Your biggest frustration with retro bikes

[Neil]

the "I could never afford a klein/fat" brigade who have ten lava domes, tequestas etc....

Oddly enough, I haven't read much in the way of comments about people saying they could never afford those sort of bikes - don't get me wrong, I'm sure some are put off by prices, but on the flipside I've read plenty of comments about people saying they can now afford things that were beyond their means BITD.

For myself, I'm not sure I'm up for owning 10 bikes, really. I've got about 6, and that's a bit much, really - but that said, I wouldn't trade the numbers or mediocrity, for one supposed "better" bike, either. I likes me some variety - I'd rather have a few solid choices.

Truth be told, I don't really get those who seem to suggest people should decimate their collection, in favour of just getting one really funky bike. I could understand it, if the person in question was bemoaning not having the means for something that has pretensions of being elite - but it often seems to be more about the person suggesting it, than the other guy with a few bikes complaining - but I'm sure YMMV.

 

[Charlieboy28]

That people just dont get i dont want a fat or a kline or the usual yawn yawns on Botm and that im happy with my ten lava domes :roll:

 

[highlandsflyer]

Got to agree Neil. I had Kleins back in the 'day' and have only a modern Pulse by default now thanks to a lucky Ebay bid. I have been asked if I am going to buy one of the 'old classics' by a few folk out and about. I am not really sure I would want to now. To have one might be fine but I would not want it to be assumed to I thought I was in some way elite. I got that attitude from some back when I had a Maserati. I had to repeatedly sort of 'justify' it to people who assumed it was a really expensive car, rather than a bargain import.

Some may say why care about others' preconceptions, but I am only human.

I would not trade my eclectic gathering of rusting metal for one or two fancy schmancy steeds.

If I were that strapped I would probably buy something modern and forget any pretensions of being 21 again.

Besides, Kleins are not at all elite. You can pick up a decent Attitude for a couple of grand, so practically pocket money bikes really.

Elite bikes are a myth, but like buses two come along at once to the chagrin of those who write them off as a myth.

 

[Dick Scruttock]

29.4mm Ringle seatposts.

 

[Koupe]

On the flipside, I tend to get really hung up on stuff which I couldn't have BiTD, to the probable detriment of the riding experience. For instance, rather than running some practical Z1s or Z2s, I'm using some overweight and under-performing Manitou 4s, simply because they were the forks that I lusted after at the time. Likewise, I'll pass up any number of perfectly good XT cranksets because I 'need' to have some Middleburn RS3s, as I couldn't quite stretch to them when I was 16. Yes, I am fully aware of how stupid that is.

 

[cce]

I think for a lot of people, owning a great many bikes is fundamentally wired into their self-identity as a cycling enthusiast. I was there for a while and the lack of focus started to grate with me

Over time I moved towards clarity of purpose. I always know which bike I'll take for any given ride.

 

[Neil]

I think for a lot of people, owning a great many bikes is fundamentally wired into their self-identity as a cycling enthusiast. I was there for a while and the lack of focus started to grate with me

I think you're over-thinking things.

Otherwise, it's just another "Everybody doesn't have the same values as me.... shock... horror..."

I could understand it more, if somebody was saying to you - "You know what you wanna do? Get rid of that Merlin and get 10 Lava domes." - or, if people truly were saying "I wish, I wish, I wish I could have just one supa-dupa bike, rather than these 10 pesky-wesky mediocre ones..."

Trouble is, I'm not seeing either. There is the space for both - what you may perceive as your own personal epiphany, may just be that - not a recipe that will fulfill everybody else. I'm genuinely glad you're happy - just don't go around thinking other people may not be, without some nugget of wisdom of how their current choices are lower down the evolutionary scale. There's room for alll diff'rent strokes and diff'rent folks.

 

[mattr]

I think for a lot of people, owning a great many bikes is fundamentally wired into their self-identity as a cycling enthusiast. I was there for a while and the lack of focus started to grate with me

Over time I moved towards clarity of purpose. I always know which bike I'll take for any given ride.

I have perfect focus, and n+1 will be arriving soon.

Again.

 

[legrandefromage]

I've just got rid of a load thinking that'll be it for now and I've ended up with more than I started with...??

 

[mattr]

TBH, once we've finished with a bike, it's rarely worth the hassle of selling it on. Especially dealing with frigging tyre kickers. The bikes tend to be worth more as keepers than selling on for 20% of their new value, especially when most of the kit on it is usually only 6 months old, just the frame that's a few years old.

I'd have been lucky to get 500 quid for my Raleigh Titanium, with almost a complete 970 group set.
So the 970 stuff went onto another bike, and the frame went in the attic for two years, while I sorted out a 95x group set.