What do you look for in a vintage bike?

[Dlevy05]

For those of us that are interested in, own, and/or love vintage bikes - what is the appeal? Why do you love a vintage bike and what do you look for when assessing or buying one?

Is there a sense of nostalgia that compels you? Is there a 'feel' from the lugged Columbus frames you can't find anywhere else? Is it the faded paint and wear that affords pride of ownership and beauty in viewership? Do you love the thuds and clunks of older gear? Are you a Shimano, campy, sun tour, or mavic fanatic?

I would love to hear from anyone and everyone - what inspires you about vintage bikes that you own or would own, and what would you value most when purchasing?

[Tandem Rider]

My vintage bikes weren't vintage when I bought them.

I still ride them occasionally though, probably nostalgia, probably remembering some of the adventures from over those years when they were new.

[jet sanchez]

They're cheap

[AngryScientist]

Handmade craftsmanship, Simplicity, Character.

[spoonrobot]

Lugs are cool, there was so much variety of tubing and both honest differences and marketing nonsense among them it's fun to experience. The tubing stickers and paint jobs, the old film photos and aesthetic found when researching online. I dig it. Being connected to a time and place that don't exist anymore brings a granularity to the modern life that's inspiring. Almost all of my road racing is on a bike from 1982 with dt shifters, box section wheels, and tubs. It's crazy fun and every race I finish I can't wait to do another.

They're cheap

Also this. I put together a 19lb bike for <$500 without considering weight for anything except wheels and tires.

[pinkshogun]

I like Japanese sport touring bikes. Cheap, well made, plentiful, room for bigger tires, lugs look great. i've never raced so when I need the right tool for the job when touring it was on a Heron or Riv, when mountain biking I do have front shocks but when styling' and profilin' on the streets it's usually 80's steel

[arimajol]

When I was into vintage bikes it was about the quality and value. To have a bike that was top of the line in the past is more attractive to me than an entry level trek. For something like $500-700 complete, that Columbus tubed frame is higher quality and so much more interesting and fun to nerd out about.

[Turkle]

Don't forget cool paint!

I like vintage steel frames because that's what I grew up riding. They are fun and simple to build up. Silver parts are classy. Old touring frames make great townie bikes. They make wonderful gifts for friends. They are often very inexpensive, considering how well they ride.

But mostly, when j buy a classic frame, I do it because I like the paint job!

[El Chaba]

Quality. Class. Panache. Craftsmanship. Function. Beauty. I am not interested in anything to hang on the wall like a home version of the stuff on the walls of a TGI Friday’s. I really only have interest in stuff that I can and will ride. To that point, people who are caught up in being the targets of marketing departments constantly measuring watts saved, aero this, battery powered that, hydraulic something or another completely miss the fact that for RIDING bikes have been good for a long time. As a matter of fact, the ride itself was the goal of the builders/bike makers that really got (get) it. It was all about the elusive concept of balance, which cannot be measured in any simple, quantifiable way so the point is largely lost. What is it? I don’t know, but I know it when I feel it. The fact that it eludes measurement does not mean that it doesn’t exist. I don’t suggest that the only great bikes were from the lugs and butted tubing era…Bikes like a Time VXRS, Colnago C40, or older DeRosa King are fabulous balanced machines. To be sure, though, nobody within the corporate structures of any of the mega bike companies is chasing the elusive concept of balance. They are spending much more effort to convince you to buy whatever it is that they are selling and constantly dreaming up new schemes to accomplish that goal.

[Hilltopperny]

They were all I could afford when I was younger, but they are also fun to look at. The simplicity of exposed housing and cables, drivetrain and comfort of the older sport touring and even some racing bikes is still hard to beat.

I had my Waterford RS-11 in my brother's garage in Iowa for a year or so and picked it up a few weeks ago while visiting. It isn't as snappy as my more modern bikes, but it is all day comfortable with very good performance. I was considering selling it, but I think it will likely stick around for a bit longer.



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[rccardr]

Something sassy that fits.

[jamesdak]

Chasing Nirvana, the research, the details, the frustrations, the challenges of finding the right part, and it's just fun. Plus I can get six or so sweet, beautiful high end old steel classics for the price on one new high end plastic bike.

It's also cool being able to ride pretty much a different bike for every day of a month. I ride the same basic daily route so mixing it up with different rides keeps things fresh. 90's steel one upgraded to modern 11 speed, then next next I can be on 70's steel with 6 speed frence friction shifting, and then the next maybe it will late 80's steel with 8 speed STI shifter. I could go on and on. I also like refurbing them, enjoying them for a year or so and then passing them on to a new owner. Nothing like seeing the excited smiles from a local buyer when they roll back in from a test ride on something I refurbished and am now selling. A way to give back because I always lose money on my bikes but at least another classic old ride is back on the road where it belongs.



