Someone Needs a Makeover
 

Maybe I’ve been living in a cave, but when did old bike stuff become so fashionable? http://www.velorbis.com/

not sure, but kinda cool if you ask me

I think it's a reaction from a demographic that thinks half-melted looking carbon bikes with wild neon paint jobs and garish team lycra bikewear are uncool and unnecessary for just getting around.

Something needs to fill the void, now that fixedgears have taken a crap.

Sort of Velo Orange meets Ikea meets Pottery Barn meets Rivendell

"seems pretentious"

Jazz, Rock-n-roll, Beatniks, Hippies, Punks, Rappers, Hipsters... it's every Generation's sacred duty to shock its predecessor.
I came along somewhere between the Hippies and Punks; as long as they attempt to shock me with busty women in tight-fitting clothes, The Kids Are Alright...

http://www.velorbis.com/images/stori...hion-Fair6.jpg

Ooooh, lots of bad feeling here. What's the real issue?

The Real Issue? Why, busty young women in tight-fitting clothes of course!

Thank you for regaining consciousness. Would anyone in the class like to bring Mr RFC back up to speed now that he's awake?

That should always be the issue. Bikes are just bikes.

Someone hand that man a PBR.

http://swimwearandlingerie.files.wor...pg?w=359&h=500

I would also have accepted "buxom young hipster girls in tight-fitting clothes."

I like these new retro classic designs, Soma, Civia and a few others (I dunno much about). There's one UK brand thats particuarly outlandish. Hey, I'm partial to CV, so why not?

Where I live in Denver it seems to be that in the last 3 years or so old bikes have really risen in popularity. My thinking is that the Hipsters that got into older bikes with the fixed gear conversion fad have realized that gears and brakes are a good thing and have started riding proper C&V bikes. For me I kinda miss the days before the fixed gear thing when you could get a decent C&V bike in a thrift store for as little as $20.

I can't wait to get my 60euro "crate carrier" http://shop.velorbis.com/accessories...ier-crate.html

http://s4d8c921601d12.img.gostorego....rontbox4_1.jpg

:thumb:

I may steal this for a new sig line.

Velobs

Pretty funny stuff right here!

Urban cycling is in, along with old-esque forms of bicycles that are practical and comfortable for the average person to ride in the city. And hipster track-bike-wannabees speeds are on the way out, I think.

I'm in favor of anything that get's more people on bikes, especially if it means they're riding bikes instead of driving cars. At the same time, I'm suspicious and uncomfortable with the "fashion" element of this urban bike fad. First, I've always associated fashion with shallowness, since it focuses on appearance rather than merit, and snobbery, since fashionable things cost more simply because they're fashionable. Second, like any fad, if someone buys a bike for fashion, it may spend a lot of time in the apartment or garage once the "look what I bought" photos are posted, tweeted whatever. But then, the same thing happened during the 70s bike boom--everyone had to have a 10-speed, riding it was purely optional.

But if the urban cycling craze can be the entry drug for more people to get on bikes, I'll overlook the parts I find distasteful.

I don’t really have any issues with them selling a cycling lifestyle; I’ve just not seen such a polished web site about the Ikea-fication of bike stuff before. As far as being pretentious, you should check-out the BF Road Forum some time. I like the idea of demystifying and humanizing cycling for the masses; the good news is that it will increase the value of old bikes, the bad news is that it will increase the value of old bikes.

I've got a bunch of old freewheels and chain stored in my wood carrier crate.

Go right ahead. :)

F@($ fashion. Gimme style.

AND FURTHERMORE!
(now that I've got my dudgeon up to a good head of steam)

What are they doing that Raleigh et. al. weren't doing cheaper and better in 1953?! GRRRR.... This really, really grinds my gears. I agree, anything that gets more people on sensible bikes is a good thing. I just resent the appropriation of something that was never intended to be "fashionable," at least not in this sense. It reeks of a pretension that is unbelievably shallow.

Bicycling was "never intended to be fashionable"? Where have you been? ;)

http://www.pembrokestory.org.uk/imag...ppedimage1.jpg

I'm not saying that the industry hasn't bowed to fashion from time to time, or even pandered to it shamelessly. My POINT is that utilitarian cycling is, by definition, utilitarian. And as such, the cycles designed for urban and suburban commuting have always been ruthlessly efficient for this purpose.

Why can't useful cycling also be fashionable? Like Mercian Rider pointed out, if being fashionable gets people on bikes, some of them might stay with it for the utility.

You sound very much like your territory is being invaded. That said, I'm not in Mpls -- I'm happy when I see anyone on a bike in my area. ;)