Isnt that just the luck? I built up a very nice D-A equipped Litespeed Classic a few years ago, and also have a nifty Cannondale Synapse carbon bike , ---- but i also usually reach for one of the older steel rigs when its time to go out

The Synapse has been for sale for a while, and i wound up stripping the DA bits from the Litespeed to build a steel Pinarello

My first bike was some kind of banana seat bike in the 70's.

My first real good bike was one of these:

http://bmxmuseum.com/image/scramblerc_blowup.jpg

It got stolen out of my garage and then I got one of these:

http://bmxmuseum.com/image/motomag_121_copy0_blowup.jpg

I got my drivers license and didn't ride much. In 1987 I was on leave in my first year in the army. My uncle was into cycling and had a couple of Peugeots. We went on a ride around White Rock lake in Dallas, he saw I was into it so he gave me one of his like the one below, and the rest is history.

https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NzY4WDEwM...X1Dp4/$_86.JPG

It sure is. I mean the Lynskey is wonderful by itself, it truly is. But I always reach for something else and there's too much money there to just let it sit.

Nice, looks similiar (the decals) to the one I road through Germany in my army days. It was Beige though, man it rode nice and carried me for many, many miles.

First bike as an adolescent was a Montgomery Wards 24" single speed.
Then there was a dark red Raleigh with Sturmey-Archer 3-speed, destroyed in a crash into my sister's green one.
As a teenager there was a Clubman (Puch) with Simplex derailleurs when I couldn't convince my father that I should get a motorcycle.

In hindsight, sure wish I'd had a bike in college in Troy, NY. But soon after graduating and getting a good job outside Denver, I started with this series in rapid succession:
1971 Libertas: gas pipe frame, Delrin Simplex as I recall.
1972 Raleigh Gran Sport: 531 DB, Simplex, Stringlight crank, Brooks Pro. My post-college roommate still has this one with its original Pro and rides it. His wife may still have that Libertas, too.
1973 Masi Gran Criterium (60cm) when I decided to give racing a try for several years. Probably 531, Campy Nuovo Record, Phil hubs and BB, which The Big Wheel bike shop in Denver thought was crazy until they saw how the chainline could be adjusted, and those early sealed hubs were so nice when I raced in a spring snow storm in Aspen, CO. It was actually a bit small for leggy me, but I was young and flexible back then.

Sold the Masi in 1978 for what I paid, to finance a wedding ring for an unfortunate marriage that did produce a couple of great kids.

1979 Miyata 912: Tange Champion, Shimano 600 EX (first cassette I'd ever seen!), Brooks Team Pro eventually (still used by my now-adult daughter on her '87 Miyata 310). I still have and love this 912, in its third major rebuild shown below as my dedicated fender bike. My son used it in 7-speed Sora form in The Hague, Netherlands, throughout his high school years.

There was an infatuation with motorcycles, including a lovely and heavily modified (by me over the years) 1978 Moto Guzzi LeMans MK I, and a move from Denver to Seattle, where I discovered that the local hills were much steeper than Colorado mountains, hence the recurrence of triple cranks (love those Ritchey Logics) in everything that followed.

After my divorce, my serious and continuing love of bicycling for its own sake really began, including meeting my wife-to-be in the middle of the 1993 STP.

1992 Klein Performance: Long-wheelbase aluminum with Sachs New Success 3x8 (still using and loving that setup on all my bikes), first appearance of Ritchey cranks, Turbomatic and Lepper saddles, and a variety of forks. I rode this one for 11 years and over 30,000 miles including many centuries and two European tours (1998 honeymoon in France, 2001 Italian tour setup below). My son is still riding this one, including the 2015 STP we did together with his wife and her dad. My wife couldn't participate due to recovering from her second round of cancer.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Bicycles/...IMG_0103-L.jpg

1999 purchase of an early, weird but clever Counterpoint tandem that I shared with my daughter in her adolescent years. I modified it heavily to make it essentially functional with help from the late, great Sheldon Brown. Shimano 3x7, Team Pro for me. We're on the left in this linked photo.

