, which has been my steed for three Land's End to John O'Groats rides and countless other longer journeys, as well as commuting because of its load carrying ability.

The others are a mountain bike (used mainly for off-road jaunts), a fairly old and non-lightweight road bike, and a hybrid.

I now have 14 bikes, including my first proper racing bike which I raced on in the mid-1950's.

I don't have any favourites - each one has a specific use - shopping, winter training, summer training, racing, racing spare, off road, touring etc.

I suppose my best bike is either my no 1 time trial bike - carbon fibre frame and carbon fibre wheels, or my carbon fibre framed summer training bike. But, I get enjoyment out of riding anything - I went out for 3 hours toda on an old mountain bike and really enjoyed it in the sunshine.

I know what you mean - I keep coming back to an old Giant tourer every so often - it's fairly light, nicely geared and fun to ride - can't beat it!!!

I currently have a trusty old Muddy Fox which I bought when the company were making good quality bikes, before the company got bought out and started churning out rubbish (or so I've heard).

I'm supposed to be getting another one soon. My bf said he is going to get me the GT Avalanche after my birthday which is great because although I love my old bike it's getting on a bit now and I don't know how often I can throw it around Thetford forest before it gives up on me.

14 Bikes! Wow.
I have one - a singlespeed built on an old raleigh frame, with old-fashioned sit-up handlebars. Looks like something a vicar would ride, but goes like the clappers

I like to thing you need a bike for each eventuallity. A steel single speed for round town, a touring bike, a hardtail mountain bike, a full suspension mountain bike and a lightweight road bike. Oh and maybe a winter training bike. Sadly I only have the first three right now but they suit me well. Main thing is to ride them!

I have a Trek ... something ... I'm not a hard core cyclist by any stretch of the imagination, but cycle to/from work every day.

Took it on for a service on Thurs and it now runs FAR more smoothly -- all those annoying creaks and rattles gone! And the front brakes are now so much better that I was very very glad I first tried 'em at about 2mph...

14 bikes ... where do you keep them all?!

Ali

With the weather being somewhat chill yesterday, and with the type of lanes that I usually frequent on my cycle rides likely to be affected by ice patches in the shade, I decided to take my mountain bike out for a spin on one of my favourite routes from times past. This consists of 20 or so miles of mixed on- and off-road riding over the North Downs and the Surrey Hills with lots of lovely ascents and descents.

Despite the large number of cycling miles I've put in during recent weeks, my muscles are absolutely screaming this morning. Maybe I was trying to ride the mountain bike as if it was my tourer, but I've never noticed such a difference between the bikes before.

I have a 13 y.old Dawes Galaxy tourer which I use for everything - round town, carrying shopping, and 8 mile jaunts to see mother.
It's a bit heavy, but its strong, quick and reliable and carries a heck of a lot of shopping - 3 carrier bags worth.

I have just signed up to ride from London to Paris for charity. I don't really cycle and my bike was bought from a supermarket 15 years ago...I think I need some help.

Any advice on what type of bike to get/what training I should be aiming to be doing would be much appreciated!!

Thanks!

Without knowing what sort of bike you have and what condition it's in, it's difficult to advise you. I have a 20-year old bike bought relatively cheaply that I'd be quite happy to ride to Paris on. A cheap mountain bike, though, might not be so good.

You might do well to get in touch with a local cycling group (try Google or ask your local council) and ask if someone could have a look at your bike for you and advise you.

I would be hesitant about buying a bike especially for the London to Paris ride unless you intend to make a habit of longer distance riding. Get something that's reasonably suitable but, in the hope that you will want to keep on cycling, will be best suited to the type of riding you want to do longer term (commuting, leisure rides, etc).

As for training, if you've done little recent cycling, start off with half hour rides every couple of days and build up from that, depending on the length of time you have before your big ride. By the end you want to be able to ride for 5 or 6 hours a day for at least two days in succession. Again, your local cycling club may well be able to help you.

Hope this helps.

i have a silver coloured bike with too many gears!!

No bike has too many gears! There will eventually be a use for every one that you have and, equally, you will eventually find the need for a precise gear that you still don't have!

Thanks Ron. My bike is a cheap supermarket mountain bike which I rode to Bath from Bristol last year and vowed not to ride again!! So I think its bike shopping time...

I suspect that a hybrid bike may be more suited to your needs, assuming that you don't have a burning ambition to venture into cycling through the rough stuff! This is a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike and is ideally suited to light leisure/commuting use. Their only disadvantage is that they invariably come with straight handlebars, which only give you a single hand position, a bit of a drawback on a longer ride, which is why some people fit them with bar ends to give additional hand holds.

See here for a bit more info.

Go for the best you can afford (in the region of £250-£300) and make sure you get one that fits you properly.

I have a hybrid bike, perfect for Edinburgh's roads. I like to sit up and see where I am going so have it set up Dutch style, sit up and beg like Tom's.

Wish it would get a bit warmer though, I don't mind the cold but my kids complain all the way to school!

I have a decathlon road bike for my daily commute, and a Trek Liquid Fuel for messing around on the mountains.

Just signed up for a 24hr mountain bike race, the Mountain Mayhem, in June. Decided I need some goals!

Also signed up for the Mega Avalanche downhill race in July. I'm scared!

mayhem is amazing did it the last two years..... not doing it this year due to other things but enjoy...
I have an on one singlespeed for commuting
kinesis maxlight for local rides
giant trance w for the rattly stuff (my baby) just don't have enough time to ride it at the mo

Ooh a trance. Very nice! I was thinking of buying one last year cos my liquid fuel has some major problems (too big for me, too heavy) but I decided to buy new snowboard kit instead.

Yeah I'm looking forward to the Mayhem. I'm in a team of 4 girls, and we're prioritising on having fun, but using it as an excuse to get fitter at the same time.

it is great fun, just enjoy it and I hope the weather is better than last years bog fest, keep in touch and let me know how you get on.... where do you ride at the mo???

I live in the french alps, so don't ride during winter, but otherwise ride the hills here, although they are a bit too up and too down for my liking.

I used to ride in the peak district when I went to uni in manchester.

I am a very amateurish cyclist but I am really keen to use our cycle paths more often with the kids. My worry is that although I've got a bike lock, how safe are your bikes in the racks? My bike is an old emmelle mountain bike so not really worthy of a look, but the children (7 and 11) have just had new Specialist bikes and I would hate it if they were stolen or the wheels taken off. Is this a rare occurence as you can't really take your bikes into a building?

I'd appreciate your help. We do have a local and very active Wheelrights group here in my city who could probably advise too.