Has the vintage steel market crashed?

[buddybikes]

Putting flat pedals on my wife's Bruce Gordon touring, now 41 years old, I did a complete measurement, it fits our younger daughter to the mm. She will be inheriting it, BG rack and all.

[KJMUNC]

I'd suggest that the current trends in disc vs. rim brake have done as much to this market as anything else. Rim brake bikes and parts are selling a steep declines, even for "modern" variations. I've sold several recently and the vast majority of looky-loos comments were "if it were just disc brake...."

I think steel/vintage will always have a cult following and will enjoy a renaissance (again?!) similar to how all things that are unique, well built, and pertaining solid design tend to have happen (a la air cooled Porsches, etc....just not to that level of $$). To extend that metaphor, a current plastic/disc superbike is quantifiably faster just like a new 911 is faster than a vintage Porsche....but we all know there's still a market for the latter.

[froze]

Yeah, I have 3 grandkids, and as soon as they're all done growing then I can tell if any of my bikes will fit them and they can have them.

[vespasianus]

Originally Posted by paredown

At least your friend is not this guy-- asking $6,000 for a "NOS' Tommo of a similar generation--he may be waiting awhile on that one:
https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/...741439802.html

Look585 recently posted that bargain Tommo in the wtb thread for a 56/57cm frame, and it sort of ignited my Itailian itch again (although his was sold).

Poking around, I found a long threat on Bike Forums called Tommasini Lounge, started by thirdgenbird (and some others who post here contributed as well)--lots of great info and pictures:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...ni-lounge.html

I'm probably the ideal market for your friend's bike--I still love the nimbleness and feel of a good steel frame on narrow tires--not that I don't like the CF bikes I own, but there is definitely a je ne sais quoi about the ride, and it is not just nostalgia. I definitely miss the Colnago Tecnos that I sold (too large)...

The optimist in me thinks like my friend Tyler Cowen, who always says 'the demand curve slopes downward'--I think relative pricing will save steel frames--at some point they will look even cheaper compared to CF, and will likely still have more appeal than a lot of the CF frames that look dated already...

Actually, the place for Tommasini people is their fan Facebook page.

[jkbrwn]

Originally Posted by Mr steel

We're the same age and sry, but you are wrong sure dics are nice when it rains and wider tires are comfy but a high quality vintage steel frame is just so more fun to ride and they are often so beautiful they make you smile

I'm sure there are marginal gains to be had with carbon bikes, at least amongst the elite riders, but to the average joe? I doubt it.

As I said somewhere else, I live in an area with shi*ty ancient logging roads, that are steep as all hell, and I weigh 200lbs+. Furthermore there's wild cattle, donkeys and horses where I am and I've already had to slam on my brakes in the wet to avoid hitting a donkey that jumped out of a ditch and into the road.

Discs (and bigger, comfier, grippier tyres) aren't just useful in the wet for my specific riding scenarios, they're useful period. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the aesthetics of rim brakes and would prefer to not use discs but its added peace of mind for me nowadays. For the same reason I wouldn't want drum brakes on my car, I don't want rim brakes on my bicycle anymore - for where I live.

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by jkbrwn

I've already had to slam on my brakes in the wet to avoid hitting a donkey that jumped out of a ditch and into the road.

.

Irrespective of the rest of the thread, that's hilarious.

[Tz779]

Originally Posted by Mr steel

With that said, I still haven't gotten a em 7 eleven, moser ax leader and a gilco/ms shaped frame so mean reversion of vintage bike prices is very much welcomed

mr steel, the owner of my local bike shop https://www.charlestonbicyclecompany...t-us-pg181.htm

has a 7-11 team bike. looks like a 54cm. i think its Huffy branded. he is an older guy, 70s i think, but rarely see him in the shop. i cannot recall his name at the moment (oh, i think its Artur, yes “Arthur” w/o the H). they had a link to their vintage bike collection but took it off the website, maybe bc of theft security. not sure if he wants to sell anything but never hurts to ask. BTW im 71 so i guess im “old” ; )
-robin

[nmrt]

Paceline is different from other bike forums in that it is an echo chamber -- one that lusts over vintage bikes and components associated with it.

Without commenting on whether vintage bikes are great or not, it is an indisputable fact that the world has moved on. And there is no coming back to steel bikes with steel forks and rim brakes in any meaningful way.

[prototoast]

Originally Posted by nmrt

Paceline is different from other bike forums in that it is an echo chamber -- one that lusts over vintage bikes and components associated with it.

Without commenting on whether vintage bikes are great or not, it is an indisputable fact that the world has moved on. And there is no coming back to steel bikes with steel forks and rim brakes in any meaningful way.

I'm actually not even sure that it's so different here. There's a lot of lusting after vintage bikes, but maybe not as much actual buying. Maybe we need another thread to start a proper poll, but I'd guess in the past year, far more people here have purchased a carbon bike manufactured in the past 10 years compared to a steel frame bike manufactured more than 20 years ago.

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by nmrt

Paceline is different from other bike forums in that it is an echo chamber -- one that lusts over vintage bikes and components associated with it.

That's not really true at all, at least not anymore.

If you go to one of the longstanding threads, like "show your gravel bike" or "photos from your rides" - it's evident and apparent many members here have embraced new technology, materials and braking systems.

[nmrt]

No way to prove this either way. But my impression, based on steel bike/rim brake type-of-threads, is that there is a higher percent of steel bike loving folks here than any other bike forum.

Well..."across the hall" might beat us.

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

That's not really true at all, at least not anymore.

If you go to one of the longstanding threads, like "show your gravel bike" or "photos from your rides" - it's evident and apparent many members here have embraced new technology, materials and braking systems.

[sg8357]

Originally Posted by nmrt

No way to prove this either way. But my impression, based on steel bike/rim brake type-of-threads, is that there is a higher percent of steel bike loving folks here than any other bike forum.

Well..."across the hall" might beat us.

The Classic Rendezvous, the Internet-Bob and Rivbike* list
are majority carbon steel. For more modern stuff look
at the Radavist, some carbon, lots of steel with curated rust.

*Rivbike is one those alternate earth things from the
Marvel Cycling Universe.

[cgolvin]

Originally Posted by sg8357

with curated rust

+10 points for that one

[tctyres]

Originally Posted by sg8357

lots of steel with curated rust.

*Rivbike ...

Originally Posted by cgolvin

+10 points for that one

Which makes me think of the word "beausage."
My brain interprets that word, as written, as "beau" + "sausage" which is something different, entirely.

[fignon's barber]

Important to not lump all steel bikes into the vintage camp. Plenty of modern steel bikes that do very well in today's cycling. For example, Bixxis, Pegoretti, Legend by Bertoletti, all provide the modern cycling luxuries and are price leaders. I agree on vintage bikes, though. My visions of Bugno and Fignon floating up mountains are quickly brought back to earth by remembering the terrible shifting of Campagnolo down tube index shifting. Give me modern parts anytime.