C&V bikes are still "cool"....
 

I posted this yesterday on the 50+ forum (well, yeah, since I'm 54...) and figured that since it relates more to C&V bikes, it really should go here:


Yesterday I took a quick ride out to Agee's Bicycles here in Richmond, Virginia out on Broad St. I rode the backroads through various neighborhoods with my old trusty Garmin eTrex GPS mounted on the handlebars. Total trip, 4.65 miles each way = 9.30 miles total in 41:05 (not including time spent in the store).

A funny story, while I was in Agee's nosing around looking at various high tech, carbon framed, something-something, road bikes - mostly Trek (Agee's is a primary Trek dealer), I couldn't believe the cost of some of them... I'm sorry, but I just stood there thinking to myself, "OMG, seriously?!?" :eek:

Anyway, the owner (a gray haired guy around my age) noticed my old Fuji outside and mentioned that I was wise to ride this morning and not later this afternoon when it's supposed to be a roasting 98°F outside! One thing led to another, and I went outside and wheeled my old Fuji into the store. The clerks and bike techs all looked over at it and gave approving comments like, "Oh wow man, classic!" and "Look at that... An 'old school' Fuji with downtube shifters!". :thumb: When I told the owner (who was looking it over) that it was from 1985, he also said, "This is in excellent shape! We get these old steel framed bikes in here from time to time. They just keep on going and won't die. If there's anything you need, just drop it off with us, and we'll keep it going for another 30 years! (I guess he had to make a sales/service pitch for the repair shop).


EDIT: I guess it's safe to say that C&V bikes are (and probably always will be) viewed by LBS's as "cool" and "old school" and not put down or ridiculed. They will always have a special place in our hearts. Like the owner/older guy in the LBS was saying, "old bikes will just keep on going and will never die". Wouldn't you agree? :D

The LBS I frequent does sell a lot of the new fancy stuff...however, even the young mechanics know and love the old stuff (there was a lot of cooing over my Raleigh Sports frame), and they organize a yearly L'Eroica for all the cranks in the area.


I took my S-A 3-speed hub and a rim into a different shop to try and find the right length of spokes, and the quiet contempt was palpable. I haven't been back.

I stopped in a Trek store the other day.
May as well have been in a FootLocker.

I did recognize some saddles in the bargain bin.

The tricky balance between staying afloat and doing what you want is everywhere, even in bike shops.

I think mechanics enjoy the simpler, more straight forward days. Whether it be cars,planes, machinery or bicycles. Its sort of like working on a carburetor as opposed to an EFI system. We like to be able to get into the guts of things & fix them. If a rim or a top tube is bent, we like to think we can straighten it. Technology has done some wonderful things but, it has also distanced us from the connection of the mechanical product

I walk my gorgeous '86 Trek Pro Series into the Trek dealer downtown and he has no comments. I thought maybe we could finally have something to talk about. Pfffft. Maybe if it was C&V crabon fiber.

Wow... I guess here in the Richmond, VA area Agee's is still kind of a "Mom 'n Pop" type of LBS, even though they expanded over the past decades and have another store southside. The Agee family has been in the bicycle business for years and years and years... They got some nice folks in there, and are very family oriented. You could bring in a 1972 5-speed rear wheel hub, and they would know exactly what you need and would do whatever they could to help you out. :thumb:

Performance Bike = another LBS chain in town (the only Performance dealer around). Not a bad place... They do Fuji's and have seen my old '85 Fuji when I upgraded the seat, etc... They too thought it was cool, but not to the extent of Agee's. The impression I got was along the lines of "Nice old bike... But wouldn't you be better off on a nice Fuji Roubaix instead of that old thing?"

(Will not disclose name of other LBS) = As you can see, there is another LBS in town that, well, um, er, you know... doesn't exactly go out of their way to help "common bicyclists". If you walk in there already dressed up in a lycra kit, walking funny in cleats, they'll drop what they're doing and help you out. Otherwise, forget it, they'll ignore you unless you speak up asking a question. :rolleyes:

That's a great compliment to your bike, as well as a nice story. My LBS in my town is also a huge Trek dealer. They're used to me coming in to get stuff.

On a slightly different but related note, I was out yesterday at the gym, and as I walked to the door I noted a ratty looking tall bike. I had to go back to see what it was because it was obviously vintage. Turns out it was a Raleigh International with drillium cranks, Zeus brake levers, and Campy down tube shifters & front/rear derailleurs. It was still there when I left so I left a note on it complimenting their wonderful bike. Signed it, "From another vintage bike nerd". So, what you say about bikes going forever is true.

I'm in my late 20's but have always had an affection for older things. 'Bespoke' and 'vintage' and 'made somewhere other than China' is generally cool with contemporary 'hipsters', but it still seems a bit hit or miss when it comes to people appreciating old bikes. There's been a growing enthusiasm for bikes in general and 'vintage style' bikes like what Linus and Public are coming out with seem to be popular with a certain subset (though I think there's still some mistrust of the legitimate old ones being safe or quality vs the faux old ones (despite the latter generally being 2-3x the price and 1/2 the quality).

