Originally Posted by
rothenfield1
I guess this is as good of a place as any to post my mini-rant about aesthetics versus function. The biggest thing that drove me away from this site for a while was this my seemingly endless and pricy pursuit of a quasi-period correct bike both cosmetically and mechanically. Some of the bikes I’ve seen on these threads really blow my mind in their beauty and mechanical precision. However, I really appreciate, these days, a bike that has been thoughtfully pieced together with economy in mind. So what if you used a Tange Levin headset over the Campy Record that would have matched the build, for example.
I realize that this may be hierarchy to some, and I’m not trying to offend anyone, but paying $60 for a saddle just because it is the last piece of the puzzle to complete the perfect picture of a bike versus whether or not that same saddle fits your rear end, is the kind of thing that I’m referring to. I’m not saying that that is what the PM is doing; it is something that I have been guilty of in the past and have decided that if the bike works well as a bike, that is good enough for me to appreciate.
I apologize in advance for this.
I can appreciate this sentiment. I'm not the sort of person who can really afford to spend a lot of money on high-end NOS bikes and parts, as much as I would like to (and despite the fact that I occasionally do it anyway). That being said, I want to say that I also appreciate other bike nuts who can do so, and who then post pictures on here. While I may not be able to afford it myself, I still greatly appreciate the visual impact of an awesome vintage or custom bike.
By the way, I know I haven't posted in a while, but in case anyone remembers and is wondering, yes I finally finished my mixte build from a few months back! I still need to take some good pictures and figure out how to resize them (got a new computer, but no longer have Photoshop).