Restoring to admire not ride.

[Ductape]

Why do some of you have issues with well restored bikes that are not ridden (Garage Queens)?

What is the logic that says after you spend a few years putting a piece together it isn't cool unless you ride the heck out of it?

I have plenty of mountain bikes to ride from several eras, and they even all fit. Currently I am working on a long term project I have no plans of riding farther than the end of the block when it is complete. I have been lobbying with my wife for at least a year now letting her know my desire to hang this from the wall inside the house when completed. I think I will get my way.

I know with previous projects I always try to take some pics to post when complete before riding and getting dirty. Right now in my garage, I have an old dirty Ritchey, American, and Rodriguez that need a thorough cleaning once again. Don't you guys spend days taking each component apart to clean restore and re grease before mounting back on the frame.

I am blessed that I have more than one bike to ride if the desire is there to ride vintage (suppose it would be a lot different if I collected cars). Do I need to continually get them all dirty in order to justify their coolness?

I think a lot of the bikes in the BOTM competition are in this category. Put away to admire and not ride except on very special occasions.

My father collects rifles. When I was a child, we would go out in the woods or to the range and shoot some of these guns. There were some guns he collected that were never fired. I remember asking him as a child if I could shoot them. He just smiled and said no not that one. Stuff he bought new back in the 60's and 70's. He still has them. They still have never been shot. I enjoy watching him with fellow gun collectors as he drags these thing out of his safe to show and the pleasure they bring. I could care less about them but I sure appreciate the smile and passion my dad has as he shares these works of art with others who appreciate them as much as he.

Is Joes Breezer 1 now a pos because it resides in the Smithstonian never to be ridden again?

What will we do when the last Ground Control is mounted ridden and torn to shreads?

 

[NeilM]

What an excellent post.

First off, let me say that I am a rider, all of my bikes are built for use and get used.

But to give you my answer; it all depends on the bike.

There are some rarities that it would be a shame to damage, especially if they are made of a material that is difficult to fix, like aluminium, carbon or titanium.

I think this hobby of ours is broad enough to allow all sorts of interest; restorers, originality nuts, modernisers, customisers, all of them. As long as we are all tolerant of one anothers interests, and this seems to be the hardest part.

One point worth considering if, like me, you have a particular weakness for custom made frames, is what the original maker thinks. I know at least one builder who would prefer his frames, of all ages, were out and about and doing what they were designed to do. Fortunately for him, that is exactly my intention.

Whatever floats yer boat.

 

[FluffyChicken]

My perspective is I build to ride just because that's what I like to do and I used to think why the hell would you not do that.
But after being here a few years now I can appreciate there is a section, quite often US based (or at least the most vocal), that like to build the garage queens.
So my opinion has come to the, what do I care they're not my bikes and they look pretty. A lot of modern bikes and old bike used to be that anyway. Go out, buy ride around the block for a few weeks and then they give up, sling them in the shed with a cover over it to be auctioned of on ebay by their son some 20 years later

There are a select vocal about not riding them, I was in a BotM once but mainly as I said I would vote for a 'pretty bike' that had actually been ridden because I preferred it and the idea of actually riding them. Still doesn't put me against the idea of other people having garage queens.
I guess it's like keeping old photos to remind you of things and the people you see out washing and polishing their cars.

for me it's the people that buy, build to an exacting standard bike and sell that I don't get. Flog it all off, components as well and then build another bike.
But I guess they get a rush out of the buy and build and want that rush again.
Ok after a season of riding maybe but then it's used.


All in all with the increasing number of people and the tending for people to build mid-range bikes to a mid-range spec and they then go ride it because they can afford it, that when the high end bikes with high end spec or specific reasons for a 'original/replica or boutique' build gets done there is little appreciation. At least people will not show the admiration, well unless the build is well documented and had the story to follow, people like a story. So just showing up with the 'queen' in pictures I guess puts people backs up.
Like the rich kid at school did BiTD and so they find some way to get back at them.
... and that leads back to Garage Queens... they are mainly these 'rich kid' bikes.

The site has changed a lot, there is more open acceptance and in fact to make riders with whatever you like and new stuff on than there used to be. You now have to be brave and sarcastic to suggest otherwise. Even building and old bike with old parts in the old style is not the thing to do.

 

[Koupe]

I'm not really sure why it should provoke such irritation tbh. Plenty of people refused to get their bikes dirty BitD, it's not a collectors' thing at all. I'd never hang a bike on the wall, but that's just me. I guess the people who get wound up by it are just purely envious of the bikes in question.

 

[cce]

If you want to keep it in the shed then that's fine by me

The one that gets on my wick is people spending months building a bike to perfection before they even know what it rides like

 

[sylus]

Within any hobby I've had I've always had somethings that I would use everyday and somethings that are in such good condition and/or valueable that they will never be used but just admired

If anyone has a problem with that then the problem is theirs

 

[Antfox]

It's the same with old tamiya Rc stuff , i know a guy who has a huge collection and they have never seen Tarmac .

I think it's as hard not to ride as much as thinking sod it and going for a thrash. I would not be able to resist so those who are able to keep them I ridden fair play !

 

[sinnerman]

Ductape wrote:
I have to ask this question again. I asked in the last thread that was locked up before anybody really spoke up.

Why do some of you have issues with well restored bikes that are not ridden (garage queens)?

What is the logic that says after you spend a few years putting a piece together it isn't cool unless you ride the heck out of it?

