BoTM October 2009 - Nominations please!

It's good to see that there are lines being drawn as to what is "vintage" here on RetroBike!
Personally, I find anything newer than m900/910 XTR to be too modern to be called vintage, so given the arbitrary line drawn in the sand regarding year of components, percentage of used modern bits, etc, I still think Bushie's WTB to be as, if not more relevant for BoTM than some of the others up this month - why are we not talking about the newer Vassago steel frame with the disc brakes (not even canti bosses) and single speed rear dropouts without a single vintage part on it?!?! Oh wait, there's a Race Face compact drive crank (95 at earliest, but I;d be willing to bet that it's ISIS, being 2001) and Avid V-brake levers (late 90's). Heck, those don't even look like 26 inch wheels to me on the Vassago!

Either way, that WTB sees more actual miles than all the rest of the bikes combined, I'm betting, giving it some pretty amazing street cred, as far as I'm concerned! I think daily-ridden bikes should get a 1.5 multiplier on BoTM votes!

It's all about the Ti WTB!!!

RichieB":c2ot0wzl said:

It's good to see that there are lines being drawn as to what is "vintage" here on RetroBike!
Personally, I find anything newer than m900/910 XTR to be too modern to be called vintage, so given the arbitrary line drawn in the sand regarding year of components, percentage of used modern bits, etc, I still think Bushie's WTB to be as, if not more relevant for BoTM than some of the others up this month - why are we not talking about the newer Vassago steel frame with the disc brakes (not even canti bosses) and single speed rear dropouts without a single vintage part on it?!?! Oh wait, there's a Race Face compact drive crank (95 at earliest, but I;d be willing to bet that it's ISIS, being 2001) and Avid V-brake levers (late 90's). Heck, those don't even look like 26 inch wheels to me on the Vassago!

Either way, that WTB sees more actual miles than all the rest of the bikes combined, I'm betting, giving it some pretty amazing street cred, as far as I'm concerned! I think daily-ridden bikes should get a 1.5 multiplier on BoTM votes!

It's all about the Ti WTB!!!

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The Vassago has been discussed by me and John, and the owner of the bike came back stating he would remove it.

Nuke Proof Reactor

Here's my Nuke Proof Reactor with Nuke Proof carbon hubs, Nuke Proof stem, Sweet Wings cranks, M950 shifters and derailleurs.

Re: Nuke Proof Reactor

2wheels4ever":25kqug8t said:

Here's my Nuke Proof Reactor with Nuke Proof carbon hubs, Nuke Proof stem, Sweet Wings cranks, M950 shifters and derailleurs.

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That's one funky looking ride

With the mix of entries, participants, and debate...should be an interesting month.

An interesting debate. My 2p worth.
I think the debate over Bushpigs entry is not so much the bike but the underlaying friction that has emerged between the VRC and RB over the last year. There are many non period correct bikes entered in BOTM every month and as such do not get pulled apart. Things are different this month for sure.
I think poor old Bushpig, as a senior and esteemed member of the VRC has been quite brave throwing that bike into the ring. I can see why he chose it too; the guys over at VRC love to poke fun at our bikes for lacking period correctness, but I also feel that sometimes they must envy the more liberal approach we have over here- That WTB ain't period correct but as anyone can see its a rider, free from the restraint of correctness and as such I bet its a cracking ride out on the trail and would kick some serious ass.
So, Bushpig has a great bike that he enjoys riding but it would probably not gain favour amongst his peers over on the VRC- but wait a minute, it would (or should) be appreciated over on RB where everyone is a little more laid back, plenty of non correct bikes over there, lets throw it into the ring, we do like a rider after all!. And that should be the end of it.

This is where the silly friction comes into play.....
So what have we got here? A VRC member, from the home of period correctness and authenticity, the righteous path, entering a non correct bike in our forum, after all that has been said??? How dare he?? That will never do! Wagging of fingers and shaking of heads aplenty.

