Classic & Vintage - Future Classics--Any Guesses?

Considering the bikes that people are riding today, does anybody have a guess as to what will be considered a classic in the future?

You can scratch everything that's mass-produced from the list right now. That leaves... almost nothing. :lol:

You can scratch everything that's mass-produced from the list right now. That leaves... almost nothing. :lol:

I don't know... The more popular Ti bikes will probably still be together and collectable. I don't mind them. The plastic bikes may all be broken though. Hard to say with the aluminum frames. Nicely built steel customs will probably always have a small following, as will race bikes with real provenance (Lance's bikes).

Litespeeds, Merlins, etc. I think most nice Ti will be well regarded. Rivendell, Waterford, heron, etc. Basically, anything will be looked back on fondly if the technical wizardry and/or love shine through in 20 or 30 years, (and if the bike is still in one piece, that helps, too!) Shoot, I've had mid-nineties MTBS with aluminum frames I thought were worthy of being in a museum, simply for the fact that they were tough as old combat boots and worked perfectly no matter what!

I've no idea, but I suspect the ones that will be considered classics are the ones the younger sorts are riding now. For example, I expect a billion Bianchi Pistas to show up in thrift stores in about five years, and then they become collectible in twenty because most of them are sent to the scrapyard because all the hip sorts five years from now will be riding recumbents or tricylces or whatever is hip in the near future (it won't be fixies).

The obvious ones are things like the Rivendells and the smaller makers (Alex Singer types). But they may be recalled more as niche bikes than anything else, due to their smaller runs.

It is my personal hope that old French bikes become very hip, so I can sell my collection for several million dollars and then buy them back for a fiver when the market bottoms out. However, I am not counting on it.

Circle A Cycles

Circle A Cycles
WORD.

I think a classic bike is one of two things: a bicycle that helped (re)define its niche or a bike with "soul". Most mass produced bikes today are pretty soulless. They're either cheaply made at the lowest cost or they tend to lack the grace that high-end bicycles once possessed.

Maybe it's just contempt bred of newness, but I find it hard to believe that an S-Works will be as revered as a Cinelli Super Corsa or Colnago Mexico or even a Raleigh Record Ace. There's no sense of grace, of the craftsman and craftsmanship about it. It's put together like a fighter jet, modern, sleek, a piece of technology, not an expression of nature.

Part of it is also that those classic builders were big enough to have widespread influence without being so big as to lose their magic. In that realm, I think there are a few manufacturers like Rivendell, Independent Fabrication, or Serotta that strike the right balance between scale and obscurity. They have soul.

I ride a 'classic' already. 1990 Ritchey P-23 prototype racing frame.

I've seen old pre 90's T.R. ATB's going for over $2000 on ebay.

Anything with a major players name on the frame will be a keeper.

Ritchey, Klien, Brodie, Breeze, Fisher etc....I'm wanting a Fat Chance.

http://www.firstflightbikes.com/atb.htm
http://www.oldmountainbikes.com/links.html reads.

I'd not be so hot on a 10 yr old alu mtb unless Joe Breeze welded it.

The pic is of an 1988 Ti lugged CF mtb by Ibis. :D

Vanilla Bicycles.

Phat Cycles Whopper Choppers.

Original Made in USA BMXs and MTBs including early Mongooses, Redlines, etc.

Any old lugged carbon is a classic. Dangerous, but hands down a classic. Man that Ibis is gorgeous.

Shoot, I've had mid-nineties MTBS with aluminum frames I thought were worthy of being in a museum, simply for the fact that they were tough as old combat boots and worked perfectly no matter what!

I have an old Nishiki MTB, must be about 16 years old. That thing is a tank. The only thing I've ever fixed on it was when I went over the bars on the road about a year or so ago b/c I'm an idiot and smashed off the original shifter and brake levers on one side. Otherwise, it's been just regular maintenance and it's all good. I don't ride it that much now that I'm more into road, but it's nice to know that when I want it, it'll be ready.