I have plenty of mountain bikes to ride from several eras, and they even all fit. Currently I am working on a long term project I have no plans of riding farther than the end of the block when it is complete. I have been lobbying with my wife for at least a year now letting her know my desire to hang this from the wall inside the house when completed. I think I will get my way.

I know with previous projects I always try to take some pics to post when complete before riding and getting dirty. Right now in my garage, I have an old dirty Ritchey, American, and Rodriguez that need a thorough cleaning once again. Don't you guys spend days taking each component apart to clean restore and re grease before mounting back on the frame.

I am blessed that I have more than one bike to ride if the desire is there to ride vintage (suppose it would be a lot different if I collected cars). Do I need to continually get them all dirty in order to justify their coolness?

I think a lot of the bikes in the BOTM competition are in this category. Put away to admire and not ride except on very special occasions.

My father collects rifles. When I was a child, we would go out in the woods or to the range and shoot some of these guns. There were some guns he collected that were never fired. I remember asking him as a child if I could shoot them. He just smiled and said no not that one. Stuff he bought new back in the 60's and 70's. He still has them. They still have never been shot. I enjoy watching him with fellow gun collectors as he drags these thing out of his safe to show and the pleasure they bring. I could care less about them but I sure appreciate the smile and passion my dad has as he shares these works of art with others who appreciate them as much as he.

What will we do when the last Ground Control is mounted and all wore out?



SINNERMAN WROTE
I read all you wrote on the elitist thread.

Why does a bike that has taken forever to build or a few grand to complete it need to be " Ridden the Heck" out of it as you put it.....?

Whilst i agree to a point, that there is need to take extreme care and caution with it, what baffles me is how you could spend so much time and money building this magical rare bike, and not experience it AT ALL.

to just hang it up and not throw a leg over it on the odd occasion just baffles me. It doesnt need to be abused to be ridden.

I appreciate, the need to keep it nice and baby it, but still.

Your analogy for me is somewhat flawed, you went into all sorts of points like saving NOS for the next gereration etc etc etc. Why do you need to have NOS...

you live in a pretty dry place in comparison to England simply judging by your pics you posted.

And even with the crap weather conditions here i see no reason why a bike cant be ridden at all.

Even if i owned the Breezer 1, i would have to ride it, even if only for high days and holidays. with such a bike not to experience it would be more of a crime than breaking it.

and even if one of these truly magical bikes was to get damaged, so what, WHY cant it be fixed.......? Isnt that what we do here...?


Ductape wrote:
All in fun, who takes pictures on Rainy days:

"you live in a pretty dry place in comparison to England simply judging by your pics you posted."

Sorry bud, used London because not sure exactly where you live:

http://www.weather.com/outlook/health/c ... h/UKXX0085

http://www.weather.com/outlook/health/c ... h/USWA0395

Just looking at November it appears a bit more than double the rainfall.

Started a different thread on Garage Queens.




SINNERMAN WROTE
So from asking for people to comment, the only response you have to my post, is to show that actually, your right i dont know where you live and you are actually in a similar climate to me.....

Im pretty sure my point is still the same Ductape. Even with the weather conditions you have, there is still no reason why you cant ride your Unicorn from time to time.....? Sure if the weathers real bad, ride another bike, and save it for high days and holidays if you wish as i said, still not a reason to Never ride it though.

Perhaps you should look at it from a slightly different stand point for a minute.

Example,

You discover a rare frame, unloved, unused, in pieces, and/or missing parts in a dusty rotten shed somewhere.

You manage to get it, you then spend the next 10 years, locating parts from people all over the world, you spend your money you fix it up, and make it a bicycle again.

Ride it or Not, Better a rare bike in one piece and SAVED..... than a frame going to waste, with individual parts scattered all over the world.

If the frame was in a dusty shed and the parts all over the world, thats no better than hanging it in a house and NEVER experiencing the ride as the maker had intended.

YOU SAVED A BIKE...........enjoy it, share it with others, here and on the trail.

If not, and it doesnt go into a museum for people to see and share, What was the point in the Excercise... It might as well have staid in the dusty shed and the parts all over the world.

My point remains the same, regardless of HOW BAD the weather is, here or there, there is no reason not to, it can be cleaned and fixed and babied, and kept nice and still be a rider, even if only an occasional rider.

(And FWIW my understanding of a garage queen is a bike that is built and NEVER EVER ridden, have i got it wrong, if so, i apologise in advance.)

 

[jimo746]

What will we do when the last Ground Control is mounted ridden and torn to shreads?

we will rejoice! we will party like it's 2099! we will remember the good times, the fun, and the memories we had riding on those Ground Control tyres, and those memories will long outlast even the best preserved rubber.

It is right that some people should be the ones to preserve items for posterity, like Breezer no.1, but not me I prefer to ride them and savour the memories

 

[Pyro Tim]

A bike is a bike. It's not art. It can be aesthetically pleasing, but it is designed to perform a function. If it is not used, it is wasted. If you can't ride a bike because it will probably break, then it wasn't really a very good bike in the first place, and why should it be preserved?

Saving NOS for the next generation? Do me a favour. They won't be interested. Their unicorns probably haven't even been thought of yet. We like our old stuff because it's what we know, what we used, and it works well. However, surely if it was perfect, it would still be in production? Technology moves on. I know modern stuff has it's flaws, but the next generation may hold it in the same light we do the old stuff