Dealing with reluctant measurers..

[highlandsflyer]

A lack of support can make an older model less attractive to buy. Not every bicycle has the heritage of a Pinarello.

Both statements are, of course, correct. Does this mean you won't be buying another old Marin?

 

[grantoury]

Both statements are, of course, correct. Does this mean you won't be buying another old Marin?

No, I am with you, I think they should give full support of all their past models. And the Pine Mountain I have is a thing of beauty. Well made with obvious know how.

 

[highlandsflyer]

No, I am with you, I think they should give full support of all their past models. And the Pine Mountain I have is a thing of beauty. Well made with obvious know how.

Does it mean you would consider a new Marin, rather than buy an older, unsupported, model? Or would you be likely to just look for a new bike based on your requirements, and be colour blind as to manufacturer?
Tom made a good point about Raleigh v Bianchi.
I would actually buy a new(ish) Raleigh, were they producing the SPD style handmade bikes. For me, they are a huge name in cycling, and their legacy remains impressive. I reckon there is a customer base there, trading on their heritage.

 

[grantoury]

Does it mean you would consider a new Marin, rather than buy an older, unsupported, model? Or would you be likely to just look for a new bike based on your requirements, and be colour blind as to manufacturer?
Tom made a good point about Raleigh v Bianchi.
I would actually buy a new(ish) Raleigh, were they producing the SPD style handmade bikes. For me, they are a huge name in cycling, and their legacy remains impressive. I reckon there is a customer base there, trading on their heritage.

The Marin has impressed me and made me look at their other models. I think from an economic point of view I would rather buy older stuff. If brands like Raleigh were still in business like they were 40 years ago, I would be very interested in that.

 

[highlandsflyer]

Well, if you had been inundated with superb customer care from Marin in relation to the older ones you had purchased, and were looking to buy a new bike, would Marin have grabbed a spot in the short list?

 

[grantoury]

I don't think it matters enough, to be honest. Foremost to me is how they build their bikes, materials, design, braze ons.

 

[pigman]

I suspect that while Mercedes takes pride in their back catalogue, which contains classic cars, bike manufacturers thrive by selling new ones, not having a heritage of old bicycles.

Exactamundo

 

[pigman]

A lack of support can make an older model less attractive to buy. Not every bicycle has the heritage of a Pinarello.

You could argue an older bike doesn't need support. Parts are fairly generic. Any basic shop or DIY enthusiast can repair it. What extra support is necessary? Joe Public isn't as special as us and doesn't need to know that the head angle on a 54 is 72° but on a 56 is 73°

 

[grantoury]

You could argue an older bike doesn't need support. Parts are fairly generic. Any basic shop or DIY enthusiast can repair it. What extra support is necessary? Joe Public isn't as special as us and doesn't need to know that the head angle on a 54 is 72° but on a 56 is 73°

It would be nice to see the classic bicycle crowd have more of an impact like classic car enthusiasts have.

 

[bikeworkshop]

I don't think it matters enough, to be honest. Foremost to me is how they build their bikes, materials, design, braze ons.

If you consider nowdays most brands don't make their frames, some don't even design them.
And it's only the frame that is specific to the brand, model and year - is not like the original Raleigh Record Ace, with many bespoke, model specific components. Even the forks are usually from a different factory now.

It's nice to have access to the history, but often the Internet is better than someone else's dusty bookshelf.