A sense of inner peace - the paranoia of the retro build ...

[WandsworthRouleur]

More seriously… I’m not sure there was such a thing as a ‘catalogue spec’ bike 5 mins into ownership BITD. Everyone was into upgrading everything — especially if it came in trick anodised colours. I can see the appeal in the challenge of doing a catalogue build (and my Marin is only a couple of contact points away!), but it doesn’t remotely represent what people were actually riding back then.

 

[beanfield1980]

This thread is saving my mind!
im fairly new to building retro bikes as all my builds are normally modern where age etc doesn’t mater, I just bought some 2021 wheels for my 2017 Scott spark and that’s fine!
but when building retro bikes I get so worked up about what year parts are going on it and is it correct or not ? will people pick out that a stem is too new? I have put 660 mm bars on the bike is it still retro?? Drives me insane at times
I recently built a 1994 zaskar and kept it 80% ish 1994 but now I’m building my Trek Y and I’m thinking F**k it and just build it with what ever looks good and more importantly rides good! I have never had a stock bike in my life or anything for that mater as I love tinkering and modifying! So pleased I stumbled across this today

 

[Carge]

Bikes evolve - factory spec - bits varied from catalogue spec anyway.
Given I bought my only decent bike as a frame in '92 - and built it with what I had and could afford - factory spec is a non-starter.

Practicality matters more than factory spec - are you going to use 30yo spokes to rebuild a wheel?

 

[Tootyred]

Catalogue spec...so basically the same as everybody else's.

Bitd, as many have pointed out, the first thing you did with a new bike was reach for the freewheel catalogue! Even if it was only a garish lycra seat cover!

I think this marks the difference between

A. building the bike you always wanted, the one that you drooled over in the shop window.

B. Building your bike.

Both can be equally retro; but for my money, no amount of £500 unicorn widgets will make a bike "your bike". That special relationship is reserved for years and miles.....probably both.

 

[mk one]

I think it all depends on why you are building the bike. Many on here build to preserve the bike and its history, to show the bike in its original state, others merely to own the bike, to experience the ride or to re-create a dream.

I buy bikes to ride, the parts i like to be period correct to add to the experience, plus the fact most worked flawlessly and still do, start upgrading parts, why not the whole bike, where does it end? On the other hand i think it is great that some do go out of their way to source every original part, in years time when most our bikes are just old beat up bicycles it will be good to look at, reminisce over and dream once more of the bikes we all once loved, but actually in the flesh and not just a picture in a mag.

 

[2manyoranges]

mk one … there indeed was a sense of that at the Malverns … that Alpinestars felt as those it had just been lifted from the shopfloor….

 

[Gtpulse]

For me it depends on the condition/originality of the bike when I get it.

I’ve got a pretty rare early Araya that arrived almost completely original down to the tyres. When I stripped/rebuilt I found that one of the crank bolts was the correct Suntour and the other not - even though it lives under a dust cap I couldn’t live with it and had to find another as it was the only part not the same as the catalogue.

At the other end of the scale I’ve got an early Zaskar which came to me as a bitsa and I’ve had forever that I don’t think has ever left the garage in the same spec twice!

 

[greencat]

Although I don't do it myself, I admire the catalogue spec restorers. A mint catalogue spec retro bike hits the nostalgia buttons in a very particular way - bringing back memories of nose pressed up against the window of local bike shops, poring through mags, even that new bike smell and feel etc. Long may you continue.

 

[Tsundere]

Ultimately it's just great that there are people out there saving great old bikes from the coke canneries, whether it's catalogue spec, mad frankenbike or anything in between, it's all about these classic bikes and parts and the fun that can still be had from them, if every bike restoration project was laser focused on the exact same end result it would be a stale and tedious hobby, instead it's anything but.

Personally I just love to see people enjoying these old bikes, the best projects for me are those where the restorer is genuinely excited and enthused about what he's doing, and seeing those first snaps at the end of a build thread of the bike back out on the trail.

 

[Woz]

No one mentioned arse yet. The chances of your factory fresh bike with a cheapo 3rd rate saddle being any good for
riding was very hit and miss. Usually, the saddle would be one of the first things to replace by default.