East Hill

I would like to say I am old enough to know better, but I'll leave it at I'm 52 .

I'm not really certain how I would up enjoying vintage bikes. It was not nostalgia for a bike dreamed of, and never purchased. I didn't participate in the bike boom era. I simply decided that I needed a bike one day. I got a cheap Retro Schwinn which got me to and from work. I decided that this bike riding was fun. But then I went to a different facility, and stop riding the bike. Several years later I realised that I missed riding the bike. I started riding again, and decided that the bike was just too heavy. I went and bought myself a 2004 Specialized Dolce Elite. A nice bike--very nice bike! So, I started reading BikeForums. Several months later I joined. I started looking in the C & V section, and was absolutely blown away by those beautiful older bikes.

I also noticed that everyone, even back in 2005, was kind, generous, helpful, and enthusiastic. Never an unkind word was spoken to new people. I was hesitant at first, because not only was I new, but I was also female.

I was welcomed into the community. No one cared if I was male, female, or made of green cheese. All I needed was to be enthusiastic and curious about vintage bikes.

There are so many great people in this forum--I just wish I could meet everyone in person and see all those bikes!

East Hill

gregam

I guess that makes me number 4. I am an old Nikon F fan, have 2. Also Like old large format cameras, but they aren't bike lugable.

dbakl

56, started on paperboy bikes as a kid, missed the Stingray thing, 3-speed as a teen. My stepfather had a 50s Allegro he wouldn't let us touch, so I was exposed to nice 10-speeds. Took them up in my early 20s, very active rider through college years. Always had more than one good bike and enjoyed building and repairing them. Started building and collecting again when favorite bike was stolen in 84. Probably have 30 bikes and close to that again in frames and parts I've collected over the years. Also motorcycles: 2 Harleys and 4 Yamaha xs650s!

Oh, trying to get back in shape for a 6 day tour in Ireland my wife and I are going to do in July!

dbakl

Ha, ha, I have lots of old cameras too! 5 old Nikons, many lenses, Speed Graphic and a 4x5 view, 2 RBs, folding and box 120s, and digital!

rhm

45. I've been riding since I was 4 or 5, but really got into bikes in the late 70's, when I got a used Raleigh Record (yellow with black). Worked in a couple shops in the early 80's... since then, I've cycled in a lot of ways... for fun ... touring in the US and Europe ... car-free as a graduate student ... commuter ... and so on. My main bike is a folder that will probably be used up long before it gets to be vintage, but somehow it seems that my bikes, even the ones I bought new, suddenly become vintage when I look away for a few seconds.

top506

No, but I can load a Contax II on the march in deep snow with a M1 tucked under my arm.
Top

mikepoole

46


First bike was a SS Western Auto/Murray stingray-ish thing with a purple metalflake banana seat. First multi-gear was a Free Spirit 24" wheel 10-speed. First bike that I really noticed was a Raleigh DL-1 Tourist that one of my father's co-workers stored at our house for a while. Had crappy Murray 10-spd thru college, started working really long days for the next 20 years and didn't ride much. Finally got back into the habit, put Albatross bars on my old MTB and started loving riding again... finally got my own DL-1 last year. Trying to do everything under 5 miles/50 lbs by bike now.

I like old, hand-made, precision stuff. Cameras are Canon F1s/Ftb, Nikon FM/FE, Rolleiflexes, Rollei 35s. Analog recording gear that has knobs, not LCDs...

barndoor

46-1/2

My first bike was an old hand-me-down coaster "english" style bike that I inherited from my oldest brother. I have a groovy pic that I will post whenever I learn how to properly use this scanner thingy.....

I received a brand new sky blue '69 coaster Stingray for my birthday when I was 8! ... I would've gotten one a couple of years earlier, but my dad said I was too young....even though I was quite a bit taller than the other kids my age....You have to understand, this was a MAJOR purchase for us back then....

