"VRC, we have lost cabin pressure…"

[legrandefromage]

The Maverick has been valued to £4563 GBP, I wont accept a penny less...


I was quite nervous joining RB, it was daunting seeing those spectacular builds when all I'd done for years was recycle 'Tip tat' (copyright LGF 2009). Luckily, I had that unique talent and seemed to have earnt the respect of other members - I do get my knickers in a twist now and again though...


There has been a lot of chaff amongst the wheat lately (not all by me either) but thats not nesssesssssarily a bad thing as it keeps RB going and all those clicks on ebay links keeps the site healthy.

There has also been some fantastic builds that if we all wanted to emulate would cost a fortune. Unfortunately, those with the deep pockets will keep pushing up prices while the term 'retrobike' exists.

This has lead to the lesser builds that seem to annoy some, we all had to start somewhere and I think theres as much room on RB for a Diamond Back Topanga as there is for a Fat Chance.

Its cos were're nice...

 

[ridevintagemtb]

to be honest if you put your bike on a public forum , you need to be prepared to take some slack .

Yup.

 

[tashi]

As a long time lurker on many sites, I can say it is exactly this type of drama and the attitudes displayed at VRC that have kept me from contributing there.

Please don't let that happen over here, this site seems to have alot to offer as well and I would hate to see that ruined by the antics of the crankier elements of VRC spilling over.

 

[gradeAfailure]

[2p]

I think the difference in bikes between the two sites is possibly due to their respective virtual/physical locations, and from this may stem the differing attitudes that have become part and parcel of each site...

MTBR/VRC is primarily a US-based site - the MTB boom in the "golden era" ('88-'95?) was huge and far-reaching, with boutique CNC companies springing up everywhere and all those who got rich in the late 80's buying Kleins, Fats, Yetis and the like not because they understood why it was the best, but simply because they bought the best of everything regardless - and then never used them. The US is also simply vast, and the sheer number of bike shops is immense. These factors combined to give the collectors of the present day a vast base and potential availability of NOS or near-NOS bikes and components hidden away in garages and dusty stockrooms, and I think this has in part led to the bikes on VRC being much more biased towards high-end, catalogue original specification.

By contrast, Retrobike being a very British site, is more influenced by the way that era of MTBing was over here. We didn't have as many boutique companies of our own, and the sheer amount of bike shops and high-end bikes was dwarfed by what was going on over the pond. As a result, bikes over here tended to be based around an entry-level or mid-range frame with whatever boutique parts could be afforded as and when finances allowed. The bikes today are a reflection on that - customised to the owner's personal preferences rather than a catalogue or magazine picture of what a certain bike "should" be.

As long as the bike in question is getting ridden (bikes in being ridden shocker) then neither is "better" than the other.

The problem comes when bikes are built solely to be posted online and for the builder to gain the approval and cyberspace back-slapping from others and so validate their own purpose, and from what I gather there has been a proliferation of this on VRC, not to mention a disapproval of bikes that, to the cognoscenti, "look" wrong.

To be perfectly honest, some of the bikes posted here are utterly hideous! However, I would value the lowliest, ugliest of these that has been built because that's what the owner wanted and hammers it at every opportunity over anything that was put together purely for the kudos it would gain the builder.

Over this side of the pond we've always favoured the underdog, so we will always reserve a place in our hearts for the Hahanna, the Timberline, the Palisades Trail...

I know I've said elsewhere that I don't like pimpy parts on lowly frames, but that's just that - an opinion! I may not agree with how you build your bike but I will defend your right to do so...

[/2p]

 

[SeeingisBelievingGTMuseum]

tashi, you got some bikes? let's see them! share!

 

[tashi]

not much retro that's post worthy these days, just a dented old DeKerf and some road bikes!

links for those that like dented old DeKerf's and old road bikes:

Wife's Marinoni, now with 8-sp 600 STI, white Rolls and white bar tape:
http://velospace.org/node/12662

The wife's DeKerf, dented, broken, repaired, stolen, rescued, never restored:
http://velospace.org/node/12663

The wife's Nishiki mixtie, a real nice mix of retro style and modern function:
http://velospace.org/node/12461

My Jeunet, for gettin' around with panache. $22 invested total. Quite possibly the worlds best looking chainguard.:
http://velospace.org/node/12458

My updated Sovereign (now sold to a close friend so I can still visit), I don't know if I ever showed this one on MTBR. I'm way to scared to now, I'd be crucified for the mods! I might actually restore this one one day.
http://velospace.org/node/12463

 

[retrojon]

To put the silly VRC vs Retrobike another way...

The Retrobike sand pit is square, everyone can play in the appropriate corner and throw their tip tat/exotica into the centre once a month.

VRC play in a round sand pit.


Now who is going to explain what VMBOBFOK or what ever it was stood for?

 

[Kona Paul]

not much retro that's post worthy these days, just a dented old DeKerf and some road bikes!

links for those that like dented old DeKerf's and old road bikes:

Wife's Marinoni, now with 8-sp 600 STI, white Rolls and white bar tape:
http://velospace.org/node/12662

The wife's DeKerf, dented, broken, repaired, stolen, rescued, never restored:
http://velospace.org/node/12663

The wife's Nishiki mixtie, a real nice mix of retro style and modern function:
http://velospace.org/node/12461

My Jeunet, for gettin' around with panache. $22 invested total. Quite possibly the worlds best looking chainguard.:
http://velospace.org/node/12458

My updated Sovereign (now sold to a close friend so I can still visit), I don't know if I ever showed this one on MTBR. I'm way to scared to now, I'd be crucified for the mods! I might actually restore this one one day.
http://velospace.org/node/12463

Lovin' that Dekerf....

 

[gibbleking]

this is without doubt the most interesting thread ive ever read on rb......nowt like a good old verbal punch up to liven the day up

 

[rumpfy]

Re: Rabble rousing - out of order...

What don't you understand about the people here in this thread not wanting you here. We are here because you are there and We like it better that way. Besides you don't like retro, mid-level or mass produced bikes anyway and have posted that numerous times on VRC.

Outing Rumpfy he's over here guys!

gm - sorry, but it's treading over a line to begin talking in terms of 'Retrobike' and 'we' over such an issue.

There is no 'we' on an open forum for an individual to commend or direct - plus it's presumptive if not disrespectful to the owners/moderating team here.

The cultural differences are more than well documented (both amusing and the less so... ;-) ) between VRC and RB interests, so people continue to make their choices on their own regarding which sites they prefer.

Obviously there is a point of interest globally within the VRC thread you authored (deleted or otherwise) - until something of substance and authentication emerges, inciting the erection of inter-forum fences is simply not going to happen here.

Mr K - moderating...

Great post Mr K.

I'm not looking to drag this out over here. Its not fair to the Retrobike community.