Hello all!

I joined a little while ago to browse threads/ask questions, but I figure I may as well introduce myself!

I'm 26, and I work at a bar and as a freelance journalist in Austin, TX. I don't bike here yet because I've had a hard time finding one I like for a reasonably price, so I've been building one up a Takara Challenge touring frame from scratch into a commuter/grocery-getter/bar bike/all-around-towner and also slowly restoring a neglected Miyata Team road racer to its former glory for casual and speedy rides. My username references a '85 Raleigh Marathon "sport" touring bike that I rode all over Philadelphia for five years when I lived there, and am looking forward to riding again when I visit home (I didn't think it was worth it to ship it all the way to Texas. In retrospect, it probably would have been).

I mostly use my bike as a way to get around, but am interested in getting into cycle touring and bikepacking. I've realized recently that I love vintage cycles and don't love modern bikes, and am on a journey to become a more knowledgeable rider and fledgling mechanic through reading, volunteering and working on my bike projects. I'm also interested in transit policy and urbanism, which I cover as a journalist.

If anyone has any big tips on vintage cycles, cycle touring, reading material, or good places to get parts, or just wants to chat and link, I'm all ears!

Welcome to Bike Forums R85. Feel free to post some questions in the various forums that are of your interest.

Tips for vintage bicycles? Try to make it Classic. But practical works, too.

Two great project bikes you've got there! Austin is great, enjoy.

Welcome, from SE Wisconsin!

I like the look of classic bikes too, but the practicality of a modern city bike cannot be denied. For example, down there in the hot belt, electric assist may allow you to get to work dry. Integrated racks are nice, as well as LED lighting.

What's your living situation? Have you ever considered a folding bike, so that theft wouldn't be much of an issue? Also, for multi-modal transit. Bikepacking with folding bikes is popular in the UK, for example. One could take a long, one-way journey, then simply take a train back with the bike folded up and in a bag.

Huh. You mean like a Brompton? A little slow for me. I think they're great if you live in a walk-up with no bike storage or you have a regular, as you said, multi-modal commute. Personally I just refuse to live anywhere I can't stow a full-sized bicycle on the ground floor or work anywhere I can't get to by bike from where I'm living, which has served me well so far. Plus, most mass transit accommodates full-size bikes anyway.

Re: city or commuter bikes, I do like some of those features, but they're not really unique to "modern" bikes, right? I mean, dynamo hubs for lights have been around since the 30s, and racks, internally-geared rear hubs, drum brakes and upright geometries have been around way longer. Those bikes are more retro than they are modern. Or maybe they're modern in the academic sense of being from sometime after the end of the renaissance.

I guess the big exception to that would be the electric-assist, which I also see the appeal of but personally hate. The batteries for those things are like wet bricks. As soon as you strap one to your bike, you can forget about ever wanting to climb a hill without the electric assist on.

Hopefully this doesn't come off as too much of a hater comment, lol. It seems like you were meaning to prod at me a little about my preferences so I just figured I'd respond honestly. No hate to folding or commuter or electric bike enjoyers, just not my speed right now.

Whoa, that's a beautiful bike. Love the white-on-white!

Security becomes an issue at times; not sure about your situation.

...to varying degrees. For example, in my city, the buses have a rack on the front for two bikes. What happens if you get on after the bike rack is full? With a conventional bike, the bus driver will refuse you. With a folder and a bag, it becomes "luggage", not a bike and he'll welcome you on. Depends on your situation, but it sounds like you're not considering a multi-modal trip at this time.

Yes, but to get them all on one bike is rare, in the USA. I know dynamos have been around for a long time, but not dynamo hubs, just the tire-grinder type.

Yes, true. It takes a special type of person to enjoy climbing hills on bikes. I would say the majority HATE it. Apparently you're the former! I ride both types of bikes and like them both for their own strengths. I ride road and gravel bike for exercise, usually 15+ miles at a time and up to 100. The eBike, I use for transit, where I want more exercise than walking, but to arrive without being sweaty. Or for groceries, which add the undesirable weight. Or for a rest day after a tough bike ride.

It's fine, I was just trying to be helpful, but it sounds like you already know what you like and want.