Restoring to admire not ride.

[Midorimage]

I bet most of these Garage Queens will be ridden. Maybe not in the current owner's lifetime.. but after he or she passes on. I recently had a brother pass away and it was really tough dealing with all his worldly possessions. Made me a lot less attached to things I do not use.

 

[toaster999]

Back on topic: it all gets a bit pointless when we only define a bike as something that's ridden. A bike's a bike - in motion or not.

I'd extend that to the term BSO which I have always found uncomfortable. A bike is a bike - just because it was/is inexpensive, if its 'retro' we should still embrace it.

 

[MikeD]

The point of the term BSO is that such things are so shoddy that they don't function adequately as bikes. It's not a synonym for cheap, it's a synonym for useless.

 

[toaster999]

The point of the term BSO is that such things are so shoddy that they don't function adequately as bikes. It's not a synonym for cheap, it's a synonym for useless.

Totally agree - but I don't think thats universally adopted. Mint Raleigh Mustangs for example are regulary labelled BSO.

 

[MikeD]

Mm. Unexcited though I am by Mustangs, they're definitely a step up from BSO territory Activators, on the other hand...

 

[john]

Let's keep Raleigh Activators out of this

Marmite or Olives indeed.

This debate has been going on in one form or another more or less since the sites inception and I'm sure before that too. The debate seems a little pointless but is interesting nonetheless, surely those on both sides of can see the other side's point of view?

On the one side if someone has a bike they don't wish to ride due to it's rarity / value / whatever then that is really up to them. If you've spent countless hours (and pounds) tracking down rare NOS stuff then why would you want to trash it round some muddy trails?

On the flip a bicycle is a functional piece of machinery designed to be ridden. People use and even race rare cars with comparable rarity and value far in excess of most bicycles...

 

[johnv]

For me it just boils down to doing whatever turns you on. My small (but expanding) collection is just built so I can ride. I like the idea of waking up on a Sunday morning, walking in to the garage and thinking "hmmm, what shall I ride today?".

My limited skill set (getting better) means that I don't think I can do justice to restoring a classic high end machine. Maybe one of these days I will do this. Maybe then I'll be more reluctant to ride it. Who knows ...

I certainly don't see the point of getting upset about guys who labour for many hours to restore their bikes, then don't ride them. This hobby (obsession) has multiple facets to it, riding, tinkering in the garage, historical research ... some people like some aspects more than others.

Just do whatever makes you happy.

 

[videojetman]

this is the only wall hanger i have.
restored it and rode it until it cracked. no regrets.
bikes are a personal thing. your bike do what you want with it.
i would never justify having a bike and never riding it. a total waste.

 

[xerxes]

My twopence.

I am wholly apathetic about both marmite and olives.

 

[MikeD]

Marmite and olives are both lovely. But not together