Happy Birthday 'Retrobike'!
For what its worth, here's what I take from the site (aka: lunchtime waffle):
I love the random illustrations of diversity from a common root - it's a safe bet the majority of contributors are well over their 35th birthday, happy to agitate and share memories of the good times, when our lives and lusts were simpler... As many have said, now we have varying amounts of disposable income and are able to magically purchase (or re-purchase!) that period, it's as if we take insult in subsequent bike design 'progress' and the tastes of the new people they are aimed at.
I guess it's all about the pieces of our identity - wanting to restate the fact that our values were somehow right then and are still right today - grudgingly, perhaps, in the face of some admirable technological advances. Let's face it, the old school bits and bobs we love to 're-find' now were all part of the dawning of the technological age way back when. That's why we love those flawed designs that were always bound to go CRACK! Hence, we are all therefore guilty of starting today's full suspension, 20" travel, hyperspace tubed, behemoths - just by dribbling over the local bike shop window!
Where to now for 'Retrobike' - I think it's already has iconic brand status, albeit in a cult or niche way. It's exactly at this point that it could go horribly 'wrong' or fantastically 'right' - depending on whether you prefer to hide under a little stone or like to spread the word and share with more folk. Neither is wrong.
It would be great though, to be able to make younger riders more aware of the heritage we all cherish - I really like looking at the US MTB Hall of Fame and First Flight stuff and wonder, since we in the UK are supposed to have all the history and heritage, why we cannot do something similar? With the knowledge displayed regularly by the group, it wouldn't be hard to compile an archive or the seminal UK moments: races, bikes, importers etc.
How positive would it be to define and state what the Retrobike is about for people yet to hear about it - perhaps to build logical activities (other than the web-based - it seems such a contradiction to be passionate about this outdoor pursuit, yet spend so much time staring into a radioactive screen thinking about it! Is that what computers are all about - big Gameboys invisibily replacing your desire to do the real thing with a surrogate - called EBAY!) that reach out to the next generation of old school riders.
Lastly, inspired by your great merchandise and the BOTM competition - how about publishing an annual set of readers' Top Trumps cards for each year's entries???
Neil
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The KEEPER LIST - 1992 Mountain Cycles San Andreas : 1994 Bontrager Race Lite : 1990 Marin Team Titanium : 1990 Brave Warrior : 1993 Kona Hot : 1994 Merlin Mountain : 1991 Cannonade M700 (Dropped) : 1988 Ritchey Ascent : 1990 Mantis XCR CE : 1990 Yeti Ultimate : 1994 Specialized FSR : 1984 Jack Taylor Super Tourist : 2017 Genesis Vagabond : 2016 Giant Trance SX : 1984 Condor Italia Restomod : 1994 Litespeed Catalyst : 1989 Cinelli SuperCorsa SLX : Singular Kite CX : Orange 753 Road(!) : Overbury's 650b Project : Holdsworth CafeX Project: 2014 Ritchey Swiss Cross : 2014 Genesis Fugio : Yates Condor Audax 531 : 1984 Andy Powell ATB : 1990 Brave Warrior
The ACTIVE SALE LIST: 1995 Fat Chance Buck Shaver : 1989? Yeti FRO/Sherpa (Lawwill) : Koga Miyata Full Pro L :
The POTENTIAL SALE LIST: 1997 Ballistic '917' : 1997 Ibis Alibi : 1997 ProFlex 857 : 1991 Kona Explosive : 1989 MS Racing CR1 : 1993 Orange Vit T2 : Dave Yates Diabolo : 1992 Alpinestars CroMega DX : 2015 Canyon Inflite : 1984 Cannondale ST500 Tourer :