Quintessential '80s bike?

[paredown]

Early morning random thought--what do you think of as the quintessential 1980s bike?

I was barely riding then, and certainly not paying attention to equipment--and can count on one hand the number of times I was in a bike store, so I was curious as to what people remember as the bike to have.

Dean

[witcombusa]

That depends, the 80's was both a racing and touring decade!

[dekindy]

Schwinn Paramount.

[shovelhd]

Gios Torino full panto.

[wallymann]

red/white colnago super.
red/yellow fuji club.

[Dale Alan]

Schwinn Paramount.

+1
Paramount for me,had one in 1981 . Left it in Colorado when I thumbed back to New York. Wish I still had that gem. I was 20 years old,did not realize what I had at the time.I just knew it rode better than my Schwinn LeTour.

[JAGI410]

http://urbanvelo.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/scancaption.jpg

[OtayBW]

Raleigh International

[texbike]

For me it was the De Rosa Professional.

During high school a friend and I walked into a Ferrari dealership to lust over the 288 GTO that they had on the floor. Right in front of the car was a bright red, steel De Rosa hanging on the wall. The bike was beautiful and looked soooo elegant. That was the point that I became "road bike aware" and began to pay attention to bikes as well as cars.

Outside of that the pink and yellow Centurion Dave Scott Special and the Specialized Stumpjumper scream 1980s to me.

Texbike

[zap]

Can't think of any (frames & forks improved significantly starting in the '90's to today) …….though I do have fond memories of 2-3 Cannondale's I raced in the late '80's. Not that they had a great ride (even with soft rims and tubulars) but were incredible crit machines.

[Black Dog]

This is what comes to mind for me.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WJO32rraYFA/T_XDHYhn6RI/AAAAAAAANwU/Dwxcmz1lb5I/s1600/20120705_155637.jpg

[19wisconsin64]

....Because it's so 80's it makes my Maxx-Headroom-Lever-Blind-Sunglassed head spin!!

Why it's a serious top contender (although all the others are pretty amazing).....

When you think of 1980's parts you think of Campagnolo Super Record parts, seats, steel frames, dark tubular rims, Concor San Marco Supercorsa saddles in white, Benotto plastic bar tape, with Alfredo Binda toe straps. But most of all.... the color Pink. For extra measure my nomination bicycle was made in the middle of the decade-1985.

OK, I'm biased...truth be told-this beauty was made in Wisconsin.

[Keith A]

I purchased my first road bike in the mid-80's which was a 1986 Trek 560 and it turned out to be a pretty good choice as a first bike. However, I soon found myself wanting a Schwinn Paramount and finally ended up with one many years later.

[witcombusa]

All this talk of Paramount's in the 80's. While they were/are nice bikes to be sure, they did not have the panache of the Euro bikes of the era. My '85 PDG

[ctcyclistbob]

When you think of 1980's parts you think of Campagnolo Super Record parts

This is exactly what I was thinking, the real Super Record ... although that DeRosa with C-Rec is nice too.

[bobswire]

An Italian red Torelli Corsa Strada got me back into riding race bikes in the mid 80's that I purchased from Len at the Bike Nook ( sorry to report closed his shop Jan. this year).

At the time you could get a full built up Torelli for $600, Mondonicos,Masi and other Italian makes would run you a little over $900-1000.

[Steve in SLO]

While the 80s were mainly a period of evolution of the road bike, this one revolutionized mountain biking:

[witcombusa]

While the 80s were mainly a period of evolution of the road bike, this one revolutionized mountain biking:

Oddly, that is not a 1981 SJ in that picture. They had TIG frames and the TA crankset till late '82. The very early '81 frames also had a socket style fork crown which became a dual-plane style for '82.

Here is my June 1982 built SJ;

[Spinner]

… with a collection of parts (DA 8-speed derailleur, cassette, and down-tune shifters, Ultegra brakes, Open Pro wheels, Cinelli bars and stem, Chorus crankset, perforated Regal saddle).

The original set-up replaced my '70s Motobecane Grand Record that was stolen. The 2000 is bonded Aluminum; a stiff frame that requires standing on rough road. The dismembered frame and fork have been hanging in my basement for the last 13+ years and are in excellent condition overall. I have over 40,000 documented miles on this sled and look forward to riding it soon.

Cheers.

[downtube]

This is what comes to mind for me.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WJO32rraYFA/T_XDHYhn6RI/AAAAAAAANwU/Dwxcmz1lb5I/s1600/20120705_155637.jpg

Perfection!

[paredown]

Those De Rosas are pretty sweet--a friend is still broken-hearted from selling her first serious race bike--a De Rosa with the Campy 50th group. Sold for good reasons--to finance school, but a heartbreak nonetheless.

I think of the crazy paint jobs, too--I had this retinato Super pass through my hands when I was just getting re-addicted, and for sure the Centurion paint was pretty wild.

Love the Allez above--a frame that a lot of people seemed to have got started on.

And the first mountain bikes--everyone had to show me theirs, since I was still the 'bike guy' but I didn't get mine until the early 90s. It seems like that's where the excitement went, and then the 90s was a crazy period of innovation...

[hampco]

How about a TT bike?

[Keith A]

I didn't know Huffy made a TT bike :rolleyes:

[nbl78s]

In the late 80's I had a pink (officially coral) cannondale decked out with superbe pro. Would love to recreate that bike someday for nostalgia.

[Walter]

This one spoke to me the loudest in the 80's (still have this one)...

[Elefantino]

The only bike I bought in the 80s:

[BryanE]

My 1980s bike
1986 Raleigh Grand Prix.
Sea Mist and Boysenberry ala Miami Vice.
Could you say Reynolds 531 covered the 80s?

[choke]

If I had to pick one bike to represent the 80s it would be Dave Stoller's Masi.

[Black Dog]

If I had to pick one bike to represent the 80s it would be Dave Stoller's Masi.

Wasn't the movie shot in 1979?

[choke]

Wasn't the movie shot in 1979?It was....but my first viewing of it wasn't when it came out so I always think of it as an '80s movie.

[cmg]

first REAL road bike was the Torelli in late 80s followed by the Serotta atlanta. What was popular around here was the Merckx with white body and red panels, saw those everywhere. similar to this one. hey, what can i say i was a fan of the cinelli tape.

[m_sasso]

Sorry my serious cycling got started in the early to mid 70's, the Alan and this were among the new stars of the decade. I never owned ether, my closest cycling friend purchased a Teledyne Titan, I rode a Paramount. Made for many ruckus teenage rides Tuesday evening with the Wolverine's from the Royal Oak Library out to Cranbrook and back.

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/images/USA/Teledyne/Teledyne-brochure_Chas_Young.jpg

[greenrositti]

Schwinn Predator dirt bike.

Or anything by Look.

[redir]

In high school I could never afford a nice racing bike but had a friend with a nice Bianchi I lusted over. I liked Guerciotti too after reading about one in a training book. I then worked at a small airport and would refuel the then CEO of Cannondale so I always lusted after a C'Dale but it would be well over a decade before I owned one. My first real bike was a Peugeot. Then I had a Cilo and a Panasonic.

Full Campy of course was the thing most desired.