Hi List Members,
The question for the list:
Do you guys talk about your classic lightweight bikes more than ride them? What part of this hobby do you enjoy the most?
As another year draws to a close, I am considering what I achieved/learned over the last year. In doing this retrospective exercise, I reflected on the thoughts of another more venerable list member's comment to me just the other day, while on a vintage ride.
"We (CR types) tend to talk about our bikes more than ride them."
The discussion continued...CR is really about a the hobby, riding is only part of the hobby...the sporty part.
I am pretty new to the list, less than a year. I joined to learn more about lugged, down-tube shifting classic bikes and to maybe make some new friends. Not necessarily to ride more. For me, I rode (almost) twice as much this year as last year and I can directly attribute some of that extra mileage to my renewed enthusiasm for my (new) older bikes.
Here is my mileage for the year:
2000 Lemond Chambray (modern aluminum "crit" bike) 1700 miles 1972 Schwinn Paramount (fixed-gear commuter bike) 645 miles 1987 Colnago Master (C-Record/Delta) 420 miles Misc mileage from all other bikes (estimate) 150 miles
Total miles for (2000 was 1600 miles) 2001 2915 miles
Further, I did not own the Schwinn and the Colnago a year ago. I did not know a C-Record group from a NR group and I certainly did not know what a fixed-gear bike was! I did learn alot and am making some new friends.
Happy New Year, thanks to Dale and the List for a great year!
Guy Apple
Sunnyvale, CA