Re: [CR] To Ride or Not to Ride

(Example: Component Manufacturers:Chater-Lea)

Date: Mon, 04 Dec 2000 09:17:40 -0500
From: "Chris Beyer" <beyerc@mailserver.volvo.com>
To: Jon Bridges <jon@icetv.co.nz>
CC: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR] To Ride or Not to Ride
References: <009e01c05db9$3b930e40$1dd1adcb@rooster>


Jon:

My opinion: if you ride it, it's a bicycle; if you don't, it's a piece of sculpture.

I ride everything I own, although some see a lot more use than others.

Chris Beyer Bloomfield, NJ

Jon Bridges wrote:
> Here is the question which I have been pondering lately. Say you had a classic bicycle which had never been ridden, would you ride it or not ride it? How many of you guys do ride some or all of your really pristeen bikes? Are there some bikes you would ride, some you would keep nice?
>
> The reason I ask is that I am just about to finish making up my first classic bike - Colnago Mexico 1982 with Super Record. It is all NOS, so it has never been ridden, and I am really divided between keeping it perfectly mint, or taking it for the occassional ride. I am certainly not planning to sell it ever, but it seems odd taking all this stuff out of the boxes and sitting on it on a dirty road!
>
> I guess there is the 'made to be ridden' school and the 'preserve history' school. Any comments would be appreciated.
>
> Jon Bridges. Auckland, New Zealand.