What influenced your decisions on you current bike/bikes ?

I don’t think this forum necessarily represents the market.

But, my bikes are a steel hard tail and a titanium hard tail. They’re influenced by my budget and the type of riding I do and my desire for versatility.

Yeti SB6 30th - pretty colours
Orbea Rise - perceived good deal
On One Big Dog - perceived good deal

Bird Aether 9C. Price was amazing as they discounted it due to the paint being "too matt". Was able to build a top spec bike for a bargain price by hunting my own parts. British element, even if it's not a true British bike.

PlanetX RTsomething road bike. Price....

Basically, I buy based on the value I'm going to get out of it. Prior to getting the Bird, the battle was between a second hand 5010 or new Orbea M30 (I think). Both would be about 3k, but I would get a better spec on the Orbea and it would be new (warranty etc). I doubt i'd notice the ride difference unless I rode them back to back... But then Bird announced their less-than-perfect-paint sale.

My bikes:

Starting Murmur: I love the way it looks, the geometry is spot on and it rides great. Plus I like niche and the fact the front end is UK made.

Cotic Solaris max: Always liked Cotic's (had 6), it rides great and looks great.

Giant TCR: Geo works for me, it was good value and looks good.

Pinnacle Dolomite: It was cheap, had disc brakes and took proper guards. 8 years old and still going, with lots of maintenance replacements.

So racings got nothing to do with it, geo and looks are the big factors!

Cotic Solaris Max: simplicity, versatility, reliability, a little bit different from "Big" brands offerings, looks lovely.

Most of them: what came up for sale second hand in good condition and fitted...
Bought new ones: what I could get or deal at the time.
Eeb: what the local three shops sold was our selection.

I wanted a long travel FS, so went to a JE James open day and just rode as many as I could. Really had my eyes turned by the Orbea Rallon on paper but settled on the Spesh Enduro. I also rode a Transition, a Trek, a Whyte, the Rallon another Spesh, and a GT. Luckily for me my LBS was a Spesh dealer and they gave me a killer deal.

I also wanted a 'nice' HT and liked the look of the Yeti ARC, rode a friend's and it sealed the deal for me.

I don't think racing had an influence on my choices, but I think racing does influence how I perceive particular brands though.

Orange Stage Evo - Big fan of how Oranges ride, and I loved the Stage 4 I had before so this was an easy decision.

Bird Aeris 9 - Frame adaptability (mullet or 29, 160 or 180mm), good geometry, reasonably priced. Definitely a head over heart decision but it's proved itself very capable in the Alps recently.

Starling Murmur - Tried a friend's and the ride feel was instantly impressive, became a bit obsessed with chassis feel and wanted to try one out. Plus it's lovely to look at and beautifully made.

Ragley Trig - Was vaguely interested in changing my alu gravel bike frame to steel at some point, with the Trig a frontrunner. Then these came up nice and cheap on CRC. Had to do it really.

Current bike, very low maintenance . Suitable for my riding needs at this time of life.

In order of new-ness

Sonder Camino - gravel - good reviews, customisable spec, rode a mates & liked it, good value for money
Raleigh Militis - road - given to me by a mate
Carraro D'Ambiez - road - cheap sale bike & fancied seeing if I actually would use a 'road bike' so didn't want to spend a fortune. Been permananently attached to turbo trainer for ~ 6 years now.
On One Inbred - bought the frame to make use of the bits from my old (2001) Stumpjumper FSR, fancied a 'second bike' and a hardtail for taking on winter slop
2010 Stumpjumper FSR - test rode one & liked it. Good deal from LBS. Mates are anti-Specialized so good to know it winds them up 🙂

For the main ones

Jeff jones space frame- amazing bikes, i'm a nichewhore had just under 12 years and still a hoot to ride and it a blast in tight woodsy singletrack

Stooge motobastard ti- one off built for me as I love titanium, 29+ and singlespeeds

Stooge ti dirtbomb custom...erm, just sort of accidentally popped over to stooge towers for a coffee and catch up came away with a frame!

Stooge mk4 loves a bit of mental hooliganism and an 80mm offset fork with a 29x3.25 is great bit of silliness and the custom raw and brazed finish gives me a funny trouser tingle

rondo ruut gravelly thing- funky looking fast gravel machine for those big beard and spandex days

Lots of others as well, but basically it comes down to I like rigid singlespeeds, I like odd looking stuff, I'm never going to be one of the mainstream in life, so I'm buggered if I'm going to be with my choice of two wheeled fun machines

If only I could shop around based on such subtleties. I buy whatever's on offer and fits the bill.

My most recent bike was purchased because it was very heavily discounted on CRC and I didn't want to miss out.

Previous one was a road bike based on value for money, the fact it was in stock and having mudguard mounts.

Raleigh Road Ace 531c now Ribble 653 - first decent bike at 16, but it's on it's 3rd frame - two damaged in crashes. Most parts still original/period from early 90's - training bike, still in use

Columbus SLX/Dura Ace handbuilt race bike - top of the range everything, used for racing in the 90's. Still have it and ride it weekly.

Diamond Back Ascent MTB - bought early 90's for this new MTB malarky - one of the first rides we did was upo and down Snowdon on them - most of the club went out and bought one of these new MTB things ! Still in use as a daily commuter, running 90's Deore LX and XT.

Fixed Gear road bike - bought for the commute, sold about 10 years later.

Boardman FS Pro - bought after breaking my spine 8 years ago - rode this during recovery and for proper off road fun ever since. Great bike.

Colnago World Cup CX bike - bought used. Fancies a gravel/CX for off road, but not hard core stuff. CX bike suited as I have spare wheels, so it's not a climbing/off road bike with a quick wheel swap. Cracking fun.

2014 Kona Process 153 -
1. Geometry (at the time was quite innovative)
2. Sizing
3. Price vs. spec - got a great deal at the end of season.

