[CR]Re: To Heresy or not to Heresy?

(Example: Component Manufacturers:Ideale)

Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2005 11:39:39 -0400 (EDT)
From: <wheelman@nac.net>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Re: To Heresy or not to Heresy?

I personally like to keep things as original as possible but that is me. I have no problem with people doing to their bikes what ever they wish (within legal bounds). If you like braze ons then go for it, if you like a different paint then by all means paint away. If everyone followed a strict set of rules when collecting there would be a whole lot of the same bikes available and the hobby would soon be very boring or financially dull. I have a mix of old timers, new bikes and from just about every cycling venue possible. For me the fun is in the look, period technology and the ride. I ride everything I own so it is not unusual to see me on a 75 pound girls bike from the 40s tooling around the neighborhood. The next day you might see me on a titanium high end time trial bike and the next on 1878 high wheel racer. They are all good to me and they keep me sane (nearly). I do have my share of classic road bikes also that I ride from time to time and I like them no more or no less than the others. If I buy one of them with a braze on in the wrong place or missing a key part that adds to the excitement of the hobby. I can now look forward to scouting the needed part or planning what to do to remove an unwanted appendage.

So Tom, go for it. I have seen some of your bikes and they never disappoint. You have a knack for the artistic side of cycling and that is always something that creates curiosity.

Final thoughts. I have been around collecting for a while now and have gotten to the point where I have gone beyond where I want to be. Easy to do with such a diverse hobby. I am still fighting to get things under control and I will win that fight. The thing that has really created the gravitational pull towards road bike for me is the diversity. The art, science, function that goes into these machines is amazing. Top that with an assortment of component configurations and throw in a good amount of incompatibility and you have a recipe that will keep you busy for a long time to come. All of this would be meaningless, empty and not fun at all if it were not for the people I get to deal with because of this hobby. Some are helpful, some obnoxious, some funny, some crazy, some arrogant some kind, some thrifty some generous. My favorite personalities are the ones that lead me to the edge of insanity with a bike problem and leave me there, at least for a while (Thanks Steve for endless hours of thought and a forum for displaying my ignorance on a regular basis). If it were not this way how boring it would all be.

Ray Homiski
Elizabeth, NJ