Stevenson

I think the 2002 or 2003 Lemond Zurichs will age well and become collectible. Also, the earlier Lemond steel bikes should also become vintage collectible - mass produced or not they are well engineered, well regarded now, and ride well.

'90s hybrids might become collectible. Don't laugh, you never know. Somebody will put really fat tires on them and they will be the new "29ers". I've already seen some of these turned into cyclocrossers w/drop bars and they look pretty cool.

'90s hybrids might become collectible. Don't laugh, you never know. Somebody will put really fat tires on them and they will be the new "29ers". I've already seen some of these turned into cyclocrossers w/drop bars and they look pretty cool.
:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:

'90s hybrids might become collectible. Don't laugh, you never know. Somebody will put really fat tires on them and they will be the new "29ers". I've already seen some of these turned into cyclocrossers w/drop bars and they look pretty cool.

You could have a point. Human beings are notoriously bad at predicting the future. Who would have thought that you could have retired on the shoebox of baseball cards your mother tossed out? Or closer to home--that one-speed stove-pipe bomb that you outgrew and gave to the droopy-drawered kid down the street would one day cause an army of collectors to salivate.

I ride a 'classic' already. 1990 Ritchey P-23 prototype racing frame.



[


Agree. They are very nice.

My Magna 12/18-speed is 40+ pounds of "sure-to-become-classic" fun. Yeah, it only cost me $60.00 new several years back, but the rear derailleur works fine and sometimes the front does too. Those seam welds aren't ugly, they simply add character. It isn't all original though, I had to replace the cantilever brake in the front because the cable constantly rubbed the tire. The rear brake is still original, and the brake cable rubs, but that is actually a safety feature - acting as a sort of governor to ensure I don't hit a bump and accidentally throw myself into lower earth orbit (given the exceptionally high rates of speed this mechanical marvel is capable of attaining - it averaged 70 mph on a trip down to Myrtle Beach last summer... {ok, so it was on the back of the van, but that's just semantics**).

Yes, this will no doubt be considered a "Classic" someday - the day before I start my personal crusade to stop the world because I want to get off. So if any of you want to get your hands on a sure-to-be-classic, and give me one more reason to be mad once that happens - contact me off-list. :roflmao:

oh - btw - this boat anchor miraculously completed the entire C&O canal journey with zero flat tires.

I think the 1999 Pinarello Prince is a goog candidate. It was the first frame to incorporate carbon fibre rear stays with aluminum tubing, which is pretty much the standard these days. In the past, a bicycle which established an industry trend has pretty much become a classic. To top it off, Pinarello is a prestigious brand.

the Trek 5200 will be 'HOT' 20 years from now. especially after Lance wins his 7th.

I'd have to say most of the offerings by Dario Pegoretti
will be collectable, who wouldn't want a bike named "Big legged Emma"?
Some Serottas (the steel CSi, Legend Ti) I don't think CF will be
as collectable.
Baylis, Moon, Sachs, Weigle, and all the other small one man operations
will be very collectable (the Confente of the 21st century?).

Marty

Agree. They are very nice.

Thanks! :) And I'm thanking Tom too.
If you have an interest in T.R. frameworks = http://www.oldmountainbikes.com/

http://www.oldmountainbikes.com/cgi-bin/bikes.cgi?bike=7P39 this P-21 is beautiful.

...in an ugly mtb Tig welded way. :D

Agreed on the Pinarello. That's sort of what I'm saying all in one package: they're big enough that they're not completely obscure while being small enough that it's not just a commodity. That particular modle helped redefine all the other products that share its niche.

I was thinking about this the other day. I think Surly's may be future classics. They're like old Raleighs, pretty much ubiquitous as the common cold. But they're solid frames and should last. They pretty much were the first brand to market a broadly successful modern single speed frame and threw caution to the wind and make all their stuff practical. Fat tires and fenders on a fixed gear road frame...who knew?

