Retro Bikes of Quality

[Elev12k]

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

That is not nice of you. Archangel composed the bikes with a lot dedication. Moreover I think objectively seen the Kleins are not more or less quality than many of the bikes mentioned in this topic.

Getting my key

 

[kaiser]

The Kleins may not be everyones cuppa but they were designed without compromise and should be included, whereas the Trek.....well for a start it says trek on it

 

[one-eyed_jim]

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."

I enjoyed that book when I read it a long time ago - not so much for the philosophical content, but for the loving way in which Pirsig writes about the joys of tinkering with machines.

Keith Bontrager has a very different take on the idea of quality. It may not correspond exactly to the prevailing ideas on this site, but anything Keith writes is worth reading and thinking about:

http://www.compint.com/stinkingweasels/ ... ality1.htm

This was originally written over two monthly magazine columns. Some more of those columns are archived here:

http://tinyurl.com/69y858b

The Bontrager website used to host them. Here are some more, courtesy of the Wayback Machine:

http://web.archive.org/web/200104050740 ... ts_f1.html

 

[novekili]

What? Panasonic, Trek, and no Merlin?

The first to introduce snake stays, and oversize ti tubes, held together by magnificent welds... The quintessence of beauty.

Can't find any pics of the stays so I'll just post my 1990 bike... No snake stays tho :cry:

 

[doctor-bond]

Thank you Novekili: that's the ticket.

Let's have some titanium!

 

[Elev12k]

What? Panasonic, Trek, and no Merlin?

I can not allow you to make fun of the Panasonic MC-Team/Pro. That is not acceptable. It is even way beyond acceptability.

The other bikes posted on here may be interesting from various perpectives, but if we take materials used, precision and functionality as leading, than the Panasonic is simply the bike to beat. Period ...and no single bit of doubt about that. Important to realize this.

 

[doctor-bond]

I'm sold that the MC/Team Pro is one of very few superbly-built bikes of the era, but Elev:

Next week I will eleborate on the groundbreaking mountainbikes of the Netherlands.

We need the bigger picture.

 

[kaiser]

Panasonic made fantastic TV's

 

[novekili]

What? Panasonic, Trek, and no Merlin?

I can not allow you to make fun of the Panasonic MC-Team/Pro. That is not acceptable. It is even way beyond acceptability.

The other bikes posted on here may be interesting from various perpectives, but if we take materials used, precision and functionality as leading, than the Panasonic is simply the bike to beat. Period ...and no single bit of doubt about that. Important to realize this.

Hahahahah you're right mate... I shouldn't make fun of my first walkman..

How could I have walked in the summer on the footway along the beach with my Raybans , neon pink& green Gotcha T-shrt, and neon orange Nike Trainers wihtout my Panasonic walkman???

 

[Elev12k]

I'm sold that the MC/Team Pro is one of very few superbly-built bikes of the era, but Elev:

Next week I will eleborate on the groundbreaking mountainbikes of the Netherlands.

We need the bigger picture.

Okay. I'd hoped to have one of the thoroughbreds finished this week, but I am waiting for some final parts coming in. A true bummer as I would have liked the idea of putting it in this month's pre 90s BOTM. Would even have qualified for pre '85 :shock: