doctorstewie
Senior Retro Guru
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Morning all.
One of the things I like about this retrobiking thing is that it's not exclusive ( unless you are talking to one of the Klein Fanboi types) in terms of the amount of money you have to spend to enjoy yourself.
Obviously everyone's situation is different, but I am far from rich - having been too ill to work for a good while and will be until I am better: this means I am not sleeping on a pile of money with many beautiful women, more like worrying about my money with one beautiful woman. But bearing in mind how much a useable bike costs, it's become my most cost effective hobby/pastime.
Here's what else I do:
I make Daleks - real ones.
I build models - from scratch and kits.
I play the guitar and drums.
And next to that lot with the possible exception of playing the guitar, it's actually cheaper than all of them: A nice model kit can cost anything from a fiver to a hundred quid, a pair of drum sticks eleven quid - a bass drum head upwards of thirty. Strings 8 or so. A Bass drum pedal? Well mine cost horrifying money.
Making a dalek costs around 3 - 400 quid - but then sometimes people want to buy them so I can get my money back and a bit extra.
The thing is being not well enough to work means I am not well enough to do most of these things either, but putting a bike together, polishing some bits, tuning it up all mean I don't have to get stressed, talk to strangers much, or worry if I can sell on the products of my work. And can do it on a limited income if I am careful.
So far I haven't bought a retrobike for more than 50 quid, ( Although I may have bought bits for it and I don't need to buy lots of bikes anyway, ) but most of all I can't go out for a therapeutic ride on a drumkit or a dalek.
The fun per pound ratio is off the scale. I have three projects on the go and the main one is my Rift Zone. Then there's the Saracen monocoque clown bike, and Antstark ( thanks again mate )sent me a lovely Cinder cone frame.
The Marin is complete, ( and is deeply therapeutic to ride) the Saracen is nearly complete and I need a few bits for the Kona and it's a slow burner cos I want to get it right.
Totally for this lot I have spent less than 150, and I've managed to Karma two frames out of that lot to other folks, and I've been doing the retro thing since last year.
I know that many folks have spent truckloads on it, but I think this is such good value.
( And you should see plastic modellers moan about the price of their hobby...)
One of the things I like about this retrobiking thing is that it's not exclusive ( unless you are talking to one of the Klein Fanboi types) in terms of the amount of money you have to spend to enjoy yourself.
Obviously everyone's situation is different, but I am far from rich - having been too ill to work for a good while and will be until I am better: this means I am not sleeping on a pile of money with many beautiful women, more like worrying about my money with one beautiful woman. But bearing in mind how much a useable bike costs, it's become my most cost effective hobby/pastime.
Here's what else I do:
I make Daleks - real ones.
I build models - from scratch and kits.
I play the guitar and drums.
And next to that lot with the possible exception of playing the guitar, it's actually cheaper than all of them: A nice model kit can cost anything from a fiver to a hundred quid, a pair of drum sticks eleven quid - a bass drum head upwards of thirty. Strings 8 or so. A Bass drum pedal? Well mine cost horrifying money.
Making a dalek costs around 3 - 400 quid - but then sometimes people want to buy them so I can get my money back and a bit extra.
The thing is being not well enough to work means I am not well enough to do most of these things either, but putting a bike together, polishing some bits, tuning it up all mean I don't have to get stressed, talk to strangers much, or worry if I can sell on the products of my work. And can do it on a limited income if I am careful.
So far I haven't bought a retrobike for more than 50 quid, ( Although I may have bought bits for it and I don't need to buy lots of bikes anyway, ) but most of all I can't go out for a therapeutic ride on a drumkit or a dalek.
The fun per pound ratio is off the scale. I have three projects on the go and the main one is my Rift Zone. Then there's the Saracen monocoque clown bike, and Antstark ( thanks again mate )sent me a lovely Cinder cone frame.
The Marin is complete, ( and is deeply therapeutic to ride) the Saracen is nearly complete and I need a few bits for the Kona and it's a slow burner cos I want to get it right.
Totally for this lot I have spent less than 150, and I've managed to Karma two frames out of that lot to other folks, and I've been doing the retro thing since last year.
I know that many folks have spent truckloads on it, but I think this is such good value.
( And you should see plastic modellers moan about the price of their hobby...)
and after years hear the friendships gained have allowed some cool bikes to be built for very little. ultimately for me as well its the riding, be it in groups or on my own. im going through some shit personal issues at mo and riding is preserving my soul and mind. 
