I guess like many, being mid 30's, when I first got into biking properly (ie racing etc) in the early 90's I always lusted after the bikes the pros and rich guys had; Zaskars, Kleins etc etc
I then progressed through to downhill racing in the late 90's/early 00's, but now look back with rose tinted glasses to my early days when it was always sunny, anodised parts was a must and bike and component technology was very much in its experimental age.
Now with a bit of expendable income (young family and mortgage greatly reducing that) I can afford to collect/play/tinker with those bikes as a 'hobby' while still riding and sometimes racing modern bikes at the same time.
In regard to M-Powers early post about 80's bikes, unfortunately for me I never really knew too much about bikes back then other than ragging an 18 speed Emmelle around, and as such admittedly don’t know a great deal about that era
Great to find a community such as Retro Bike where age isn't even really thought about.
cheers
Chris