AdventureManCO 

The more I learn about vintage bikes, the more I'd like to try riding various different quintessential classic bikes, to see how they ride and compare the differences. It's fun reading about the various classic bikes that folks have and what they say about them. Most of the bikes around me have been the lower-to-mid tier classic road bikes, so I've been trying to keep a list of bikes that I'd one day like to try just to experience how they ride. Here is how the list is shaping up....

Peugeot PX10 (too big for me, but ridden and very nice!)
Centurion Ironman (I have one...but seatpost stuck, need to fix)
Raleigh Professional
Fuji Opus III
Team Miyata
Motobecane Grand Jubilee
Any higher end Italian ride (Colnago, Masi, DeRosa, etc)
fillet brazed Schwinn (have a SS frame, but too large)
Schwinn Paramount
Alex Singer or Rene Herse
Hetchins
Fat Chance
Cherubim or Zunow
1937-ish Dayton/Firestone Safety or Super Streamline

I will not own all those bikes, and that isn't the point. But to try them all, just to get to experience the ride and what they are like, would be wonderful to do.

What is on your list of 'try before you die'?

Lazyass

A 1950's era racing bike

PilotFishBob 

Not a particular make/model but would be great to ride an old bike equipped with the Campagnolo Cambia Corsa derailleur, just to know how that feels to work with.

due ruote 

Jon T

A "Penny Farthing". Every thing else is just another bike.
Jon

noglider 

I rode one once. It was surprisingly easy to mount and get going. It wanted to stay in motion, and I came to a T intersection with a highway, so I had to jump off!

bikemig 

I think I'd like a high end British bike. I have had my share of high end French, Japanese, and American bikes and liked them all but never a British one. I only have one Italian bike (a 1960 Olmo Gran Sport) and would not mind another as well.

KonAaron Snake 

The Masi from Breaking away that's still owned by Dennis Christopher.

An earlier Ritchey would rank for me...a Confente, just so I could be snarky about it. A Rene Herse, because, well, rene herse.

The bikes I'd most want to own...a custom Crumpton...ti spectrum...custom for me Sachs...Weigle...the usual suspects.

I'm pretty lucky and have a lot of bikes I like, and which fit. I don't really need anything else.

I'd really like to own the raleigh burner bmx I had as a kid, and which was stolen from me at a playground.

jeirvine 

+1.

I recently got some CC shifters/axle, and have a mad dream to build a bike around them.

Wildwood 

+1 to all the above.
Bikes to try out = run me thru all the smaller European builders of the 60's & 70s. I don't even know where to begin.

Bikes to own = custom American. Della Santa, Bill Holland, another Calfee and Tallerico, Vanilla, DeSalvo, Land Shark, Steelman … oh so many.


But I've got my frame preferences mostly covered for now, so it's really more about riding than the bikes. And the tires matter so much more now.

KonAaron Snake 

With you...right now I care a lot more about the ride than the bike. The bike is a tool for the ride, not vice versa. That said, I gotta tell you...riding a Vanilla DOES NOT SUCK.

For anyone who hasn't ridden one - a Cambridge Merlin should be on your list.

bnewberry

RiddleOfSteel

'80s Pro/Team/Aero Miyata (own as well would be wonderful)
A Fuso in my size (not a 56cm like I've tried after co-restoring it)
'70s P13 Paramount
'80s road/race Paramount in my exact size (63.5cm vs 62cm like I have)
Masi GC or 3V
'70s race Treks or '80s 850 or 170

A Davidson Impulse kicks major butt. They are worth it to own (as I have one myself), you will not be disappointed!

repechage

Depending on the era, you could ride a Masi Gran Criterium and only have one third of the picture.
A Volumetrica, one could make a case for at least two.

RiddleOfSteel

I bet. We could chuck a Prestige in there for good measure as well. A late '80s SLX-SP Nouva Strada is superb, so I certainly am content as it stands.

PilotFishBob 

Good to see I'm not the only wacko digging the more arcane hardware. Also wouldn't mind trying out the Campy Paris-Roubaix shifters either. And I'd still like to get a bike with the seat-tube "suicide" front shift lever one day - preferably Simplex or Huret, but that's more of a 'nice to have' vs a 'bucket list' thing for me.

ryansu

I would love to ride a 58 cm Specialized Allez, I really tried to get a 56 to work but just didn't feel right, and I would like to try an Iron Man just to see what all the fuss is about, and I have yet to ride a bike with the Famed 531 tubing so that would be fun to try just for reference.

RobbieTunes

canklecat

• 1976 Motobecane Grand Jubile or better. I had a then-new '76 Super Mirage, my first serious bike, and wised I could have afforded better at the time.
• A real path racer, preferably single speed freewheel rather than fixed. I'll never get comfortable with fixed. I tried a path racer-ish mod to my Univega Via Carisma and liked it. But it's not quite the same as the stretched geometry of the real deal.
• Trek 5200. Yeah, it's not quite vintage but I'd like to try one.

Poguemahone

Whatever interesting bike I find next. I've been lucky not having any grail bikes until I find them. Why change now?

vintagerando

Alex Singer

Bikerider007

I would like to own/ride a Schwinn Manta Ray 5 speed like this.

veganbikes

Here is my top list of vintage in no order:

something by Richard Sachs
American Paramount (none of that PDG crap)
something with Pargi Roubaix or Cambio Corsa
Eddy Merckx bike (like one he raced but a newer 80s era one is fine too)
something by Albert Eisentraut
something by Oscar Waystn (thought that could be hit with a Paramount possibly)
Moots (both steel and their earlier Ti stuff)
Breezer #1 or at least one of that original series and maybe the next series as well.
Tom Ritchey road bike (as in brazed by the man hisself)
Something by Dario Peggoretti
Something by Rene Herse

That is a pretty good list of stuff probably a lot of repeat of above. There are some other bikes I could list but this is pretty big.

uncle uncle

If it's really a question of "vintage bikes to ride", then anything I can throw my leg over and ride safely. I just like bikes and the opportunity to try out different equipment, especially drive train items. I'd love the chance to operate some of the older derailleurs and experience what that was like. Same with the combination of really laid back angles of a bike built around the turn of the century. Experiencing as many different bikes as I can, that's the bucket list bullet point for me, regardless of a bikes perceived pedigree.

T-Mar

+1 on the penny farthing/ordinary and a Campagnolo Cambio Corsa equipped model. Also,a Drasienne, velocipede, Kangaroo bicycle, sociable tricycle or quadricycle, early non-diamond frame safety bicycle such as a Rover, pre-TOC suspension bicycle such Whippet or Victor Model C, pre-TOC treadle bicycle such as a Rover Star, pre-TOC wooden frame bicycle such as a Hickory, pre-TOC aluminum bicycle Lu-Mi-Num, TOC shaft drive bicycle, space frame Pedersen, retro-direct geared bicycle, Flying Gate, Moulton, any bicycle equipped with a manually controlled derailing fork and tension arm such as a Vittoria, any bicycle equipped with a Cyclo Standard derailleur, any bicycle equipped with a Nivex derailleur. I'd also like to ride a CCM Flyte, again.