Why do you collect retro bikes?

[kingoffootball]

Re: Re:

The slacker the head angle, the harder it is to make it go uphill..

Utter tripe, trotted out regularly by people who don't know what they're talking about.. My modern FS has a 65deg head angle and a 76deg seat angle with an inline post - climbs steep stuff just fine thanks. It's just a different technique, that's all..

Regardless of whether the initial statement is true or not, this is the scientific equivalent of "My grandfather smoked all his life and lived to 102."

 

[gradeAfailure]

Re:

We lean forward to walk uphill and backwards to walk downhill.

You can probably walk uphill 'just fine' leaning backwards, but it would be easier if you leaned forwards

Steep seat tube angle for seated climbing position.
Slack head angle for descending stability.

Don't knock it til you've tried it..

Beware thinking that mountain bike geometry peaked when they looked like road bikes my friend..

 

[Peachy!]

:facepalm: Let’s try to stay on topic can we ladies?

“Why do you collect retro bikes”

 

[brocklanders023]

Re:

For me it started out just looking to replace my original 1989 Orange Clockwork I'd foolishly sold a year or two before. From there this site got it's claws in and I started looking for bikes or parts I always wanted bitd. Things got a bit out of hand and I started collecting anything that looked half decent or was a bargain and ended up with loads of bikes and parts I didn't want or need. Chasing the dragon I suspect, looking for a bike that gave me the buzz I got from some of the early finds.

I used to get out for rides with the retro mob and my best mates were interested in retro too so that kept interest up. Unfortunately my pals lost interest and I gained a family so riding time, especially retro has dried up.

After being scammed online last year when selling a modern bike I've lost all interest in buying/selling/collecting. To be honest I'd probably come to the end of the retro collecting road anyway so this just gave me a shove to spend less time looking on ebay and forums and more time to the real world! :facepalm:

I got rid of most of what I had so only have a small collection left and plan to thin it further although I will always keep my mint 92 Clockwork and probably one of my 89 Saracens for nostalgic reasons.

 

[gradeAfailure]

Re:

:facepalm: Let’s try to stay on topic can we ladies?

When people stop wheeling out tired and incorrect clichés, I'll stop correcting them..

Anyway, as I said - I love retro kit because, as has been said, it takes me back to days sat in the 6th Form common room during free periods, drawing up fantasy bike specs from memorised component lists, poring over the latest MBUK (especially the full-page Stif adverts) or the occasional Mountain Bike Action to see what amazing new kit was being dreamed up over the pond.

Sadly prices have risen so much for the iconic stuff over the past few years that I can't justify the spend on a magazine-spec San Andreas or GT RTS Team with full M900, but maybe one day..! <dreams>

 

[Stodgy]

Re:

They are elegant vehicles for a more civilised age.

 

[rwm1962]

Re: Re:

After being scammed online last year when selling a modern bike I've lost all interest in buying/selling/collecting. To be honest I'd probably come to the end of the retro collecting road anyway so this just gave me a shove to spend less time looking on ebay and forums and more time to the real world! :facepalm:

I got rid of most of what I had so only have a small collection left and plan to thin it further although I will always keep my mint 92 Clockwork and probably one of my 89 Saracens for nostalgic reasons.

I remember that. Sad to hear. Some times these things run their course anyway. Glad to hear you're keeping the Clocky!

 

[troje]

Re:

Because they are beautiful! A sleek steel frame with thin long tubes, nothing looks better than that. Add amber wall tyres, some titanium bling and a clean 3 x 8 drivetrain for more awesomeness. And they ride how they look. Clean, fast, sleek, nimble. The early nineties were the pinnacle of bike engineering. Modern stuff is functional, nothing more than that.

 

[Once A Hero]

Re:

I wanted a new (old) hobby that wasn’t going to be too expensive :roll: , so decided to set about the task of collecting all the bikes I had when I was racing. I have them all now, though they aren’t all quite done yet. I’m trying to add a build thread for each in roughly chronological order - check my signature
I’ll have them all lined up in my man cave along with a few other bits of memorabilia when I’m done, and they may get ridden from time to time too

 

[al-onestare]

Re:

Because I ride them.