So many bike sites seem to loathe "retro". Why?

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

<listens to the sound of sidepull brakes trying to do a skid during a major u-turn >

With wet chrome rims?

 

[The History Man]

Wheelie a fixed racer with cow horns.

Ride past mates at speed going up and down,vstraight legged, both feet on same pedal.

No brakes required

 

[grantoury]

I bought an Alivio shifter last week and it came with a piece of paper with a QR code. No problem I thought, let's scan it. It produced another document that just warned me that bicycles are dangerous and I should get a professional to build my bike. That is the brilliant effect on modern society by the judiciary system. My point being that there is more to modern bike tech than just marketing or the desire to sell something new. In the past you got a manual in 6 languages with detailed information, but that isn't "safe" anymore.

My neighbour owns about 18 road bikes of the nineties and eighties. He went to a repair shop to have a cup removed from a bottom bracket and the man just said to him: "why don't you chuck that old thing in the garbage?"

Our society has become locked in a process of wasting possessions in favour of something new and shiny while taking the means of building and maintaining stuff ourselves out of our hands. The experience of retrobikers fits into a greater picture, and becomes a mere symptom. This is a process that is unsustainable in my view and will find an end, but not because we as retrobikers were informed of it and wanted it stopped. Self reliance has become a luxury hobby because of our absurd wealth, but fortune is easily lost and the hobby will become a neccesity again. Then maybe all the excellent bicycles that were made from the first ones to those of the nineties will become valued again.

 

[bikeworkshop]

I bought an Alivio shifter last week and it came with a piece of paper with a QR code. No problem I thought, let's scan it. It produced another document that just warned me that bicycles are dangerous and I should get a professional to build my bike. That is the brilliant effect on modern society by the judiciary system. My point being that there is more to modern bike tech than just marketing or the desire to sell something new. In the past you got a manual in 6 languages with detailed information, but that isn't "safe" anymore.

My neighbour owns about 18 road bikes of the nineties and eighties. He went to a repair shop to have a cup removed from a bottom bracket and the man just said to him: "why don't you chuck that old thing in the garbage?"

Our society has become locked in a process of wasting possessions in favour of something new and shiny while taking the means of building and maintaining stuff ourselves out of our hands. The experience of retrobikers fits into a greater picture, and becomes a mere symptom. This is a process that is unsustainable in my view and will find an end, but not because we as retrobikers were informed of it and wanted it stopped. Self reliance has become a luxury hobby because of our absurd wealth, but fortune is easily lost and the hobby will become a neccesity again. Then maybe all the excellent bicycles that were made from the first ones to those of the nineties will become valued again.

The end of Consumerism brought about by the effects of its primary physical by-product, carbon dioxide.

 

[CassidyAce]

So what’s happening in retro biking? Is it just a wave of 50-70 somethings and then both the activity and the site will just die off, as this transient population pushes up the daisies?

Yes. Very probably, exactly this.

 

[2manyoranges]

Yes. Very probably, exactly this.

Oh dear....

 

[Mkane]

 

[M_Chavez]

Modern bikes are evil, and modern cyclewear is even worse. Why does every overweight middleaged guy dress up in lycra like it's halloween and he's a sausage?

Dunno about you, I'll stick to retro. It's practical, reliable, safe, comfortable and you still look like a gentleman while riding it. What else do you need?

The higher sitting position adds to the safety element by allowing you to see far ahead and spot the deliveroo f**wits on their electric motorbikes.

It might not handle the modern MTB tracks as well as a full susser, but you'll be fine on most slopes I think. The sales guy at Evans told me it's the size of the wheel that matters (that's why nobody rides 26ers any more).

 

[legrandefromage]

<wanders in, forgets why, wanders out>

 

[Siish]