What if Retro wasnt retro anymore? Would you still crave it?

[Augustus]

I was reading about Steve Potts this morning, in this month's Dirtrag Builder Profile (excellent regular feature) and how he sold a twenty year old filet brazed unpainted frame for $3,000 Aus dollars recently and the guy asked him to paint it for him etc. And he was quite surprised that this old retro frame could fetch so much...

...and it got me thinking...

Would we all buy them if Ritchey and Bontrager and Chris Chance and Charlie Cunningham and all the others started making them again?

Handbuilt, 'proper' original design bikes - all new and shiny and strong and lots of miles ahead of them???

Or would the thrill of the chase and the 'hunting them down rarity' aspect to sourcing and owning such steed be gone and therefore would we lose interest?

I mean I wonder how many re-issue original '82 Stumpy's Spesh sold - and to who?

But that was a mix of modern and old wasn't it? So it's not quite the same, as it was a token novelty. I'm more meaning if those framebuilders actually started up shop again just like before.

:?:

 

[jawj]

We'd get all excited and WANT them (I mean want them BAAAAD...) but they'd be boutique, top end stuff. We'd talk about it a lot (I mean A LOT...) but not many would actually invest.

For example, how many of us own a http://www.dekerf.com? They're "proper" steel bikes but they're kinda pricey (though you certainly get what you pay for!) and they just don't have that retro je ne sais quoi. (was this what you were getting at...?)

I'm not trying to put a downer on it as I'd love to see more tasty calssic frames on the market!

 

[Hilts]

agree with jawj, but also the frame is only a small part of the retro movement. i reckon it's more about parts,components and especially the idea of form over function. i imagine these new bikes would be disc specific and no sign of a thumbie... I think Retro is more about the complete package rather than just the Frame..IMO

 

[tintin40]

Yep i would still want the retro stuff. It would have made life much easier then i wouldn't have spent hours hunting down the kit. Just nip down to a good bike shop or contact the importer.

 

[jawj]

Interesting stuff from Tintin and Hilts - it's definitely the retro bits and bobs that are the challenge - and the fun. Being able to just buy purple kit in my LBS would be great but kinda dull after a while.
One of the reasons I'm selling one of my Konas is beacause it's 'finished'. I've tracked down the bits and built it up to be super-retro-bling... but the fun kinda wore off when the hunting ended.

Retro is our quarry, the thrill is in the chase...

 

[scant]

I guess a lot of us where collecting "retro" stuff before retro/vrc/vintage became a recognised form of collecting/ ownership regardless of wether "retro" is fashionable or not.
Going by the prices "retro" stuff is making these days I'm extremely glad I bought most of the stuff I've ever wanted in the lull times. Which is kinda the reverse of saying I'd probabily buy more retro stuff if it wasnt popular & the prices were a lot cheaper today. (although to be fully honest I vastly prefer spending money on decent modern parts these days

in summary you know when retro bike parts are fully recognised when theres a vintage listing category on ebay

 

[tintin40]

Plus. The modern bikes are just rubbish. They are every thing i hate about Mtb's- Full Suspension/Front Suspension/ riser handle bars/Disc brakes :evil: :evil: plus they copy the retro. my XT-R 07 cranks are a copy of my bullseye crank. just useing Allu rather than cr-mo.

 

[scant]

Plus. The modern bikes are just rubbish. They are every thing i hate about Mtb's- Full Suspension/Front Suspension/ riser handle bars/Disc brakes :evil: :evil: plus they copy the retro. my XT-R 07 cranks are a copy of my bullseye crank. just useing Allu rather than cr-mo.

whats the old saying, nothing is new, just re-invented?
modern bikes are rubbish? cosmetically? yup I agree 90% of them are... in every other way they're way better

 

[jawj]

Whoa, hold it there Tintin, it would be wrong to say modern MTB's are rubbish just cos you don't like them.
I love retro bikes but modern bikes are bloody well'ard, suspension these days is quite incredible and disc brakes rool in the mud.
I ride a singlespeed rigid Kona for a laugh in the woods but I have a modern Orange P7 for kicking it (though it has hub gears, the idea of which is pretty old...)

How 'bout we embrace the best of both worlds...?

 

[tintin40]

I have embraced a little. I have a 'Ahead set' which does work well