Welcome aboard Sherry! As far as I'm concerned one of the wonderful aspects of bikes is that there are so many, many ways to enjoy them. There's no right or wrong. The ways that each of us connect is not just ok, it's terrific! So bravo for you to make choices about your Gitane that work for you and keep you enthusiastic. None of us have any reason to apologize about what turns us on. Many of my bikes are vintage. Some are modern. Some I try to restore to "correct" parts for its original creation, others I try to just be era correct, others, well... something close that seems right to me. And then there is my modern 2005 Time trial bike -- that I love because I broke so many personal records on it (and I'm north of 50!).
It's all good.
So welcome.
David
David G. White Burlington, VT
SherryB wrote:
>Hi everyone,
> As highly encouraged, I'd like to post a brief intro. Despite
>browsing the CR site many many times, I never knew there was a mailing
>list!
> Being of a certain vintage myself, I absolutely adore vintage bikes,
>especially circa late 60's to late 70's. I owned two Falcon's, one of
>which I gave to my sister, the other was stolen. I still miss that one.
>Currently, I own a mid-70's Gitane TdF. Ok, I realize it isn't special
>to most of you folks, but it's very special to me. I bought it brand new
>in 1977, and have ridden it continuously ever since. The purists here
>will hate me....I've heavily upgraded my TdF. The practical side of me
>hated the plastic derailleurs that shifted like they were falling apart.
> MAFAC brake levers were evil. I never knew if the AVA stem was going
>to snap on my next ride. To me, bikes were meant to be ridden and
>enjoyed, not parked and cursed at. Yet, the romantic in me wishes I'd
>have left it stock....
> I have a wish list, but it's several orders of magnitude greater than
>my budget. But I do visit every LBS, eBay, and other likely sources for
>another Falcon, maybe a Holdsworth, possibly a Raleigh Professional, or
>even a Motobecane or two. One can dream, can't they?
> For now, I'll just lurk awhile and catch up on the messages. Thanks
>for allowing me to join.
> Cheers,
> Sherry Buttnor
> Victoria BC
> Canada