Classic & Vintage - What is considered Vintage? I'm new :)

What do you guys consider vintage? Is there a definite year like 1980, or what?? My current bikes consist of a 1959 Schwinn Speedster, a 1973-1975 Peugeot road bike, and a 1989 Joe Murray designed Merlin mountain bike. I consider all of my bikes vintage.

--Jordan

This has come up several times. It seems that a lot of folks limit this to be bikes that are 20 years old or older.

My Rivendell Romulus is brand new, but everyone who sees it says it reminds them of their old Raleigh.

see www.rivbike.com for a photo

All 4 of my road bikes are "vintage." My mountain bike is getting there ...

I know for a car to be vintage it has to be older than 25 years...so if the same is true for bicycles all of your bikes exept your Joe Murray are vintage.

I don't think being 25 years old in and of itself makes a car vintage, just eligible for a historic vehicle license plate.

In order to get into the national vintage car show at Hershey PA, a car must be at least 25 years old.

Since there is no orgainizing body for vintage bikes, the word can mean whatever you want it to be. 20 years old, lugged steel frame, whatever. And of course, if there ever is an orgainizing body for vintage/classic/antique bikes, we can all meet on this board and gripe about them.

anything older than me or lotek

The Vintage Bicycle Association considers most pre-1984, friction-shift road bikes to be "vintage."

The Vintage Bicycle Association considers most pre-1984, friction-shift road bikes to be "vintage."
well guess my 79 made it :)

anything older than me or lotek

hey I resemble that remark! :D

I go with the CR cut off of 1983 (ish). I think anything post Index shifting
is not vintage (for lightweights, mountainbikes are a whole other dimension).

marty

I guess both my road bikes are vintage then, even though I've been riding them both continuously all the years without ever realizing they've gotten old.

81 Davidson, mix of Campy NR with other parts.
82 Zilioli, all Campy SR pantographed, Nisi Laser rims, Modolo Aero brake levers.

Why do I have two road bikes like this? After having the Davidson custom built for me as my ultimate bike (I think he sold the frame as an "ultimate"), my stepfather brought the Zilioli back from Italy, where he had purchased it in his, and Zilioli's, hometown. But when he got back here, he realized he would never ride it. So he traded it to me for a mountain bike, an early Trek. So I wound up with two essentially custom built bikes. For 20+ years I've been going back and forth between them. I haven't been able to convince my wife that I need a new road bike, even after all these years.


The Zilioli is still all original, or at least I still have the original wheels although I don't ride them anymore. I wish I still had the original Clement Criterium Seta tires. The Davidson I've swapped out parts, although I guess not that much when I think about it.

You better get a new bike right away! That's the only way to keep our vintage and classic bikes in original shape! You don't want to wear them out. ;)

what about my first (maybe second becuse of u brake) generation merlin ti ? its a mountain bike, no ovesise tubes. old style press right into the frame BB, and "u brake" rear brake bosses (with suntour roller cam) it is my favourite bike and i have put some modern parts on it.

iI would like to post somewhere about my old school mtn bike made ultra light commuter :)

Neutron7,

You can post about your old school mtn bike anywhere you like
(I'd suggest MTB forum?) but I wouldn't consider it
classic/vintage. But then again thats just me, others may
have very different opinions.

Marty