On-One Big Dog
1. Geo
2. Price on frame only

G1

• The main reason was I demoed it and really really liked it. They must have got something right with the geometry as a few brands are converging on similar numbers now several years later.
• I wanted something tough, I'd broken a few frames before. I don't think this thing will ever break!
• They're local to me and their genuine interest in helping was good when I was looking to buy. But it's continued to be great afterwards. Even now, over 4 years on I could pick up the phone, drop them an email or call in and they'd be more than happy to help me out with suspension set-up advice or advice for experimenting with the mutators to change the geometry. I'd say this is worth a lot.

My missus telling me to stop buying new bikes because they're on sale or cheap or supposedly good value. Just go out and buy a bike that you know is bloody brilliant ( and sod the cost,).

I rented an alloy Occam on my guide training and loved it. So ordered a Carbon one for insane Covid money the week after.

2022 Orange Stage Evo - Previous experience, spec available (short travel bike with a big shock) hint of patriotism, unique aspects to the ride quality, geometry, available frame only. Ability to choose colour and shock a massive plus.

2023 Scott Scale - Wanted modern full on racy XC hardtail. New version of the Scott Scale is bang up to date, brand new model. Also very very impressed with the build quality, paint finish etc. Available locally on BTW - and of course available there and then, other options had months(years?) waiting.

2020-ish Sonder Camino - Value, like the brand, availability, value, good colours.

All bought frame only and custom built, as I have done for decades.

I'm a serial bike changer, just as with cars, and its rare I keep anyhting more than 18 months/2 years. Lots of research, theoretical speccing out, bargain hunting etc.

I suspect I enjoy the thrill of the chase, the buying and building just as much as the riding aspect.

I felt bikes were becomming bloated so wanted to go back to lightweight, fast, nimble things.

29+ Trek Stache (29lbs) > Titus El Viajero (22lbs)

Yeti SB95c (32lbs) > Transistion Spur (<24lbs)

It's worked for me.  The feel like they should, nimble, quick and great to climb on.

I don;t race, never have, probably never will. I want decent not stupid expensive bikes, that are comfy and fun to ride.

Nukeprrof Reactor 290 (alu) - Wanted a trail full suss. It was near brand new on ebay and a really good price.

Cotic Cascade - My gravel bike (PX London Road) got a crack in the seat tube weld, fancied steel/carbon rigid with plenty of tyre clearance. Got frame and forks on cycle to work scheme. Low maintenance and twitchy was what I was looking for, I kind of wanted the directness of a road bike but as a comfy gravel/xc type bike.

Planet X Pro Evo Carbon - Wanted a light carbon road bike, got it with carbon seat post and carbon bars for about £1300.

G1

The main reason was I demoed it and really really liked it. They must have got something right with the geometry as a few brands are converging on similar numbers now several years later.

If I'd had a bigger budget, the G1 would have been a real contender instead of my Bird (which is similar in geometry, as you suggest).

Having dealt with Mojo regarding EXT shocks, I must agree their customer service is the best in the biz.

Stumpjumper carbon. Replaced a 10yr old Liteville. I wanted 29er shortish FS. Spec and price were great.

Sonder Signal ti. I found my Solaris too steep and flexy with the qr rear wheel. I wanted something stiffer, slacker though not outrageous. Ti was the one material I’ve never owned and I had an itch to scratch. A second came up on their eBay outlet due to a finish issue around the disc mount. I always thought the Signal ti was bike that just looked right.

Orbea Avant carbon. My neck could no longer handle the low position of my Colnago C40 😢 The Orbea was a great spec (apart from the anchor wheels) and had the geometry I wanted. Being at the sportive ed of road bikes, it’s lovely and comfortable.

Fairlight Secan. Again I needed a better fit than my Planet X Full Monty. The tall geometry of the Secan is spot on. I do have a soft spot for the feel of steel. A fabulous thing that keeps make me look at the road Strael frames…..

Whyte Shoreditch hybrid. I needed a new commuter, it’s bright orange ( I don’t understand dark urban bikes)

Tern GSD E-cargo bike. @ahsat has wanted a cargo bike for years. The GSD is brilliant, it’s our second vehicle and it makes simple mundane jobs enjoyable.

Price! Got a Cannondale Trigger for half price from Paul's Cycles back in 2015.

Can't see me being able/willing to pay full price for a bike ever again.

Stooge Mk1; bought into Andy's vision and pre-ordered one from the first batch. 10 years old next year! SS and old school geometry so used as a pub/urban bike.
Stooge Speedbomb (incoming to replace a Dirtbomb); Continued Stooge love affair. Modern geometry and tyre clearance for my 29x3.25" Crux. The Dirtbomb was heavy and bumpy but made me feel good. Speedbomb is the same geo, just different design, so should be just as fun.
Cotic BFeMax; Wanted a LT HT for winter and this was on offer. Replaced a O-O Scandal '22 that was fine, but didn't make me feel good. This is a little special and rides incredibly well so not just for winter duties.
Kona Explosif 27.5 '13; Had this from new and fell in love with the frame finish and old school deccals. This came out when 27.5" was the next best thing, so wanted to try it too. Being converted to electric for the wife.
Vitus Escapade CRS '23; Got an enormous discount through work, plus additional discount code so made this a no brainer. Carbon and great spec when the competitors had AL frames and really poor components. It's been fantastic! It's not got the feel good factor.. so may need to frame swap..

In summary, I buy based on heart and emotions. Some purchases are driven by cost, but don't last long if I don't form a connection.

1. Geometron G1, got fed up of the previous bike and its poor quality/ride, wen't for a demo and bought one that day. Had it 3 years now and wouldn't change it for anything else. The shock goes off once a year and the frame bearings replaced as and when (it pretty much only lives on uplifts/chairlifts and has seen some abuse).

