Originally Posted by
polymorphself
And yes, let's be honest, you are. You're trying to achieve the same kind of bicycle, you're just doing it the hard way
The other trendies just bought their Peregrines, Crosschecks, Romanceur or Atlantis, attached their rando bags and hit the trails
Or they sent their frames to Gugie and had him do the same for them haha.
I definitely empathize with this journey and my comments and thoughts are just as much a reflection of my current thinking with what I want my bike experience to look and feel like. Over the years I've come to learn that aside from an appreciation of the history, it's not just the idea of a bike being vintage that attracts me. I'm attracted to vintage bicycles because I'm attracted to the lugged steel, the beautiful details, the simplicity and traditional geometry. At the same time I've also come to appreciate the idea of the bicycle that is versatile, practical and useful. I want it to carry things for me, be kinda fast on the road, be able to go off road, be able to be comfortable on long slow trips, and I want it to look like the beautiful vintages bikes that I've ridden and appreciated. To me this means converting older frames (lots of work and adds a lot of cost to what was an otherwise cheap way to have a beautiful and good riding bike) OR go with one of the above mentioned modern solutions that have the same construction method, quality and look but the added versatility.
This doesn't mean I don't want a few beautiful oldies sitting around for various kinds of rides. I certainly do and will. But if I wanted *one* bike, it would be as described above.
Like I said, I had bought these 48s on a lark. Hearing friends and reading plenty of linked-to JH articles, thoughts, and research, I thought, "Well why not?" Why not see if I like the look? Or the ride? Or the handling? Entertaining the idea via a build or riding research, without pre-believing that it is worth the trouble. The Nashbar had 65mm of trail with the 32s, and 71/72mm of trail with the 48s, and I definitely felt that extra bit in low speed maneuvering. Wheel flop for sure. 65mm? Just fine in the same situations. Sure, other bar and stem setups can greatly affect it, but it was good to feel a difference. So that's what I'd target for a max trail figure. Anywhere from 56-65. With the 48s, the Trek gets to 56-57mm, per my CAD figuring. The pervasiveness of low trail just kills me, as I think there is a reason 50s+ trail figures exist. That and I like some more directional stability. Lol, still a roadie. That and I'm not doing front loads. I am fairly bike rack averse, so not a true "tourer" though the geometry works well for me.
I'm with you on the appreciation and journey of vintage. Can't get over the lugs! Got into them because they were cheap and decent looking; stayed for the lugs, low price (especially in upgrading), and ride quality. The community is also pretty cool, too.
I'll still have the Medici or a race bike, for all those fun reasons. But the 48s thing has me really thinking. @
ctak is basically questioning my sanity or if I have been replaced by another person!
Re: Trendies "I'm going to build a bike a lot like you guys, but it won't be exactly the same, because I have my own ideas of what is ideal and best, and so, in my comes-by-it-honestly individualism [in design, thought, and aesthetic], I will do it differently, and still spend a good bit of money! But not as much as you. [Right? I hope]" Hard way indeed, but one that works for me on all the levels, and maybe keeps a vintage bike rolling and showing the modern kids what the luminaries of the past can still offer.