https://goo.gl/images/HyEVpJ

1976 Masi GC (65cm) frame and fork that my wife gave me as a fabulous present in 2000: probably 531, Sachs 3x8, Brooks Swift. I used it for the 2002 STP with my son riding the Klein. I learned lots about fitting on a bike with this one. Unfortunately, it did not have the fabulous handling that Masis are known for - a scary descender! This photo shows it with the custom fork that didn't solve that problem.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Bicycles/...IMG_0001-L.jpg

The lack of confidence in that Masi led to this 2003 Rivendell Rambouillet, which was certainly a solid descender, but I never fell in love with it in 10 years of riding: Toyo Kasei tubing (?), Sachs 3x8, Brooks B-17 (slotted by SAA).

https://photos.smugmug.com/Bicycles/...0Rainier-L.jpg

1979 Miyata 912 rebuilt (3rd time) in 2013: Tange Champion, Sachs 3x8, fenders, saddles - An-Atomica > Fizik Aliante VS > Lepper > Rivet. The Rivet Independence on a seatpost with enough setback makes this a close second love. Probably going to add low-rider bosses on the front fork for better handling with small panniers. Those gold cable housings help this bike to get many compliments.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Bicycles/...20143486-L.jpg

1987 Marinoni purchased in 2013: Columbus SLX, Sachs 3x8, Gilles Berthoud Ti Aravis saddle. A magic bike. Besides being my favorite color with full chrome rear and under the paint, there's always an exciting (in a very good way!) feeling on every ride, and it always makes me want to go a little farther or push a bigger gear. I'm about to build some 650B wheels for it to push the boundaries a little farther. The 912 and this Sports Tourer (Ms. Marinoni's description) have identical fits with Nitto Noodles these days.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Bicycles/...13284152-L.jpg

1-Used 20" beater with convertible top tube, shared with 3 sisters and 2 brothers.
I learned to ride on it and only rode it once or twice. Age 6. $10

2-Used My sisters got a 26" "ladies" bike and they never rode it. $10
I didn't, either. Well used, my dad spray-painted it white. Age 7, I could only pedal it, not sit on the saddle.

3-New West Point banana bike from Coast-Coast hardware, 20" wheels, Christmas for me and 2 brothers. Age 9, $44

4-Used 24" Columbia paper route bike, front and rear baskets. 4 years of deliveries. Age 11. $15

5-New Sears Free Spirit, 1976 BiCentennial Edition. First "10-speed," bought with paper route money, 99.99 + tax on sale. Age 15.

6-$10 red Varsity, Pepsi Triathlon 1981 and 1982 in Wilmington. Age 22. I'm sure the guy who sold it to me stole it. I rode it in college.

7-Used Trek 510, toe clip pedals, one pair of shorts, Bell red stripe helmet. $300 at The Bicycle Post in Greenville NC. Age 26.

8-Used 1988 Centurion Ironman Master, my first ever eBay purchase. $135. Too small, but I upgraded it to 8-sp STI with shifters and a rear freehub swap. Sold it for $300 on eBay and netted about $90 profit. Age 48.

9-Used Nishiki Sport Equipe, Used Schwinn Aluminum 354. Each was $60 and I fixed them up, sold them for about 3x that. Age 50, and it was on.

10-About 30 bikes before I started keeping track. Most of the rest are at Pedal Room. Probably 30-35 Ironman models through the garage.

Starting in 1970

Schwinn Varsity
Peugeot UO-8
Peugeot PX-10
Colnago
Another Colnago
A succession of Schwinn 26" bikes
A bunch of Ritchey MountainBikes

All the bikes on the left

1960s: Stingray
1970: 3-speed roadster
1976: 10-speed road bike
2015: Comfort hybrid
2016: Early '90s mountain bike, converted to something closer to a comfort hybrid

At the rate I'm going I'll be back in a banana seat with sissy bar and streamers on my hi-rise handlebars in a couple of years.

