The unicorn bike paradox

[sinnerman]

Is a Unicorn, something that's longed to be seen, been seen only in print, wondered about, pondered over, if one were to even exist...?

If so this is different for me to owning the ultimate bike, the most expensive bike, Klein, Fat chance etc, the coolest paint job, or the bike to be reported as the best riding bike ever....?

this would be a different bike for me if so...

Can the bike you never managed to be able to buy in the local bike shop window, at £249.00 be defined as a unicorn, when its not a unicorn, just a horse that's a bit far away....(cost etc etc)....? If so, this would be a different bike for me again...?

In the old days, we would run to the newsagent, to read the latest mag, wondering and lusting after bicycles, each one a Unicorn until we managed it (or not).

Retro bike, is a place much the same,.... Each thread, the archives, the owners, the bikes they ride. Each one holds a unicorn for someone.

Retro Bike is the field of Unicorns....!

At different moments, there have been different Unicorns, here are three that make up my journey.................So far.


Is a Unicorn, something that's longed to be seen, been seen only in print, wondered about, pondered over, if one were to even exist...?
The Unicorn.
https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/roberts-stratos-elevated-chainstay-25th-anniversary.286151/

If so this is different for me to owning the ultimate bike, the most expensive bike, Klein, Fat chance etc, the coolest paint job, or the bike to be reported as the best riding bike ever....? The Rider ...Zinn.
https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/the-iron-lady-zinn.330356/

Can the bike you never managed to be able to buy in the local bike shop window, at £249.00 be defined as a unicorn, when its not a unicorn, just a horse that's a bit far away....(cost etc etc)....? If so, this would be a different bike for me again...?

The Shop window. Muddy Fox
https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads...-and-older-special.395717/page-3#post-2924961

 

[ishaw]

I'm lucky enough to own my unicorn. A GT team RTS. Why is it my unicorn? Couldn't afford one bitd, had to settle for an rts-2 which I got new in 92/3 iirc. It cracked, searched online for a replacement, found RB, carried on looking and was lucky to find a NOS team frame which I've owned ever since, barely ride but rebuild often.

It was the frame that was the unicorn, loved the looks and back then was cutting edge. Never liked m900 functionally, thought mags were weedy looking in comparison with the chunky and shiny alloy so have always built it with my unicorn parts which tend to be any non m900 xtr, prefer Vs so pushed the boat out on avid ultimates. Spin wheels as they just look at home on the frame. I'll hopefully never sell it.

I'd love a 753 Zinn as I think the frames and forks are a work of art.

Speaking of which, a gator fade Klein really is a work of art, I was lucky enough to own one dripping with blue ringle, but beauty is only skin deep and it was probably the harshest ride I've ever encountered.

So, incomclusion, for me it's what I could afford as a kid from a poor background. Looks are important, quirky and unusual also tick my boxes.

 

[Tootyred]

Its interesting that very few cite cost as a reason for a bike being their unicorn....unless it was cost bitd! A chep bike can jake you just as happy as an expensive one...

Maybe the is some hope for the world.......except klein owners

 

[sinnerman]

I think image plays a huge part. It played a huge part then, and still does today, and not just with bicycles.

My option no 3 (above), is a Muddy Fox Explorer. Why...? because it was the one that got away, it was offered used BITD, (all be it unused and brand new) and the option was a Raleigh, the first with hyperglyde etc, i plumped for the Raleigh, a big mistake, the forks bent on day 7 of ownership, and whilst the new shimano group was a huge improvement over the older suntour, the image was crap, and so was the frame. Was the Muddy fox any better, I never found out at the time, (the previous Courier never failed me though). But the marketing department at Muddy Fox did a great job in cementing its following. Big bucks, neither bike was, there was only about 2 weeks paper round money between them, i was sold on the benefits of the huge improvements in gear shifting and brake performance from Shimano, and it was, but it was never seen as a cool bike by me or anyone i rode with.

Funny when you look back on things, despite the fork failure of the Raleigh, this was probably rider error and little more. But we all fall foul to clever marketing and the hype that follows.

WE RIDE THE FRAMES OF LEGENDS, BUT UNTIL WE RIDE THEM, THEY CANNOT BECOME LEGENDARY.

 

[xtaffa]

My unicorn is my first proper bike; 1991/2 specialized Hardrock Sport in lush metallic purple with pink decals.

It's got that unicorn shimmer/glow because of what it means to me. But it's a genuine unicorn in that I've only seen two of them in years of looking. One going for silly money in Luxembourg, and one on a build thread on here that rightly is being kept in the family, not for sale.

Point is, it's near-bottom of the range, mass produced but vanishingly rare in that particular form. Want a Hardrock in hot pink or red with yellow decals, or in white with blue from the same era? Fill your boots - gumtree's paved with 'em!

 

[boy"O"boy]

I'm with Sinnerman on this one.

