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Myself, I've only gussied-up or restored two or three bikes, over the decades. That said ...
My primary motivation has always been: that bike, there, has a better geometry and/or better appropriateness for how I'm planning to ride it than anything else I've found, new or used. And so, a restore (or change) makes sense. While I've only done a few, I really appreciate the benefit of a well-matched geometry and purpose-appropriate design of a frame and its components. As I've gotten older and my riding position has gotten more upright, I have become far more interested in the older, early-'80s style frames. Better matches my body's geometry too. (Am looking at older frames or bikes similar to, say, the early Miyata Ridge Runner, Specialized StumpJumper.) I'm all for the nostalgia aspect, though it's not what drives me. I appreciate the risk of lack of parts, reduced ability to use contemporary components, aging frame tubes (rust, flex on a hard-used example). But I really appreciate the simplicity and better match to my geometry+usage needs that the older, early-vintage MTBs seem to offer. I barely recall the first restoration I did, as a young kid. Was essentially a high-tensile steel cruiser style frame, as I recall. Blasted it, refinished it, acquired the parts one by one and chose those components that would make it perfect for me. Not bad, for a ~10yr old kid, I thought. Given the budget and basic tools, difficulty of finding the "right" parts I wanted. Was a good learning experience, and it matched my riding better (I thought) than anything I'd yet found in a shop's showroom. |
Originally Posted by deephate
(Post 20609418)
My thoughts exactly! Winter is coming and I have nothing to work on......
This bike is probably too far but the size may be right (it's likely a 60 cm so maybe it's too small) and the price isn't bad. It looks to be a motobecane grand record and in any case has a full 531 frameset: https://kansascity.craigslist.org/bi...719728607.html |
1) It is a nostalgia thing. A childhood thing for many. I remember wishing for bikes at XMas and annodized sugarplums danced in my head.
2) They don't take up tons of space so you can own 20-30 variations if you want without owning a mansion or acreage. Although some own hundreds and do. 3) The treasure hunt. Just like cars, some bikes are highly sought after. Values don't get anywhere near cars but someone that knows bikes can seek out deals that are worth more than they paid. Again, not much profit but how many things can you buy that you actually get your money back out of. Sometimes the score is decent though. 4) Tinkering, rebuilding and customizing. 5) Riding, there is something about being able to get around on your own power, no gas needed. No battery to start. You would be surprised how much you can get around without taking a car out. I work from home. Have three vehicles and put more miles on my bike per month than all combined. 6) It's a hobby, many of us have others, one of mine is Jeeping-technical rock crawling .I had three but as mentioned it takes too much room so now it's two, an older CJ and a newer JK. 7) The social aspect. I ride groups with shops or friends, there are at least 7 rides per week within a mile or two of me. Plus groups all over you can join. When in San Diego, I take a bike and ride the track or with a shop. Lots of cyclists out there on new and old bikes. |
I am 38 been riding for about a year, and have had a road bike since March of this year. Rode my first metric last weekend. For me my older (early 1990s) Treks allow me to ride because they cost a fraction of what a new bike costs. i would love a new bike like a ALR Edmonda or a CAAD, but cost is a factor. |
The sole fact that an object is new doesn't add any value for me. (With a possible exception for underwear, come to think of it)
Something is either nice or it isn't. Oh, and refurbishing something to use as originally intended is the ultimate form of recycling, I believe. |
Because old bikes are fun, easier and cheaper to work on. Some of the history of running across a weird part or some French invention is really cool to dive into.
And while I am no stranger to taking a saw to brand new parts I feel less pressure when I do it with older parts (provided they are not rare). I'm not old enough to be nostalgic about these bikes but they scratch an itch when it comes to research and technology. Be that photography, mechanical keyboards or bicycles. |
I'm more into riding really. I'm not a collector. There are several reasons I prefer vintage or classic bikes. The old bikes were little works of industrial art, and new bikes are obnoxious rolling billboards. I trust steel to hold up to dings from sticks and rocks, and to essentially last a lifetime. Carbon I expect to have to replace in 3-5 years. Lastly I like the quiet ride of a steel bike with aluminum rims. Many modern bikes sound like noisemakers.
