What determines your bicycle of choice? Avid cyclists tend to have more than one bike, so I've been thinking about why we choose, what we choose. And often, one bike is ridden more than others in the stable.
There can be many factors at play: length of ride, terrain, type of ride, climate, and comfort. Do you ride 10 miles or less? Is it hilly, rolling, or flat? Is the riding purely for exercise or are you shopping en route? Do you need fenders and rain gear or do you live where it's predominantly dry year-round? Are you comfortable with drop bars or prefer an upright posture, wider tires or skinny, etc.?
Since I ride mostly for exercise on flat terrain, but love to be able to haul stuff, whether that's tools, a thermos, or be able to stop for groceries, my Peugeot Saint Laurent ticks all the boxes. It's stable with wide tires, easy step through mounting, has fenders, and sports panniers with front and back racks. It's my most useful two-wheeled machine. And yeah, it's an older bike, one I don't mind locking to racks.
What is the bicycle that you gravitate towards, and why?