It seems like smart business to praise the bike someone comes in with (unless it's a BSO... but then maybe some people working in bike shops lump anything not new and carbon-y in with Walmart bikes?) I've been to a couple of local bike shops where I feel my bike is... dismissed a bit. Not only am I not inclined to buy one of the newer ones (not that there's anything wrong with a new bike!) but I suddenly feel a bit indifferent to picking up that bike pump or getting a tune up done there. The ones where I've gone in and they've gushed over it a little, or even just said something generic like how it was great seeing one of those on the road, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy about the shop and that's where I end up putting my money.

Old bikes ARE cool.....to lots of folks.

I have a 1977 Varsity and a 1977 Speedster that are converted to upright position single speeds. Repainted, new but retro style components, Brooks etc. They deliberately "look" older than 70s bikes.

Believe it or not every young person (20-30 year olds) that has seen the bikes makes extreme compliments. In conversation they reveal that the skinny frame tubes are what catches their eye. The bikes look ODD to them because they are so different from modern bikes, and somehow they intuitively suspect "old". I've heard stuff like, "Dude, Sweet, what year is that?" and "What is that? That's rad, did you build it?". They freak out in a positive way when I tell them the bikes are a decade or two older than they are. Always BIG smiles. Makes me feel good about kids.

I got lazy and dropped my wheels off to be trued. The lbs called to say they couldn't true my original Raleigh Superbe sturmey archer wheels because they were not laced properly...so check your garage. Evidently Raleigh has been improperly building millions of wheels for years.

I think that would fit well into this thread...

http://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...-any-more.html

I bought an old Schwinn varsity with high bars and a banana seat at the Ann Arbor meet earlier this year. I added some lights for fun on night rides. My sweetie has an old Trek she put some Christmas tree lights on.

We both pedaled to two different fireworks shows to avoid the after-show traffic jam. We got LOTS of compliments on out bikes as we rode around. Good attention from cycling is a great thing.

Only one grump stuck in traffic was heard to say "damn bikes!"

-SP

Oops. I may have read that one and thought I was in that thread. But old bikes are cool too!

One of the reasons why I patronize my LBS is that they appreciate and like to work on old and retro bikes. They actually have a pretty decent stock of used bikes for sale that they have repaired and refurbished.

I am fortunate to have a couple old school shops near me. Even the Specialized dealer that has all the modern $10K bikes and crazy gear that goes with it is old school at heart. I can walk in there with on oddball bolt and they'll spend 15 minutes trying to help me match it up with something from all the "spares" boxes that are stashed under the work bench. I came in once looking for a 21.1mm quill wedge (good luck) and the guys invited me into the work area and pointed at a box marked "Stems/parts" and said, "If we have one It'll be in there. Help yourself." They did!!!!! I asked, "What's the damage?" and they said, "How's a Buck sound?" I love doing business that way.

The owner has a personal collection of 38 bikes. Yeah, his priority is making a profit, as it should be, but he is a bike lover as well as a business man.

I haven't been around here long and I don't frequent LBS's. There are two places that do come to mind. One is a COOP where the owner is very C&V savvy. I have picked up a couple of good, under priced items from him. Since he gets his stuff free, it is all revenue to support his 501c status.

The other place is the Old Bike Shop in Arlington. Larry is the owner and absolutely loves old bikes. He specializes in collecting late 1800's bikes and has a few on display. I won't say much more, but he understands the value and appreciates a good bike when he sees it as well as being able to tell you all the mechanical attributes about it at its history. He is a used bike only shop with new consumable parts and accessories on display. His selection of good used bikes is pretty good. I need to go see him just to ratchet jaw!

I roll my vintage bikes into the LBS I work at all the time. Make a point of keeping it out front where anybody can see it.

some look it over say nothing. Others make small talk but their interest is mostly towards the latest and greatest.

Sometimes I get to spin a bike yarn about that particular bike.

Today was a lucky day, one of those that showed keen interest dropped off an old 60's Rudge for me to have.

Can't wait till I put it into the rotation.

Where in CO are you...I'd be very interested.

I almost always get a few appreciative nods for staff when I roll my various old bikes in. If I'm having work done the mechanics are almost always interested in the bike and build. (And I hope appreciative of working on clean, mostly mechanically sound bikes.)

I was almost taken aback when no one commented on my Waterford when I rolled it through the shop yesterday. Silly bike ego.

Grand Junction. As it turns out, though, they didn't have one this year. In the past, it was a ride between GJ and Glenwood Springs, not sure of the exact distance, but it's about 100 miles.

Brown Cycles of Grand Junction, Colorado