The only hangup may be that there's no such thing as a Surly complete apart from the CrossCheck, so quality will vary with every buildup and that makes it hard to simply say "watch for a Steamroller".

I don't know about "classic", but I'm hoping that my Y2K Serrota built titanium Schwinn Paramount will at least be collectable. I am also on the lookout for a Tim Isaac/match built Reynolds 853 Paramount from the same period. I think these will be collectable to Schwinn road bike fans also.

I own a special Miyata Trail Runner. There were only 5 known to exist when I bought it around 1990. Its an American spec'd bike with a wild Japanese paint job.

Bikes associated with popular riders will be collectible.

I'm guessing the ones with the most utility and durability will be considered classics. Not that the exotics wont... they'll probably always have some kind of following. But rigid LBS qualty MTBs of all levels, and LBS steel + a few alu LBS road bikes... maybe with standard cage (non-clipless) variety pedals swapped onto them etc. These bikes will still be highly rideable when other more currently desireable bikes either break, or become too difficult to find parts for. If somebody finds one in the future, they'll essentially be able to take it off the wall, put air in the tires and ride. Since no fancy shoes or suspension adjustments with exotic parts are required, these bikes will be favored by people with busy lives... busy doing future stuff etc., and just want a quality bike to ride.

As far as brands are concerned, I don't know enough to reasonably speculate.


(edit: my view on this is influenced by the popularity of English 3-Speeds, and how they're considered 'classic.')

[QUOTE=Mark4]busy doing future stuff etc.,



QUOTE]

Hysterical!!!!!!!
Seriously one sure classic of the future is already a classic now. Kabuki submariner. Regarded by some as the best bike ever made.

I go for the merlin, great detail work, enough around to make them obtainable.

Any 2005 road bike made with premium steel and lugs is a good candidate. Especially if it has the sort of paint jobs used on Rivendells and Waterfords. Factory bikes may ride as nice as a hand-made and custom painted bike, but...

Bikes associated with popular riders will be collectible.
Yeah, maybe that new LiveStrong bike...

My assessment of my 5 bikes:

1959 Capo: already a classic, for ornate lugwork and superb craftsmanship

1972 Peugeot UO-8: potential nostalgia classic, like a 1962 Chevy or Ford

1980 Peugeot PKN-10: no way (nice bike, though)
PX-10 of same vintage: probably classic material
older PX-10: already a classic!

1981 Bianchi TreTubi: probably not
older Specialissima: yes, particularly in Celeste

1988 Schwinn Team Issue Project KOM-10: definite potential

The Classic of the Future??? The machine that nobody thought it would --- and that is why bikeriders are basically poor. !!!!!

I have one of those- a steel lugged Tange "superset tubing" Bianchi Advantage. I torched off the cable guides from the bottom and brazed to the top of the top tube for cyclocross portaging, and built it up with a mix of Tiagra/105 parts, and old junkyard open pro wheels. It's a tank compared with my Ultegra Empella, but not bad for a 2nd cyclocross pit bike or occasional 3rd world adventuring. It's got soul, baby.

I wonder if future cyclists will just think my buddy's curly Hetchins has been in a bad accident?

I have a feeling Surly Karate Monkeys might appreciate- and be appreciated- down the road. Versatile by design- if a little fussy.

There are always collectors who value the functionality, aesthetics and design aspects of certain bikes, or genres of bike. Some of them can even ride without training wheels. I hope they never get a taste for bespoke British frames. When I pass on my stable, I'd rather the new owners are looking forward to the ride, than determining the auctioneer's reserve.............

Any of Firebikes or Jakz stretched cruisers, including the new one I am picking up on Friday, modified into a 3-speed and with classic cruiser-bars are already classics!

http://www.firebikes.com/
http://www.jakz.com/

The Giant Stiletto may become a classic as well.

http://www.giant-bicycle.com/cn/030.000.000/030.000.000.asp?model=10269&year=2005&search_text=stiletto

Merline Cyrene as a piece of art, functional ride, or both.