> "In sum, and in short, these heavily damaged and important Herse bikes
> have no valuable patina or deeply hidden secrets">
>
> George Hollenberg MD
>
What these herse bikes (and many others) have is a uniform, "believeable" patina.
Ok, maybe "patina" should be put in quotes, but to the extent that this very list influences future vintage-bike-pertinent vocabulary... patina it is!
Attempts to restore old bikes have to not only be accurate, but consistent. That means all or nothing or the bike won't present well imo.
There's also the huge difference between a realistic 55 year old bike and one that pretends to be brand new or worse (better than new).
In the case of restoration, the level of thoroughness of refinishing should match the level of thoroughness originally used for each process, yet most restorations don't accurately reflect the original builder's manufacturing efficiency methods imo, with many details done somewhat differently than the original. Re-chromed parts, for example, seldom reflect the part's original finish, and the casual observer won't know if it does. I think that's the point about original stuff conveying "information". You feel more comfortable learning about the bike (by looking) when it's more assuredly in it's original state.
If I believed that old bikes, which are stored (with reasonable precautions) indoors, deteriorated at a significant rate, I would endorse prompt refinishing, but in my experience the deterioration is virtually non-existent. Only in the case of direct exposure, or bikes (especially dusty ones) exposed to moisture-saturated air, does rust progress significantly, so there are times when I won't open my garage door to damp air when the garage and it's contents are colder inside, thus inviting condensation. A dusty surface is hygroscopic, and can become ionic and corrosive with exposure to nearly-saturated air, but clean and/or waxed surfaces are much less so. Every degree of heating of indoor air will move conditions away from saturation (relative humidity 100%), so all of this is relative to heating, and the relative humidity of the air before heating. Basements can thus be most problematic, but garage vents will also allow in dust and humid air.
I have to agree with Jan, it's best to restore bikes that are screwed up and not merely degraded mildly, as I have no trouble seeing the original article through moderate patina or keeping my original bikes from deterioration beyond that of their past lives.
David Snyder
Auburn, CA usa