I bet my last dollar (or pound sterling) that if there had not been the friction over the last year that Bushpigs entry would have been accepted with typical English politeness, and those who did not like it would have refrained from commenting and voted elsewhere without fuss as is the RetroBike way. End of. I also bet my second bottom dollar that if a senior member of RB had entered that bike into a competition on the VRC they would have had a field day- Colker for one would fall off his chair with bitter glee, pronounce us a right bunch of ignorant fools and dance on its bones.

So where has all this friction got us?

Nowhere.

As debated many times over, RB and VRC are two very different churches. However, no matter what your preferences regarding how a bike should be built, we should always remember that we are, or bloody should be united by one thing- BIKES!- riding them, enjoying them no matter how pretty, ugly, period correct or hot rodded, getting out there and getting covered in crap until our legs fail and only our smiles remain.

Bushpigs bike gets used. He has stuck his head over the battlements with a bike very much in the RB style and has decided to contribute to our forum- something his compatriots have chosen not to do. For this he gets my respect. Could it be more than a simple BoTM entry? is it a RetroBike flavoured Olive branch from our estranged brethen over the pond?

Now lets all go away and think about how we can start to rebuild the divide between our two churches and put our egos and personalities aside. Lets keep it about the bikes.



Si

Dr S, thank you for sharing your vision. I have to say, speaking for myself, my apparently triggering this discussion has nothing to do with experiening a friction. I simply opened page 2, spotted the 29'er scrolled down, spotted the XTR and so on and thought; ''Woho, what is this?!''

@rchieb
I do not recall pointing explicitely at one bike, unless someone wanted I commented it. True, pity if someone sees his entry critized so heavy, but of Noah/Bushpig I am quite confident he has a dozen more imo very neat and promissing entrys lined up.

I will be voting 'Dr S' for Prime Minister

Elev12k":3vfxckus said:

Dr S, thank you for sharing your vision. I have to say, speaking for myself, my apparently triggering this discussion has nothing to do with experiening a friction. I simply opened page 2, spotted the 29'er scrolled down, spotted the XTR and so on and thought; ''Woho, what is this?!''

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I am in total agreement my friend, as a 'retro' bike entered in a retro competition its far off the mark. Having re-read my ramblings I would like to point out that I was in no way intending it to be a pro Noah stance or a go at your good self, just that sometimes similar bikes do get entered and they are ignored as a curio without comment. My words were an attempt to prevent this light hearted competition decending into another tiresome 'us versus them' debate, and were not directed to any individual member or their comments. Your critic of that bike and the 29er (now withdrawn) is bang on the money, but I felt a danger that others would follow and due to the friction of late, decide to 'put the boot in'.

Si


@Ocset- don't be silly man, me as PM?? god help us :roll:

Hi zero_gravity

So I don't fall-foul of the current retro/repro debate that's flying-around at the moment I'll put the record straight on this machine. It's not 'the original from the Raleigh Team in 1992', it's just a 'standard' 2070 frame and forks which I ordered and requested to have sprayed in those colours.
The equipment on this machine is all original 1989/90 Campag equipment, though, and still in regular use.

The Team machines frames where made of MMC and I have one of the 1992 (non-team colours) Dyna-Tech MT5 versions.

Cheers

zero_gravity":upj1woyo said:

incredible bike! the original from the raleigh team in 1992!

beautiful!

carlton dyna-tech":upj1woyo said:

Ti is nice on a set of wheels but I agree with SYN-CROSSIS about 'grey, grey, grey'....

So with that in-mind, and being a 'steel-wheels' fan, I'd like to nominate my 1990 Raleigh Dyna-Tech 2070 in team colours of the time. Ordered it from the Raleigh SPD and asked for it in the team colours, then transferred the Campag Centaur MTB equipment from my Overburys' Pioneer onto it. Fitted a Girvin Flexstem as they where de-rigeur at the time and had it sprayed to match the team yellow of the frame tubes. Full specs' here http://www.retrobike.co.uk/gallery2/mai ... emId=50297

PS
Used on the road also, hence the rear Vistalight

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I love that Nuke Proof! such a groovy bike!