My first 10-speed was a maroon Sears Free-Spirit for Christmas in '71....wow, welcome to the big time! ... there weren't a lot of Schwinns on my block, except for Stingrays...living in the west end of Hagerstown meant that you got a Sears or Monky Wards or some other off-brand bike....

I always lusted after a Schwinn Sports Tourer like the orange one in the '71 catalog.....or dare I say, even a Paramount!!!???....with the shiny gold chain and freewheel??? Not a chance...


An big silver American Eagle 10-speed followed a few years later and I really put a pounding on that one at 13.....I had that one till I turned 16 and wanted a car.......

I forgot about bikes until '89.....when it hit me again.....and again....and again....

BikeManDan

I'm 22

Fell into vintage bikes when I started buying used bikes and selling them refurbished
I've now made it into a business https://www.bikemandan.com

graywolf

All these whippersnappers. An old fart at 64, but I am sure there are older guys, and gals, here.

As to mechanical cameras, https://www.graywolfphoto.com/presscameras/index.html

I now have a lot less hair, but still have the camera and the trench coat, my first bicycle, a Dunelt 3-speed, was about the same age as that camera. I do use a digital camera for web stuff these days however.

Reynolds 

Well, I have a MX, a K1000, 4 SMC-M lenses and a 6 x 6 Yashica Mat, but I like also Canon, Nikon, Leica, etc. That heavy chromed brass has a special feeling...
Some years ago I went plinking every Sunday with my 1911. Not anymore, I spend Sundays on the road now.

top506

OUTSTANDING!
I shoot with a pair of Anny Speeds 4x5's ('39 and '45) and a very early Mini Speed ('38)
That Pacemaker Crown of yours in nothing to sneer at, though.
Top
(who can also be found on Graflex.org)

USAZorro

I would have cared about that.

Reynolds 

Hey Graywolf, I knew you from PDML!

mparker326

I'm 39.

I bought a late 80's Schwinn Traveler off of Craiglist for $50. I was researching my find and came across the late great Sheldon Brown's site. After reading his Old Bikes section on English 3 Speeds I had to get a couple of those as well.

I love commuting my 3 miles to work on my old 3 speeds. Being able get on the bike in my work clothes and being able to shift while stopped at a red light is priceless.

East Hill

Perhaps I should have gone with my roots and said "Lancashire cheese".



East Hill

gregam

My view cameras are a Gundlach Korona 4X5 and a AGFA 8X10.

Unagidon

37. Loved bikes since I was a kid. First bike, Norco BMX with plastic rims (can't remember what they're called). Then, went into road bikes, a Bianchi 12 speed with 650 wheels. Left North America - hiatus for about 5 years, then purchased my first mountain bike in 1990 - a Trek 820. Rode for a few years and sold it prior to leaving North America for the second time. Started riding a road bike about 11 months ago while looking to buy a bike for my wife. Fell in love...had to upgrade from my entry level road bike to a mid-level carbon bike...bought that 4 months ago.

Then, I start seeing these beautiful lugged bikes. Read about the benefits steel, ans started thinking - hey, I don't have a single speed bike. Anyway, looked on ebay and ended up purchasing a Miyata 914SE, since I can't afford the Colnagos and Pinarellos. I'm still impressed about how I skillfully told my wife I bought another bike
I'm still waiting for my bike, so for those that already have yours, post some more pics!

Antipodes

If you mean the plastic wheels with 4 to 5 spokes in a star pattern, they were called "Tuff" wheels and were made by Skyway. There were also imitations of these, that were basically the same, but had slightly different spoke patterns.

GeraldChan

50 and my first 10 speed was a 1971 Gitane Grand Prix which was a gas pipe low end bike but it was nicer and lighter than the Varsities and Continentals that my classmates rode.

My first good bike was a 1973 Nishiki Professional. It came with silk sew-up tires and shifted wonderfully with the Suntour VGT derailleurs and barcons. What I really wanted was a Gitane Super Corsa or a Masi or DeRosa but since I was spending my own $ I bought the Nishiki. I rode it to high school every day (except for rainy days).
As I could afford it I upgraded all the components to Campy NR. The Suntour stuff worked better but I lusted for the Campy parts.
I still have this bike and ride it regularly as a FG conversion. Before anyone gets their panties in a bunch I saved all the extra parts and can convert it back to a geared bike in 1-2 hrs. (But it now weighs under 21 lbs.) I really enjoy riding it in wool Molteni jerseys to look the part.

