Today my nearly 14-y-o son and I stripped down his '84 Fuji Allegro. This is a first full overhaul for both of us and also his 8th grade Independent Study project. He did most of the disassembly while I took photos. It's getting fresh grease and bearings all around, aero levers and probably an upgrade to DT shifters if one of my local C&V friends has a set hanging around in a drawer. Red bar tape too, which will certainly make it faster.

Tonight he had a party to go to, and as I was driving him through Wicker Park, Chicago's hipster haven, we kept overtaking and being passed by a cyclist on a vividly painted red and white bike; upright handlebars but definitely a vintage road bike. 'Take a close look at that bike when we pass it again.' I told my son. 'I think it's a bike called an Ironman which that guy has turned into a fixie.' As we came abreast the heaving hipster, son called out 'Cen---turion...Ironman! But it's not a fixie.' 'Because he's coasting?' 'Yep.'

Funny the things that become bonding moments.

If you need a nice set of Suntour clamp-on DT friction shifters, let me know.

My son and I really have a cycling bond, too. It started with mountain bikes, and turned into road bikes. He ended up buying a bunch of parts and assembling his own road bike, of which he is VERY proud. It's not a C&V bike, but it's his baby.

Yes.

It is infectious.... and I am really, really sick.

I emptied the garage today... pulled 14 bikes into the basement studio. All so I could work on my vintage motorcycle and get it ready for ebay. I am really, really sick... and I need a good dose of selling to cure me.

Yes. And we are all Typhoid Mary to each other on this forum.

I am in recovery. It is an addiction.

Yes, yes it is. I've got so much crap in my garage I'm giving it away. I just gave my riding buddy a Raleigh SC frame set that's been sitting in my garage for years.

I finally got tired of looking at a box of assorted campy/simplex/huret stuff, and now have 20 autions going on eBay.

I'm drowning in this crap - it's everywhere.

Recovery, like rehab, is for quitters. Come back to the fold. You're welcome here.

Inoculation is futile.

The sun came out today (!) and I got on the Centurion Elite RS for the longest ride of the year. Zoom.
Then on the in-progress, Ishiwata-tubed Zebra for a few blocks of shakedown.

Sure it's a disease, but what a way to go....

absolutely.

Hi, my name is Marty and I'm a Classic & Vintage bike addict. . .

It's totally infectious. I have 3 bikes in my basement and I can't seem to get the grease out of my finger nails.

Funny thing is I keep seeing ads for this show called Hoarders...........Nah, they just keep junk.

Oh man. I joined bikeforums in January of 2009. I spent all my time in the commuting and mechanics sections. I peeked into C&V briefly and found it boring. Now it's home. Whenever I have something to bring up that's not C&V related, I bring it here anyway, because this is my family. And my hobby has taken off like a rocket. I have about 40 bikes here plus another six or so that people have dropped off for tuneups and other repairs.

BF C&V: rationalizing OCD is our business.