Originally Posted by MRT2

For some, perhaps. Others might just be frugal, or have a preference for the style of bike they grew up with . That isn't necessarily nostalgia. Just personal preference. Nostalgia is someone who has already switched to modern, then intentionally goes back. I went through a nostalgic phase where I replaced my late 90s Bianchi hybrid with a mid 80s Schwinn Touring bike before ultimately replacing that with a modern steel road bike.

Or they might commute in bad weather or leave their bikes parked for hours in sketchy neighborhoods, and would prefer not to worry about theft or damage.

I was in court yesterday and struck up a conversation with a guy who is a kind of friend and religious advisor to one of my clients, and showed up to see what happened at his court date. When I asked where he was parked, he mentioned he rode his bike to court, and left it parked just outside the main entrance to the jail, just next to the courthouse. I said I would be nervous to leave my bike parked anywhere near the courthouse, which is in the inner city. When I saw this guy's bike, I realized why he wasn't worried about theft. This fellow was riding an old late 70s or early 80s Schwinn World Sport, which was built up with a bunch of mismatched components. Didn't even have quick release wheels. All he used to lock the bike with was a thin cable and lock.