How I ended-up here and why I'm still here, and why I tend to now, simply 'lurk'.

I grew-up in the bicycle business (Grandfather worked at a Schwinn shop for years, then had his own shop in the 1960s and early 1970s, and I worked there after school and summers) I rode bikes like crazy, grew-up on Schwinns then high-end Euro bikes, did a lot of touring and weekend short trips with my friends in our teen years in the early 1970s.

But, I got a drivers license in 1973 and then that first motorcycle and an ElCamino and like many of you may know, the pedaling was all over. And I really never thought about bikes until 20 years later. Because of this, my knowledge of bikes was frozen in time. Then in the early 1990s (before eBay) I started to buy and hoard Schwinns of all kinds. (Mostly Yard Sale finds)

Then in 2009, I finally got on a health kick and was power-walking four miles every day and lost 85 pounds in eight months. But due to some painful Plantars Fasciitis in the left foot, I pulled my "wall-art" Paramounts off the wall, tuned them up, and transferred from power walking back to the hobby of my youth, riding road bicycles! Since my memories are frozen in the 1970s, I have no interest in the newfangled carbon bikes.. I like lugged steel bikes and I like Campy stuff. (But I do have a couple of older Cannondales and some Shimano equipped bikes)

So, I found that this forum is a wealth of information and even though many posts I read are not related to my interests, I often find out something new, or a suggestion or solution that gives me a new original idea that does apply to my specific needs.

This forum is a giant brainstorming extravaganza. And yes, I have had some of the more opinionated persons make comments on my posts that I found to be offensive.. So, I tend to be more reserved than I was in the beginning, and I know the limits of what is and what is not acceptable behavior in this hobby...

For example;
I now know that buying bikes that are being sold "too cheap" by novice sellers is an especially grievous cardinal sin.. (But my hobby started by buying lots of Schwinns at garage sales. So, Even though I pay the asking price, I still can't quite understand this concept and theory that this is so very wrong, but I respect the right to an opinion. (In this post, I am expressing my opinions, I hope this is OK?).

And I found that "flipping" bikes is extremely offensive to some members.. Even though I thought it was actually a "trading-up" method. Wherein a person flips a bike and makes a profit to buy an even better vintage bike? But I was also so wrong about this.. Therefore, any smokin' deal buying and subsequent flipping I perhaps might do in the future will certainly be done in a manner that would be 100% secret from this forum) Of course, I never do that any more as it is so terribly wrong.

Anyhoo.... I found this forum a few years ago, then this C&V section seemed to be my natural place to hang out. And at first I made a lot of posts, and at the same time I learned a bunch of stuff that I never knew, and refreshed my 1970s memories.

For this, I want to thank all of you who have helped me with your experience and knowledge.. I do also participate at about the same level in the Schwinn Collectors Forum. But as my interests are in high-end road bikes, this forum is more suitable for my general needs.

Thanks again, keep up the good work, fellow vintage aficionados.

And yes, I have posted photos of my cat... Sorry, way off topic!