I rolled my eyes the first time I peaked into C&V. Obsess over old bikes? Come on. Then I realized that I shared a lot of knowledge with the people here. It got me to appreciate what I have. It got me to do more with my bikes and also build some more bikes. I know how to deal with the old stuff. I've since learned to deal with the new stuff and appreciate that, too.

I don't think I've ever made a decision to stick with old bikes. For me, it's just frugality. I have old bikes, and I can update them more cheaply than I can replace them. Since I have so many parts on hand, the cost of doing this is pretty low.

But now I think I've spent a bit too much on this stuff, for too little return. I'm thinking I'd like a modern bike or two. New stuff has its merits, and old stuff has a different set of merits. The best way to get the best of both worlds is to have some of both, right? In time, when money is not so tight, I might end up with a nice Rivendell or similar and maybe a carbon fiber bike, too. Or something.