Over to you: what's on your ultimate bike wishlist?

If you had unlimited funds, what bike would buy?

This is the Trifecta DRT e-bike, on show at LikeBike in 2016. It's primarily designed for military use, but if you fancy it, it can be yours — you'll just need a spare US$25,000

Aoife Glass

Published: September 16, 2016 at 12:00 pm

We've all had that conversation. The one that goes "if you won the lottery, what bike would you buy?" Since the right number of bikes is N+1 (where N is the number of bikes you currently own) then it stands to reason that most cyclists are on the eternal search for the perfect bike. So what would that perfect bike be?

Most of us (bar lottery winners, CEOs of investment banks, heads of international conglomerates or rulers of oil-bearing nations) are somewhat hampered by budgetary restraints, reliance on what's on sale in our region of the planet, and products that are actually in existence. Few of us have the resources to buy any bike (or all the bikes) we desire, or even conjure into existence the bike of our dreams, calling upon expert knowledge and the wonders of modern engineering.

Custom frame? Bespoke fork design? Colour-coordinated saddle and grips? A bike for every day of the week?

Chances are too that everyone has a different idea of what makes the perfect bike. A quick ask around the office throws up everything from the never-produced Honda downhill bike (obscure, but fascinating) to a custom-designed, hand-built titanium-framed touring bike with bespoke waterproof luggage, and an in-bike pedal-powered USB recharging system.

So over to you. If money was truly no object, if you could buy ANY bike in the world, what would you get? Or would you go further... would you have your own bike designed just for you and constructed from gold-plated titanium and encrusted with aerodynamic diamonds? Or maybe just get a bike built exactly to your specifications, forks and all? Or is it more about quantity and having a stableful of bikes to suit every riding type and terrain possible?

If you're looking for a few ideas, then the LikeBike show in Monaco is probably a good place to start. It's where some of the most exclusive, incredible, expensive bikes money can buy are shown...and there are a few weird bikes in among the wonderful ones. We scoped out 10 of the world's most expensive bikes there.

Custom frame? Bespoke fork design? Colour-coordinated saddle and grips? A bike for every day of the week? What would you go for? Let us know!

Aoife Glass

Digital Strategist, BBC Wildlife Magazine

Aoife is an experienced journalist, editor and podcaster with a background in science communication and a passion for the environment and adventure, particularly when it’s by bike! Prior to joining BBC Wildlife she worked as a freelance writer for the likes of Red Bull, Trek Bicycles, MBUK and Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots amongst others. Before that she was women’s editor on BikeRadar and deputy editor on Total Women’s Cycling, and before that she worked at the Natural History Museum in London. She loves mountain biking, gravel riding and road cycling, and has tested a huge amount of cycling and adventure kit and bikes. Her first degree was in geology, so be prepared to have interesting rock features pointed out to you. She’s currently studying for a masters in Environmental Law and Sustainable Development and working on the Spindrift Podcast which she produces and hosts. @Silverstrange
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