2. Kenevo SL, it repalced a Scott Ransom Eride which fell apart, also hated how heavy and unreponsive it was. KSL was bought as the service backup from Certini/Spesh is good (which I've used and can confirm)

3. Stumpy Sworks, replaced the smuggler, wanted something lighter and better for XC, also a good deal and in a very nice british racing green

4. Spesh Aethos, fancied having a go a road biking, the Tarmac would of annoyed me with the headset routing and the ride was stiff. Also £1500 off made it a decent deal for a pretty damn good spec.

I seem to have aquired a lot of specialized bikes, they are well made, good support and I have a great local dealer. I've become pretty fed up of the shithousery from many of the mtb manufacturers (Currently looking at you rockshox with creaky zeb CSU's)

Cannondale Beast of the East - Saved enough from Saturday job and it looked awesome

'93 Kona Kilauea - Cannondale got stolen, parents' house insurance paid out, Kona's looked awesome.

'98 Kona Hei Hei - Proceeds from first proper job, looked awesome.

Cove Stiffee - Deployed for months, money burning hole in pocket.

Stanton Slackline - Another deployment, had to modernise, looked awesome.

Bird Aether - Ready for FS at last, good price compared to the ridiculous amounts others were asking.

I only have one bike and the frame I bought was influenced by wanting a very light bike. Track frames are not typically light so finding a frame and forks that weighs 1450g is unusual but buying it has enabled me to build up a 5.8kg bike for around £1000 that gets used for road and gravel rides.

Geometron G1.
Bought as a replacement for a Geometron G16.
Geometry/ride quality/build quality/ lack of maintenance needed/service from Chris/Sam/Marcel/Jack and formerly Paul.
Always happy to help and really are in it for the love of riding. A top bunch of lads to deal with.

Geometron G13.
Same as above.
Shorter travel to try and remind myself that I ride on my own in the week and need to take things easier.

Spech Levo.
Rides pretty well with a few mods and awesome warranty backup from Rich at RaceCo Cycles.

Marino custom built steel hardtail.
Couldn't find anything with the geo I wanted off the shelf and was a very reasonable price for a custom frame.

If I’d had a bigger budget, the G1 would have been a real contender instead of my Bird (which is similar in geometry, as you suggest).

I didn't have a G1 budget so went used GeoMetron - saw that as a better option than a new Bird or Privateer, another similar(ish) in geometry.

Mine:

GeoMetron G15/16: geometry, aesthetic, design. Mainly geometry.

Nicolai Saturn 14: influenced by my Geometron...

BFe MAX: 'cos steel. Didn't need it but temptation of the classifieds and low self restraint. I've had a lot of Cotics over the years and never a bad one, that was another factor.

Cotic Cascade: needed a replacement for my cracked/unwarrantied Planet X ti frame. Cascade ticked every box once I got my head around the idea of dropbars.

3 years ago I had a pairing of Intense Carbine 29C and SC Tallboy 3. Got increasingly curious about LLS extremes after hearing/reading the likes of Paul Aston, etc. I'm 187cm so not a height outlier but I'm always happy to try new ideas and approaches if it makes things better for me. No budget for a G1 so bought a used G15. Loved it. Sold my Carbine immediately. One more ride on my Tallboy and I punted that too: G15 did everything better. Still wanted a shorter-travel bike but with GeoMetron leanings. Almost bought a mk4 FlareMAX but another STWer flagged up the Saturn 14 as an option. Bought a used-but-unridden frame, coincidentally from Paul Aston. After 12 months I swapped the G15 for a used G16 to try a smaller frame size with more travel. Closer to a G1 which I still can't justify the expense of! Another 12 months later and very, very happy.

Santa Megatower . Wanted the Brosnon   Jungle didnt bring one to the demo day ..  demo ride said it all .

Ragley Big Al was the second bike . ride and colour changed due to hardtail not being for my backside.

Tallboy  same as Mega just quicker across local ground , also same geo as mega, same parts for ease . the colour   ..is now the second bike .

Current bikes:

'97 Lava Dome - it was a cool bike when I bought my first brand new mountain bike. Steve Peat rode a Kona. Couldn't afford a decent full suss. Never saw a reason to sell it

PP Shan - had a YT Capra at the time and wanted a hardcore HT to throw some spare bits on. 26'er - no point trying to sell that now

Spesh Kenevo (Capra went not long after I got it) - wanted an ebike, always been a fan of Spesh. Seemed like the best one around at the time (2018). Went long travel, cos that's what I like on my full sussers. The Levo looked quite spindly/XC at the time too

I guess what you mean is who buys a Renault based on F1? (not being an F1 fan I'll be honest I don't even know if they've a team these days)

[I don't think] Racing at that level isn't really about marketing the brand of bike or car, it's about having a very arduous test environment and also a lot of expert, reliable and actionable feedback.
I'd suggest that teams want riders/drivers who can provide that feedback much more than they want ones that can provide trophies. That being said I suspect being able to do the former is a huge help in doing the later.

All that being said I bought my first proper bike as a combo of price bracket and race presence. I didn't know much but so knowing the brand can produce a bike that van be competitively ridden in a WC DH or XCO tells me that can at least build a decent bike and I'm not just paying for a sticker.
The bike I bought was absolutely not a DH bike mind and never would have been and I guess that's half the thing with enduro on TV, it's no better at advertising trek to the people who it's actually going to influence than the XC is.

Ever since that first bike I've had a much better idea what I'm looking for and much more likely to be swayed by spec sheets and geometry than the brand.

Oh, and no one buys a bike they think is ugly obviously, eg the new slash could demonstrably be the best bike in the world but I wouldn't buy it.

Second hand Pinnacle Arkose X - needed a commuter/gravel bike and this was cheap enough with the 1x + hydro brakes I wanted, would have loved a Cotic Escapade

Cotic Soul - always wanted one, I've not been disappointed - way better bike than the rider.

Neil Pryde Zepher. I wanted a mix of quick but also comfy and knew that Neil Pryde know their carbon fibre from my windsurfing days - and it was a bargain price. Shame they've pulled out of the bike market as they didn't get the recognition they deserved

I guess what you mean is who buys a Renault based on F1?

