Why do we help each other out so much?
09-29-19, 12:29 PM
#76
weapons-grade bolognium
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I'm only here for all the off-topic tomfoolery.
09-29-19, 01:59 PM
#77
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You only need to put yourself in that other guys/gals cycling shoes to understand why one should help... I've been that person, with frustration leaching out of my eyeballs, over something bicycle. And you go on this site, and someone provides answers, or only encouragement... and you feel better. You're not as alone. And when it's your turn, you pay it forward, with advise, or a needed part, or encouragement... and you feel better. I guess we help, because it makes us feel better, because it's the right thing to do. I'm alone in the real world, as far as vintage bicycles are concerned. I can count on a single hand the local people who care about vintage 10 speeders.... so, you gals/guys are my surrogate C&V bicycle club. You are all I got.
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09-29-19, 06:41 PM
#78
Bike Butcher of Portland
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I was first lurking on BF in 03, 04 sometime because it has a lot of great, searchable information. At the start, I was exclusively in the 41 as that was my interest at the time. I, and the people I rode with were your typical roadies, competitive, dropping the hammer, rides to the point of throwing up, etc. Joined BF in 06 because I had something to say? Again, I mostly stayed in the 41. A bike was a tool, not a jewel.
But soon after joining, I turned to the dark side, C&V. It took a couple three years, but eventually I lost most interest in roadies and the culture of the 41 in general. Rides could be fast, but less and less town line sprints. Bikes are to be shown off, not ridden hard and put away wet. Never got into the whole Strava thing. I got into learning history and talking to and riding with the people who taught me. Different culture that I have slipped into. I don't know if it is better or worse than roadies, but it is where I am now..
So now fast forward to about a little more than a year ago. My business unit got a new GM. He is your typical roadie as described above. I invited him to ride in the morning this year as I have pretty much recovered from two back surgeries and could put in some miles this year. The rides with him brought back the memories of the competitiveness of roadies. Which is fine. I got to drop our director of marketing. He is one of those 5% body fat, every day going to crossfit types. But if you don't ride (he does very little riding), even if you are in top shape, you will pay. I must say whatever roadie is left in me did enjoy that bit.
But in the end, I prefer passing on what others generously gave me. It's the least I can do.
But soon after joining, I turned to the dark side, C&V. It took a couple three years, but eventually I lost most interest in roadies and the culture of the 41 in general. Rides could be fast, but less and less town line sprints. Bikes are to be shown off, not ridden hard and put away wet. Never got into the whole Strava thing. I got into learning history and talking to and riding with the people who taught me. Different culture that I have slipped into. I don't know if it is better or worse than roadies, but it is where I am now..
So now fast forward to about a little more than a year ago. My business unit got a new GM. He is your typical roadie as described above. I invited him to ride in the morning this year as I have pretty much recovered from two back surgeries and could put in some miles this year. The rides with him brought back the memories of the competitiveness of roadies. Which is fine. I got to drop our director of marketing. He is one of those 5% body fat, every day going to crossfit types. But if you don't ride (he does very little riding), even if you are in top shape, you will pay. I must say whatever roadie is left in me did enjoy that bit.
But in the end, I prefer passing on what others generously gave me. It's the least I can do.
__________________
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
09-29-19, 06:51 PM
#79
Bike Butcher of Portland
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Last year, planning to fly from PDX to San Jose then rent a car and drive down to Cambria for Eroica California, out of the blue I got an email:
"My Uncle and I are planning to ride to Cambria from SF the week prior to Eroica. We'll stay through the weekend and come back Monday. I have a Subaru Crosstrek, manual transmission. If you are renting a car, drive my Subaru down instead, with one or two vintage bikes on it, and we'll come back together Monday. I'll drop you at the airport."
Never met the guy before until he came by the Palazzo Eroi to pick up his car. Drove back to San Jose with him that Monday, he was telling me that his wife questioned him as follows:
"So, you've never met this guy? And he's going to pick up your car, with two of your treasured bikes in them, and you expect him to be in Cambria with it?"
Of course, we're bike people.
"My Uncle and I are planning to ride to Cambria from SF the week prior to Eroica. We'll stay through the weekend and come back Monday. I have a Subaru Crosstrek, manual transmission. If you are renting a car, drive my Subaru down instead, with one or two vintage bikes on it, and we'll come back together Monday. I'll drop you at the airport."
Never met the guy before until he came by the Palazzo Eroi to pick up his car. Drove back to San Jose with him that Monday, he was telling me that his wife questioned him as follows:
"So, you've never met this guy? And he's going to pick up your car, with two of your treasured bikes in them, and you expect him to be in Cambria with it?"
Of course, we're bike people.
__________________
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
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09-29-19, 07:45 PM
#81
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As @thinktubes pointed out, the road forum had 41 in their web address at one time. I may be dating myself as it looks like the address has changed.. But if you hang out there, it is a distinctively different culture than here.
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09-29-19, 07:50 PM
#82
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It seems to me that for a lot of people here their passion for vintage bikes isn't so much about possessing said bikes as it is about keeping those bikes alive and on the road. So if I've got a part in my garage that I'm not using (and I can find it), it would have more value to me in the hands of someone else who needed it than it has for me on the shelf. A lot of the stuff I've got is still on the shelf because it's not worth the trouble to me to do all the work to sell it, but if I hear about someone who needs it to finish a better case for packing it up to ship out.
09-29-19, 07:59 PM
#83
Bike Butcher of Portland
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As @thinktubes pointed out, the road forum had 41 in their web address at one time. I may be dating myself as it looks like the address has changed.. But if you hang out there, it is a distinctively different culture than here.
