New York Albertan
Old School Hero
See subject. I'm new to the site, but I was just reading an old thread here on the "state" of retro biking. It should be a continuous thread. To me, the older bikes I'm personally looking at simply make more fiscal sense, and will be fun to ride. I think of the true "klunkers" we built using spare frames and parts from Joe Fix Its in Goshen, NY when I was a kid - and this was after "klunkers" became actual mountain bikes! We didn't have the coin to buy anything new, so we made it ourselves, w/o really knowing what we were doing. Many wrecks and failures, but we spent all summer biking on those bikes, on all terrain. I just like the idea "fast forward" of having a little nostalgia w/these old bikes - driving one to work is like driving a Condition 3 '75 Dart to the office - people notice! I pulled up at a light today on my gear-slipping 2000 Norco Wolverine, and next to me, a guy on an old Giant Boulder. We looked at one another and smiled. It was a great moment.
Just ranting here, and I "get" the newer bikes are what they are, and things change. But "progress" is, to me, sometimes subjective. There's something to be said about simplicity, and nostalgia, and sentimentality, as well. And, when I pass guys in "bike outfits", I smile, as I churn by in an old t-shirt, shorts, and low-top, burgundy Vans!
Just ranting here, and I "get" the newer bikes are what they are, and things change. But "progress" is, to me, sometimes subjective. There's something to be said about simplicity, and nostalgia, and sentimentality, as well. And, when I pass guys in "bike outfits", I smile, as I churn by in an old t-shirt, shorts, and low-top, burgundy Vans!