Drillium Dude 

Are you kidding? I'm thinking low-maintenance if she prefers the Camry to the Caddy - could mean she's plenty practical, too. That's my gal

DD

madpogue 

First date - Caddy
Second date - Camry
Third date - Tandem

zandoval 

1980s Bianchi 500 USD v/s 2020s Carbon Bianchi 4000 USD

Sure I want a New Carbon bike but I think I'll be looking for the 80s version. Of course I do kinda like that older stuff to begin with. And of course I am still looking for that Tubo Covair Monza Spider too...

Sure glad Nader didn't get ta the bicycle venue. Or did he? Just where did those suicide clips and the Dork Disk come from? ... Ha

etherhuffer 

Yes. But have you seen the famous/infamous Sekine dork disc? Its awesome

etherhuffer 

For this I would buy a Sekine bike. Right up there with Raleigh vintage cranks

SJX426 

For my riding preferences, I like steel frames with lugs and more modern drive train. If I want a nostalgic ride, I can get on the Bottecchia or Colnago with friction shifting.
As most likely know, my two current favorites are the '91 Pinarello Montello with 9 speed Racing T drivetrain and Record Ergos and the '88 De Rosa Professional with 10 speed with Ergos.
Since both are about the same size frame and set up for my fit, they are both comfortable. The Pin works best when I am out of shape and need that 30t ring with the 26 sprocket to get up the hills. It suffers going down the hills with 52/14. For flats the De Rosa is the choice with 13--25 and 53/39.
With these two I can make small changes, like saddles, to compart differences.
@Kilroy1988 - Very appealing Look! I would ride that!

Lets see if I can find some different pics
P1050224 on Flickr
P1050282 on Flickr

Found out yesterday that the post, Miche Super Type, has been discontinued. Get one now if you desire one.

RB1-luvr

I like old a lot. I appreciate new. Riding one or the other for a few rides and then switching makes me appreciate them both. I have modern road racing and cyclocross bikes. I've owned these two since new (1989 and 1990). They've been modernized a bit, but I also ride an RB-2 in stock configuration.

BTinNYC 

What's the oldest mobile phone you've seen in use? I do love my mobile phone and Di2, but software brings a totally different lifecycle into the bike world.

embankmentlb

This a very good analogy with regards to style. I am not sure it fully relates to bikes in terms of practically.
An old bike will be far less costly to operate and maintain than a new bike. An old Caddy will cost much more to keep running than a Toyota. Those Detroit cars were lucky to make 100k mikes. A Toyota will do 300k with everything working as new.
Good luck finding the propriety parts for these plastic / electronic bikes in future years to keep them roadworthy. Just something to think about..
I do like the feel of a manual transmission both in cars and bikes.
The world, it seems, does not cater to the old folks like me anymore.

bamboobike4

I'm sort of hoping she picks me up.
Even in her Mitsubishi.

bamboobike4

I often wonder how his passing changed the industry. Univega may well have become what Trek is today. The arc was there.

bamboobike4

1. Silver spokes glittering in the sun.
2. Saddles made of leather that looks like leather.
3. The rider is actually participating, moving cables via levers.
4. Hubs that don't sound like angry mosquitoes on steroids.
5. Something to clean; don't discount the raccoon effect.
6. Someone used fire to make it.

joesch

Yes SW relies on HW and both can be EOL'd (End of Lifed)
SW needs to keep up with vulnerabilities so if not patched then your riding a possible security exploit, ie control of your transport (bike, car) maybe taken over. These are current everyday concerns, maybe not soo much for bikes until it happens and sure glad the latest TdF was not the time.

