i will chime in on this.. I am probably of the younger age group on this list.. I came into road bikes in the early 80's (while in Junior high) .. the Greg Lemond/Sean Kelly era.. quit and got into OT custom mountain bikes of the mid/late 80's very early 90's.. Then started to pick up the early road bikes that I remembered from my youth of the 80's.. Which led to lots of research and finding places like this list.. Which has spurred my interest greatly.. Learning about earlier periods of cycling and early makers.. I have pretty much purged all of my 80's bikes have concentrated on bikes 60's and primarily from before then.. I am not restoring a early 60's Hetchins and 1936 Bates Utopian.. I really have little interest in later bikes these days..
Most of the bike friends i have, have very little knowledge of anything pre 80's.. They actually make fun of me.. (this is going to get me in trouble) I was at bike show awhile back with a older frame that i purchased.. I was stopped a few times by people walking around.. Which all of them were older men in sweaters.. They like to make fun that the only people interested in what I am interested in are old men in sweaters.. :)
so it is true that collecting bikes of their youth might be a gateway drug to older bikes..
tod kapke
denvercousa