the first bike I ever rode was a 70s 27" Hathorn 5spd roady. i was maybe 5 at the time and had to crawl inside the frame, reach up over my head to the bottom of the drop bar, and with luck I could get one good pedal in and coast a little way down the driveway without falling over >_<

after that I got a 90s mongoose bmx rig that was actually my size, then a original stingray, then a schwinn hollywood, then I went back to the hathorn as I was big enough for it, then i got a mongoose MGX DXr that stuck around way longer than it should have lol

more recently I restored a 68' Chiorda roady to use as a daily commuter, saved and restored a 61' Mercier roady to use as a summer bike, picked up a 92 khs summit that eventually got built up as a 7sp fr downhill rig, and I'm currently working on a 89' gt talera hybrid conversion which will be my new go-to commuter.

:)

1970:

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/b...ps9e54a910.jpg

2017:

1964 Champion Strada (Legnano Roma Olimpiade)
1964 Bianchi Specialissima
1965-70 Bianchi Specialissima "Team"
1971 Masi, "Monark", Ferretti team bike
1971-72 Champion Strada
1972 Colnago Super
1974 Bianchi Specialissima
1975 Bianchi Specialissima
1977 Pogliaghi Italcorse
1978 Masi Prestige (blue)
1978 Masi Prestige (red)
1979-80 De Rosa Professional
1980 Meral Super Randonneur
1983 Cinelli Super Corsa
1984 Conti (CIÖCC)
1985 De Rosa Professional
1985 Eddy Merckx Cyclocross
1985 Bianchi Centenario (frame only)
1989 Colnago Master Piu
1988-90 Geliano 115S
1989/90 Bianchi Caurus Proto (MAX)
1991-92 Eddy Merckx Corsa Extra (MAX)
1992-93 Eddy Merckx MX Leader
1993 Eddy Merckx MX Leader "Rainbow"
1993 Eddy Merckx MX Leader Motorola
1995 Eddy Merckx MX Leader GAN
2010 Masi Prestige (Champagne)

Along the way (the ones I remember):
"Belgisk", Benotto, Bianchi, Bottecchia, Bridgestone, Centurion, Centurion, Chesini, Colnago, Colnago, Concorde, Concorde, Conti, Crescent, Crescent, Crescent, Crescent, Crescent, Crescent, Crescent, Crescent, Crescent, Crescent, Crescent, Crescent, Dawes, Eddy Merckx, Eddy Merckx, Garlatti, Gitane, Intermac, Ishivata (unkown make), Miyata, Miyata, Monark, Monark, Monark, Monark, Motobecane, MTB (do not remember make), Mustang, Nishiki, Nishiki, Nishiki, noname, Olmo, Peugeot, Peugeot, Raleigh, Schwinn, Wheeler.

1967 Sears Spyder, gold with black banana seat, coaster brake only, lots of cards, balloons or anything that would make a racket jammed into spokes. Savage crash at the bottom of Nesbitt Street prompted conversion to chopper by cutting forks off 10 speed and jamming them onto existing fork ends.

Used Schwinn Stingray, same vintage, also gold with metalflake looking gold saddle. Replacement for crashed Sears Spyder. Ridden until neighborhood bike guru refused to work on it, convinced Mom it was time for a new bike.

Moms rule, Dad unloads new Schwinn Cotton Picker, envy of the neighborhood until rotten kid across the street gets a mini bike. Move south prompts sale as moving van had left without my bike, no room in car. Dad promises replacement upon arrival at new home in GA. Mind races, mini bike not much more than nice bike...right Dad?

New friends have go cart, one trip to go cart track nix mini bike. One week in find governor on Briggs & Stratton, terror in subdivision, my first run in with the law, GA State Trooper, your in a heap of trouble boy. Move back to PA prompts trade of go cart for Honda Dream that doesn't run.

