what is it about old stuff?

Had to drop my pickemup truck off at a garage today because its
inspection runs out this month, and also it probably needs an oil change
(I can't honestly remember when the last time I changed the oil in it
was; it was a long time ago) threw Trek 620 in back of truck, drove to
garage, left it leaning against side of office while I dropped off keys.
When I came back out another customer was admiring it... now it's
really nothing that special, just an old frame with some new wheels,
fenders, and lights (OK, the Cyo is a little special)

I find myself doing the same thing... bikes, cars, whatever. Something
old always catches my eye, esp. if it is a little beat looking but
someone is obviously riding/driving it regularly.

Yes, with the rain we had this week, enough snow melted that cycling is
practical again... couldn't happen soon enough for me!

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

On 5 Mar, 01:36, Nate Nagel wrote:

"what is it about old stuff?"

When it's in use, it's proven its reliability.

On Mar 4, 7:36*pm, Nate Nagel wrote:

I find myself doing the same thing... bikes, cars, whatever. *Something
old always catches my eye, esp. if it is a little beat looking but
someone is obviously riding/driving it regularly.

Yes, with the rain we had this week, enough snow melted that cycling is
practical again... *couldn't happen soon enough for me!

"paid for and ain't broke yet"?
--D-y

On Mar 5, 6:25*am, " wrote:
On Mar 4, 7:36*pm, Nate Nagel wrote:

I find myself doing the same thing... bikes, cars, whatever. *Something
old always catches my eye, esp. if it is a little beat looking but
someone is obviously riding/driving it regularly.
Yes, with the rain we had this week, enough snow melted that cycling is
practical again... *couldn't happen soon enough for me!

"paid for and ain't broke yet"?
--D-y

Why are you so anti-business?


sa

On Mar 5, 8:40*am, semi-ambivalent wrote:
On Mar 5, 6:25*am, " wrote:

On Mar 4, 7:36*pm, Nate Nagel wrote:

I find myself doing the same thing... bikes, cars, whatever. *Something
old always catches my eye, esp. if it is a little beat looking but
someone is obviously riding/driving it regularly.
Yes, with the rain we had this week, enough snow melted that cycling is
practical again... *couldn't happen soon enough for me!

"paid for and ain't broke yet"?
--D-y

Why are you so anti-business?


Hah. My family is of mostly German ancestry (like you couldn't guess
from the name?) and I grew up in Pennsylvania. I simply cannot throw
out anything that still works without some severe inner turmoil. Even
throwing out something broken without a good-faith effort to fix it
hurts. I actually fixed a dishwasher that I absolutely hate after its
control board done blowed up in a thunderstorm, I still facepalm over
that one (and cuss under my breath every time the upper rack sticks
and all the glasses fall over)

I'm that guy at whom economists look over the tops of their glasses
with a disapproving glare whenever they talk about "stimulating the
economy"

nate

On Mar 4, 7:36*pm, Nate Nagel wrote:
Had to drop my pickemup truck off at a garage today because its
inspection runs out this month, and also it probably needs an oil change
(I can't honestly remember when the last time I changed the oil in it
was; it was a long time ago) threw Trek 620 in back of truck, drove to
garage, left it leaning against side of office while I dropped off keys.
* When I came back out another customer was admiring it... now it's
really nothing that special, just an old frame with some new wheels,
fenders, and lights (OK, the Cyo is a little special)

I find myself doing the same thing... bikes, cars, whatever. *Something
old always catches my eye, esp. if it is a little beat looking but
someone is obviously riding/driving it regularly.

Yes, with the rain we had this week, enough snow melted that cycling is
practical again... *couldn't happen soon enough for me!

All you need to impress civilians these days is a large brass Crane
bell from Japan. The odd weirdo might want to admire your mudflaps
made from chair tread or discuss the lumens coming off your front hub--
but those people are fringe. Flag waving pie eaters are all about the
bell, which is ironic since the best ones are mad in the Land of the
Rising Sun!

:fingermustache:

Nate Nagel wrote:

* When I came back out another customer was admiring it... now it's
really nothing that special, just an old frame with some new wheels,
fenders, and lights (OK, the Cyo is a little special)

I find myself doing the same thing... bikes, cars, whatever. *Something
old always catches my eye, esp. if it is a little beat looking but
someone is obviously riding/driving it regularly.

I got to tune up a circa 1983 Koga Miyata the other day. It was as
pristine as if it had been in a time capsule-- the only blemish on it
was a chip where the front caliper arm had swung around and bitten the
top tube. It had a complete and virginal Dura Ace setup on it,
including those goofy AX drop-spindle pedals and cranks-- but not
including the silly aero versions of the other parts. I was unable to
adequately explain to my young co-mechanic why I found that particular
bike so sublime.

I was a little surprised to learn that the customer had just bought it
and intended to put it into normal service as his road bike. Oh
well-- I guess that is what it's for, after all.

