Old Vintage vs New Vintage
10-06-11, 12:01 PM
#26
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Not to mention, many shops lack mechanics familiar with vintage equipment. If you learn how to do it yourself you'll be better off in the long run.
10-06-11, 04:48 PM
#27
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Agreed -- if you're going to go vintage, you'll also need to do the work yourself. By the time you pay somebody to upgrade the hub (and the rims, while you're at it), it'll cost you at least as much as a modern bike of the same type. If your area doesn't have many hills, though, the original 3-speed should be fine.
Also, let me tell you my experience: not to stereotype too much, but it's pretty common around here to find guys who like to mess with old machines, partnered with ladies who just like something that looks good and works well. I had my wife riding vintage bikes for many years (mostly my mom's 1961 Atala), but she's actually much, much happier with her 2007 Breezer Uptown 8. It doesn't give me much to tinker with, but it's totally solid. If she likes city-style bikes, I'd say start looking for a used Breezer. For around $400 you'll get a pretty much flawless city machine with an 8-speed rear hub, a generator front hub, and modern LED dynamo lights; you couldn't possibly build up a comparable vintage bike for that price, even if you did all the work yourself.
I set up a Google Alert for "Craigslist Breezer Uptown 8" and it took me about a month to find one in one of the three or four cities where I have friends/family who could go pick it up.
Also, let me tell you my experience: not to stereotype too much, but it's pretty common around here to find guys who like to mess with old machines, partnered with ladies who just like something that looks good and works well. I had my wife riding vintage bikes for many years (mostly my mom's 1961 Atala), but she's actually much, much happier with her 2007 Breezer Uptown 8. It doesn't give me much to tinker with, but it's totally solid. If she likes city-style bikes, I'd say start looking for a used Breezer. For around $400 you'll get a pretty much flawless city machine with an 8-speed rear hub, a generator front hub, and modern LED dynamo lights; you couldn't possibly build up a comparable vintage bike for that price, even if you did all the work yourself.
I set up a Google Alert for "Craigslist Breezer Uptown 8" and it took me about a month to find one in one of the three or four cities where I have friends/family who could go pick it up.
Sounds like great advice.
Despite it's incredible cool factor, I can definitely see the Humber turning into a money pit, or worse, being added to my growing list of unfinished projects.
The Raleigh Mixte I found is tempting -it looks nice and it sounds like it would be a good reliable ride- but I am starting to think that, if I am going invest in an old bike, then I would want something really unique...which kind of brings me back to the money pit problem. I'm guessing that an unusual old bike is likely to cost a lot more to restore.
I am starting to lean towards getting her a newer bike, but style comes with a price tag. She's liking the Republic Plato step-through -it's in our price range- but the quality question is making me uneasy. Style and reliability are definitely important to her. I'd ride a dumpster if it had good brakes and a nice drive train!
Ahhh...so many bikes and so little time!
Last edited by rgh; 10-07-11 at 08:31 AM. Reason: typo
10-06-11, 07:41 PM
#28
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Final bit of advice and then I'll shut up: for most people who are starting out with bikes as adults, it takes a few tries to find the right one -- you'll get one that seems good, ride it a while, figure out what you didn't know you wanted, and move on. So if I were you, I'd aim for something that I could resell without losing a lot of money. It could be new vintage or old vintage, but either way it should be in used-but-good condition. If you don't want to do the labor yourself, you shouldn't spend a lot on shop work unless you're convinced that you want to keep the bike for a long time.
I don't know where you live, but in most US markets you ought to be able to find a really nice used bike that needs nothing, for a lot less than the $500 that a new Republic Plato 3-speed costs -- and it won't lose half its value on the first ride home. (And if you're by chance in NC, I can hook you up.) It'll just take a little time to find what you want. You might even try posting a want ad on Craigslist -- you'd be surprised at what'll emerge from people's garages and basements.
I don't know where you live, but in most US markets you ought to be able to find a really nice used bike that needs nothing, for a lot less than the $500 that a new Republic Plato 3-speed costs -- and it won't lose half its value on the first ride home. (And if you're by chance in NC, I can hook you up.) It'll just take a little time to find what you want. You might even try posting a want ad on Craigslist -- you'd be surprised at what'll emerge from people's garages and basements.
Sounds like great advice.
Despite it's incredible cool factor, I can definitely see the Humber turning into a money pit, or worse, being added to my growing list of unfinished projects.
The Raleigh Mixte I found is tempting -it looks nice and it sounds like it would be a good reliable ride- but I am starting to think that, if I am going invest in an old bike, then I would want something really unique...which kind of brings me back to the money pit problem. I'm guessing that an unusual old bike is likely to cost a lot more to restore.
