RFC

I have been doing this for about 3 plus years beginning my cycling revival with my Trek 660. As I have told friends, this is my vintage sports car collection at a small fraction of the price.

I now have a garage full of C&V and modernish bikes, which has gone through several cullings and the result is a collection of steel, Ti, Alu, and CF bikes that all fit very well and ride very well and represent American, Italian, and Japanese manufacture.

Sure, I could add more Italian, Japanese, American (never got into the English) bikes, but, with a few exceptions, i.e. a Team Miyata that fit me, there is little point.

So, as I have continued this journey through many bikes, I have moved into CF (Trek 2300 and Look KG196)

I realize that many collectors define their hobby by years and type (i.e. steel lugged bikes).

How about you? How do you define your C&F directions?

All the best,

RFC

bigbossman 

I'm not real focused on what I acquire, other than it has to be a pretty, top-tier, Italian bike in excellent (or better) cosmetic shape that offers a fantastic ride. Other than that, I'm not too particular.

Seriously though - I own bikes for the joy of riding them, and I enjoy the pride of ownership that comes with possessing visually beautiful specimens. So, my scope of interest is very narrow in that regard. Even so, still there are too many to choose from.

khatfull

Fuji.

devinfan

I am currently trying to get down to three bikes, maybe two, because I find I don't have the time or resources to maintain any more than that. I find that keeping everything on the Cinelli working and polished is a near full-time occupation. So far it is looking like this:

Main ride (dry weather, secure storage location): '65 Cinelli
Other situations (meetings downtown where lock-up is required, bad weather etc.): I haven't decided yet

cinco

I tend to appreciate the rare(ish) and unusual(ish) as long as it doesn't break the bank but I don't really have a particualar "type" other than old and steel. Well, I shoot for perfect condition too, of course . Of current note are the Spect JM, the Zieleman, the '85 Raleigh Royal, and the chrome Hercules 3-speed.

ftwelder

I really enjoy the finding almost anything, learning it's origins and history and bringing it back to used original or period correct.


IMG_3774 by barnstormerbikes, on Flickr

gomango

I tend to fall into the Italian racing bike camp, and I prefer mine red and flashy.

I include Eddy Merckx bikes as interesting diversions, that's for sure.

I think a general narrowing of brands is happening here, with De Rosa, Zullo, certain Colnagos, and the previously mentioned Merckx brand being enough to keep me busy for the rest of my life.

I see the next step though, as a big leap away from these brands to American custom builders.

I have two custom bikes in the works, and I must say, it is refreshing to break away from the confines and stereotypes that come with the "C&V" turf.

auchencrow

Steel, Brifter-less, & Bargain-priced.

randyjawa 

Initially, I collected any bicycle with drop handlebars and skinny tires. My tastes, thanks to learning this and that about vintage road bicycle quality, matured(?) to focus on only high end, top of the line or special issue racing/touring bicycles. But that has also changed...

Today, I let other people succumb to the vintage road bicycle, weighs less that a fart, hype. I go for the bikes that I like and, more often than not, those are not the bicycles capable of offering the most sophisticated ride (whatever that is).

I will never be able to extract the performance capabilities of some (any) of my racing bikes. Never! But I can enjoy riding them, at my own pace, or level, if you will. With that in mind, my tastes have shifted to the vintage aspect of the vintage road bicycle. I like older stuff, like this recently acquired Bottecchia with incredible chromed head lugs - not Hetchins incredible, but certainly spiffy for any Bottecchia I have ever seen.

Bott_Red_57_1_Ful .jpg Bott_Red_57_1_Tube.jpg

I am not too worried about the ride quality of this old Bottecchia. It will still exceed my capabilities. But I do like the look of the bike. The chrome plated, ornate head tube lugs, the headbadge and the panel art work. Additionally, I do like having the opportunity to ride the bicycle, as it was offered originally, and compare it to other bicycles of its day. I like the mechanical details, that seem to leap out at me - the cottered cranks, the center pull brakes, yokes and yoke cables - all, anything but sophisticated, but interesting to the eye.

And, for what it is worth, it was this old, "Found at the Dump and Spent Nothing On" Legnano, that got me going down the Old Vintage Trail. That said, my interest is still bikes with drop handlebars and skinny tires!

And, if they happen to be top of the line - well, OK:-)

marley mission

currently riding:
giant defy 09
schwinn world sport 80s
schwinn traveler 70s
murray sabre mountain bike 90s

under construction:
schwinn varsity 70s
free spirit 70s

future interest:
old steel

Chombi

FRENCH!.....80's early 90's Mavic, Stronglight, Spidel, Wolber.....Peugeot , Vitus, hopefully Gitane, for some reason, not attracted to Motobecane or Mercier (yet?).......Steel, CF, maybe Al next?.....
Tried to go Shimano DA, Campagnolo C Record, SL/SLX Italian Frames this year, but just way too expensive + too many other collectors to fight with for parts and frames = not as fun(?).......

Chombi

custermustache

My "collection" has 3 out of 4 fillet brAzed bikes - the other stuff are modern and just bikes.
Therefore I guess I collect fillet brazed bikes.

