Why do you collect retro bikes?
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R-V
GT Fan
Not quite sure.Way healthier too
Joe_Rides
Senior Retro Guru
That's my modus operandi, dont get me wrong I enjoy seeing the minty period correct showbikes etc, but generally don't worry about how Retro my bike is for the sake of Retroness. They get used like any other.
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Because I've never been a fan of having money in my bank 
PanoIgano
Fat Chance Fan
I do it for the people! 
Just getting to know others with the same interest is very gratifying to me. These meetings have led me to a collaborative bike working space where I now work with people who restore and build bikes for a living.
That's the same reason I was racing for. The friends I made within my team and the many others I was meeting in the races (from organisers to participants) just made me feel that I was a part of a community and that’s always a nice feeling. Especially, if you feel you can contribute to this community and make it grow with you.
Also working with my hands in building and repairing the bikes is something that gets me into the flow. Always something to solve, even if not very technical by say the standards of a car mechanic, makes me try to find alternatives and solutions. Keeps my mind working at a different level of the blue collar job I do as I see the results directly in front of me.
Finally, riding these bikes is really something special too as they all have a very distinctive feel (this I guess is collection / era dependent).
There are some downsides of course namely waiting for arrivals of parts and checking with the post office for returned or undelivered items. All the packing and unpacking part is not very appealing to me either.
Just getting to know others with the same interest is very gratifying to me. These meetings have led me to a collaborative bike working space where I now work with people who restore and build bikes for a living.
That's the same reason I was racing for. The friends I made within my team and the many others I was meeting in the races (from organisers to participants) just made me feel that I was a part of a community and that’s always a nice feeling. Especially, if you feel you can contribute to this community and make it grow with you.
Also working with my hands in building and repairing the bikes is something that gets me into the flow. Always something to solve, even if not very technical by say the standards of a car mechanic, makes me try to find alternatives and solutions. Keeps my mind working at a different level of the blue collar job I do as I see the results directly in front of me.
Finally, riding these bikes is really something special too as they all have a very distinctive feel (this I guess is collection / era dependent).
There are some downsides of course namely waiting for arrivals of parts and checking with the post office for returned or undelivered items. All the packing and unpacking part is not very appealing to me either.
PhillB
GT Fan
Because I used to race BMX's when I was younger and moved to Mountain bikes in the early 90's. University, then work and kids took over, but I always rode. I am lucky enough now to be able to (just about) afford to buy some of the bikes that I dreamed of when I was 15/16/17, so why not. Plus I love the restoration and build process, it is a distraction and quite different from my everyday job, it creates balance in my life, if not in my finances
Titiritero
Retro Guru
I don't collect (bikes or anything else). However, I have a preference towards retro bikes because:
-when I got my first adult sized bike it was the early 90s, so I'm biased
-I like bikes that are easy and cheap to maintain, with rigid forks, and with standards that don't get obsolete in 6 months
-I like steel frames (again maybe biased as in the 90s most bikes were steel) and modern bikes are made of mostly other materials not as long lasting or visually pleasing
-when I got my first adult sized bike it was the early 90s, so I'm biased
-I like bikes that are easy and cheap to maintain, with rigid forks, and with standards that don't get obsolete in 6 months
-I like steel frames (again maybe biased as in the 90s most bikes were steel) and modern bikes are made of mostly other materials not as long lasting or visually pleasing
With me it is simple, I now have some of the bikes that I couldn't afford when they first came on the market. Back then, it was all great technology for me and a lot of it still is today. What's more, you can get a lot of them very cheaply, which quickly turns one retro bike as a gimmick into a whole collection. Another plus point is that with an MTB from the 90s, the trails around here become challenging again for me.
On my enduro bike, everything is a bit bland and I would have to go to a bike park or the Alps every time to push the bike to its limits, which I simply don't have the time for.
Retro bikes are also easy to understand and maintain, no suspension, hydraulics or dropper posts.
I am mostly looking for rigid steel bikes but some nice titanium is also welcome if it wasn't for the huge price tag.
I am not into collecting road bikes because I don't like riding drop bars that much and only beeing able to ride on roads is also nothing for me. I find them really beautiful though.
On my enduro bike, everything is a bit bland and I would have to go to a bike park or the Alps every time to push the bike to its limits, which I simply don't have the time for.
Retro bikes are also easy to understand and maintain, no suspension, hydraulics or dropper posts.
I am mostly looking for rigid steel bikes but some nice titanium is also welcome if it wasn't for the huge price tag.
I am not into collecting road bikes because I don't like riding drop bars that much and only beeing able to ride on roads is also nothing for me. I find them really beautiful though.
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