NOt really, because an F1 car bears no relation to a Clio... Whereas a Yeti you can buy in the shops could 100% go out and race EWS, the same with DH bikes, you can buy a bike that's VERY close to a podium DH bike just walking into your LBS.

NOt really, because an F1 car bears no relation to a Clio…
...you can buy a bike that’s VERY close to a podium DH bike just walking into your LBS.

Sure, but very few people want a DH race bike or buy one either. That's the thing, does a DH rainbow jersey for a comencal supreme make you buy a supreme? No. It might make you buy a meta though.

A c-lass isn't going to be winning at Spa but it's what's being sold by Mercedes racing at Spa.

I'm most influenced by a desire for the best bike for what I like to ride most of the time and an honest appraisal of my abilities.

Mostly ride Tweed Valley, Aberfoyle and Dunkeld, with the odd trip further afield (Lakes, Highlands, BPW, etc.). The fact that I'll never be fast-fast and the desire to have something that isn't a total pig-iron on longer days and/or mellower trails means that a full-on enduro bike would seem like overkill. Hence, I've tended to go for all-mountainy-flavoured bikes.

Previous bike (Whyte S-150) and current bike (Stumpy Evo) were chosen based on the same 4 things, specifically:

• Meeting the above requirements
• Availability of demo bikes (didn't demo my exact current bike, but near-enough)
• Positive reviews
• HhhHHhhhUUUuuuuUUUuuUUUUUUgggGGGGeeeEEe discount (no way in Hell I'd have bought my current bike at full-whack)

If money were no object, I'd be more bothered about having something less ubiquitous or more pretty. Racing doesn't influence me at all.

2014 5010 V1. Tried one on a demo day, declared it perfect, still pretty bloody brilliant.

2016 Specialized Sequoia, needed a commuter, liked the colour, got mega deal.

2018 Deviate Guide. Was intruiged by gearbox, did demo, bike was ace, gearbox was tollerable.

2021 Deviate Highlander, was pretty sure I wanted one off the back of the Guide. Didn’t like the colour, got it repainted.

2022 Rå .410 Hankering for steel hardtail. Went to Bespoked, was my favourite one there, checked the Geo when I got home, ordered.

Couldn’t care less about race results

I reckon Commencal have alright from having 'winning bikes'.

1) Geometron G1 - Bought this based on a ride with Chris P on his locals and having a shot of a couple of mates G1's. Really bought into the support, the build quality, geometry and the way it handled. Not many bikes out there that you can ride XC and race DH on.

2) Pipedream Sirius S5 - Have always liked hardtails and wanted something a bit more XC orientated (plus I thought it looked 'right' from the pics online. I ride this like I would a hardcore HT though...probably because the geometry allows you to.

3) Vitus ZX1 - Used to have a Planet X road bike but felt it was a bit small for me so went for this - was on sale and bought through C2W.

I want a bike for commuting now as I need to be in the office one day a week. Not sure whether to move the Vitus on and go for something more gravel orientated with a spare set of wheels for road stuff. Also quite like the idea of a Specialized Epic Evo....N+1 isnt it!

Hmmm:

Spesh Sirrus X - commuter bike. Threaded BB, decent chain line, robust 10spd drivetrain, disc brakes and all the mounts. Always had a bafang conversion in mind so those were the drivers, and LBS did a good price. delivered the week before lockdown 1.

Ribble CGR725 - 40th present to myself. Wanted a drop bar bike to cope with the local 'roads' and bridleways, didn't want SRAM anything on it.

Orange 4 - Trail bike. Wanted short ish travel, 650b wheels and frame only. Was pretty much the perfect trail bike for me for the 7 years i've owned it. now moving on to a mate.

Orbea Rise M20 - Eeb curious but didnt want to go full fat. Mate has an Occam which i tried for fit and geo, really liked it. The M20 came up at a price i was happy with from a local shop so went for it on an impulse.

Generally dictated by budget, followed by riding requirements:-

Trek Domane - stopped road racing and wanted a comfortable mile muncher. Got a very good discount that also helped.

Trek Emonda SLR - got bored of not racing so wanted a fast race bike. Got a very good discount.

Trek Remedy - used one a few times on trips and was so much better than my Trek Fuel Ex, even preferred going back to 27.5 wheels. Got a very good deal.

Orange Crush - had a 110mm hardtail and wanted something with more travel. Decent fun bike. But now it’s in the departure lounge as new gravel bike required.

Planet X Tempest - wanted a gravel bike and had never used Ekar. A PSA on here shown that it was massively reduced so one drunken night I purchased it. A rash decision as I should have went with a more racey gravel bike. Spent a fortune on upgrades so keeping this for a while.

Cotic rocketmax, bought as I wanted a UK made (mostly), decent travel full suss and I wanted something with geometry a bit more away from tradition. I also couldn't justify the cost of a BTR Pinner, which I wanted cos BTR and also just look at it!

I wasn't disappointed and it handles things a million times better than I ever could.

Next bike will have a gearbox, preferably UK made and steel but if that isn't an option then I'll be going to Nicolai/Geometron as I don't want carbon.

