I like the quirky, the unusual, the odd. My collection is staying static(ish). If I buy one, I have to sell one. I need to restore some of my very old bikes, and the Moulton, and...

My parts collection, however...

I have cut down on the buying of bikes. I will still buy if it is a good deal especially if it isn't my size then I don't have any remorse when I sell it. My own collection of riders is too big right now at 16 bikes. I plan to thin the heard by at least a few. My usual problem is selling then buying something else later. Since I started a new lbs job I have been thinking of a new modern bike, but the ones I am considering are part time fun bikes (velodrome only track or a big kid BMX).

I have two steel with modern drivetrains, three vintage road bikes, and four track bikes. This is were I can easily figure out to trim the heard. Most of my previous bikes were bought/sold to trade up in quality or something that fit better.

And I'm just getting started. Six months ago, I was just finding out that C & V even existed. While researching the origins of my first road bike in 30 years, I came here and got hooked. I now have 3 Schwinns, in three different locations(I'm a rolling stone). The beauty I purchased last week('87 Prelude) is destined to be ridden only two weeks out of the year. The '85 LeTour Luxe, two months a year, and the bottom of the pile '78 World Sports the rest of the time. I'd like to find a Woodrup, or A Centurion, just for some variety, but with my living (and rolling) circumstances a much larger collection wouldn't make any sense.

I am pretty happy with what I have and any new bikes will probably be ones that I have built with my own hands with inspiration drawn from the many classic bicycles that have passed through my hands and my shop.

Might also look at doing a limited series and small run of UO8 inspired touring frames and forks using nicer tubes and standard sizing for parts.

Really interested in a 60's bike at this point.

I think that’s the way it starts for a lot of people. I was getting back into riding and having fun working on an MTB & old hybrid when I bought a vintage road bike at a yard sale so I joined the Forum to find out what it was. Three years later, I still feel like a rook among sages, but that’s OK, there is still sooo much to learn.
I can’t afford to really keep a collection, I just like restoring bikes. I will always have a vintage road/touring bike around, but I’m kind of into vintage MTBs right now because they can be had for so cheap and are actually very practical bikes. I currently have 3 bikes; a modern road, vintage touring, & vintage Italian race.

Me too.
My collection is becoming a Collection. It has examples of a pretty good variety of styles.
I have a newly-acquired fast roadie:


I have a Trek that is going to be sold to make room. I have my '53 Superbe to restore.



I have a UO-14 with a stuck stem which will (I hope) be ready for next winter:



I have touring bikes (Cannondale full-boat tourer, Shogun vintage tourer, Jamis hybrid for kid rides)
I have my 2 Raleigh roadsters
I have 2 vintage MTBs including a very quirky Haro (I really wanted something quirky)
I have a more modern full-suspension MTB.
I'm pretty happy with the stable.

As I mentioned earlier, the stable dwindles by the day.

The very nice new owner of my Bruce Gordon picked her up tonight.

I really did love this bike, funky paint and all!





Next up is a gorgeous Chris Kvale frameset.

well , where to start . if you dont know by now i collect gitanes . i first just wanted to collect 80's bikes. now it has grown to gitane track bikes . i also like the bizarre and weird and crazy stuff ,a tandem with a side car , the triple , the quad seater , mini penny farthing , trike, rosalie (both versions), and folder. gitane made so many different bicycles its just crazy. most of the crazy stuff i see is in france and is hard to communicate the language and arrange some kind of shipping. i collect the team jerseys , shorts , gloves ,caps anything team related . posters, 8x10s, postcards, board games, magazines , tour trinkets. you name it i collect it or at least try to. ebay , cl and a few french sites primarily , if they will ship over the pond.

where am i heading with my collection ? what i want to do is to get a enclosed trailer and start taking the collection on the road to bicycle races to let other folks check them out .alot of races in the us are critierium races that do laps on a circuit. i want o set up so people have something else to do at the races . there is nothing more fun than to let other people enjoy the collection , to see a smile on their faces as they check them out and all the gear related to them . alot of younger folks may not know the history of older bikes (steel) and have only seen newer bikes in their life .

i know some people may think im crazy but i just like the older bikes from back in the days . do i ride them? ....sometimes i do . im not a hardcore rider anymore but it doesnt mean i have forgotten my dreams from when i was younger. if i can put a smile on a face , tweaked someones intrest in the past , im all the happier. well theres my story in a nutshell.
peace out .... lofter

I dunno, I try not to think about it. I can say that most of the bikes that I ride that I own, I can't see myself getting rid of. Upgrading some things maybe. There are also things I still want to try, so that probably means that my collections will continue to change and fluctuate in size.

Think I'm lovin' that Bruce Gordon!

I've stabilized things - I have 5 or 6 bikes that I really enjoy and don't really yearn for much. I have two that are wall art - perfectly functional (one is too tall and the other is my Teledyne).I just gave two bikes away to friends in the past two weeks. Most of my time is now spent either riding or fixing/maintaining the mountain and road bikes of my kids.

