Retro Bikes of Quality

[bushpig]

I disagree with the premise that a "bike of quality" has to be some sort of engineering leap. I would follow the notion of quality set forth by Robert Pirsig.

I like bikes that have a distinct personality, that are elegant, built by a craftsman and added points if they have some sort of history.

I dont spend too much time wondering if a particular bike is or is not a bike of quality or a bike that I like. It is more heart less brain.

And full suspension bikes certainly do the job, but in my books, barf.

 

[ededwards]

I disagree with the premise that a "bike of quality" has to be some sort of engineering leap. I would follow the notion of quality set forth by Robert Pirsig.

I like bikes that have a distinct personality, that are elegant, built by a craftsman and added points if they have some sort of history.

I dont spend too much time wondering if a particular bike is or is not a bike of quality or a bike that I like. It is more heart less brain.

And full suspension bikes certainly do the job, but in my books, barf.

Interesting perspective, particularly with reference to Pirsig's ideas on quality - "Quality is a characteristic of thought and statement that is recognized by a nonthinking process. Because definitions are a product of rigid, formal thinking, quality cannot be defined."

So to go from that, and as expressed above, quality is something that says something to you on a personal level, that you experience, rather than something that you believe in. Thus quality will mean quite different things to different people depending on their experiences. To some extent this is heading off on a tangent. But on others it clearly illustrates the difficulty in defining one retrobike as being intrinsically 'better' than another as each of us view it through the prism of our own experience (apologies, deep in Pseud's Corner territory here). So what doesn't matter is the objective 'quality' of an individual bike but the subjective passion that we feel for that bike and why. Thus any attempt to come up with a definitive definition of a 'quality' bike is almost certainly doomed to failure.

That said, I'm liking the cut of some of the bikes here while others, while others leave me cold. I'd prefer to go with that gut emotion rather than analyse too deeply why this is the case. Naturally others may differ.

 

[clockworkgazz]

I disagree with the premise that a "bike of quality" has to be some sort of engineering leap. I would follow the notion of quality set forth by Robert Pirsig.

I like bikes that have a distinct personality, that are elegant, built by a craftsman and added points if they have some sort of history.

I dont spend too much time wondering if a particular bike is or is not a bike of quality or a bike that I like. It is more heart less brain.

And full suspension bikes certainly do the job, but in my books, barf.

Interesting perspective, particularly with reference to Pirsig's ideas on quality - "Quality is a characteristic of thought and statement that is recognized by a nonthinking process. Because definitions are a product of rigid, formal thinking, quality cannot be defined."

So to go from that, and as expressed above, quality is something that says something to you on a personal level, that you experience, rather than something that you believe in. Thus quality will mean quite different things to different people depending on their experiences. To some extent this is heading off on a tangent. But on others it clearly illustrates the difficulty in defining one retrobike as being intrinsically 'better' than another as each of us view it through the prism of our own experience (apologies, deep in Pseud's Corner territory here). So what doesn't matter is the objective 'quality' of an individual bike but the subjective passion that we feel for that bike and why. Thus any attempt to come up with a definitive definition of a 'quality' bike is almost certainly doomed to failure.

That said, I'm liking the cut of some of the bikes here while others, while others leave me cold. I'd prefer to go with that gut emotion rather than analyse too deeply why this is the case. Naturally others may differ.

Well said boys, so we agree it is pointless to argue, better to just post the pics and stories and enjoy

 

[doctor-bond]

This says something to me.

http://www.firstflightbikes.com/1983_Weigle_IceCycle.htm

 

[kaiser]

That is quite special

 

[Repack Rider]

I always assumed that the term ATB actually came from the incorrect assumption that 'MTB' and 'Mountain Bike' were owned and copyrighted by Charlie Kelly and Gary Fisher and their company 'Mountainbikes', although CK could probably elaborate more.

We paid an attorney to trademark the name MountainBikes. He botched a two page application and we were denied ownership of what was obviously a very good company name.

For a couple of years we managed to bluff the industry, and if you said a "mountainbike" you meant one of ours.

Bicycling Magazine ran a contest to see what to call these popular machines that weren't "mountainbikes" even though everyone called them that. Because the new mass-produced bikes then on the market were so obviously copied from the ones we sold, the name went along with them.

The contest winner was...

Wait for it...

All-Terrain Bike or ATB.

As if anyone was going to use that stilted term, but that was what Bicycling stuck with for a while before everyone got onto our absence of trademark protection and the jig was up.

Consider it our donation to the language. No royalties are required for using the term.

 

[longun]

bikes of quality eh,heres my trek

some may shout its shit,ever ridden one?properly?

frame build is very good,it works,bobs like a modern fs with no propedal etc

inspired many and helped eveolve full suspension imho,you learn from mistakes etc blah blah blah lol

also , my 10p's worth,quality comes from attention to detail and function working with form,the us bikes were good and some very high quality but others were shit,the same from europe and the east.

pace,roberts,yates lloyd etc are still quality companies as is the current US brands,however the attitudes and marketing have changed and tbh,have affected the quality stakes,its all image now,were as bitd is was function and form,sure the new bikes are stronger and may work better to cahnging styles in riding but quality is something that is hard to measure,one mans old manitou with shit welds and a crack may still be quality to them as is our finest brazzed but boring looking steel frames etc.

 

[Archangel]

I am surprised that no Klein has been mentioned yet.
Clearly ahead of its time with huge headset bearings adding rigidity to the front end. Integrated BB was/is a pain in the a$$ but a was a means of growing the bearing size and thus adding durability. Innovations like boron/carbon fiber reinforcements, mission control stem/handlebar combos, etc.
Amazing paintjobs were part of the deal, especially during 1990-1996 era.
Add full customability if wanted (and if extra cash provided)..

These features have now been introduced as radical "new" features in many road and mountain frames. 1.5" headtubes, integrated BB bearings, cable routing inside the tubes especially in carbon frames, etc.

Even though Gary Klein wasn't the first one to make frames out of aluminium, he definitely was one of the guys who is responsible of developing the alu frame manufacturing like it is now.

 

[utahdog2003]

I am not surprised that the Trek donut bike and a couple day-glow Kleins with twinkly colored bits killed this thread.

 

[mikee]

iv'e seen that trek being fired across the yorkshire moors
theres not a lot wrong with the way it rides i'd say

more pics bikes stories please
forget the bickering