livedarklions

I think we're getting near to a sociological theory here about bike appearance indicating approachability or lack thereof.

70sSanO

Mine wasn’t a boarding school, but an all boys technical high school.

I think it went from a little after 8am to around 4 pm split between academics and a technical vocation.

After that, going to college was easy.

John

livedarklions

No one said the amount of labor made it better or more attractive, just more likely that someone would have a story to tell that was more interesting than "I bought it at a store", and therefore more likely to start a conversation.

Yes, you are an exception to this in that you ride a new bike you built up yourself, but people are probably not going to guess that just by seeing you on your bike on the street.

Koyote

I agree. but as someone who spent part of his youth tooling around in a first-year Mustang, I'm willing to bet big money that the Kia is a far better daily driver.

livedarklions

This makes me wonder if part of the reason people aren't finding people chatting up their newer bikes (which you haven't found to be true) is the relatively uniform practice of making them dark boring colors.

zandoval 

I find it odd that one of the things that really get some bike riders eye is my polished aluminum components. Don't get me wrong, some of the newer subdued black components are proven and very much performing better that thier old counterparts, but seeing a nice polished or chromed group set is still very.... NICE...

livedarklions

OTOH, there's no guarantee that the latest high-tech bicycle is going to be the best daily rider, where ruggedness may be king. One thing an old bike might have going for it is proven durability over the applicable conditions. If you're doing a daily stop and go commute, there may be very little opportunity for the high end performance characteristics of the new bike to really shine.

The big difference between the technological changes of cars and bikes is that there really hasn't been a lot of change in the engines powering bikes.

livedarklions

Never underestimate the appeal of shiny!

70sSanO

The biggest difference between cycling and a lot of other sports is the inordinate longevity of the equipment. A well made frame will last a lifetime; regardless if it is appreciated or not.

You’re not going to be skating that same deck or riding that short board for 40 years. Most equipment wears out with use. The only consumable on my longboards are the boards themselves, the fins will last forever, less rocks.

No one is going to play in their league with a wooden tennis racquet or hockey stick. Or go to their club and play old persimmons and get out driven by 75 yards, although there is a niche for this.

I have an old Palmers paintball gun, no way am I’m going to use it just to get lit up. Of course, at 70 I’d get lit up no matter what I use. Today’s goal, last more than 60 seconds.

But bikes are different.

John

tankist

Another wonderful thread about "my personal preferences and tastes are better than yours"

Bald Paul

I thought the purpose of this thread was to determine which bike would spur more conversation on the street?

To be perfectly honest, if I see someone riding an old, steel frame, lugged bike that looks like it had been either (a) well cared for, (b) unridden for most of its life and stored indoors, or (c) restored, I may just say, "hey, nice bike" and that would be about it. I really don't want to hear about how long it took you to get that stuck BB cup out of the frame, or how you polished that front derailleur into such a glimmering sheen.

To some, an old bicycle is a piece of art. Then again, someone recently paid an insane (IMHO) amount of money to buy a banana duct-taped to a white wall.

genejockey 

Well, there's a reason I call it the Big Bad Black Bianchi.

genejockey 

Well, in that case, my hypothesis is that there are a lot more NEW bikes out there than OLD bikes, so why would anyone comment on the common? People comment on the UNcommon.

livedarklions

Really? Who said that?

livedarklions

Uh, yeah, I didn't say we couldn't go on tangents, just let's not turn this into a pissing contest over which preferences are "better". I didn't fault you for going on a tangent, but you did mischaracterize what you were reacting to.

I am by self-confession the world's worst mechanic, and I really don't want to talk to anyone about how they put together their bike, new or old.

I'm not sure what you're arguing about at this point. No one's requiring you to talk to anyone, we're just reporting what we've observed.

Koyote

True. After breaking too many RD cables on my 'all weather, ride anywhere' bike, I'm considering replacing the STI shifters with bar-ends.

livedarklions

At this point in my riding life, I've forgotten where the bar ends are (no, I don't mean that literally).

seypat

Shiny FTW!

genejockey 

That is, indeed, what I think catches the eye of other riders about the Battaglin - the bright alloy kit, shiny silver hubs with silver spokes and silver rims, and that beautiful, shiny Chorus crank.

I know it's not me.

Sy Reene

Yeah, but in 50 years, will you be saying that Kia Sportage is drawing the crowd over the 2070 Hyperdyne Systems XYZ model?

GhenghisKahn

93 Avanti Kona 2x8 and a 90 Fisher Celerity 3x7. Both are stock. When on the road or trail I receive compliments on both. While not a retro grouch I haven't moved into more contemporary bikes because I made a conscious choice to stay in my lane. Do all my own maintenance, wheelbuilding, etc. and the technology in many cases has out paced my skill level. My tech acumen stopped around 2007 the year of our newest bike. Once in a while I've ridden a cf 1x11 cf mtb that belongs to a lbs owner friend of mine. It's like a jet compared to a bi-plane. lol But, I don't identify with the 'steel is real' adage as most of our bikes are aluminum alloy. Ride what you like and take compliments gracefully. If someone wants to take one of yours for a jaunt? Let 'em. That's really high praise.

rsbob 

It most certainly is with nearly 100 responses and far more views and much entertaining discussion.

Your comment reminds me of the reason behind someone posting this thread

General Deterioration of These ForumsThere are a few blowhards which have effectively ruined this Bike Forum. These trolling posters, some averaging over 10 posts a day are dominating most conversations taking away any reasonable discourse in almost every category. Many instances a new member may ask an innocent question and then be pounced on by the usual abusive mega posters weighing in whether they know anything about the issue or not but rather their inner beliefs and quickly turn on the new poster for some ridiculous reason. As these forums are run for profit and benefit from new views, my hope is the administrators and us members take some action against the few lonely fools who need to hear themselves rant and yell at clouds because no one in their personal lives will listen. I am sure new member counts are dropping because of this trend.

70sSanO

Sorry.

I guess I just have a problem with old people.

John

livedarklions

Now THAT was a pathetic thread!

Locked, as I recall.

livedarklions

See, shiny happy colors attract compliments! I think we might be onto something here.