davester

Some beautiful bikes (and great stories) in this thread! Here's my story...

I was on a bike tour of Maine and New Hampshire back in 1981 on my beautiful 1973 Raleigh International (full campy, fully loaded with panniers and camping gear) when I was run down by a pickup truck. The old Raleigh was folded completely in half (sob...I loved that bike) so with the paltry insurance settlement I took my crutches over to Bicycle Odyssey in Sausalito and got measured up for a custom Ron Cooper frame. It's been my main bike ever since, and in fact I just came in an hour ago from a ride on it through the Berkeley hills. It still has some of the Raleigh's components on it (hubs, shifters, seat post, etc), but I've switched to some more reasonable gears now. However, I'm contemplating getting a long cage for my Campy NR RD and seeing if that'll work well with my current triple set up. Here's a picture I just took 5 minutes ago. The bike's a little the worse for wear, but not bad considering how many thousand miles I've got on it.

shane_bike

Ditto for me. I have a 1985 Trek 400.

s

Sy Reene

I had the 78/79 edition of the same bike.. loved it.

embankmentlb

I have my buddy's Panasonic d x 2000 frame from 1982? I have the Shimano 600 group from my Panasonic Dx 4000 from 1982.

My Cannondale from 1987.
My team issued Guerciotti from 1988.
My Gt mountain bike from 88-89.

These things have made it through countless moves & storage and a divorce.

horatio 

In three years my Nishiki Olympic will qualify. I bought it new in grad school. Couldn't afford an Ironman at the time.

I'll post a pic in three years!

Pompiere

I had forgotten about this thread. I still have the Miyata, and now it qualifies! I have made some upgrades to accommodate my comfort.

ppg677

The chrome Mongoose MTB from when I was a kid (late 80s) is still hanging in my parents garage. I suppose I should rescue it and refurbish for my own kid who will soon grow into it.

gugie 

"Do you still have the bike you bought new 30 years ago?"

NO I DON'T! WHY DO YOU THINK I KEEP BUYING ALL THESE VINTAGE BIKES AND FRAMES!

I'm trying to relive my youth!

Ed.

OK, it did come in pieces.





They came in pieces, too.

Road Fan

I have my 1984 Trek 610 still. It's gone from a less than fully appreciated rider to a well-appreciated mule that has been used in all my rack/bag/fork/ decaleur experiments. Currently it has a vry early Campy Chorus double, Lyotard Berthet pedals, Huret Challenger front mech, DuoPar rear mech, a 7-speed Sachs 13-32 freewheel, Shimano 600 hubs, CR18 rims, Conti GP 3000 tires, an S-A saddle, and a Nitto stem and bars. The fork is a custom with 65 mm offset for about 38 mm trail. It's 52 cm, which I now think is too small for me.

I need to finish installing the bottle dyno set I bought for her and the lights, and then I can ride her downtown for dark after work outings.

ramzilla

I still got my 1984 Fuji Del Rey. My finest beater. Andy just broke the original 31 year old chain last weekend trying to get up Big Dick Knocker hill at Stone Mountain, Georgia.

oddjob2

Over 40 years ago, it is still in the house, awaiting a rebuild.

Deal4Fuji

I still have my 1st real bike which was also the 1st bike that ever fit me, a 27" Fuji Supreme bought new in '82 with my own hard earned money...$285 if I remember correctly. I flirted with a hybrid bike when I got back into cycling and joined here last year, but I quickly realized that a road bike is the only way to ride longer distances. It's now one of "the twins" along with a 66 cm Raleigh I found on CL. Both entry level steel....I'm still looking for that nicer and lighter C&V bike to find me.

KonAaron Snake 

I still have this bike that I found 30 years ago...



The bikes I bought 30 years ago have all gone away via a variety of routes. Theft, accidents, sold...etc.