Disillusioned with lack of progress on Dream prompts sale and purchase of bicentennial themed 10 speed for transportation to after school and summer job. Bike was a Schwinn I think, to small for me, I didn't care it was on sale and got me there and back. Dreams of 69 Z28s danced in my head, Dad say he will double my car kitty if he can pick the car. I show him a 68 Camaro conv., all is well until seller pops hood revealing big orange 396 with hooker headers. Dad is convincing, says he has the perfect car in mind, shows up with first year Mustang conv, Dad is perplexed, I'm devasted. Ford men don't understand Chevy men and vice versa. Exit PA,hello FL.

Another car and wreck later I buy my first serious bicycle, it's a first year AD Vent Noir, a matte black beauty with a serious John Player Special vibe. The gold pump is destroyed two blocks from the bike shop when I hit a bump and it flies off into traffic and is promptly flattened...fate you are a cruel mistress. Almost a decade later the Black Wind is still my only non motorized two wheel ride. A move to the beach sets in motion a search for something a bit more corrosion resistant. A friend says he has just the thing, a chrome plated frame he has dragged around since his move from Indiana...it's a pretty nice frame says he...a Schwinn Paramount. They make kids bikes...right says I. He graciously offers the frame free of charge, I give him a hundred and a half. Built the bike with period Dura Ace, it was less expensive than Campy and I really liked the group on my AD. Years pass and the two bikes get plenty of use, mostly the Paramount, I like the ride and easy clean up afterwards. Hurricanes ensue and after years of false alarms the real deal turns the first floor of my condo into a carport and places my two bikes somewhere in the middle of Santa Rosa Sound.

Decades pass, Paramount is replaced, renewed interest prompts purchase of really old bikes and a couple newer ones.

So who do I submit this novel to? :)

I remember my first bike was a beat-up old green thing with a stingray-style frame... no idea what it really was or even what happened to it. But at some point I got my first new bike, right off the showroom floor at Sears & Roebuck. It was the orange-trimmed one in the bottom picture from this catalog scan:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...psn1brfgmn.jpg

From there it was another beat-up something-or-other, but was a "real" BMX bike. That was followed by a green Free Spirit 10-speed in junior high school. Then I got a guitar and bicycles didn't even cross my mind for decades unless I was actively avoiding one in traffic.

In Portland a few years back I got a bike so I could ride with my wife on the Springwater Corridor Trail. It said Peugeot, which was good enough for me as I was coming in with precisely zero knowledge. Upside: It was in great shape:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...ps0h3x0yyz.jpg
Downside: It was pretty slow.

From there I scored a Sekai 2400 and it was like some kind of epiphany -- ROAD BIKES. Dunno how many bikes have cycled in and out since then, but it's been everything from a hi-ten Takara (worst non-dept store bike ever?) to a Centurion Pro Tour (too big dammit dammit dammit) to a Univega Super Strada (too small dammit) to a Cannondale R-900 (a soulless rocket). At this point I'm down to a pair of Schwinns and I feel I'm in pretty good shape.

For the daily whatever, a Suntour-enhanced Voyageur 11.8:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...ps2gakrdcf.jpg

And the overall best I've owned -- which will likely stick around forever -- the not-remotely-original co-op '71 Paramount:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...psby8xhwwv.jpg

6 years old 24" fat tire girls bike, that my dad found thrown in an irrigation ditch and completed fixed up an painted a nice red and white. great to have a bike.....but it was a girls and 24 in......already thinking N+1 bike server my siblings as a first bike also

7 years old. 26" Coast to Coast brand candy apple red medium cruiser. use my savings and first communion money. Rode this bike all over....and when i was done with it my brother welded a hitch to it and used it to pull a lawn mower trailer

12 year old Columbia English race 3 speed (shimano 333). Road the heck out of this including getting my boyscout bicycling merit badge. Not sure what happened to it. one of my brother rode it for while

15 year old. Azuki 10 speed, metallic blue. Road this all over and on longer road rides. Took it with me into the Coast Guard and rode it in Newfoundland, Bahamas, Bermuda, Miami, New London and New York city. Gave it to a friend when I left the coast guard

Niskhki 12 speed. bought after moving to San Jose from NYC Sole transportation for first 6 months in California. Rode all over and did first triathlons (slowly) on it. Still have it. Rebuilding it into a commuter/utility got me back into bikes and wrenching, and to Bike forums.

89 Miyata 1400, still have it....it is my "nice" bike have upgraded from the original 7 speed biopace to 9 speed (both ultegra)

84 Torpado super strada. Given to me by a friend. Super fun to ride. use it as my commuter and keep it mostly original or original in spirit in hopes of doing the Heroica in a year or two

Next********** Heresy, but I could be happy not every having another bike, but have two on my list

*Torpado super super light...... I have so much fun with the super strada, I am thinking the high end model would be even more fun, set up with modern gear.

* Kirk custom........get kid done with college first

Recently, getting back into riding after years of not, it went from a Walmart cruiser (that fortunately got stolen.) Then an Electra Townie 7D to a Trek 7.4 -- love at first site, then alll hell broke loose. Gitane Grand Sport De Luxe followed by a Torpado Super Strada to a Raleigh Lenton GP. Along the way got another Trek 7.4 for the missus. In the future.. '48 Legnano and a small framed vintage mixte for my wife and who knows.....:twitchy:

1976 - Columbia Polo (banana seat); converted to off-road in 1979; trashed by 1982
1979 - Huffy Sundance 10-speed (trashed by 1982)
1980 - Race, Inc. 6061-T6 (meh; sold by 1981)
1981 - Kuwahara KE-1 (which I sold in 1982, like a dumbass)
1982 - SE PK Ripper (over-rated; gone by 1984)
1988 - Schwinn Tempo (leftover from 1987; sold in 2002)
1988 - 1985 Schwinn High Sierra (way, way too big for me)
1989 - Bridgestone MB-3 (finally, one that fits; missus rides it presently)
1990 - Bridgestone MB-1 (still own it)
2003 - DK SOB (purchased well-used; idea was to ride with my son, which never panned out - sold)
2010 - 1985 Trek 600 (horrible condition when purchased; much better now; used for hills / grand fondos)
2011 - 1972 Peugeot PX-10 (also horrible condition when purchased & much better now); 1988 Bridgestone RADAC
2012 - 1994 Specialized Stumpjumper Comp; 1989 Bianchi Boardwalk (drop bar conversion / clunker)
2013 - 1984 Schwinn LeTour (converted to fixed gear); 1981 Maruishi RX-5 (now on the market)
2014 - 1987 Tommasini Super Prestige; 1964 Carlton Catalina (eroica)
2015 - 1988 Raleigh Technium Tri-Lite clunker (moving to Florida soon); 1983 Colnago Super (eroica); 1987 Schwinn Duo-Sport tandem
2016 - 2006 Dahon Speed 7 (now heavily modified); 1982 Serotta Nova Special (currently my most frequent training ride)

Childhood bikes appeared unceremoniously, all used:

The earliest bike I can recall - circa 1960-62 - was an ancient chain-drive tricycle. May have had pneumatic tires, not sure.

Around 1965 a 24" wheel coaster brake bike in red appeared. Had a Wald-style front basket. I figured out how to ride one-handed on that bike.

Not long after, a black Rudge 3-speed with coaster brakes and a front caliper, no front fender. Had the Hand of Man chainwheel pattern, I'm guessing it was at least 10 years old by then. Held that through the middle of High School. Wish I still had it.

Maybe 1967 or 68, a lightly used blue Schwinn Varsity. Downtube shifters. My first derailleur bike. In '69 my family moved from Queens to Albany NY and I got to ride the Varsity more often. In '72 I was formally introduced to cycling and started taking the Varsity on longer rides. I felt the need for a better bike.

My first new bike was a gaspipe Chiorda from Macy's. Cost about $100, and while it was a forgettable bike I lavished attention on it. Changed the pedals and added toeclips.

By the end of '73 I'd saved enough to buy myself a Zeus Pro. Main ride for 14 years.

I moved back to Queens after college, and in the late '70s or early '80's I picked up an old Dawes frame and built it into a fixie (the term didn't exist yet) to ride on the Kissena velodrome.