Image plays a massive role. It's what you desired, what you wanted, what you wanted to be seen riding.

Same with the breakdown of what constitutes a unicorn....

1. The rare and desirable. The ones that are known to exist but are rarely seen

2. The High cost / low chance of obtaining builds that we could have only imagined of owning.

3. Your bike from back in the day that you want to own again....a unique personal unicorn that rings your bells.

My own take on unicorns ..With pictures as requested!

#1 The rarity. Raleigh Dynatech Endeavour.
Took 10 years to find one. Took research to prove providence. Can be a mis- understood unicorn.



#2 Klein Attitude and Pace RC100
The one you dreamed of owning/planned the dream spec/ had no chance of owning.... but when you do, that's your unicorn achievement. One for the collection.....but like every Retro hunter, you go looking for the next unicorn.
Most understand and appreciate that unicorn.
... but it's not everyone's unicorn.



#3 Orange Aluminium 'O'
The personal unicorn. Probably the unicorn that means the most to you but maybe not seen as a unicorn by others.


Cheers all.
boy"O"boy

 

[dirttorpedo]

For me a unicorn bike is one that I coveted when I was younger, but couldn't afford. For me its the 89/90 Ritchey Ultra in pearl white. It was a beautiful bike and it was spec'ed with the new black Shimano Deore XT. Absolutely gorgeous bike. There is one in excellent shape for sale locally in my size for about what it would have cost me to buy it new BITD. I never actually rode the bike so I have no idea if it was a sublime ride.

I think for me the challenge is that I've ridden so many bikes since then, bike design standards have changed and I'm so much less flexible that I don't know that I would really appreciate it.

I did buy a frame and replacement fork for one a few years back, but its in really rough shape and is the u-brake version. And I never really liked U-brakes having ridden with a set on my old Rocky Fusion. I have struggled to get motivated to start the restoration process for that frame over the years its been in my stable. I have it built up with a mix of Deore XT, Deore, Deore DX with the idea I'd ride it to see if I really liked it and then invest in the restoration after I established that. I even bought a full MS Racing XT ProComp for parts because I needed a proper vintage stem and functional rear wheel. I'm kinda tempted to turn it into a shopping bike to tell you the truth.

 

[KermitGKona88]

Going slightly off piste, coming from a roadie background, when I was a spotty yoof mountain bikes were in their infancy, and I just didn't understand why someone would want to have such tiny wheels and only one gear and have to always stand up to pedal...

There can also be unicorn parts too, I used to read cycling weekly and the Ron Kitching catalogue and also the RJ Chicken catalogue too, and before this thing called the internet I lusted after bikes and certain parts Shimano Dura-ace AX, Campagnolo Super Record, Mavic SSC, these parts eventually came into my price and availability range, but there were some mythical parts, parts that were talked of in magazine articles and advertisments with only suppliers addresses, one such company was ICS which took the already expensive and beautiful Campagnolo Super Record and turned it in to something even more beautiful and precious, modifications and high polishing and even gold plating. Well the thing I lusted after most were the shifters high gloss polish, a graceful curve was added and the centers were milled out and a rubber insert was placed in there... Bellisima... I searched high and low for them every shop I went in I asked and no they didn't have them and it was either not possible or not worth their while to get them for me.

Spool on many years later I a looking at bikes on a thing called Ebay and I see a bicycle in y neighbouring town with a curved pair of shiny Campagnolo gear levers on it, so I bought the whole bike and kept some and parted some out on here and now I have my unicorn ICS gear levers fitted to my gorgeous lusted after Mercian KOM.

Also, I think my Fuquay fits the unicorn moniker as it is a Fuquay and has many of his signature details but it does not have a wishbone rear seatstay, there is also an article about frame building methods with Greg Fuquay featured in it and he can be seen with a non wishbone bike that looks identical to mine... Thus making it a rare beast indeed...

If you have got this far thank you for your fortitude and patience...

 

[M-Power]

It does seem to be mostly about image and infatuation with owning certain iconic models. For me its always been a long process of elimination finding the best rider/s. I had an interesting chat recently with someone the same height and proportions as me, who’s owned some of the same bikes. They had quite a different take on what ‘feels right’ for them. How a bike handles and feels is clearly a lot more subjective than I thought.

There are so many iconic bikes we all dreamed of but could never afford or test ride. I keep saying it but I really appreciate brutally honest ride reviews good, bad or indifferent. It matters not how pretty it is, when someone gives no ride feedback on their uber rare carbon ex team race bike, its difficult to connect with it.

I am happy with the frames I have, so for me its about forks now, which have such a huge effect on handling. Things Id like to try and maybe own are a properly made Ti BOI replica, an original Box crown with prestige or custom segmented forks with 753 legs like a Zinn.

 

[madjh]

Me … nothing. I own my dream clasic bicycle and a modern dream .

Why not. It could take some time but it is always possible. One took me about 12 years but now I enjoy every Km