I will almost definitely have a bike I bought 5 years ago in 25 years. I hope I can still ride it then.

mightymax

I didn't have the fancy steel you guys all seem to of had, but I was 18 in 1979 and got a job at 'The World's Biggest Toy Store'. My first check was used to buy this new video game console called the Atari 2600 (Still have that too!) a few checks later I bought a Huffy 'The Wind'. It had 15 speeds and I was in love with it! It is hanging in my shed. All it needs to be ridable is a new set of rims. I have for some reason always been hard on rims...
Max Bryant

72Paramount

I have the 1971 Schwinn Apple Krate that I got in 4th grade. I also have an Auburn cr20rx that was stolen from My brother in jr. High, and I found it on Craigslist 21 years later and 450 miles away(Anaheim Hills). Made the trip and recovered that beauty. I didn't get into roadbikes until I was about 25 or 26 and all of them were used but not abused . My Dad and I collected Schwinns and Raleighs when I was younger. At one point I had 63 bicycles. Now I only have 18 or 19 bikes, and 11 of them are full campy 😀😀😀

gaucho777 

Almost there. I've owned my Look since late '86/early '87, so just about 29 years and counting.

Fidbloke

I don't understand this term 'New'...

You mean you paid proper money for it, from an actual shop..? Blimey.! There's posh for yer.!


But, on a slightly more serious note, I've never owned a new bike. My parents could only afford second-hand bikes when I was younger and I never saw the point of a new bike, now I'm grown up. My main bike is a slightly 'worn' 3-speed Raleigh Chiltern. I rescued it from a skip at work, about 15 years ago...

gaucho777 

^I know what you mean, but bikes weren't quite as expensive then as today. I would never drop $10k on a new race bike today. Fwiw, the Look was purchased with a modest amount of insurance money after a van sideswiped me, knocked me out cold, and trashed my previous race bike--which I did purchase with my own hard-earned money.

jimmuller 

I paid a shop good money for this one 43 years ago. It still gets ridden.

USAZorro

Give me 30 years.

vtchuck

I have two. A Falcon from 74:



And a 77 Romic frame that I built up:

LeicaLad 

Well, if only to emphasize how much does change, here is my beloved War Horse in its current incarnation: A 650B conversion done on a whim with a wheel set nowhere else to go. Had to swap in Tektro calipers to make the reach, of course.



So, what else to note? New tape and grips. Got those cheap when Boulder Bikes dumped excess stock. Almost translucent, but they been fine.

Odd details remain:
The Flick-Stand, which hasn't fit a wheel since the silk tubulars and possibly the skinniest early clinchers came off, is still there. I look at it and think "That really ought to come off...", but leave it as it is part of its history.
The water bottle cage is crappy and rather rusty. The medical tape under the clips was probably last changed in, say, 1980.
The Grand Sport shift levers, as they were gifted to me by a close pal very shortly after I got the bike in 1971. Plus, they have a full swing to handle the 7 speed cluster that somehow works in the 123mm rear spread.
The raggedy Power Grip straps on Zeus pedals. The straps are turned over so the log isn't visible while riding. I have clean replacement straps, but why bother. The pedals are regularly serviced and are perfect.
The slanted rear rack with strapping tape for Kirtland pannier bags. I still have sets of Kirtland bags, so it's still working perfectly.

The 650B wheels & 38mm tires have been an eye-opener. The bike is still the most stable and true-running of all my bikes, but these tires are like riding on high speed marshmallows! I would have never thought to do this consciously, but the wheel set wouldn't fit on the older frames built for 27" wheels. . .

So, coming up on 45 years with this wonderful bike. Unbelievably great rider. It was this morning's choice, to boot.

Phreon

I'm in the process of restoring (tastefully "resto-modding to 700C) my 1981 Miyata 1000. I can't claim *I* purchased it though, but it is almost a family heirloom at this point. My Dad bought in '81, rode the hell out of it until he tweaked his back and went 'bent. Then I rode the hell out of it when I grew into it. I got caught up in the MTB craze in my college years and the old 1000 sat forgotten, cannibalized for parts. As we speak, the same shop it came from is building her back up.

rickrob 

Still have this one-- a 1981 Schwinn LeTour. I bought it new at a local Schwinn dealer. If I remember it was $209 new. I think the only original thing left is the frame, crank set, stem and bars. I added Shimano 600 derailleurs and shifters, Weinmann Carerra brakes and new aluminum wheels over the years. Don't know what I was thinking with that saddle... It has a set of original Schwinn Decals from a Super Le Tour on it now, new Paselas and a new saddle.