Hello all!

I joined a little while ago to browse threads/ask questions, but I figure I may as well introduce myself!

I'm 26, and I work at a bar and as a freelance journalist in Austin, TX. I don't bike here yet because I've had a hard time finding one I like for a reasonably price, so I've been building one up a Takara Challenge touring frame from scratch into a commuter/grocery-getter/bar bike/all-around-towner and also slowly restoring a neglected Miyata Team road racer to its former glory for casual and speedy rides. My username references a '85 Raleigh Marathon "sport" touring bike that I rode all over Philadelphia for five years when I lived there, and am looking forward to riding again when I visit home (I didn't think it was worth it to ship it all the way to Texas. In retrospect, it probably would have been).

I mostly use my bike as a way to get around, but am interested in getting into cycle touring and bikepacking. I've realized recently that I love vintage cycles and don't love modern bikes, and am on a journey to become a more knowledgeable rider and fledgling mechanic through reading, volunteering and working on my bike projects. I'm also interested in transit policy and urbanism, which I cover as a journalist.

If anyone has any big tips on vintage cycles, cycle touring, reading material, or good places to get parts, or just wants to chat and link, I'm all ears!