20grit

I must admit that design characteristics attract my attention far too often. Performance often takes a back seat. My Gazelle I hope to have finished soon was an amazing color scheme. I know it's a higher level 531 bike and all, but that's the secondary reason for having gone after it. My Peugeot was a flashy looking bike I could afford while still in college. Red frame, white bar tape, white saddle, how can I go wrong?

I would love to have a truss frame Iver Johnson. It's all about the looks for me. Then I'd work on performance a bit though... an IGH and aluminum rims would have to go on there.

Henry III

I'm more of the cheaper English three speeds or lower end lugged frame kind of guy. I love my BSA and my Hercules. It's harder to find smaller stuff with being slightly vertically inclined at 5'5". lol.

gbalke

I have an admiration for English Steel bikes, from the 70's or older, and that is the basis of my collection. While the majority of my bikes are 3 speeds, I do have a couple of Raleigh Grand Prix 10 speeds. Also in the mix are several French bikes, two Peugeots and a Motobecane, and even a German 3 speed. Going along with the bikes, I have been know to pick up some vintage bike accessories from time to time.

23skidoo

I was a pack rat in my previous incarnation and it's carried over into this lifetime--I go for whatever is pretty, steel, and attracts my interest which is why I'm all over the place; the 30 years between 1965 and 1995 would describe my current boundary lines. I guess my focus is that I have no focus.

AZORCH

My interests lean toward the drop bar bikes of my teen years, so most of my herd dates to the 70's. Couldn't afford even the low end rides back then, so I'm compensating!

scozim 

Primarily French - Peugeot and Gitane from late 70's to mid-80's. I tend to ride most everything I have so they are usually bikes that have a mixture of functional parts. I'm not so worried about having a specific group of components. I'm into this for the riding experience, staying in shape, the joy of tinkering and the fact it's a whole lot cheaper than having a 1960's muscle car as a hobby.

Andrew F

I started with an interest in early Saftey bikes and it has shifted to British lightweights, mostly lower-end stuff but I have an eye and desire for one or two bespoked classics. The current stable consists of a pre war Hercules, a Norman and a few Raleighs.

roccobike

It started out as a mountain bike only collection, then added a few road bikes (all low end stuff) then moved to nicer mid-level road bikes and now to bikes with brifters. Along the way, newer bikes have been added. I try not to limit my scope. I pursue two approaches, 1) if it's a bargain it's a buy because I can always flip it for more and 2) if I really want it because it will add to my riding pleasure, and if I can afford it, I go for it.

Doohickie

At first I was going ot say I have no direction. Then I realized... this ^

Also, I like to get bikes I actually like to ride. And I do ride all my bikes. In terms of what I am looking for right now, I'd like to improve on my 1987 Schwinn Prelude, either in frame quality or size (it's one size to small for me but still rideable). I'd also like to find a late 50s Schwinn with a 2-speed Bendix kick-back. Having that as a filter, it's easy to filter out other bikes I find, which keeps me from bringing home too much of what my wife calls "junk".

Bianchigirll 

Well as I a sure you know my real bike passion is Bianchi. I really like the ones I call "Nouvo Classiques" '85ish to '94-95ish when aero brakes and index really came into their own and before 'brifters' came along and everyone was afraid to take their hands off the bars. I also think STEEL was at the top of its game in this era but the industry forced cheaper alloy and cf on the consumer.

I don't really have a place for major resto work so of course I look for bikes in better shape. I look for unusual bikes, first model year, odd frame style, and sometimes color.

Poguemahone

My collecting, such as it is, is largely defined by my pocketbook. As I've gotten further and further into this hobby, I've gotten much, much better at finding the really good stuff without looking too hard. One key I've found is to always be open to what you find. It's too easy to be dismissive. You find some interesting stuff if you're more open.

Past that, I like lugged steel.

BlueDevil63 

Well I started biking in the 70s as a young teenager and became enamored of the European race scene and Italian bikes in particular. But all I could afford was department store bikes. Then as I got older I followed the race scene into aluminum and titanium bikes with Japanese components. But in the back of my head was always that high end Italian bike with detailed lugs, chrome and drilled Campy components. Anyway now I have the time and resources to have the bikes I lusted after in my youth. I also have and ride a very modern full carbon everything bike and enjoy it but it doesn't have the gut level appeal of a hand crafted steel bike. I focus on European and English steel bikes from the 60s through early 80s and I have a bunch right now. I hope to actually start selling a few soon.

beech333

As Keith mentioned, I've pretty much gone for Fuji only. I've set myself with 5 keepers right now. One will always be the Special Road Racer that holds a special place in my collection. Otherwise, if I find a nice Fuji that is better than one of the other four, something will have to roll out. The America is the next on my list, but I imagine that only a Pro(in a different color scheme) or titanium frame could bump it.

Lately, I have been more interested in tracking down my own set of the catalogs. Additionally, my friend Tom(former fuji distributor) started me on a collection of Fuji posters, which only sits at six right now. I will try to continue that as well.

Matt