I inherited a Moulton Stowaway around that time, and a few years later I bought a Ross Mount Somethingorother unsuspended mountain bike.

In '88 I got my Mercian Professional frameset which remains my #1 ride.

2011 I bought a 66 Raleigh Sports that I use in the city for commuting, errands and slow fun rides.

Around that same time I reconnected with the teacher that introduced me to cycling and bike mechanics in 1972; then age 79, he gave me the '71 Peugeot PX-10 he rode back in those times and for many years after. The circle is unbroken, my friends...

This past November I built up a '71 Raleigh International to 75% original spec. Didn't ride it much last season but it felt great underneath. Looking forward to Spring! Just a few more weeks...

I pretty much covered my A to Z of cycling here: http://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...o-content.html

For those that would like to save a little time and just want a list, here ya go:

Purple bike I learned on
Schwinn Apple Krate (red)
Schwinn Traveler III (red)
Centurion Le Mans (black)
Raleigh Super Course 12 (bronze)
Olmo Nuovo Super Sprint (metallic gray)
Colnago 89XL (red)
Orbit Road (white)
Raleigh Technium (red)
Nishiki MTB (yellow/blue fade)
Gios Compact (blue)
Colnago Mexico (gold)
Freschi Supreme (red)
Condor Strada (metallic red)
Guerciotti Air (metallic blue)
Saba (rebadged Alpina)(champagne, then flo-orange, finally metallic brown)
Colnago Mexico (red, then pink, then metallic red)
SR Litage (raw aluminum)
Tommasini Super Prestige (silver marble, then red)
Eddy Merckx Corsa (yellow)
Colnago Super (black, then red)
Huffy Good Vibrations (rusty red)
Denti Special (green/silver fade)
Gios Torino (blue)
Davidson Road (custom, metallic orange)
Cinelli Super Corsa (pearl white, then metallic blue)
Atala Professional (pearl white, then metallic purple)
Mondia Special (rattlecan black, then metallic blue)
Olmo Competition (silver)
Somec Supercorsa (metallic blue)
Casati Perfection (metallic pink fading over gold base)
Colnago Super (Molteni orange, then Molteni orange again)
Dennis Sparrow (orange)
Olympia Super Leggera (red)
Colnago Super (metallic light blue)
Colnago Super (metallic dark blue, completed bike in bare metal)
Medici Pro Strada (dark green)
Davidson Stilleto (burgandy)
Klein Pulse II (powder blue)
Medici Pro Strada (California Burgandy)

Bold denotes the bikes (or framesets) which currently reside in my stable.

DD

My first 2 wheeler was a Davy Crocket model w/ training wheels. It had a gas tank type top tube with the Davy Crocket logos and a holster to hold a toy rifle. I often wore my faux coonskin cap while in the saddle.

A Western Auto newsboy type coaster brake. I delivered newspapers. It had a front basket and huge steel saddle bag rear baskets. I also towed a red radio flyer wagon behind it to carry extra newspapers. The one time I ran away from home in junior high, I escaped on this bike. I lasted a couple of days before returning home.

My next bike was in college. A mechanically inclined friend would help me fix up yard sale coaster bikes. We would get stoned and ride through the adjacent suburban neighborhoods at night... riding up hills and down for the rush of the descent. Really the most fun I've had on a bicycle. My senior year I had a 3-speed that I pedaled to the suburban grocery stores for their lower prices. I once fit a week of food and a case of Piels Real Draft into my backpack. I left that bike chained to the front porch railing when I graduated.

My first job was at a university and I lived about a mile from campus with no car. I bought an emerald green Schwinn Varsity. It was the first and last time I commuted by bicycle. Mercifully I married my wife and her Ford Pinto hatchback 2 months later, before the Maine winter began.

The next spring I sold the Varsity and with the help of my FIL, got a Lambert Gran Prix 15-speed. I LOVED that bike....sadly it did not return my affection and rapidly disintegrated component by component until my FIL took pity on me and gave me his Falcon San Remo 76.... a 531 / Campy road bike. I rode it during my short and spectacularly unsuccessful racing career and on many tours through New England.

