What has this hobby given you?........

[feetabix]

Following sylus' thread about what pisses you off about retro biking, what about all that is positive about being part of this hobby?

I unwittingly stumbled into retro biking before I found the site. I've eased myself into middle aged geekery with a smile along side you all and made loads of mates in the process.

I've come to appreciate the joy of tinkering with old bikes with a brew on the sideboard and a bit of background music in the man cave. Alone, but safe in the knowledge that you are all there in spirit. Hundreds of times better than Saturday evening telly!

Seeing the saved eBay search light up after 6 months of inactivity with the part you almost gave up on.

The feeling of the Thursday morning before mayhem.

Finding out first hand that the internet isn't just for perverts, but can give us this for free.

Walking to the post office with a part I'm sending to someone I've never met for bugger all, for no other reason than it feels good to be helping someone out.

A friend of a friend telling you they have a knackered old bike in the shed that they are glad to be rid of, that turns out to be gold dust to us nerds.

......there must be so much more......long live farting about with old bikes and going to bed too late because of retro bike.......

 

[unit3]

Amen to that brother!

I did exactly the same as you When I bought an old orange c16.

It's such a better group of people that any other hobby I have had over the years, and costs a lot less!
You would never get the trust/help/honesty in any automotive "sceen"

 

[cherrybomb]

An empty bank account and some funky scars.

 

[Grannygrinder]

Its like a sort of therapy.
Crap, hectic day at work, get home, kiss the mrs and the kids.
Then head for the shed, kettle on, Choccy Hobnobs open, radio on and have a nice relaxing tinker for an hour or so.
Back in doors for tea by which time i'm more chilled than an eskimos toes

 

[NeilM]

This hobby has given me, a new language made up of apparently random letters and numbers like M900, but which mean so much to those 'in the know'.

It has given me a rediscovery of a time, of people, of places that I thought were long gone and far behind me.

It has given me a renewed bond with my children and has given them new and renewed interest in being outdoors, riding hard and having a laugh.... "You drive a Skoda dad, so you can...."

It has given me a slimmer waist, a stronger heart, and a few skinned knuckles.

It has given me a whole new area of interest, riding on the road, alone and in company... who'd have thought.

It has given me the pleasure of owning and riding bikes I never dreamed I would have, back when they were new, shiny, in the mags, and way out of my financial reach.

It has given me a whole new set of workshop tools, and the experience to even use some of them, mmmmm neeww tooooollllzzzz.

And it has given me new friends, some of whom I have met and ridden with, some of whom I will never meet, but have just been able to do a good turn for.... because that's what friends do.

 

[gerryattrick]

In no particular order:

1. Not enough time in the day

2. The ability to lie to my wife about the price of bike stuff

3. Two torn knee ligaments and torn shoulder tendons

4. A good escape from the cares of the world when my wife was in hospital for 10 months

5. A knowledge of the local council dumps

6. An aversion to Cash Generators

 

[citrixccea]

I quite enjoyed lurking on retrobike before I realised that I had a slightly more interesting collection of bikes than I appreciated.

I'd just happened to be interested enough in the cycling aspects, and avoid the marketing of new stuff, so my dream mtb of '95 became a retro bike by accident, by virtue of the fact I failed to upgrade/part-ex it. Of course it was the experts on here who helped me spot the 'interesting' bike in the collection, and restore it.

It's not just me personally that's benefited - You'll note my eldest daughter has been converted to these dark ways, and chose a late '90s dale over a 'new bike', even if she does insist on calling it "fatty". If ever there's a KBOTM (kids bike of the month), my youngest would love to enter her Balamory bike.

What has it given me - Retobiking is my hobby, I've an extensive network of new like minded friends, I've had the kudos of putting my retrobike on show with it's pro riders, I've done more cycling in the first two months of this year than I did in many years before.

And I'm not done yet !

 

[Mike Muz]

It has given me a whole new set of friends to ride with .

Confidence that I'm not the only one who prefers old bikes to the ever more ugly new ones .

The ability to give and receive knowledge about building old bikes .

The satisfaction of riding them as a result .

Is there anything that gives the feel good factor like riding old bikes in company , then stopping to admire one another's steeds with tea in one hand and cake in the other ?

Mike

 

[slippybathtub]

Several things
In the past few weeks a great cheesy grin every time I get out on the bike

A growing credit card bill

An excuse not to play call of duty for more hours than I care to say

Since being diagnosed with parkinsons an excuse to get fit
And lastly I've found new ways of telling the missus NOOOOOOOO it only cost a couple of quid

 

[unkleGsif]

A sore arse (Flite Ti's), and angry wife (not connected), and very nearly a secret overdraft (if you are reading [spying on me] love, I'm only joking... just trying to be popular / funny / delete as appropriate)

Got a nice bike tho ..... but its not technically retro!

G