I am starting to lean towards getting her a newer bike, but style comes with a price tag. She's liking the Republic Plato step-through -it's in our price range- but the quality question is making me uneasy. Style and reliability and definitely important to her for her. I'd ride a dumpster if it had good brakes and a nice drive train!
Ahhh...so many bikes and so little time!
Despite it's incredible cool factor, I can definitely see the Humber turning into a money pit, or worse, being added to my growing list of unfinished projects.
The Raleigh Mixte I found is tempting -it looks nice and it sounds like it would be a good reliable ride- but I am starting to think that, if I am going invest in an old bike, then I would want something really unique...which kind of brings me back to the money pit problem. I'm guessing that an unusual old bike is likely to cost a lot more to restore.
I am starting to lean towards getting her a newer bike, but style comes with a price tag. She's liking the Republic Plato step-through -it's in our price range- but the quality question is making me uneasy. Style and reliability and definitely important to her for her. I'd ride a dumpster if it had good brakes and a nice drive train!
Ahhh...so many bikes and so little time!
10-06-11, 08:34 PM
#29
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A "retro" modern bike seems to me to be the worst of both worlds - the weight and sluggishness of an old commuter, partnered with the cheap materials and half-assed solutions of today! Most of my bikes - mostly 40s and 50s commuters - sold for a months wage when they were new, so no brittle plastic or lacking rust protection there. It cost a months work, dammit! Reliability comes from two things: Contruction and condition. It sounds like what you're really after is a bike that hasn't endured 50 years of torture, and buying new is a guarantee against that. Instead, try looking for a proper vintage bike that hasn't been mangled!
If I were you I'd go for condition rather than uniqueness. Find an midrange Raleigh and you're set. As others have said, restoring a unique classic will siphon your dollars! It's like cars - Once I got an offer to buy a 60s Rover with a V8, but I went for a much better cared-for Rover with a boring two liter straight four and haven't looked back. My friend bought a beat up top-of-the-line Mercedes and has barely gotten to drive it.
Also: My girl doesn't like it when she can't bike because I'm on my knees fiddling with the bearings on her bike. I've restored three bikes for her, and with basic maintenance they run totally problem-free. Once I gave her a "rolling restoration" of a bike I thought was special - not a success.
If I were you I'd go for condition rather than uniqueness. Find an midrange Raleigh and you're set. As others have said, restoring a unique classic will siphon your dollars! It's like cars - Once I got an offer to buy a 60s Rover with a V8, but I went for a much better cared-for Rover with a boring two liter straight four and haven't looked back. My friend bought a beat up top-of-the-line Mercedes and has barely gotten to drive it.
Also: My girl doesn't like it when she can't bike because I'm on my knees fiddling with the bearings on her bike. I've restored three bikes for her, and with basic maintenance they run totally problem-free. Once I gave her a "rolling restoration" of a bike I thought was special - not a success.
10-10-11, 02:36 PM
#30
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Last edited by irwin7638; 10-10-11 at 03:57 PM.
10-10-11, 06:02 PM
#31
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A "retro" modern bike seems to me to be the worst of both worlds - the weight and sluggishness of an old commuter, partnered with the cheap materials and half-assed solutions of today! Most of my bikes - mostly 40s and 50s commuters - sold for a months wage when they were new, so no brittle plastic or lacking rust protection there
10-10-11, 08:02 PM
#32
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Didn't mean to offend anyone. Just speaking from experience. A popular, relatively expensive retro bike here in Scandinavia is the Swedish "Kronan" bike. A magazine recently found it to have an inherently weak fork, unsafely so. Other retro bikes I've seen have had V-brakes with insufficently reinforced cable stops at the calipers that bend after a years use, risking brake failure. All of them have gotten rust dripping off the drivetrain after one winter. Then I get back to my phospate rust-proofed, bombproof commuters of yore...
I guess I'm just aggravated from having to fix this mess for my pals. I have no experience with the posted bikes, so I can't say anything about them. Sorry for pretending that I could.
I guess I'm just aggravated from having to fix this mess for my pals. I have no experience with the posted bikes, so I can't say anything about them. Sorry for pretending that I could.
05-04-15, 04:56 AM
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I bought a brand new Viva Kilo for less than $500 bucks on clearance and it was retailing for more that $1500. Super bike that is very well designed with great components and very comfortable. It is heavy and slow but I call it my "success" bike because it looks awesome and just glides on by in no hurry to get anywhere, just enjoying the ride and the view!
05-04-15, 05:32 AM
#34
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It was good advice. Find a Breezer dealer and take your wife there. Have her test ride the Uptown. If she likes it, buy it on the spot. Don't dither around.
If she's not convinced, find the next nearest dealer of an upright ladies model - and have her ride that one. PG
If she's not convinced, find the next nearest dealer of an upright ladies model - and have her ride that one. PG
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