This may have been asked before,

What are the Best Clasic and Vintage Bikes.

Best 5 bikes from 1960 thru 1970
Best 5 bikes from 1971 thru 1980
Best 5 bikes from 1981 thru 1990

It's all relative to what you want to use the bike for, e.g., best touring bike? best go-fast bike? best garage queen? Best value?

Neal

+1

However, if all you are looking for is the highest current selling price, searching Ebay would get you a decent idea.

I don't care what this value is, I just wanted the forum members opinion based on the bikes they have owned or ridden. I am sure everyone has a bike that has a special spot in their heart.

Well, in that case, based on my limited experience, the top bikes I own, by decade, that will probably stay in my stable as long as I can ride:

1955 Schwinn Corvette

1961 Schwinn Jaguar

1979 Schwinn LeTour IV

1986 Schwinn Voyqageur
1988/89 Centurion Dave Scott Ironman Master
1985/86 Ross Signature 292S

I also have a Motobecane Grand Sprint from the late 70's or early 80's (haven't dated it yet)...

The LeTour IV is not necessarily what I would call the cream of the crop, but it has sentimental value because one just like it was my first road bike.

I tend to like sport tourer geometry, and like having some bikes due to region of origin... Thus the Ross (Pennsylvania) and Motobecane (since I didn't have a European bike yet, I also have some French ancestry on my father's side)... I woulld still like to add a Washington state built Raleigh (where I was born and raised), and a Scandinavian bike (my ancestral heritage from my mother's side).

As can be seen by my list, I have no elite bikes, but I do like the quality of middle range and higher, just usually too cheap to get higher than the middle range.

A highly subjective question. Why don't you (gregam) give us your opinion and let us respond.

I think if you changed it to: "would like to have", the discussion would get a lot livelier.

If I new the answer I wouldn't have asked the question. I have been riding the same 72 Schwinn Sports Tourer for over 35 years. I will admit however that it is not original, Phil Wood BB and hubs, bar end shifters, eggbeaters....

That works for me.

60-70: Frejus track bike, Raleigh Professional (check), PX-10, Alex Singer tourer, Paramount (Disneyland logos)

71-80: Raleigh Team Pro, Confente, Masi GC, Gios Torino, Fuji Finest (check)

81-90: Colnago Master, Serotta (team 7-11), Klein, Trek 760 (check), Cinelli Super Corsa

71-80 (Excluding the ultra-rare stratosphere level of Rene' or Singer, etc..)

Any bike built w/ a Shimano "333" 3 speed hub or "FFS" crankset up front
J.C. Penneys 10 speed delux
Free Spirit
Murray
Big K
Honorable mention to Roadmaster....

But if I couldn't find those, these are all realistic:
Gitane TdF or Super Corsa
Several of the Schwinn Paramount models
Peugeot PX-10 or several of the Follis models
Any of the pre-80 Trek's w/ Columbus or Reynolds
Raleigh- several of the Reynolds 531 models
Honorable mention and most underated: Several of the Motobecane models, Grand Record and Grand Touring

And I didn't even get to Italy.....which would be a big list....
This is really an infinite discussion

Yes, very subjective question. I'm often amused (and sadly I apparently offended someone once - sorry about that, it was not intended) when people argue over what constitutes the "best" or even the really good stuff or whether it's worth being absolutely original. I don't ride vintage bikes ultimately because of their quality or performance - even the very best is unlikely to compare well in most of those aspects to a modern bike because of advances in technology despite anything they say on the Rivendell site or CR list. I pick my vintage bikes because they remind me of days gone by, a carefree ride on a sunny day, and because I love the emphasis on style, the way they did the paint, the chrome, the decal schemes. And I choose bikes that I had or wished I had had back in the day. That leaves out most of the really high-end stuff. Straight gauge tubing and Valentino or Simplex drivetrains were what I could afford. Top of the line factory bikes like a Bottecchia or Raleigh Professional were the bikes I aspired to (until I got a drivers license. Then I wanted a Trans Am ). I never even heard of Masi's or Rene Herse's or Alex Singer's or the like back then so those don't interest me much today. Waaaay outta my price range then and now.

