Originally Posted by
staehpj1
Well maybe, but we do have a choice. We can keep using old stuff as long as we want or buy as new of a tech as we want. There are guys riding and even touring on penny farthings and guys touring on the very latest bleeding edge stuff. The good news is that we can choose to ride whatever we enjoy. I guess the only real drawback is that at either extreme it may be hard to find parts in the case of a breakdown.
I personally am a little nostalgic about the bikes I rode and still have from the peak of my riding career (my 1990-ish Cannondale bikes), but otherwise kind of like new tech. So I might be likely to be seen touring on a 1990 road race or mountain bike, but thinking of building up a 1x12 gravel grinder. Then again you might see me riding or touring on a bike from the years in between those extremes.
I don't tend to get nostalgic for the older bikes that were steel and lugged maybe because I couldn't afford as nice of a bike in those days. I may have lusted after a Schwinn Paramount back then, but certainly couldn't afford one in those days. I can appreciate the beauty of top of the line bikes of that vintage, but they aren't something that I ever rode.
staehpj...I think I'm broadening my horizons as to newer bikes and styles. I have a pretty good idea of where I like to ride and what works for me...it's mostly light trails and city streets. I don't really ride for speeds sake; never really did. I enjoy going from point a to b. It's always a motivator to have a destination where I can have a coffee or a pastry or something delicious. Touring appeals to me on so many different levels and the more time I spend in this forum the more I see and experience.
I like many builders and companies from afar. I don't think buying more than one bike is the way to go anymore for various reasons, mainly because I don't have the room to store them. I'm trying to have only one bike to do everything on...when that no longer serves it's purpose I'll move on to the next bike. I'm in more of a car centric area of Canada so commutes are a little more difficult to make by bicycle. I'm debating whether to keep my car but that's a whole other thread...