Generation Gap
#1
A Son of the Cape Fear
Thread Starter
Generation Gap
I pull up in front of my shop today with my Super Sport on the roof rack of the '96 Saturn station wagon. I walk in the door and my 24-year old employee says, "Riding today?," to which I respond with a verbal listing of the stuff I have to do, while still trying to get my bike ride in... hence the reason why I'm riding around with a bike on my car roof... and I take care to point out that the bike I'm hauling is a '73 Schwinn. He is not impressed.
"My brother works in a bike shop," he says to me, "and he can get the employee discount. But, even with the discount, the bike I want costs $1500".
"Mine was $75," I say. I decide to not tell him that I spent another $75 on it to have the hubs and BB rebuilt, 2 new tubes/tires and a new saddle.
"My brother works in a bike shop," he says to me, "and he can get the employee discount. But, even with the discount, the bike I want costs $1500".
"Mine was $75," I say. I decide to not tell him that I spent another $75 on it to have the hubs and BB rebuilt, 2 new tubes/tires and a new saddle.
#2
Lanky Lass
I had a young man shout something at me this morning as I flew by him on my Nishiki Prestige...I thought I heard "Go faster"...
I was in a road construction area, and was paying more attention to the passing cars than the young man. He ran up to me to catch me at the stoplight, and said "That's a really cool old bike. I'll bet it goes really fast, with those skinny tyres, and it's got neat handlebars, too". I laughed and told him that this was a great old bike, and that he should try to find one for himself when he was a bit older.
I would guess he was perhaps 12 or 13 years old. If I see him again, I will ask him perhaps if he'd like one to ride.
East Hill
I was in a road construction area, and was paying more attention to the passing cars than the young man. He ran up to me to catch me at the stoplight, and said "That's a really cool old bike. I'll bet it goes really fast, with those skinny tyres, and it's got neat handlebars, too". I laughed and told him that this was a great old bike, and that he should try to find one for himself when he was a bit older.
I would guess he was perhaps 12 or 13 years old. If I see him again, I will ask him perhaps if he'd like one to ride.
East Hill
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TRY EMPATHY & HAVE LOVE IN YOUR HEART, PERHAPS I'LL SEE YOU ON THE ROAD...
#3
Senior Member
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Location: Berwyn PA
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I road my Paramout to my LBS (nice guys) to pick up some tire liners for another project and one of the new employees (about 20) asked if my bike "was made of steel and didn't I think it was kind of heavy?"
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: mountains
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I tend to get many comments when riding my drop bar skinny tire bike these days. Most everyone rides mountain bikes, knobby tires and all on the street.
Don
Don
#5
Senior Member
I had a young man shout something at me this morning as I flew by him on my Nishiki Prestige...I thought I heard "Go faster"...
I was in a road construction area, and was paying more attention to the passing cars than the young man. He ran up to me to catch me at the stoplight, and said "That's a really cool old bike. I'll bet it goes really fast, with those skinny tyres, and it's got neat handlebars, too". I laughed and told him that this was a great old bike, and that he should try to find one for himself when he was a bit older.
I would guess he was perhaps 12 or 13 years old. If I see him again, I will ask him perhaps if he'd like one to ride.
East Hill
I was in a road construction area, and was paying more attention to the passing cars than the young man. He ran up to me to catch me at the stoplight, and said "That's a really cool old bike. I'll bet it goes really fast, with those skinny tyres, and it's got neat handlebars, too". I laughed and told him that this was a great old bike, and that he should try to find one for himself when he was a bit older.
I would guess he was perhaps 12 or 13 years old. If I see him again, I will ask him perhaps if he'd like one to ride.
East Hill
#6
Lanky Lass
Yes, I think that's what inspired the young man's comments. I wonder if he's ever been close to a bike which was not either BMX or MTB.
Originally Posted by mattface
My 13 year old daughter rides a 78 Trek and loves it
East Hill
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TRY EMPATHY & HAVE LOVE IN YOUR HEART, PERHAPS I'LL SEE YOU ON THE ROAD...
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TRY EMPATHY & HAVE LOVE IN YOUR HEART, PERHAPS I'LL SEE YOU ON THE ROAD...
#7
On the road
Join Date: Aug 2005
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I've ended up just the opposite. What looks "weird" to many younger people about old bikes looks normal to me. A bicycle without mudguards/fenders just doesn't look right to me, for example. An English 3 speed looks quite like a nice bicycle to me, but mine seem to draw some puzzled looks on the trails as to what kind of bike it is. I've ridden old bikes all of my life- I started with a '62 Higgins middleweight and moved up from there, so I guess it's a matter of what you're used to. The new, fancy bikes in the bike shops look alien to me though, especially their special wheels.
Don't even get me started about mechanics on this- I've had a bad experience the past few weeks. I wanted my 3 speed hub cleaned and overhauled at a local shop. They said they don't even open those hubs up anymore. The guy said they just throw on a whole new wheel and dispose of the old one. That wasn't an option for me. I eventually worked up the courage to open the thing up myself and do the work. The help I got on this forum (and the helpful member [NLerner] who sent me some parts in the mail) proved to be great. I ended up fixing it myself with no experience in 3 speed overhauls before.
I also took an old ballooner wheel set to a shop up in CT when I was on vacation. Well during the week the oldest mechanic they had quit (30s I think) and all they had left were kids about 16-20. When they finally got to my wheels they promptly broke the first spoke they tried to adjust (those old spokes need more care than adjusting the new stainless ones of course) and said they just couldn't do the work. The wheels are now sitting in the garage under cover, still awaiting repair.
Don't even get me started about mechanics on this- I've had a bad experience the past few weeks. I wanted my 3 speed hub cleaned and overhauled at a local shop. They said they don't even open those hubs up anymore. The guy said they just throw on a whole new wheel and dispose of the old one. That wasn't an option for me. I eventually worked up the courage to open the thing up myself and do the work. The help I got on this forum (and the helpful member [NLerner] who sent me some parts in the mail) proved to be great. I ended up fixing it myself with no experience in 3 speed overhauls before.
I also took an old ballooner wheel set to a shop up in CT when I was on vacation. Well during the week the oldest mechanic they had quit (30s I think) and all they had left were kids about 16-20. When they finally got to my wheels they promptly broke the first spoke they tried to adjust (those old spokes need more care than adjusting the new stainless ones of course) and said they just couldn't do the work. The wheels are now sitting in the garage under cover, still awaiting repair.
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#8
feros ferio
Join Date: Jul 2000
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Great story, SirMike. Did you catch Sean Connery riding a well-preserved old Raleigh roadster in the movie, "Finding Forrester"?
On a recent tire purchasing trip to a local shop, I was surprised that the 20-something mechanic showed alot more interest in my Capo than his 40-something boss. This kid knew his stuff and immediately spotted the Brooks Pro saddle, the Ofmega hubset, the Campagnolo derailleurs, the KoolStop brake pads, and the CyclArt paint sticker.
On a recent tire purchasing trip to a local shop, I was surprised that the 20-something mechanic showed alot more interest in my Capo than his 40-something boss. This kid knew his stuff and immediately spotted the Brooks Pro saddle, the Ofmega hubset, the Campagnolo derailleurs, the KoolStop brake pads, and the CyclArt paint sticker.
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069