Auchen, you've nailed it again!

We've discussed this topic over and over again and there are as many definitions as there are people with opinions. I like the folks who think of C&V as "old bikes," frankly, but even that is subjective and mostly depends on how old you happen to be. For instance, over on the CR they limit discussion to pre-1983 classic lightweights and that tends to work for me as I was a teen in the 70's. I cringe a little when someone pops up with an "old bike" built in 2003, but my interest gets piqued when someone mentions they're regularly riding a 50's era roadie (i.e., something far earlier than my own personal experience.) Many of us have discussed the idea that these bikes tend to be those we couldn't afford earlier in life and that is absolutely the case for me.

I think the best part though is that the folks in this forum are good natured (well, usually) and very sharing. Much of that discussion centers around esoterica and conjecture about a common interest - bike stuff from a bygone era. C&V, to me, is more than a bike definition - it's this collective consciousness of fading memories. It hasn't been that long ago when it was really tough to track down the kind of details or suggestions we share just as a matter of course every day on here.