doctor-bond
Feature Bike
I've recently noticed my tastes and attitudes towards old bikes changing - I'm thinning the herd and focusing on fewer things. Given that I first realised that there was such a thing as retro at around the same time that this site started up, it occurred to me that there may be a pattern to the expansion of the retroverse.
So - are these the four ages of Retro?
1. Early times. As enough time goes by from the origins of mountain biking (and indeed the heyday of steel-framed road bikes), like minded people find themselves reminiscing about how it all began -- the racing, the machines. The internet is mature enough to allow them to commune easily and a new movement is born. This age is typified by the unearthing and restoration of exotica from the 80s and early 90s. The age spans 2004 to 2007.
2. The Ascendancy. The retro bug bites a broader range of folk who were part of the boom years of mountain biking in the 90s and naughties, and an increasing number of like minded people are able to share their reminiscences. This, coupled with a much greater availability of old kit via international sites like ebay leads to a new maturity in the way people are able to restore old bikes. This period is signified by the NOS catalogue build – and the white Kona. It’s also a period of growing pains where we see some of the old guard splitting away, and some stimulating discussions. Roughly 2007 to 2010.
3. Steady State. A time of steady expansion. During this period virtually everything has been found out about the early years; and virtually everything has been done in terms of restorations. At the top end, the NOS build bar has been raised to staggering heights, and we see multiple superbike clones – at the other end, well you know. This age also sees an increasing atomisation in terms of the scene: i.e. brand specialisms, regional identities, period loyalties all develop via mini sites, blogs and sister sites. 2010 to present.
4. What lies ahead? Now this really is speculation. My sense is that the tendency to expansion and atomisation will continue with more people specialising in a particular aspect of the scene. Retro will become an umbrella idea covering a vast array of separate interests: anyone else into mid 90’s-titanium-softail-69er-singlespeeds? An increasing number of manufacturers will cotton onto the demand for old school parts. This will lead to a general lessening of pressure on prices, except on truly exceptional original items (viz Turbo saddles and amberwall tyres). Ultimately, this could lead to a sort of entropy where it is meaningless to say retro as all subgroups are catered for by their own communities.
What ever lies in store for us, the genie is well and truly out of the bottle. The future has never looked more retro.
So - are these the four ages of Retro?
1. Early times. As enough time goes by from the origins of mountain biking (and indeed the heyday of steel-framed road bikes), like minded people find themselves reminiscing about how it all began -- the racing, the machines. The internet is mature enough to allow them to commune easily and a new movement is born. This age is typified by the unearthing and restoration of exotica from the 80s and early 90s. The age spans 2004 to 2007.
2. The Ascendancy. The retro bug bites a broader range of folk who were part of the boom years of mountain biking in the 90s and naughties, and an increasing number of like minded people are able to share their reminiscences. This, coupled with a much greater availability of old kit via international sites like ebay leads to a new maturity in the way people are able to restore old bikes. This period is signified by the NOS catalogue build – and the white Kona. It’s also a period of growing pains where we see some of the old guard splitting away, and some stimulating discussions. Roughly 2007 to 2010.
3. Steady State. A time of steady expansion. During this period virtually everything has been found out about the early years; and virtually everything has been done in terms of restorations. At the top end, the NOS build bar has been raised to staggering heights, and we see multiple superbike clones – at the other end, well you know. This age also sees an increasing atomisation in terms of the scene: i.e. brand specialisms, regional identities, period loyalties all develop via mini sites, blogs and sister sites. 2010 to present.
4. What lies ahead? Now this really is speculation. My sense is that the tendency to expansion and atomisation will continue with more people specialising in a particular aspect of the scene. Retro will become an umbrella idea covering a vast array of separate interests: anyone else into mid 90’s-titanium-softail-69er-singlespeeds? An increasing number of manufacturers will cotton onto the demand for old school parts. This will lead to a general lessening of pressure on prices, except on truly exceptional original items (viz Turbo saddles and amberwall tyres). Ultimately, this could lead to a sort of entropy where it is meaningless to say retro as all subgroups are catered for by their own communities.
What ever lies in store for us, the genie is well and truly out of the bottle. The future has never looked more retro.