That doesn't mean if I don't find a good deal I won't jump on it. While the bikes aren't increasing in numbers the parts are. I just can't pass on the good parts deals.

the 1960's featureing all the excitement of the Vietnam war, the Nixon administration, Kent State... and more importantly:
Schwinn Paramounts before the huge increase in production.
Masi Specials, Just ask Joe Englert.
Rene Herse, still doing unique things
Really rare Colnagos and Pogliaghis.
The Introduction of The complete Campagnolo ensemble, a bike from the 60's will function as good as any up till the advent of SIS by Shimano.

Thanks.

She's a great bike, and the new owner will love her.

I rode this bike constantly last summer after my knee surgery.

But, my John Hollands is almost ready, and I just have too many bikes.

At this rate, I'll be right where I want to be by mid-summer.

.....and so much more time for riding with family and friends.

$125, frame only.



Under 300$, complete bike:



You now see why I prophesy your doom. In addition to my amazing predictive powers, I am also a mind reader. You now regret ever having started this thread, as you realize the path fate has set you on. My advice, give in and let it take you where it may...

You took the words right outta my mouth!

plus they are sexy

Last year, I focused on upgrading components to make any of my bikes a "take it and go" situation.
Everything was to be tuned and ride-ready, and that took more time than I thought, but I got there.
That complicated things a bit, with more choices when I stepped into the garage.

This year, rhm and his Century-a-Month folks have me riding more and wrenching less, and it's working.
Having all the bikes ride-ready makes that a lot easier. Going modern carbon-free simplified it even more.
Gone is the nagging thought that I need to grab the new bike to go play with the fast cowboys.
Whatever bike I grab does the job....proving it's the engine, not the aero...

I've decided to simplify more, and have all Centurions, which makes 2 Paramount OS bikes "expendable."
This is a tough one, as the 650c Series 7 requires almost completely different strategies to ride, in OEM setup (56/42).
Plus, the Series 2 is a triple, and I really liked having one around. It now has 30 miles on the drivetrain, so it's kind of "additional."

I'll trim down the Paramounts, maybe the extra '88, and try to pick up an '87 Ironman bike or frame, maybe an '85 or '86, too.

Best-laid plans of mice and men being what they are, we'll just have to see what happens...

I usually keep my two Italian Stallions, Cinelli and Gios on a bike wall rack. On the other wall rack is my rotating inventory, some last longer or go right away, but with the intention of keeping. I prefer buying bikes in or near my size, ride and sell or keep some parts or the bike. I don't make a living on the bikes, but pickup a few shackles and have fun while working.

This prescience of yours terrifies me, Poguemahone: You know that I am weak, and will be powerless to resist the lure of a hot deal on an Italian steed.
Oh my tortured soul! -Now it will not rest until it finds that Confente hiding under a heap of rags at the local flea market!

The "vintage" seller crowd has discovered them though, The prices are twice to three times what they were 5 years ago even. There's a guy locally trying to sell an early 90's lime green Marin with a 60?mm Rock Shox fork for $800. Nice looking bike, but nobody is going to fall for that around here, especially not me.,,,,BD

Oh, my.

Yes, I think you have, in one picture worth a thousand words, summed up the direction my collection is heading. I'm going to work on my RRA's paint and components until it starts to resemble that one. Meanwhile I'm also going to work on my Lambert, and make it resemble that RRA as well (but bigger).

Actually, my American and German relatives are much cheaper than my wife's Italian relatives... but... wait, what were we talking about again?

Fun to read about all this.

If the bicycle doesn't ride and function optimally for my intended use I really don't want it. And I swear from now on I need no redundancy!!

A vintage, mint, beautiful steel randonneur with the finest friction shifting gear is in the stable and will stay. This is the only bike allowed non-Campagnolo parts.

Besides that there are 2 vintage tube sets that pique my interest: 753 and Columbus MAX. I have 3 of the former and none of the latter. The goal is one of each, set up for everyday riding with the Campy ergo groups I already have.

There's also a hyper-functional modern Campagnolo equipped road bike in the garage.

I really love the pre-Corsa Record era of Campagnolo, for both historic, sentimental and mechanical reasons. But I don't need to ride these precious parts. In fact they give me the most enjoyment in a display case!! And this is where they will end up when I sell off the frame sets they hang on currently.

In theory that covers it for me. I like certain C&V aesthetics, and I buy good deals when I find them, but the keepers are supposed to all have distinct function.

In reality, if I buy it to flip I will ride it, and if I like the ride, especially if I put a lot of work into it, it's hard to let it go.

[QUOTE=due ruote;12692491]Certainly! I keep track of the 79´er. It is doing alright. A glimpse alongside the -73 Monark.