Hung in a garage for years. Refurbished, loved riding last year, and now for sale locally:



Another one from last year. Crusty, poor functioning beast when I got it that had languished on local sales. Now properly sorted out, polished up, and super great feeling on the road despite being too small. Will sell locally most likely this spring but otherwise I'll just keep riding and enjoying it. I actually got it to steal off the Superbe parts but found the bones of a ride that was too nice to scrap or tear apart.



This was bought as a sentimental buy in respect to the Peugeot I road all over Germany in the 80's. Poorly done local refurb that I basically had to redo everything on. Then made some changes like the saddle and leather bar tape and I absolutely love this beast. Wheels it came with were a mess so I swapped on a nice tubular setup.



This one was grabbed because it was just a beautiful work of art show bike from one premier builder. Tastefully built up with silver Campagnolo and a total joy to feel under you on the road.



This was grabbed in early winter totally as a project bike for next to nothing. Found a really fresh beautiful frame underneath and decided to retrofit it vs just refurbing the heavy, mint Exage parts. So it got a full teardown and then rebuilt with a tasteful mix of Dura Ace and Ultegra parts while dropping over 4 lbs along the way. Waiting for spring so I can test ride and see how it feels. But I may also just pass the beauty on to someone locally before I ever ride it. I am totally out of space right now, LOL!



Sometimes they come with history. This belonged to 3 time RAAM winner Bob Fourney. He had it built for one of the Paris-Brest-Paris races in the mid 90s. A beautiful custom that I just enjoy riding and have had in various configurations over the past years.



I love to buy patriotic themed bikes too. This is the last of three Raleigh Team USA bikes I've had. Got it as a frameset and then rebuilt with with old Superbe parts. First in road configuration and now for light gravel use. Although I do need lower gearing on it now.



This was bought as a frameset because to me it was one of the last attempts to really optimize a steel frame. Every tube on this one is shaped in an apparent attempt to be aero and stiff. One of my more modern builds that has turned into one of my favorite rides.



And then I do have some old carbon. Trek Y-Foil, C4 Air One, Trek 5200 Triple, and an early Calfee Tetra Pro. I like just experiencing bikes. The Calfee at first was a big letdown. Just couldn't connect with it on the road despite how freaking beautiful the paint is out in the sun. I went through four or five wheel/tire combos before a set of Zonda's gave me the feel I was looking for with the bike.



I guess the point of all my early morning, coffee induced rambling is that there's really, many varied reasons to look for and enjoy vintage rides.

[El Chaba]

Jamesdak gets my vote for the most qualified to answer the question posed by the thread….

[Spinner]

Originally Posted by Dlevy05

Is there a sense of nostalgia that compels you? Is there a 'feel' from the lugged Columbus frames you can't find anywhere else? Is it the faded paint and wear that affords pride of ownership and beauty in viewership? Do you love the thuds and clunks of older gear? Are you a Shimano, campy, sun tour, or mavic fanatic?

My current fleet consists of: a '98 Co-Motion Co-Pilot tandem (XTR triple, Phil hubs & BB, White Ind. cranks, Avid drum brake); a '01 Serotta CIII (Dura Ace); and a '04 Rivendell Rambouillet (Campy triple). All have been ridden extensively and are in pristine mechanical and physical condition; no faded paint, dings, thuds or clunks. All have Mavic wheels.

I wrench and otherwise maintain all three. Whenever other riders or LBS employees see my bikes, they marvel at the condition of the bikes. All three bikes will spur positive comments from experienced cyclists whenever I'm on the road.

Only three of my cycling pals have ridden my bikes (except others on the back seat of my Co-Mo) and they all have commented how much they enjoyed the handling and overall performance of these machines, even exclaiming that they preferred my CIII over their modern carbon rides.

I never feel the desire for a "new" road bike because my current fleet exceeds my performance requirements. Additionally, I enjoy the great memories collected from riding them.

Cheers.

[robt57]

Mostly for me, sloping crown steel fork, lugs points. lively springy planing rolling....

If I had to get rid of all but one [3] road bikes, 85 SLX Nago Sarobni [oh yeah, panels too] Serotta CRL and mabye the Corsa Molteni repaint. Plastic stuff go first... But Like them all or not have them all...

Then the tig steel. [Strongs, English, S&S Curtlo] Too old and slow to feel compelled to need carbon much anymore.

But #1 is a Rim brake Race Shop SLR Domane long/low. Love to have a filet Kirk with that geom to replace it... with a steel fork of course...

@jamesdak: " Plus I can get six or so sweet, beautiful high end old steel classics for the price on one new high end plastic bike. "

Or one for the rice of ST-R8070 with disc calipers.... yeah.

Post one: CRL entire bike which I have less than 1/3 of what I paid for the used RSL/SLR Domane frame that I got a VG deal on [not TPC prices].