Not really nostalgia for me. I got my grail bike when I was 14, and I still have it. Likewise, it really isn't any great joy for me to work on bikes. I wrenched for a living all through school and then a few years. I'm good at it, but I've had enough. That said, I've always enjoyed saving cool vintage bikes. I did a lot more saving when I was younger, trying to turn the hipsters onto vintage bikes. |
I think many of us reveled in the freedom and expanse of territory a bicycle exposed us to as a youth. For me part of the draw of C&V bikes is an attempt to relive those feelings only with a better grade of bicycle that still has the class and appeal of an earlier pre-carbon era.
I inherited a core philosophy of not wasting or discarding things easily from my parents who lived through the Depression. That gave me a lot of satisfaction in resurrecting numerous bikes and selling them to people who were generally younger than the bike and who were about to take that machine and experience their own feelings of freedom that only a bicycle can provide. I've toured by bike a fair amount but dream about it more than actually engaging in it. That plus a fondness for designs based on function is the reason I now have a double digit number of vintage touring bikes hanging in my garage. I could (and do) spend countless hours in the garage tinkering with them with music and beer. Its almost as relaxing and fun as riding them. |
Originally Posted by speedevil
(Post 20608709)
......
Rob and I rode with Steve (steelbikeguy) and a few others a couple of weeks ago to get a donut, and one of the guys was on a titanium something-or-other. I have no idea what group, wheels, tires, or anything else on that bike - just didn't notice. But we noticed Brian's Trek, Rob's Raleigh, my Lemond, Julian's paramount, and Steve's bike, but my memory failed on his - sorry Steve. Not intentional. ....... https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8243/2...73636d_z_d.jpg Since I was the host, I'm glad that I wasn't hogging the spotlight or anything. Glad to know that you had fun and remembered the folks who attended. :) Mike's Lynsky is a nice bike, I'm pretty sure, but I have no idea what is on his bike either. I will say that Mike isn't afraid to spend a few bucks on titanium... he also has a Moots and a Seven. Very nice stuff. Steve in Peoria |
I like bikes of the 70s/80s not for nostalgia reasons, as most of my bikes have been older then me. I like them for the same reason I like cars of that era; I feel like I can do just about everything it might need, apart from major surgery, but its modern enough to not be a pain to be a daily driver. My first car was a '82 Saab 900T, 5 years older then I was. People kept telling me it was an awful choice for a first car because their neighbors Saab or whatever always needed to go to the shop. This seemed to always be because the person either didn't want to get a little dirty or it was a much more modern Saab, full of sensors and airbags and whatnot. I was pretty lucky in that there is a strong C900 forum and I was able to educate myself and perform surprisingly complicated suspension and electrical work on my own to a point where I was confident it was done right. I get why carbon fibre and 11 speed brifters and wheels with 8 bladed spokes are ostensively better, but for my purposes its not worth the added complexity and cost.
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I’d say it takes all kinds but really I think it’s mostly middle aged to retired white guys |
Originally Posted by steelbikeguy
(Post 20609843)
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When I joined C&V, my bikes were old, but it wasn't because I was nostalgic about bikes. It was because I had owned them for a long time. Since joining, I've had the idea that I want more than two bikes. Then I started picking up bikes and fixing them and giving them away. Then I started selling them. Now I own a bunch of bikes. I still don't feel like buying a new bike. Maybe it's because I'd have to fork out a lot of money all at once. Maybe it's because old bikes are more fun for me. Building a bike piecemeal, I can spend little bits at a time, and that may not be cheaper, but it feels it.
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To be honest, this entire hobby is really part of plot by me to maintain my sanity. Give me a bike to wrench and it is simultaneously a challenge and something I can control. There's not a time or need pressure. I prefer the older bikes, and in particular the handmades, for largely aesthetic reasons: I like to look at them as I build them and also before, considering what they can become. It gives me more pleasure than other, more costly pursuits, like, say, cars or drugs or investment properties or other things that turn into headaches. It's cheap and enjoyable. I'm thinking of buying a frame now for instance: it's far cheaper than a year of cable television, which I have never had. Or eating out a lot: I also enjoy cooking.