Interestingly I'm quite happy with my Bottecchia Giro d'Italia. It was second in their model line-up and I find the mix of vintage components more interesting then an all Nuovo Record bike as well as allowing me more wiggle room to modify it to my personal taste so I have not sought to upgrade it to a Professional model even though the frame is the same.

My list of vintage bikes I would like is:
late 80's Bottecchia Record/SLX
early 70's blue Bottecchia Special
early 70's Peugeot PX-10
1950's Bottecchia or similar Italian (Atala, Bianchi, etc) road bike

So there, those are the "best" C&V bikes. If you know the whereabouts of any, let me know.

As for me I'd love to have a Bridgestone RB-1 or a Miyata
1000.

I couldn't have said it any better. That pretty much sums it up for me, with the exception that I look to buy now what I couldn't afford then. That lets in the high end stuff, but it pretty much includes anything above the ranks of a Schwinn Varsity, too.

I'd like a 1973 or '74 KAS team bike, 56cm please.

Note that I didn't say I'd want to pay for the stuff on my list. The ones I did manage to get were all by some unusual circumstance. I'm happy with the nine I have now.

One persons Holy grail is another persons gas pipe clunker.

Not looking, don't need em...I'm set.. But,

'60-'70,
Peugeot UE-8
Olmo or Atala, (to keep the Bottecchia company)

'70-'80
Raleigh pro
PX-10 or PR-10
A Motobecane or Gitane in Reynolds or Vitus.
a Falcon Merckx in Moltini orange.

'80 on.
To get my PSV-10 un-dented and re-painted.
a 7-11 Merckx

Early 1960s: If you can't find a Capo Modell Campagnolo or Sieger, you can always settle for a Bianchi Specialissima.

Early 1970s: The (white, please) PX-10s of that era look good, with either plain or fancy lugs, as do the Schwinn Paramounts and Raleigh Pros.

Early 1980s: Any Bianchi from the Reparto Corse shop, preferably in the proper color, unlike mine.

The 60's
The only bikes I remember from the 60's are Raleighs and Schwinns

The bikes I remember most from the 70's;
Colnogo - in orange
Bob Jackson
Jack Taylor
RRB
Cinelli
Eisentraut
Gios Torino

Oddball Stuff;
Teledyne Titan
Graftek
Pino Moroni

In the 80's everything shifted to Japan
I have a Japaneese Raleigh - Superbe 1979.
So-so bike that I cant get rid of because it was my last racing bike. Still straight and true after many spills.

Can't name 5 but the Specialized Stumpjumper might be the sleeper here. A monumental bike in the history of cycling. It's still very affordable used. Vintage MTB"s are becoming the next collectible bike. All the kids who grew up in the "MTB Craze" years are now employed and making lots of dough. They're looking to latch onto what was their first bike.

Tim

60's
DeRosa - Merckx
Bianchi Specialisma
Cinelli track
Raleigh
70's
Colnago - Merckx
Cinelli Supercorsa
ALAN
Bianchi Specialisma
Raleigh team pro - (yellow/red/black)
80's
Cannondale
Colnago Master
Gitane
Bottecchia
Colnago Super - Saronni

I've got the 5 best bikes from each decade in my basement. come over here with a pickup and a hundred bucks.

50's: any bike with Fausto's butt imprints.
60's: any bike with Jaques' butt imprints. (Anquetil...)
70's: any bike with Eddie's butt imprints.
80's: any bike with Greg's butt imprints (call me Jingoistic...)
90's: Big Mig's butt imprints.
00's: ah, y'all can guess.

Geez, that was harder than I thought it would be.

Nice work Luker.

The best vintage bikes are the one's in my possession. The rest are crap.