I also frequent the Road and FG/SS forums but I find the wealth of knowledge and civility on this forum nice. I also am a rabid tubular tire fan as 3 out of my 4 bikes sport sew-up wheels. (hint: only the 3 steel bike are worthy of the good stuff)

My other hobby is driving and teaching high performance driving on real race tracks (like Watkins Glen, VIR and Lime Rock Park) I drive a classic 17 y/o E30 M3 to work every day and track that car and my spec miata.

Gerry

digitalbicycle

27.

About 4 years ago, I moved to southern Arizona from the Northeast and took a very low-paying doing something I really believed in. I couldn't afford to insure my car, and sold it, but soon realized that the flatness of my new city and the nice year-round weather made it possible to commute on a bike. I bought a Specialized Allez, aluminum frame, Sora STI levers, and totally fell in love with it.

After putting a few thousand miles on the Allez, I started getting interested in fixing it myself, and went down to the local bike coop to try and learn. I met a bunch of total vintage bike nerds and it was all downhill from there -- I started checking CL every day, and now only ride lugged steel.

C&V bikes appeal to my thrifty and recycling nature. It makes me pretty happy that I can pay a few hundred bucks for a bike that rides as well as a new one many times its cost, and I appreciate fine quality stuff that's made to last. I also love the huge amount of information on this forum, and thanks to stuff I've learned here have made almost enough money flipping bikes over the past year to fund my bike purchases.

wahoonc

I'm 48 (now that took some serious counting and ciphering to figure out) I have been riding since I was 6. My first bike was a "curb" special, as in my dad will have picked it off the curb and rebuilt it for me to ride. At the time he was a grad student and I was the oldest of 3 soon to be 4 kids All I remember was it was white and gold w/ 20" wheels. Wore that one out. First real bike I remember was a 26" Western Flyer single speed coaster and I rode the wheels off of that one. I rode everywhere and I do mean everywhere (even places I was TOLD not to go)) I ran a paper route in jr high and worked in a bike shop in high school, bought my first Schwinns, then got into the fancy go faster stuff. All of my earning went to support my cycling addiction. Went through a lot of bikes in those years. I wish I had half of them back Currently I "play" with old British steel and touring bikes. I love to tinker and keep old bikes running. I much prefer the utility bikes with fenders and racks over the go fast stuff. But I can appreciate any nice older bike.

Aaron

CV-6 

54...First good bike was a Moto Grand Touring. I still own my first really good bike, my red LeJeune Pro, which I bought used in 1972. It has gone through several iterations but is now back to sort of correct. I started riding more often about 5 years ago when I learned I was Type 2 diabetic. My brother in law gave me a Trek that had met a car, so I took the Campag components off and put them on a Guerciotti. Kind of snowballed from there. A 3Rensho, another Guerc, a PX-10, a Raysport, another Guerc, another Raysport, a CT Moto, another 3Rensho, another LeJeune, a Jan De Reus, a Raleigh, a LeJeune track frame, and yet another LeJeune. Think I might need to divest some.

Other bad habits? I have an 89 Shelby CSX-VNT that I used to show, autocross, and play with on the road courses at our conventions. I see some others are into mechanical cameras. I have a Leica IIIf which was my first 35mm and recently started playing with my dad's Kodak Retina from 1939. Also have an Oly OM-4 plus a couple of digital cameras to make life easier. And I am a die-hard Who fan.

anomaly

23, own a Paramount and have a lot of love for classic steel road bikes

waldowales

Where did all these kids come from? I'm nearly 68, I own a 1936 Columbia cruiser that I got when I was about 11 or 12 years old. My favorite camera is a Hasselblad 500C.