I say this as someone who has happy and fulfilling work as well. No need to mess up the rest of my life because work is fun, let's make both that way. I also get it is not for everyone and appears inscrutable to some, but that's okay. I'm not an evangelist. Just a believer. |
Originally Posted by jimmuller
(Post 20609103)
Even if it ain't broke you can still fix it. But you don't have to.
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My adventure with bicycles started with two local drunkers... (sounds a bit odd)
As a teenager (early teen) at the beginning of 90's I had 16inch foldable bike which I got at the holy communion (at age of 8)... you can imagine teenager trying to keep up with friends on a kiddy bike... We couldnt afford a proper bike... one day I met two local drunkers pushing their wheelbarrow full of scrap (they were going around collecting metal scrap and other unwanted things, selling it at a scrapyard to earn some money for another bottle of cheap wine...) They had racer frame... it cost me two bottles of wine but they said they will find wheels for it at a scrap yard - they did. frame was quite small - suited me perfectly. They showed me where scrapyard is... Since that time I was visiting that (and other) scrapyards every week looking for unwanted bikes , parts, wheels etc. At the peak time I had 15-20 bikes in my basement... Now 25 years later I could afford to buy a brand new shiny bike... but never did ... I never bought new bike either for me, my wife or kids... Still when I see unwanted bike on scrapyard I just cant stand it... I have to take it home, fix it and give away or sell it. My wife always arguing about how many bikes I have and I brought another one.. My answer always is - 'I could have much worst hobby (and much more expensive), remember that sooner or later I'll be in a middle age crisis times so better for you to see me on a $50 classic bike than in a $50k classic car... ' |
Originally Posted by Fahrenheit531
(Post 20608745)
If you have to ask, you won't get it.
I remember when I used to think newer bikes were better! |
I don't want to speak for everyone, but I think on average the most common answer is something along the lines of "design/craftmanship elegance" whether appreciated while wrenching or rolling!
There is also the very hard fact that if you want a handbuilt lightweight steel frame it is much easier to find it vintage. Since I am a 20 something white woman and not a 40 something white guy, I'll speak more from my personal experience as well. I love the way my vintage bike looks and feels. I love the fact that its better than what you can buy for 600+ and I built it myself with about 400 into it. I love that it has its quirks, its soft spots (literally?), and that the frame and I have overcome some serious issues like headtube flaring which might be the death of a more modern frame. I love that I used to ride it with a single bar end shifter and now it has full modern Ultegra and looks pretty clean... and soon I'll probably repaint it to make it an extremely unique and aesthetically grounded creation. I love the journey me and my bike are on together! So I guess TLDR my answer is more the relationship one can built with a vintage bike. FWIW it's a Peugeot PSN-10. I also have a Dawes Atlantis and a few other little projects in storage but unlike many here, my Peugeot is the bike that I rely on to get around. I don't typically have a 2nd bike (Dawes is a more constantly evolving project) and I have never owned nor driven a car in my life. |
For me, I am addicted to "the find"! Finding a cool old road bike or even one not so cool is cool, for me. I liken it to drug addict getting his or her next fix. Fix...
Yup, I am mechanically inclined, a retired professional industrial mechanic, and I love working with my hands. Chopping wood, digging a hole or cleaning up an old bike is a perfect form of therapy. Note - I DO NOT like shoveling snow or doing dishes! Finishing a build offers me a sense of completion or satisfaction, that makes me feel good about myself. I believe that one's self esteem comes from what one does with one's time. Once built I get to ride an old bike and then compare it to the hundred (or so) others I have found, built, felt good about and rode, most of which got sold soon after. Sold..? Yup, I need the money from selling old bikes. I need the extra cash to make ends meet. My hobby must pay for itself. And.... Thanks to this forum, I have made new friends that I can talk or listen to anytime, from anywhere on the planet (except for Thunder Bay when the wind is howling - internet don't work so good then). To that add that finding, restoring, riding and even collecting old road bikes is really fun - for me. |
I'm selling bikes as well. for me its a hobby - I have full time job that covers everything - but if your hobby makes some profit? even better. Sometimes I'm selling bike at or even below cost of repair (to friends) but sometimes its well above cost and my hobby pays for itself. (pays for another bunch of parts for another projects...)