SJX426 

So what were the "mechanicals" that happened several times? My suspicion is they were related to shifting issues.

zandoval 

Mine still works, now if I could only find the other one... Ha


Not my pic - pinterest.com/pin/retro-pair-of-1961-heathkit

Just looked up the old skematic... WOW! How wonderfully simple!!!
https://elektrotanya.com/PREVIEWS/45...r_sm.pdf_1.png

Our game was to chase a Bad Guy through the neighborhood on our bikes using walkies to coordinate. Everyone wanted to be the Bad Guy cause he got to ride the Western Flyer 3 Speed. Ride a Vintage Bike? Hell yes...

steelbikeguy

Electronics is certainly an issue, considering how quickly some integrated circuits are declared obsolete and no longer manufactured. The early analog stuff like this radio has a decent chance of being repaired with modern transistors and components.

By comparison, I've got an Avocet 20 that is acting up. I'm in the middle of poking around and seeing if one of the capacitors might be the problem, but there's no way that I could get a new integrated circuit for it.




Even worse is a Wahoo Element that a buddy asked me to look at. Neat design, and appears to be well built, but again, there's really no way to repair most of the potential problems. The complexity, specialization, and miniaturization makes it impossible to fix outside of the manufacturer's facilities.




Steve in Peoria

bikingshearer 

+1. My frames are all things I lusted after as a teenager but could not afford. I love the way they look, I love the way they feel, I love the way they make me feel. After a ride, I inevitably look at the bike I just rode and say out loud "you are a great bike." CF may ride "better," depending on the criteria chosen, but it will never make my heart go pitter-the way classic lugged or filet-brazed steel does. It's purely nostalgic and in no way measurable or logical. It's what floats my boat. That's good enough for me.

As for components, every year Eroica CA reminds me why I almost always ride SPDs, dual pivot brakes, and Campy 10sp triple drivetrains with Ergo. To me, that stuff works better and is more user friendly than the period correct-stuff. I love drooling over great time capsule machines - they look great. I rode clips-and-straps, single-pivot sidepulls and 5sp friction shifting across the USA in my (significantly) younger days and had a ball. Yes, those things still work and work well, but I like newer components better now.

There is a limit, however; a big part of my attraction to Campy 10sp is it still looks pretty good on a classic old frame. Newer than that - not so much, at least to my eye. So I will likely stick to what I ride more than 90% of the time now - old lugged steel (the frame on my main rider is pushing 60 years old) with Campy 10sp triple. This is not a vote against CF or 12sp electronic transmissions in general, but it is a vote against them for me. For that, mine is the only vote that counts.

For everyone else, ride what you like. I'll cheerfully ride with you (slowly) and enjoy lunch and/or a beer with you afterwards.

etherhuffer 

Yep, old cars had pretty short life spans. But they had panache too. My folks bought early Honda Accords in the 80's. They ran forever. Low mainrenance. But, if a serious component fails on a modern car, repair costs are crazy. You can divide the world into mechanical era, electromechanical era, and electronic era. It is hard to watch modern devices stop working due to obsolete software. I am staring at a 30k corneal topographer that is dead due to software. Not to mention proprietal circuit boards etc. If ever there was an argument for open software like Linux, my office devices are. 30k boat anchor

madpogue 

If her Mitsubishi has a manual transmission, I'm already in love.

joesch

Yes for sure but I was specifically referring to exploits, not bugs.

Vintage_Cyclist

Six Reasons Why Vintage Road Bikes Are Better Than Modern Road Bikes

1. Don't need no new-fangled electronic shifting.
2. Don't need no danged disc brakes that need to be bled.
3. Danged company logos everywhere.
4. Dumb tubeless tires, what's wrong with friggin' tubes?
5. Dumbass slanted top tubes.
6 Get off my lawn you danged kids!

bamboobike4

Wait, there are third dates?

Einzelherz

Some refer to it as marriage.

madpogue 

Okay, here's the more detailed version.

Dating for low-maintenance - same as above, post # 27

Dating for high-maintenance:
First date - Lambo
Second date - Corvette
Third date - N/A

StarBiker

Many are just to uncomfortable for me to ride. Even in the 80's I found them uncomfortable.

And I have road a few. They kill my neck. I dislike reaching!

I wouldn't mind one of these........