Genesis Equilibrium - Bought the frame second hand and built it up myself. I like steel, classic lines and something that would cope with the shit roads in huddersfield. Now lives on the turbo trainer

Orbea Alma XC bike - wanted something for quick rides after work. It never really filled that brief, and my back couldn't cope with the HT. Realised i'd tried to turn it into something else with the tyres and a 130mm fork. Currently living in the shed and going to reconfigure it for my GF to ride. Got it on sale price and cycle2work just before lockdown so paid less than half price

NS Define 150 AL - Wanted a 29er full-susser to replace my 26er devinci.  Bought for in hindsight a cracking deal on interest free without a test ride. Love it, only problem is the low BB makes pedal strikes on climbing a frustration. Would i buy it again? Probably not. Will i hold on to it and upgrade some bits? Absolutely

Rondo Bogan ST - Steel gravel/bikepacking bike with 2.1" tyres. So, niche within a niche within a niche. Real fun bike, I've added that PNW dropper with a bit of suspension built in and it's a hoot to ride. The suspension post protects my back. Will become my daily commuter too when i change jobs in November. Less than half price and interest free from CRC. Can see myself keeping this and upgrading bits over the years to come

Next bike? Probably an ebike commuter like the Orbea Vibe

I'm normally trying to fill two types of riding with one bike, plus I'm chronically indecisive, so versatility is quite near the top of my list. Like, the space for the biggest tyres I can imagine wanting even if not straight away; my Soma Wolverine gravel/road bike can clear 29" x 2.0", but it's only running 32mm at the moment. I also converted it to Rohloff recently, so I'm glad that I made sure to buy something with sliding droputs, even though I didn't use them for the first year or so.

I'm generally also after simplicity, mechanically and asthetically, so almost always go for steel frames with minimal logos or ones that are easily covered/removed. For the mtb, this means a hardtail with both rigid fork and single speed compatibility (currently a Pipedream Sirius).

All that said, I always try to go secondhand, so I'm stuck with what's about.

Pronghorn XC-SW Carbon - test ride confirmed it was the perfect step up from a Cube LTD hardtail and there was a hefty discount from the shop

Pronghorn PR6-LT - fancied something with more travel, liked the XC Pronghorn and there was a hefty discount from the shop. Currently wheel-less as I've used them to lower the ride height on my son's Bird Aeris until he grows a bit.

Look 566 - fancied a go at road riding, tested an Argon 18 Gallium but liked the look of the Look more and there was a hefty discount from the shop

Canfield Tilt - swapped over components from a Banshee Prime which was truly awesome but developed a crack. Had always been tempted by the Canfield Balance Formula suspension and very nearly bought a Riot/Toir a few years earlier. Knew my type of riding didn't warrant a 170mm steamroller of a bike but also knew the Tilt could take a beating if needed. Ended up swapping the 140mm Yari for a 160mm Lyrik and it's now my favourite bike so far, even more than the Banshee and a mate's Pivot 429c that I always used to beg a ride on.

Specialized Singlecross - It's a singlespeed that was dirt cheap. Does what it needs to and refuses to die.

SC Chameleon - About the only reasonably priced HT frame that's singlespeedable.

Epic Evo - I've no need for a long travel bike but missed the comfort of full suspension on longer rides so this seemed to fit the bill and the price was good in the sale.

Boardman Hybrid - Utterly reliable bike that does everything from commuting to gravel rides to shopping runs and turbo trainer duties. Like the Singlecross, it was cheap as chips back when you could stack loads of discount codes at Halfords.

Aeris AM9 - main influences were great geometry and inexpensive (frame bought 5 years ago) and I have not felt the need to change it yet as it is just a fun and capable AM bike

Ragley Bigwig - steel hardtail - had a previous gen Bigwig and a Blue Pig so stayed with the brand - got a great deal on the frame a few years back

Genesis Fugio 10 - alloy gravel bike - I wanted a cheap-ish gravel bike but couldn't find a XL frame during peak covid disruption, but a bike shop owning pal who stocks Genesis managed to secure me one and give me a discount, so a no brainer

<p style="text-align: center;">Orbea Rise , had a full fat for 3 years overkill for my riding , didn't want carbon so when the alloy version came out I was there ! Onza Jackpot £699 complete bike for a steel frame , Revs , Reverb 👍2012 Kona Raijin big wheeled Ti hardtail to compliment my Cove Hummer which is my lifer bike 👍98 Kona Aha my garage queen 😎</p>

Brand-X RD-01 - I'd emigrated, I had brought a box of spare bike bits but no road bike to ride to work on so I bought this cheap frameset and a few bits so I could build up a complete commuter bike. The BB was creaky until I refaced the shell but other than that I have been very impressed - it is even nice and stiff when sprinting. I've since swapped out the Brand-X fork for an Easton CX fork and done some cyclocross races on it which is a bit of a compromise with the rear tyre clearance but just about works.

Cervelo P3 (2016) - I needed a bike for upcoming TT races that needed to be UCI compliant, and I found this one being sold second hand for a decent price with Zipp 404 wheelset. I ended up switching to an e-tap groupset for better fit withing the UCI rules - the mechanical levers made it hard to get the cockpit long enough.

Felt AR5 (2012)- I needed a UCI compliant bike for road racing and I found this one being sold super cheap 2nd hand and it had some decent Bont Aeolous 5 wheels and I have found it useful to have some aero wheels with an aluminium brake track. After buying the bike I found the chainstay was damaged from a previous chainsuck incident - but with the advice of some composite expert friends I did my own repair job on this. It has a super short wheelbase - the twichyness and toe overlap is a bit annoying actually but overall it has served me well.

Trek Procaliber (2017) - I needed a bike for MTB races and I found this one being sold cheap 2nd hand, it came with some nice bits, and other than one of the XTR pedal axles snapping has been perfect.

Current Bikes:

2017 Nukeproof Mega 257 - Built from a new frame with my choice of component. Have been a Nukeproof 'fan' mainly because of Sam Hill......  Although that didn't really influence my purchase as I was also looking at other frames at the time but got a deal on the Mega.

2022 Nukepoof Mega 290 Carbon Elite - Didn't plan on buying this bike at all, but was lucky enough to win the £8k Dream Bike Competition and had the chance to upgrade my ride. Got it purely as I really like my 2017 275 and kind of decided to stick with what I knew and the spec to price ratio was decent.

