So many bike sites seem to loathe "retro". Why?

[New York Albertan]

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!

 

[longun]

Throw away generation. Unless its brand new they dont care. Tbh though when we show the bikes at events they get loads of positive remarks although mostly from the older or very young who still unknowingly know what cool is haha.

To the haters I always use the term it's like old music and classic cars, if I have to explain it to you you'll never understand.

Chris

 

[d8mok]

You either like stuff or you don’t. If people don’t like my interests it makes zero difference to my life and I’d spend no time trying to change it. Same as I don’t like what seems to be more common hobbies like football, TV Soaps and getting drunk every weekend.

I’ve never had a bad reaction whilst out on a retro ever. They get more positive comments than anything new

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

We all ride on 2 wheels, it should end there.

 

[KermitGKona88]

Simple economics, bike sites need advertising, bike shops want to sell new bikes, hence demonise old stuff and praise new stuff...Simples

 

[Gtpulse]

Retro even if money is no object does require a bit more effort than spanking £xxxx on something shiny from a shiny shop or website. The plastic superficial latest this latest that let’s take a photo of the perfect moment crowd aren’t really in to effort. As has already been said some folk just don’t get it as well, for them it’s about the ride not the bike. Combine that with what has already been said about marketing and folk just not getting the retro/classic scene whether it’s bikes or cars etc and you arrive at the OP.

Each to their own though, it doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I say hello to every cyclist I see, doesn’t matter to me if it’s an old guy on a shopper or someone in a skinsuit on a tt bike!

 

[Tootyred]

Retro for me partly due to nostalgia, but mainly down to quality....i doubt shimano could even make half the kit to the quality they turned it out to 35 years ago!

Let alone sell it for a price that would see it on any major manufacturers bike!

Plastic fantastic, chuck it in the bin, "fix lt! .... your joking mate", consumerist society.... forced by market obsolescence and where the next thing is always better!

But its not! The next thing is built down to an even lower budget for a generation who dont expect anything to last and wouldn't know quality if it bit them on the arse!

Companies must be laughing all the way to the bank....

 

[Betsy]

You either like stuff or you don’t. If people don’t like my interests it makes zero difference to my life and I’d spend no time trying to change it. Same as I don’t like what seems to be more common hobbies like football, TV Soaps and getting drunk every weekend.

Hear hear!.. I've never even seen a football match in it's entirety .. and we don't have a tv license, i just stream stuff from the webz

I still like to get drunk at the weekend but 2 out of 3 ain't bad..

 

[greencat]

As others have said, there's little/no money in retro for most bike sites due to it being fairly niche and mostly based around trading second hand stuff for relatively low prices. If it ever gets to the point that a major bike website can be supported via retro ads and sales, they will run tons of features etc on retro no worries.

Also not everything was great in the good old days. Some kit was distinctly "experimental" and lasted accordingly. It is easier and better for many new riders to simply buy a new mid-range bike that will get some support from a local bike shop than to try and understand the retro market, indulge in some fettling, source 20+ year old parts etc. A lot of people would rather ride than work on their bikes. Some like us, like doing both.

 

[marc two tone]

Its all a good demonstration of the universe balance. I cannot bring myself to buy a new (up to date) bike when, my 1995 marin does everything i want it to do and its in sound condition.

Where as there are folk than can't see any other option than keeping up with the latest kit. Old is dead.