Chalo

On Mar 5, 2:36*pm, Chalo wrote:
Nate Nagel wrote:

* When I came back out another customer was admiring it... now it's
really nothing that special, just an old frame with some new wheels,
fenders, and lights (OK, the Cyo is a little special)

I find myself doing the same thing... bikes, cars, whatever. *Something
old always catches my eye, esp. if it is a little beat looking but
someone is obviously riding/driving it regularly.

I got to tune up a circa 1983 Koga Miyata the other day. *It was as
pristine as if it had been in a time capsule-- the only blemish on it
was a chip where the front caliper arm had swung around and bitten the
top tube. *It had a complete and virginal Dura Ace setup on it,
including those goofy AX drop-spindle pedals and cranks-- but not
including the silly aero versions of the other parts. *I was unable to
adequately explain to my young co-mechanic why I found that particular
bike so sublime.

I was a little surprised to learn that the customer had just bought it
and intended to put it into normal service as his road bike. *Oh
well-- I guess that is what it's for, after all.

Chalo

New cables, repack bearings, and go! I would. (of course, I'd never
find that bike for a price that I can afford and/or in my size, but
still.)

nate

N8N wrote:
On Mar 5, 2:36 pm, Chalo wrote:
Nate Nagel wrote:

When I came back out another customer was admiring it... now it's
really nothing that special, just an old frame with some new wheels,
fenders, and lights (OK, the Cyo is a little special)
I find myself doing the same thing... bikes, cars, whatever. Something
old always catches my eye, esp. if it is a little beat looking but
someone is obviously riding/driving it regularly.
I got to tune up a circa 1983 Koga Miyata the other day. It was as
pristine as if it had been in a time capsule-- the only blemish on it
was a chip where the front caliper arm had swung around and bitten the
top tube. It had a complete and virginal Dura Ace setup on it,
including those goofy AX drop-spindle pedals and cranks-- but not
including the silly aero versions of the other parts. I was unable to
adequately explain to my young co-mechanic why I found that particular
bike so sublime.

I was a little surprised to learn that the customer had just bought it
and intended to put it into normal service as his road bike. Oh
well-- I guess that is what it's for, after all.

Chalo

New cables, repack bearings, and go! I would. (of course, I'd never
find that bike for a price that I can afford and/or in my size, but
still.)

nate

To people accustomed to the appearance of old bikes, things look
"right", and many of the aesthetics of new bikes: welds, sloping top
tubes, fat diameters with integrated bearings, Aheadsets and clamped
stems, and ergo bars -- just look wrong to them.

I've tried to ride a few (fairly nice) 80's bikes "as is", and found
them to be pretty disappointing, some things have come a long way. On
the other hand, many changes, especially to geometry, have gone in the
wrong direction. To my eye, a vintage touring frame like yours, with
long chain stays and relaxed angles looks like a nice riding bike -- and
it usually is. Other, more labor intensive features, like lugs and
chroming, don't do anything practical, but they look pretty -- nothing
wrong with that.

I'm frequently surprised by nice bikes being discarded. Most people seem
to have no appreciation, aesthetic or otherwise, for the old stuff. At
least once, I've been confronted by: "Hey, isn't that my old bike?"
People act like they've been cheated when they see their old bikes fixed
up a bit. But it's like cars, unless you're reasonably skilled and can
do it yourself, it's often not practical to do an extensive rebuild.
Unlike cars, bikes are inherently simple and reliable, so that's not a
big concern, but everything does eventually wear out, including frames.

I get the impression that most bike shops aren't real supportive of (or
economical at) fixing up vintage bikes. I was lucky to have Sheldon
Brown as my mechanic, but he was hardly typical.

In article
,
N8N wrote:

On Mar 5, 8:40*am, semi-ambivalent wrote:
On Mar 5, 6:25*am, "
wrote:

On Mar 4, 7:36*pm, Nate Nagel wrote:

I find myself doing the same thing... bikes, cars, whatever.
*Something old always catches my eye, esp. if it is a little
beat looking but someone is obviously riding/driving it
regularly. Yes, with the rain we had this week, enough snow
melted that cycling is practical again... *couldn't happen soon
enough for me!

"paid for and ain't broke yet"? --D-y

Why are you so anti-business?


Hah. My family is of mostly German ancestry (like you couldn't guess
from the name?) and I grew up in Pennsylvania. I simply cannot throw
out anything that still works without some severe inner turmoil.
Even throwing out something broken without a good-faith effort to fix
it hurts. I actually fixed a dishwasher that I absolutely hate after
its control board done blowed up in a thunderstorm, I still facepalm
over that one (and cuss under my breath every time the upper rack
sticks and all the glasses fall over)

I'm that guy at whom economists look over the tops of their glasses
with a disapproving glare whenever they talk about "stimulating the
economy"

Unfortunately the economy has been based on hundreds of millions of
Americans spending more than they earn every year. Whoops. It always
baffles me that conservative politicians and policy makers can support
that behavior with a straight face while on the other hand they support
policies that reduce the income growth of 90% of the population. Hardly
actually seems conservative to me.

--
"I wear the cheese, it does not wear me."