Confess about your geared ride

Shhh, we'll keep it our little secret but I'd love to hear all about your geared ride. What have you got and how do you find it?

Reason I ask is I'm getting an '86 Raleigh Sirroco back from the painters this week and am starting to get jolly excited, having collected period parts over the past several months for the build.

At the risk of being banned I'm actually looking forward to a free-wheel and gears again; all 10 of them. There I've said it.

mine has gears. All lovely 8 of em.
It's a record sprint...

Sorry to say, but you are a bit behind the curve, 2010 has always been about geared bikes! In fact BMMF was bemoaning the fact that on the last TRNC only 4 or 5 riders* were riding fixed out of about 15.

*I wasn't one of them

I do have a fixed gear bike. Can't ride for shit on it mind. But, it is tiny, steers the wrong way and was made for clowns. Will take some pics of my bikes and post em

I have gears. 20 of em.

I hang them on this:

http://gallery.me.com/iphone/robinmather/100259#grid

Near perfection for me

^ Needs proper wheels.

27 gears. Most of them at the "haul-a-hundred-weight-of-luggage-up-a-hill" end of the spectrum.

Has hill climbing wheelset and gearing.

I don't go fast enough for aero wheels

http://gallery.me.com/iphone/robinmather/100259#grid

Near perfection for me

That is stunning.

I bought a geared bike yesterday. I'm a little bit in love.

A frankinbike homage to SimonC's Mather. 15 gears, friction shifters, 26" wheels.

I've got two right now (three if you count the tandem). One in pieces waiting for me to finish building it. I never lost my love of gears, but what surprises me is that my first (true?) geared love is unaccounted for in my collection. No tourer. Instead I'm building up a "proper"road bike now, with carbon bits and everything. 2011 will be the year I get a new tourer.

Always on about that bloody tandem...

Reynolds 753 frame + 105 groupset (2 years old), total cost under £150.

And an On-One 456.

Always on about that bloody tandem...

Have fun in Ireland. I hear the weather is magnificent this time of the year.

I haven't got one.... I have a groupset and some wheels, just need a frame! Anyone got anything in a 54?

I have a Aluminium Sunn frame, very rare. Blue.

i decided to pass the hipster road cycling thing of 'buy old heavy lugged frame, get it repainted, track down old half worn overpriced campag parts for other aficionados to stroke their beards at and buy a modern bike instead.
skipping this first step pays off if you want to do a lot of road miles and are more interested in not compromising performance for the sake of looks or nostalgia.

Oh I'm all about the modern... SRAM rival groupset. Ideally I'd like an Enigma Etap (I'm thinking along the audax lines for my first decent road bike), but bit out of my budget.... which is around the £400 mark.

@Bainbridge - I've been keeping my powder dry, my geared build has been in the making since late 2009. However, BMMF will always need something to complain about ;)

@Dovvles - that is utter gorgeousness but too modern for my Victorian tastes, bet it's a beaut to ride though.

@dancing_james - that is beautiful, despite the sloping top tube you can't beat hand crafted loveliness, what a peach.

@wools - pics man, pics!

@MrSmyth - how about mix and match? You get the best of both worlds this way, lovely old lugged steel frame with modern components. This means you're able to confuse modernists and confound beardy Campag strokers (like andyp but minus the beard) :D

There is a nice Gunnar on the bay at the minute in a 53.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Gunnar-Roadie-Steel-Road-Frame-53cm-NEW-/300441067331?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item45f3aedf43

I'd like a modern road bike now, have ridden my fixed bikes only a handful of times in the last two months... That's mainly down to injury tho', still love my tarck bikes... Colnago FTW!

@MrSmyth - how about mix and match? You get the best of both worlds this way, lovely old lugged steel frame with modern components. This means you're able to confuse modernists and confound beardy Campag strokers (like andyp but minus the beard) :D

or modern italian oversize tigged steel with shimano 10 speed to upset the traditionalists.

old lugged frames are for walking to beers and others to look at, ideal for anal retentives, collectors and enthusiasts.

^ Crap...