__________________
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
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09-30-19, 12:11 PM
#84
Just call me Carrie
I'm in some other forums that are wonderful. The one that comes to mind besides this is the animal foster forum. We all have a common purpose and want to help each other with our knowledge. Mostly, there's not a lot of us who foster, so when we find another foster parent, it's a bond. Many people foster, keep all their fosters and quit. It's tough to bring these little things into your house, help them out and let them go. Having the knowledge and sharing it or acting on it is a way of giving to the ones you're currently taking care of as well as aiding others. I know I couldn't keep the 309 cats/kittens I've fostered over the past 16 years. But I kept the really special ones.
This being said, my husband seems okay with me having as many bicycles as I have cats.
The other day, my son asked me why I only ride vintage Japanese bikes. When I was in high school my aunt gave me a mid-80s Fuji she was retiring. I rode that bike for 12 years before passing it on to a guy whose car had broken down and needed transportation. Looking back, I was sad to see it go, but he needed it more than I did. I'll also admit that my thinking is my aunt moved to a newer bike when the Fuji was still perfectly acceptable and functional and that seemed like a waste. (Not that I didn't appreciate it!) So I kind of wanted to continue with a rescue of sorts--bikes that most people would overlook because they're not flashy or not the newest thing. I like the aesthetic, the functionality, the simplicity of a vintage bicycle. I think I stuck with Japanese because my uncle told me they were the best in the 80s. He was the only bike guy I knew. So now I ride a bike that's only 7 years younger than I am and has "Made in Japan" on it. (I see you all doing math now...)
I think you guys and the foster community have a lot in common. You keep the really special ones, but know that you can't keep all of them and you have to let them go after taking care of them for a while.
Or you all have some weird world domination plan involving bicycles and I'm not inner circle enough to know about it yet. How many posts do I need?
This being said, my husband seems okay with me having as many bicycles as I have cats.
The other day, my son asked me why I only ride vintage Japanese bikes. When I was in high school my aunt gave me a mid-80s Fuji she was retiring. I rode that bike for 12 years before passing it on to a guy whose car had broken down and needed transportation. Looking back, I was sad to see it go, but he needed it more than I did. I'll also admit that my thinking is my aunt moved to a newer bike when the Fuji was still perfectly acceptable and functional and that seemed like a waste. (Not that I didn't appreciate it!) So I kind of wanted to continue with a rescue of sorts--bikes that most people would overlook because they're not flashy or not the newest thing. I like the aesthetic, the functionality, the simplicity of a vintage bicycle. I think I stuck with Japanese because my uncle told me they were the best in the 80s. He was the only bike guy I knew. So now I ride a bike that's only 7 years younger than I am and has "Made in Japan" on it. (I see you all doing math now...)
I think you guys and the foster community have a lot in common. You keep the really special ones, but know that you can't keep all of them and you have to let them go after taking care of them for a while.
Or you all have some weird world domination plan involving bicycles and I'm not inner circle enough to know about it yet. How many posts do I need?
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I was going to have a good signature but apparently I'm too verbose.
I was going to have a good signature but apparently I'm too verbose.
09-30-19, 12:33 PM
#85
Bike Butcher of Portland
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09-30-19, 07:33 PM
#87
Just call me Carrie
09-30-19, 08:27 PM
#88
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We vintage folks are a little different. We all like to care care of things, fix things. We are not the use it and throw it out club. We all don't need the newest, but style points and pretty rate high here. There might be a little Charlie Brown in all of us - taking care of that sickly Xmas tree - but it turned out to be a beautiful tree. I've been on some of the vintage bike rides here in the Chicago area, IAB's ride around Crystal Lake, Bibliobobs lakefront ride, I've NEVER met a jerk on a vintage bike. I've never had a hobby or been in a sport where everyone is helpful to this degree. This is a fine club!
Congrats and thank you all.
Congrats and thank you all.
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09-30-19, 10:31 PM
#89
tantum vehi
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I'm in some other forums that are wonderful. The one that comes to mind besides this is the animal foster forum. We all have a common purpose and want to help each other with our knowledge. Mostly, there's not a lot of us who foster, so when we find another foster parent, it's a bond. Many people foster, keep all their fosters and quit. It's tough to bring these little things into your house, help them out and let them go.
Oh yeah, I’m a foster too... just not of little puppies and kittens...
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10-01-19, 10:29 AM
#90
Just call me Carrie
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I was going to have a good signature but apparently I'm too verbose.
I was going to have a good signature but apparently I'm too verbose.
10-01-19, 11:36 AM
#91
ambulatory senior
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After catching up on this thread i now realize i am in a bike rescue community. Cool, i do often find homes for old bikes!
10-01-19, 11:43 AM
#92
ambulatory senior
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After catching up on this thread i now realize i am in a bike rescue community. Cool, i do often find homes for old bikes!
10-01-19, 12:51 PM
#93
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Bikes are innately salvageable, not only that but they can be the most rewarding "turds" to polish and will come back from seemingly very far gone, often with remarkable results at our hand.
Not all are cut out for it, we are and misery loves company so we get it and run with it, always happy to enable, help and generally further a noble agenda in our humble opinion.
C+V bikes are unique to a large degree by being completely rebuildable at their core, most of them can be maintained or saved to last a lifetime or longer when we do what we do.
Not all are cut out for it, we are and misery loves company so we get it and run with it, always happy to enable, help and generally further a noble agenda in our humble opinion.
C+V bikes are unique to a large degree by being completely rebuildable at their core, most of them can be maintained or saved to last a lifetime or longer when we do what we do.
10-04-19, 10:01 PM
#94
Member
For 4 years, I took in unwanted bikes to rebuild and give away free to kids and some adults. I recently quit that project and ended up with lots of parts. With those parts, I have helped countless people, who only have a bike for transportation, with replacement parts and tires. I still have vintage tires for those I may meet on vintage bikes.
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