A general 'Thank You' to the C&V community
 

I get really put-off by the general snark, the 'answers' in threads that have nothing to do with the actual question(s) asked, the 'my way is the one-and-only right way' attitudes, etc, etc, that exist in so many online forums (on any and all subjects....). Maybe it's the demographics of the C&V forum, I dunno, but this place has refreshingly little of all that. Sure, maybe an occasional 'heated' discussion, but things generally seem to stick to the subject at hand and almost never descend to flaming & name-calling, and folks here provide genuine, truly useful information pertinent to whatever issue an original poster may be having/the questions being asked. I, for one, really appreciate it. So, thanks!

And here's a photo just to make it all legit.....


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b9bb71620f.jpg

Your water bottles are in the wrong spot.

Hardy-har!

I think that fork is bent.

No, actually the head tube is bent back. :)

All seriousness aside, this is indeed a great forum, with lots of helpful folks united in their passion for older bicycles. I have a similarly pleasant experience at PassatWorld.com, for all of us B5-era (1998-2005) VW Passat owners. That site has saved me a lot of time, money, and frustration over the years.

P.S. That blue PX-10 is one gorgeous touring machine.

Ahem.... Sport touring, if you please!

Of course -- that is the best kind of touring. :)

The left brake cable looks a little longer than the right…

Nice photo! I have gotten a lot out of this forum too and the folks here are very helpful. I have met some great people and enjoy all the cool bikes.

C&V - where even the chain lube threads are reasonable.


The sharing of information here does not go unappreciated. I've learned much, and hope I've helped others along the way.


Now, let's talk Jan Heine and tire width. Oh, and Grant Petersen.

The saddle is a few shades off the bar wrap. :innocent:

Ha, yeah.... and it actually does bother me...... a little bit....! The original Brooks Pro is a lovely very dark brown, and closer to the bar wrap, but doesn't quite agree with me. Or at least I've been too lazy to force my behind to 'break in' to it.

The solution is remaining on the saddle at all times. :D

Everything I’ve learned about old bikes has either been here, RJ the bike guy, or the 20th anniversary Rivendell catalog (seriously). This hobby has given me sanity in many turbulent times, and it’s great to come here and share what I’ve learned and learn even more. Thanks, everyone, truly. Great thread, @ehcoplex.

[pulls pin] Grant Petersen… [runs]

I feel like I have found this forum to be a wonderful place. Everyone has been very supportive and meeting people like like gugie and Andy_K in person and online chats with merziac and jdawginsc (amongst many) has been great.
Also, I was able to obtain one of the bikes I’ve admired (Specialized Allez) thanks to a lot of effort and passion by members. It has been transforming in a very positive way. Thank you everyone!

A heartfelt "Hear, Hear" to the C&V appreciation.

I stumbled here, wondering on the web "What would it take to get the Ironman rolling properly?" The level of helpfulness, expertise, fun chat, and community about bikes is something I hadn't experienced since I read rec.bicycles.tech when Sheldon Brown and Jobst Brandt were regular contributors.

Yup. Found a lot of good info here, both addressed to me and not. And I've been told here that it's better to post here rather than some other sections, so that says a lot. :)

The folks on this forum help me build and revive my bikes. Thank you for the physical help. Cycling is my major escape from the truly serious troubles of our current existence, and BF is a great part of my escape. So thank you for this too.
All good,
Brent T

Best forum on the internet. The knowledge and enabling you experience here surpass all understanding.

I found the C&V bike forum because a colleague told me about it, and asked me to join. He even asked me to choose a forum name that would be easy for him to know it was me... and his forum name had "uncle" in it, so it was the genesis of the name that I chose. When I later told him I'd joined, he said he "never went there anymore... it has a lot of know-it-all jerks". Over the years, he and I saw less and less eye-2-eye, so to speak. I'm still here, for better or worse, and I don't have any interaction with the guy anymore. Anyway, I've been the pawn for some "bonding" ribbing, and the benefactor of a lot of help and info, with the later far outweighing the former. This forum truly is a fun spot for me to come visit and learn, and I'm also thankful for everyone here.

I've been known to organize rides and tours with BF members I've never even met in person before, and it's always been a rewarding experience. I was going to type in "pleasant", but it goes beyond that. I count some of the people I've met on this forum as great friends - even some of them that live several states away!

This is my very favorite forum on the internet. I’ve been a longtime member of another vintage bike forum, was in fact invited to join by its listmaster when he first created it - but for several years now the looser, more free-flowing attitudes here keep me coming back.

I’ve learned so much here, and had my horizons as a bike geek widened as well. An especially big thanks goes to Narhay for the Clunker Challenges that appeal to my inner cheapskate while leading to new-found appreciation for machines I would never have dreamed I enjoy so much. I also treasure the overall willingness to play with bike setup rather than insist on catalog originality.

X1000! :thumb:

Almost 30 years of various forums for my various interests, this is the "cleanest" and most useful by a wide margin. I think my "ignore list" has ONE name on it. And I cannot begin to count the number of problems fellow C&V'ers have talked me through. Not to fault the local LBS's but without the forum, if I had to rely on them I figure all of my bikes would be off the road.

My BF account is from a decade ago, but I became a regular user in late summer of 2020, when I got the idea to refurbish my wife's beloved Bianchi. I got a lot of help, and it was a great experience. I'm totally hooked. This is a fun forum, friendly and knowledgeable.

Thank You indeed.

@John E
>> a similarly pleasant experience at PassatWorld.com, for all of us B5-era (1998-2005) VW Passat owners.

That's different.
The Passat is two-thirds Audi, and THAT experience welds friends together from mere misery and heartbreak.
Audis are evil, because so much about them is fantastic, and then there are some "engineering" "solutions" that ruin the whole thing for non-fanatic customers.

cheers -m

This really is a special place. I first started hanging out here during a fairly unpleasant stint in Kabul back in 2005. It was a place to talk bikes and forget about the world then and during another hard year in Baghdad, but more often was a place to connect and talk bikes in better times. I've met friends and managed to link up at an awesome bike museum in Belgium near Arlon, ride with members during the Retro Ronde, and meet up at L'Eroica Italy. I've gotten great advice, shared stories of rides both epic and minor, and read of the triumphs and personal tragedies of a community I've come to appreciate more than I'd have ever thought when I joined.

You all truly rock.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...60c4deb0f8.png
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...89aa97341d.png
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1ace6858c9.png
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...060165b9f9.png

May every one of you find pleasant tailwinds, more bikes to restore to glory, and friends to share the ride!

Mark