Re: [CR]Conserving 30-year old bikes

(Example: Humor)

In-Reply-To: <184.250bef57.2d41ffe2@aol.com>
References: <184.250bef57.2d41ffe2@aol.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 07:40:31 -0800
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
From: "Jan Heine" <heine93@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]Conserving 30-year old bikes


Rust, in my opinion, stems from poor workmanship or neglect. The former - little you can do if the original paint doesn't cover the tubes, if the chrome was shoddy, etc.

Riding should not wear out most classic bikes. Sure - if you put 100,000 miles on one, it will show some wear. But most of us have enough bikes to spread the abuse. It is only newer bikes that wear out quickly. My NR/SR-equipped racing bike has at least 65,000 hard miles on it, many of them in rainy races. Still works almost as well as new. No rust, either, but it's only 14 years old.

If you ride your prized bike in the rain, just make sure it is well-waxed and, if it is something special, dry it off afterward. Ernest Csuka suggests an oily rag for his all-chrome bikes. I know quite a few French randonneurs who have been riding the same bikes for 50 years without a repaint. I have one bike that was repainted once, about 30 years ago. The paint and chrome are getting a bit thin due to all the polishing, but it's very presentable.

I prefer to ride the "good" bikes on nice days. Less worry that way. Even in Seattle, we have enough of those. Why grind up a hard-to-find derailleur in the rain and grit when you can use a cosmetically challenged Campy NR on your rain bike, which is totally replaceable. Risk flats on your hard-to-get Clement Del Mundos, etc. There are so many nice, but not quite collectable bikes crying for a new owner that are perfect for that purpose.

I use my rain bike when it is pouring when I start, or when it is extremely likely that it will during the ride. If there is only a chance of rain, or just a drizzle, out come the "good" newer bikes (20-30 years old). If I know it won't rain, I take one of the original 1950s or 1940s bikes, or whatever I want to ride that day.

My current rain bike is an Alan cyclocross bike from the 1980s. Before, it was a Celo Europa, but that did not survive an encounter with an SUV. Fortunately, I fared a little better...

Of course, it is somewhat ironic that my "good weather" randonneur bikes have better fenders than my rain bike! -- Jan Heine, Seattle Editor/Publisher Vintage Bicycle Quarterly http://www.mindspring.com/~heine/bikesite/bikesite/
> > In my opinion, old bikes should be ridden.
>> A bike that is 30 years old and does not need restoration has not been
>> ridden enough.
>> A good steel frame can last 100 years, so if you're not going to
>> restore it 3x times, then you're mistreating your ride - either by
>> neglecting to ride it enough, or neglecting to restore it when it gets
>> rusty and/or unprotected.
>> probably these views are controversial, but they are mine and i do not
>> believe in forcing them upon others.
>> - Don Gillies
>> San Diego, CA
>>
>Well thank you Don. I was having misgivings, as an earlier post of mine
>discussed, about turning my 60 year old (that's 2x30) Bates into a
>commute/tour
>bike. Instead of decorating it with period goodies I'm going to outfit it with
>vintage but tough, functional, and comfortable components and ride
>the bejeezus
>out of it. So any of you hardliners, if you see me, don't throw rocks. Or
>laugh for that matter.

>

>Craig in Tucson