RetroBike gone quiet..

[hamster]

I think that there are two distinct groups on RB: collectors and riders.
The collectors are concerned about value, have very finicky tastes and an element of fashion in what they collect. They are like the train set guys who never run the stuff on a track and keep the boxes.
The riders are simply out for a blast on a bike that they could only have dreamt of owning when new. They mix and match stuff but are essentially unconcerned about value as they break things and get them scratched and muddy.

Last weekend I was out on my (new for me) 20 year old P7 and got stopped three times by people wanting to chat about the bike. I call that healthy interest!

 

[Silvergoat]

Re:

I'm in the "out for a blast" camp myself. I can understand the collector types safely hoarding the more rarer, irreplaceable and therefore precious wares they've striven to find – you wouldn't want to risk driving a rare beautiful classic car on the stunning A406 everyday in rush hour. But all these lovely bikes on RB were originally created to be enjoyed and ridden hard for maximum fun or competition. I'm not interested in the value of mine, it gets everyday use and it will probably see me out. I've removed most of the old bits, mainly because they're not really up to the job of everyday commuting – still running the original '92 XT headset and 7speed thumbshifters though, as they're bombproof. My bike has always evolved with replacements, repairs and upgrades, so it's no longer 'regulation retro' or 'period correct'. When I'm out commuting, there's always someone who wants to stop and ask me about the bike – it seems to light up their day. I think these old bikes should be ridden and enjoyed and shown to the world, rather than boxed and never run on the rails.

 

[brocklanders023]

Re:

I'm somewhere in-between as I can't afford to have garage queens (Although most of the retro rarely moves :roll: ) but like the retro I do have to be in showroom spec if not in showroom condition. I have no interest in post 1995 old bikes and do not like putting 'upgrades' on the bikes I do have. This means as much as I enjoy a blast on a retro bike I prefer to ride my modern ones.

Then we go back to the beginning where I can't afford to keep garage queens. :facepalm:

With the limited amount of time I have for any bike related stuff at the moment and for the foreseeable future I've decided to abandon full on ground up resto's and concentrate on bikes like my Pine Mountain that are already in great nick but just need a few parts and a good clean. Hopefully, due to the fact that bikes in this condition that I'm interested in and are within budget rarely come up, should stop me filling the garage with parts and frames that will never get the attention they deserve.

I'll probably change my mind next week though when I spot a bargain on ebay!

 

[Silvergoat]

Re:

Another day, another bike, another whim.

Despite what I've said previously, I would probably love to have my bike in full period or showroom or catalogue spec or condition and rest it more often (not quite garage queen) and have another bike for everyday use. I originally bought mine as just frame and forks, so it's never going to be period or showroom or catalogue correct. However, I'm so attached to mine that I rely on it so much to do all types of riding. It seems bombproof, so it will out live me or my riding days – may be I should organise for a 'Viking burial' with it. There are a few modern bikes I would like but prices over £1k to £3k just rule them out. I can't really afford to devote more than £500 on another bike – besides, that would take some justifying to Mrs Groovy.

 

[al-onestare]

Re:

Personally speaking I have a defined list of bikes I want. They are uber-specific and like hen's teeth. I've done the whole building up thing and loved it but I'll reserve it for the unicorns.

It means I can spend time riding - in-between all the other life stuff - and enjoy the garage residents for what they were designed to do. I'm fortunate to have the stable that covers all options (for me at least): hard tail and rigid front, hard tail and front suss, the commuter, the roadie, the full suss, the cruiser.

Whilst I still read and post, I'm really looking and truely interested in the real rare stuff, stuff that's unusual or fills a knowledge gap. I wonder if there are others who joined around the same time (08/09/10) who are the same sort of stage.

 

[legrandefromage]

Theres one I keep in semi-retirement as it deserves it. The rest, unless really rare, I dont mind running around on, getting muddy and generally using a bike for what it was meant for. I hate to see a good bicycle in a museum, something so easily maintained should be used.