2021 Cannondale Topstone 4 - Fancied a gravel bike and got this purely based on price in a sale.

Shand bahookie.  a bike for life built to my spec at great expense.  Mainly UK components with a few EU and US.  NO Japanese

Salsa Beargrease.  right bike at the right price and time.  I wanted a ftbike.  this was ex demo and cheap

Cube reaction pro e bike.   Best spec for the money.  Bosch motor essential

the frankenbike - a utility bike from my spares pile

Road bike - vintage bought 40 years ago! and it was old then

RM Instinct - 2015 I wanted a mid-travel, light trail bike and Tredz had this on offer. Carbon, 130mm, decent spec and just over £2K. Guess it was a bargain, cos I still (just about) ride it. Went proper dizzy last time though. Hence...

Cannondale Moterra Neo 2 - 2/3 years ago, diagnosed with AF. Lost all stamina, MTBing just hurts. Avoided going eeb for a few years, eventually realising I'd never get the same enjoyment out of MTBing again. Had demo'ed the Cannondales a few years back and really liked them, so when these were on sale early 2023, took the plunge. It's a great bike, but I'd rather be able to do the hard climbs under my own power rather than electrical power. That is for certain.

Ahem, yeah also got Commencal Meta HT - 29er hardtail. Trying to find something light and fun that I could ride and do climbs on... another absolute bargain, its proper nice, but underused.

Tripster. I can still ride this old beauty to work. 😀 Why? Cos my old man died and left me enough to buy a really nice custom build, like er, 9 years ago. Ti for life 👍

Identiti AKA - old bike broke, needed a new / better bike, slightly influenced by a friends Identiti Mettle, price was right and couldn’t find a bad review anywhere

Surly 1x1 - wanted a steel, SS mountain bike, spent WEEKS trying to find a frame I liked the look of, frame and fork came up on eBay, right size, fair price, good looks, it’s green…

BMC Alpenchallenge - wanted a quick commuter that could handle bridleways, old train lines and a little bit of rough as well as tarmac, price was right

Mongoose BMX - was headed for the skip and is now my “grab and go” quick errands / shopping / acting like a child bike

Clown / circus bike - it was £20, needed a little love / work / refurbishment and I had nothing better to do the day I bought it, it’s now mostly a shed ornament

Bought my bikes to fit a need

2017 5010. Tested a few short(er) travel trail bikes, knew right away the 5010 was the one, still is. Most of my local riding is woodsy singletrack, this bike absolutely rips and makes me smile every time

2018 procaliber, built from a frame with rigid forks as a sort of flat bar gravel bike. Ride it lots, like it lots. Consider it a gateway into gravel, still not sure I want drop bars

2022 Orbea occam LT. wanted something bigger for bigger terrain (Lakes, Spain and the like). Got a massive discount on it which definitely swayed things, found despite the longer travel it rides just fine everywhere

XC FS - got it uber cheap on a team / sponsor deal 3.5 years ago, can't see a reason to change it, bloody ace bike.

XC HT - swapped it for my gravel bike as I wasn't riding the gravel bike like a gravel bike so thought a HT was a better bike to have.

Road bike -  as per the XC FS, 3.5 years old, still going strong and does what I need a road bike to do, raced it once in my only ever road race.

CX bike No.1 - liked the spec, liked the paint, bought it in Wiggle sale 2 years ago, sorted.

CX bike No.2 - exact same spec and frame etc as No.1, bought it in Wiggle sale a few weeks ago for less than the first one, figure that out if you can.

Scalpel HT 2 - never got on with my previous hardtail, an XTC Advanced. The Scalpel had a lefty, which I'd always wanted to try, great reviews, and it looked gorgeous. Was a very good decision.

2019 Reilly Gradient Di2 and Carbon wheels - wanted a gravel/bikepacking/winter road bike, always wanted a Ti bike, it was a 60th birthday present to myself.

2017 Defy Advanced Pro 0 - wanted an upgrade for my old Tiagra/alloy Defy, went in to buy an Advanced Pro 1, they didn't have my size but got a great discount on the 0.

2016 Jeffsy Pro Race - wanted something more capable than my 2009 Anthem X1, but not too heavy (I'm a weight weeny). The launch year Jeffsys had a ludicrous spec for the money.

Sanderson Soloist - mate got an SS, rode with him a couple of times, thought it seemed fun, saw this on eBay. Brilliant.

Brompton S6L - wanted a folder for work, tried a Dahon on loan, got the Brompton on C2W.

Early 90s Specialized hybrid - wanted a pub/shopping bike that I didn't mind locking up in town, found this for £75 at the local cycle recycler.

Production Privée Shan GT:

I wanted a bike that was a good all-rounder - from pootling with the kids to taking on enduro courses. Fitting to my budget and abilities meant a long(ish) travel hardtail was ideal. Also didn't want something too run of the mill, no Spesh or Trek etc thanks. Another requirement was something available as frame only, as I wanted to build it myself.
Discovered the PP Oka and fell in love, though that was discontinued by then. Found its big brother the Shan GT and decided on this, then saw Andi's rave review on here which made me happy I'd decided anyway before seeing the review, cos I'm not influenced by marketing at all, no way 😉
(Incidentally, PP were out of stock of the colour scheme I liked so I asked a UK supplier even though the price was higher. They were going out of business, had 1 left that happened to be the right size and colour and sent it to me price matched and free postage! Got lucky there)

Boardman Sport road bike:
Needed a commuter and also wanted to try out the dark side. Found a bargain on Gumtree!

Whatever I felt like brazing from steel tubes 🙂 with minimal limitations - if it needs tooling, I make some. So it has a top tube ovalised from a round one, a seat tube curved from straight cromo, and seat / chainstays bent from straight tube.

Design has been an ongoing evolution of 3 frames since 2010. Not sure where it goes next - I was going to chop out the chainstays and go elevated again for bigger tyres but I managed to crimp in a bit more clearance.

Vitus Sommet 27. The CRC sale mainly influenced me 🙂 have wanted something with squish again for ages so it came at the right time. Don't have a huge budget so needed something that I could get away with all my older parts on, 29er was out for this reason. As a bike though it fits my preferences - ~160mm travel, good descending ability but can still be pedalled, doesn't feel like a wallowy barge. For the kind of trails I ride I probably "should" ride a hardtail but I have a lot more confidence to go for bigger jumps etc on a FS, I prefer the more balanced feel too.

Bought 4 bikes in the last 12 months 3 of which were purchased as j couldn't believe the price

Mondraker crafty r bought as I'd just come into some cash and recovering from a massive knee op,think I've rode it 4 times

Mondraker foxy carbon ex display bought half price when looking at e bikes

Giant trance x half price sale bargain

Nukeproof mega carbon  -ridiculously cheap

None of the above are good reasons to buy a bike but none of them are bad ones either.

All the above 4 bikes were just over 10k and are probably worth 3 lol

I’m not afraid to admit brand, aesthetics and specific details are part of my decision making process. I’m paying a lot of money for a bike so I want it to be right for me.

Santa Cruz Megatower - after 2 Bronson’s I wanted to go 29er and a bit more travel.  I like how SCs ride and got a cracking trade in deal from Pedal and Spoke when the MTv2 came out.  Other influencing factors were warranty, bottle space and frame storage as I like to ride pack less. As an old skater I’m into the origins of the brand and have always liked the Syndicate from the Peaty and Ratty days so I guess this has influenced me to buy into the brand too.

Specialized Tarmac SL6 - got the frame second hand at Cycle Exchange and they gave me a good trade in deal on my old frame.  I liked the paint job and wanted a decent all rounder as my second ‘proper’ road bike the Tarmac was well reviewed so I have it a punt.

Genesis CDA - this is my triggers broom commuter/gravel/winter road bike.  It was what was available via cycle scheme from my LBS at the time.  It was my first drop bar bike so I had little else to go on.  It’s 9 years old now and will be replaced when I have the money.  Key factors of the new ride will be value for money, versatility, fittings for guards, 1x group set, hydro disks and a nice paint job.

My heart ❤️, definitely not my head, form and function, clever engineering, good customer service, supporting smaller  manufacturers and shops over mainstream big brands. Etc

I couldn't face riding a Trek, Santa Cruz, or something off the shelf. I guess that makes me a terrible snob,....

I really fancy one of those Atherton bike, part of me loves the functional way they look part of me thinks they are dull as shit.

Choices made based on affordability, fit and do I have a use case for it, in that order... 🙂

I don't wring my hands over it if any of those don't line up, and I tend to keep my bikes for a long time, if it's working and I'm using it why chop it in for something else?

Habitual bike changers (ahem) do seem to suffer from that nagging FOMO thing where there's always something better out there, but they never quite seem to be able to find it.

Stumpy Evo 29/commencal supernormal 29 (rigid)/PX London road/Merida scultura/old fixie commuter (now becoming 2speed)/Norco threshold (just for CX) All bought and maintained cheap.

Merlin HT - Was a good spec at a very good price with a good rep for the frame and they had my size in stock. Thery were also really good when I ordered it.

Merlin Malt-R - Off the back of the Malt-2 purchase, I went back to Merlin for a road bike. Super-glad I did as well, as it is still a nice bike to ride. I should get it properly fitted, but it's not bad as it is.

Spec Stumpy FS - eBay purchase based on it being a size that fitted me with a decent spec at a good price. If all eBay bike purchases could be like that, I would do it again.

2014 Giant Defy - wanted a road bike to ride on a charity event from London to Snowdonia - £1k C2W limit - the Giant looked nice and was great spec for the money (10 speed 105 & rim brakes). Upgraded with Hope x Pacenti wheels it still flies. 9 years on i've just retired it in favour of a new road bike but it'll still get ridden occasionally.

2022 Dolan GXA Gravel bike - wanted something to replace a competent but uninspiring 2017 Pinnacle Arkose for touring and winter road duties. The Dolan looked like a good deal with 1x11 GRX, Mavic wheels, etc. It rides really nicely - particularly now fitted with the Hope x Pacenti Disc wheels i'd previously had on my Arkose.

2023 Basso Venta  -I've been wanting an Italian road bike ever since i got into cycling - My Giant was getting to the point where i didn't want to spend anymore money maintaining obsolete technology or upgrade parts which couldn't be then used on newer disc bikes. My LBS built the Venta up using a new 105 groupset and parts i provided (the Mavic Wheels from the Dolan, etc) I love it - it makes me smile every time i ride it and it absolutely flies. It'll get a wheel upgrade in due course (50-60mm Carbon)

I tend to keep bikes a good while and both the Dolan and the Basso are good enough frames to upgrade, so doubt i'll buy another complete bike for some time, particularly as i've got 6 years of Uni financial support to look forward to as both my kids will be going back to back.

Ibis Ripmo AF: Niche brand, interesting spec (DVO), subtle colour, perfect geometry for me, decent deal from LBS. Right amount of travel, 160/145 29er.
Ragley mmmbop: Great value (-40% of RRP), decent spec

focus jam2 eeb. i was bored of pushing up hills and had been given a bonus so i bought the best cheap ebike i could. could have been any brand - it needed to be decent value though.

dartmoor primal - i love a HT - mine had been knicked and this was a cheap frame with decent angles.

sunn bmix - i read a dirt magazine review with pics of someone who became an aquaintence going huge at the old jumps at devils dyke on one. I wanted to do that so bought one. its great/scary.

vitus sommet. was going ot the alps and crc were sellign the frames so cheap it seemed daft to risk killing the eeb for the price of the frame. i was also looking for a DH bike/ longer travel endro frames at the same time but all the diffrerent standard for DH meant it was too expensive and even second hand frames were pricey.

conclusion - not influenced by racing at all but i am/was susceptable to pretty photos and overestimations in my ability leading to random bike purchases. but it has to be cheap/good value.

Sure, but very few people want a DH race bike or buy one either

i actually think this may change - well maybe not the super high end but certainly the cheaper end.

lots of good riders (most of the people i know locally) have an eeb for local stuff and 'Park bike' for uplifts. I've never wanted a DH bike but since getting the eeb i`d have one now just for uplift days/the alps to save the eeb.