In my case its not always classic. sometimes its a cheap children bike or an ordinary mountain bike, sometimes is stripped, painted into perfection, sometimes is just rough flush down with garden hose and put together just to be mechanically sound - specially kid bikes used around estate - better they look more it hurts to see them scratched or left in a hedge... (better they look more greedy looks they catch...) |
I just like unique old stuff. Anyone can buy brand new show room stuff but it takes someone really bent to go to hundreds of garage sales to find that one piece of old junk for a bargain!
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Originally Posted by Stormy Archer
(Post 20610729)
That's a little elitist, no? If you'd asked my stepdad what he saw in vintage lamps and stuff like bakelite when he was in his 20s, he probably would have said junk. People change and grow and get into new things.
So no. More like pointed humor.
Originally Posted by Stormy Archer
(Post 20610729)
I remember when I used to think newer bikes were better!
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Originally Posted by Darth Lefty
(Post 20609857)
I’d say it takes all kinds but really I think it’s mostly middle aged to retired white guys |
Originally Posted by raria
(Post 20608476)
I get what everyone is doing here (buying and restoring classic bikes). But help me understand why for my own benefit. If it helps I restore vintage cars.
Is it because: a) Very much a nostalgia thing! Even though the particular bikes I’m interested in are generally older, and of different build purpose than what I would have been involved with than when I was a kid (I’ll be 44 this month), I’ve grown to really love, and prefer most things vintage over the past 25 years or so. For example... Had a ‘62 Chevy II hardtop once which will always remain my favorite automobile. Nothing beats 1920’s/1930’s blues as far as music goes, and I enjoy it most when played on 1970’s hi-fi equipment. Well worn antique furniture whenever possible. Things like that. b) The bikes back then ARE very different than they are now. The styling, build quality, and “space,” like that of some muscle cars stand out in a good way, and are appreciated from the average contemporary crowd because of it as far as I’m concerned. On the topic of “space,” I take that to be understood as “work room.” In other words, I like the easy access to parts during maintenance or repair on an old bike. My time spent under the hood of that ‘62 Chevy was much happier than any time I’ve spent under the hood of a 90’s Honda. c) The rarity of the bikes is not so much my interest as the hunt for a good deal for the “right one” is! Vintage bikes fulfill that specific adventurous need for me. d) The joy of getting something to work? Definitely! Additionally, the joy of customizing to personal taste, and hottodding for improved performance is a thrill as well regarding vintage bikes, just as with muscle cars. e) Something else? Everyone needs a healthy addiction. And this forum is the perfect support group for staying... HEALTHFULLY ADDICTED!:) |
My story is not much different from what we have seen earlier in this thread.
I like the look and feel of a classic steel road bike with a horizontal top tube, well-proportioned tube diameters, beautiful simple or ornate lugwork, and an old-fashioned stem. I like the durability and repairability of a 32- or 36-spoke wheel. I like being able to mix-and-match gearing, everything from ratios to choice of derailleurs and shift levers. To return to your automotive analogy, I have three design sweet spots: 1) the color-keyed interiors of American cars of the 1960s - 1980s. Everything now is "shades of gray," or perhaps leather. My 1989 Dodge Spirit was gutless, but it was cheap to buy, very reliable, easy, and inexpensive to maintain, and it looked like something far more expensive, with its white exterior and rich red velour interior. 2) the clean, simple, Bauhaus School lines of many late 1990s and early 2000s, notably the B5 platform Audis and VW Passats. 3) tactile controls -- knobs, levers, switches, buttons, instead of today's dangerously distracting touch screen insanity. |
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