As per usual, the winter is a time where I neglect my bikes a bit (while still riding to work every day) and obsess about skiing. This winter as I began to pack up for my eventual move to a new home I thought a lot about the bike collection in my basement. What are they all for? How many should I keep? Which ones?
Previously I'd always considered myself a user, not a collector. I bought a new (typically vintage) bike for some purpose: commuting, winter, touring, road riding. Not just to have it. But with ten-odd bikes around, with lots of overlap I've slowly come to grips with the fact that I'm a collector. I just love bikes. Their history and development. And that I can at any time grab one off the hook and go for a ride on something many decades old. Over these last few months (where I've purposely stayed away from BF.net to avoid compulsive purchases) I tried to figure out what sort of collection I want to curate over the next few years / decade / life.
Certainly goals and priorities will change over time, but I think I've settled on my first long-term goal:
The Decade Project
The goal of this project is to own one bike, from every decade going back until at least the 1930s. They should all be riders in good repair. I'd like to include geographic variation as much as possible. And as many different types of bikes (road, touring, mountain, city, folding?, etc) as possible. No wallhangers. No bikes I'm afraid to ride. Something that was nice quality when it was manufactured, top of line is fine but not a requirement.
I already have 4 spots filled in and sold off a couple already that didn't quite fit. Certainly there will be times when I have more than one from a particular decade, but the aim is to refine over time rather than expand.
I hope to use this thread over the next few years to track my progress and ask for recommendations / thoughts / help. And of course, post lots of build and ride photos as they occur.
The Decade Project: Current Line-up - 1930: ??? Plan: French / Belgian / Italian / Dutch / German.
- 1940: ??? Plan: French / Belgian / Italian / Dutch / German
- 1950: ??? Plan: French / Belgian / Italian / Dutch / German
- 1960: UK. Carlton Catalina. 1966?. Setup as a 3-sp with North Roads.
- 1970: UK. MKM Cycle. Early 1970s. Not currently built.
- 1980: USA. Trek 620. 1983. Rando-build.
- 1990: USA. Waterford RS. 1999. Road build.
- 2000: ??? Plan: single speed or IGH, all-weather, commuter OR Italian racer?
- 2010: ??? Plan: modern FS mountain bike.
To reconsider / prune - 1995: Diamondback Racing Axis Titanium. XT w/ updated 100m air-fork. I may keep it as an all-weather, SS commuter once a modern mountain bike finds its way home. It'd give me some different options for the 2000s bike. (Folding?)
- 1989: Schwinn High Sierra. Current utility / bad weather bike. Have a friend who it would suit.
- 1983: Trek 420. Current SS, nice day, around town. Probably bound for a different friend of mine.
Current to-do list. Or "give me your recommendations."- Build a list of French, Belgian, Italian, Dutch and German bike brands that were manufactured 1930-50s to slowly search Ebay/CL for. Ideally available in America. Aim for $400-800 total per bike. For something exceptional, this can grow a bit.
- Plan MKM build. Have GB bars/stems I'd like to use. But what component set for an early 1970s British racer?
- Prep High Sierra / 420 for sale to friends (i.e. full overhaul / build adjustments.)