Nukeproof mega. Wanted a big bike with decent geometry for the alps and lakes. Found one at a really good price. So that did the job

cotic Solaris I’ve had for ever. It has 135qr dropouts

now need a short travel bike as the Nukeproof is too big for the Peak District so narrowed the choice down to 3 or 4 bikes based on geo. It’s now what’s about at the best price

ots of good riders (most of the people i know locally) have an eeb for local stuff and ‘Park bike’ for uplifts. I’ve never wanted a DH bike but since getting the eeb i`d have one now just for uplift days/the alps to save the eeb

This is definitely something I’m considering too for the future. Second hand park bike for uplifts / Alps and an eeb for everyday local riding.

Pretty simple ... compatibility with existing parts, price of a frame used or not and wheelsize.

Wheelsize is partly "compatibility with existing parts" but also I won't ever buy or ride a full 29er for myself...

Titanium to go with the username. And fixed wheel, because it is the purest cycling. And it is shiny. I have lusted after a fixed titanium Kona Paddy Wagon for years to replace my steel one and two other fixed bikes. No such bike was forthcoming, so went Enigma and lucked upon a beautiful used Echo with full Campagnolo Record groupset for a very good price.

Race bike (Propel SL) is a tool for fast bunch riding, track bike is carbon lightness and decent geometry for bunch races (#notasprinter). Cross bike is also titanium but I am resting from cross and rebranding it as a min-V braked gravel bike. Folding bike was chosen based on the ability to run it fixed wheel.

Current MTB is a rigid single speed steel 26" after my Kona Unit was stolen. Next MTB will be titanium too, although I've never had a FS, I did see that very nice one posted recently.

Of course there are others; the TT trike was bought because you can't enter the trike category with two wheels 😀

I'm definitely swayed by a good deal, but I also have to like the way something looks. I won't purchase something I don't like just because its cheap.

Giant TCR Advanced Pro 0 2021 - Was after one of the new breed of climbing/aero bikes, and got a great deal on this through work. My main summer bike

Planet X Pro Carbon Disc - Winter bike - picked the frame up from the Planet X ebay page for £500, and built up with an older groupset. Has carbon wheels despite being my winter bike...

O-O Scandal - Had an old scandal which I loved, and managed to pick a new one up 2nd hand for peanuts. Upgraded with a pike and some lightweight wheels, its the best hardtail I've ever had.

Saracen Hack - Bought off FB marketplace for £225! In almost new condition. Commuter and turbo bike

I've been running my brother's cast off bikes for years, he's been racing MTB, triathlon and Cyclocross since a teen and I seem to have provided an outlet for him to retire stuff once he's decided to move to the next/latest/bestest thing..

Late 90s Cannondale frankenbike, acquired in 2003 whilst my motorbike was in for major surgery after it lunched it's gearbox, its been through several incarnations, frame, forks and seatpost remain original, currently set up as a heavy tourer/commuter.

2014 (ish) DeBall Hup Hup Carbon CX bike, open mould Fuji Altamira frame my brother and his then 'teammate' imported a batch from China, sold a couple and raced a couple for a few seasons.  I acquired it in 2018, hammered it around road and local bridleways, great fun but sadly killed by a car this February..

2000 Scott Competition Pro 26er, temporarily 'looked after' for a few years for a mate who had upgraded and had no space for it. Had great fun on it, returned it on purchasing the next one below.

2017 Scott Scale RC700, brother's former XC race bike, he bent it around a tree and had the frame professionally repaired, I got a reasonable deal when he moved on to a full suss XC... Love this bike, great for South Eastern MTB japes, although I found its (and my) limits last month in the Les Carroz bike park...

2023 Giant Revolt Advanced 0, first new bike for 30+ years, replacement for the DeBall, canvassed advice on here, bro chipped in with that a good mate of his was running one and loved it. As there is a Giant franchise around the corner from my office and one near my home, I managed to test ride before C2W purchase. Rather liked it so bought it. Still like it.

Whyte T 130 - needed a new bike and mates son offered it at a really good price.

Whyte Dorset road bike - needed a new bike.  Got a great deal on this at the local LBS.

New bikes will follow the same sort of thinking!

The sad truth is the number one parameter is cost.

I set a budget and I then look to see what is available within that budget.

Next it's geometry and size, followed by make, availability and spec. Lastly it's colour.

Aeris AM9 – main influences were great geometry and inexpensive (frame bought 5 years ago) and I have not felt the need to change it yet as it is just a fun and capable AM bike

Also an AM9 here, but bought the frame second hand. I really liked my aether 7 and wanted to try 29" wheels. I initially bought the aether 7 based on geometry and, as is common, price but that's now in pieces awaiting sale.

I bought my Orbea Wild based on (my worsening) disability, price, being able to buy it locally for when the electrics stop working. It was discounted as last year's model, the geo looked decent, it has a removable battery to charge in the house, and I didn't want to hold my mates up loads in Scotland - also not being a wobbly mess, from the climbs, on steep techy descents helps, a lot.

<p style="text-align: left;">Budget is the main driver.  Normally local availability too.  Don't really buy new if I can help it.  Too many lightly used bikes around to waste that money and I'm not really into the latest and greatest.  And then I spend a fortune on parts 😀</p>

Price dictated mine, both times.

Last November I wanted a bike, On-One Big Dog for £850 on C2W was a bargain.
This July, wasn’t really looking for a new frame but you buggers had to go and post a PSA for CRC and boom, a 160mm Sommet frame arrived at my house for less than £400. Was inevitable really, you can’t go turning things like that down.

a) My XC race bike - it was (probably) the best bike at the time - a Scott Spark - and on special offer

b) My Trail bike - was highlighted in review on here as a sleeper long travel trail bike par excellance, and was on special offer.

c) My road bike - the dream bike/build I was after suddenly on special offer and I was first to the post.

There's a theme here...