My last significant bike was a Romic 75 road frame I had made for me in 1977. I still have and ride the Falcon & Romic today.

195? Raynal 3 speed English racer
195? Schwinn Continental, traded in for
1964 Legnano Roma Olympiad (still have it)
197? SR Road bike
1992 Bianchi Forza (hit by a car, and killed the frame, I survived)
2002 Specialized Allez (still have it)
2007 Specialized Roubaix (still have it)
2011 Culprit Croz Blade (still have it)
1973 Raleigh Super Course - Just finished restoring it.

After all seeing all these great bikes listed I'm think' my evolution could be described in three lines:

In 1972 I bought a UO-8.
Around 1980 I was offered a Raleigh Gran Sport frame.
In 2010 I joined BF.

Everything else was a slide down a slippery slope.

Hey jamesdak
I really like the way you used the old bars and stems to hang your bikes up with.
I have a lot of them that I am going to recycle in just that way thanks to you.
budzos

Dept Store 10-spd --> Dads 1950 Girardengo --> Dads 1984 Motta --> Principia 700SL --> Principia REX --> Scott Scandium Team "Weightweenie build" --> Moots Vamoots --> Pegoretti Ciavete

For Christmas 1960, my father sent to me a 26"-wheel Hercules 3-speed; I guess, after the divorce, he had forgotten that I was only four years old and it was quite a while before I grew into it. By 1968 my brother (who had raced 1960-1963 in his teens), helped me to strip off the unneeded bits and convert it to road bars and a leather saddle.

Summer of 1971, ordered a Gitane Grand Sport from a dealer in northern VA -- hmm, 35 miles away? Waited for months and when told to come pick it up my 21" frame had been mis-shipped and we were presented with a 19"; moreover I grew a lot that summer and by now needed 23". Was refused a replacement or a refund (peak of the Bike Boom?) So we took it home anyway, and I was shortly riding on a very tall seat post!

Spring of 1974, got my first bike-shop job and spent every penny on bikes; much of what I now own arrived then: the 1961 Gitane, the Proteus frame, the Zeus track bike.

Late 1997 or Early 1998, discovered eBay. Browsing one day saw the Palo Alto. Seller pointed out a very short top tube for a 24" frame, couldn't sell it to anyone locally so he listed at $300 "for parts". Fits me beautifully.

Starting in 1972...

16" Schwinn Pixie early 70's
20" Free Spirit purple banana seat thing mid 70's
Columbia Lexington 10-speed bike late 70's
Mongoose Supergoose early 80's
Then a car...

Centurion Sport DLX in college and grad school (85-91) and beyond
Mongoose S2000 hardtail mountain bike 2000 or so. (Still have it).
Schwinn Jaguar beach cruiser 2009 or so (still have it).
Then I got more serious about miles at about 47 years old...

2013 Fuji Absolute 2.1 hybrid flat bar road bike - a couple of thousand miles per Map My Ride app

And now, I just completed bringing my Dad's one-owner 1974 Motobecane Grand Touring back from the dead. It's about to start stealing miles from my Fuji hybrid.

Cheers!

Started in 1962 with a new Schwinn Racer, from my parents, for my 7th birthday, red coaster brake model.
Basically lived on that bike till about 8th grade.

In 1971 bought a new Schwinn Continental, 26” Lemon yellow.

In 1973 replaced the Continental with a new Sports Tourer, 26” also Lemon Yellow.

In 1985 replaced the Sports Tourer with a new Supersport 25”, leftover 1984 model.

In 2005 added the 92 PDG Paramount, that I bought from a friend.

In 2015 added the 88 Trek 400t that I bought from my brother.

Last Fall bought the 77 Trek TX900, that I found on eBay, while a was searching for a 70/80s Paramount, it was only an hour away.

Still wish I had the first three, figure one more should just about do it, probably an older Paramount, or possibly something new from the Milwaukee Bicycle Co. We’ll see.

Tim