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What constitutes a Classic or Vintage bicycle?

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Classic & Vintage This forum is to discuss the many aspects of classic and vintage bicycles, including musclebikes, lightweights, middleweights, hi-wheelers, bone-shakers, safety bikes and much more.

What constitutes a Classic or Vintage bicycle?

Old 05-01-21, 03:38 PM
  #26  
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...I like to go by whether they use the words "Classic" or "Vintage" in the Craigslist ad.
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Old 05-01-21, 04:24 PM
  #27  
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It certainly is a true FAQ. I’m wondering what constitutes a classic and vintage rider.
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Old 05-01-21, 06:40 PM
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Originally Posted by SDReames
Oops, I guess I should have scanned the thousands of posts first. Sorry for being repetitive. Maybe a sticky post at the top to explain this for us Newbies.
Originally Posted by SDReames
Thanks for the links. Again, a sticky post at the top would help eliminate these repetitive posts.
You're on a forum for people to be talking about old bikes. Most people like to talk about old bikes.

Look at it this way, you got 3 posts (so far) out of the deal.

Whenever you do searches- you'll end up with old stuff- and a whole bunch of posts from people that are no longer active on the forum. Besides that, (or because of that) things sort of drift- this place is way different from when I started here.

IMO- as long as you're not being a jerk- you can pretty much get away with posting most any vaguely "old" bike. The "classic" part of the C&V thing allows for that- and I think most people consider lugged steel frames with relatively level top tubes as a general guideline.

It's getting to the point where molded carbon fiber frames are getting "old" and there's probably going to be an influx of people wanting to play along here with those bikes. But I think the "lugged steel frames with relatively level top tube" guideline kind of sets the tone- we are a pretty forgiving bunch, but the "classic" kind of applies to the kind of old bikes that were common during most of the 20th century.
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Old 05-01-21, 07:12 PM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by SDReames
What criteria is used to determine if a bicycle is Classic or Vintage?
What bikes do you have?
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Old 05-01-21, 07:18 PM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by The Golden Boy
It's getting to the point where molded carbon fiber frames are getting "old" and there's probably going to be an influx of people wanting to play along here with those bikes. But I think the "lugged steel frames with relatively level top tube" guideline kind of sets the tone- we are a pretty forgiving bunch, but the "classic" kind of applies to the kind of old bikes that were common during most of the 20th century.
I was actually thinking about this the other day. When time marches on, we can have lugged steel frame, aluminum and CF sub-forums!
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Old 05-02-21, 12:34 AM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by Chuck M
I was actually thinking about this the other day. When time marches on, we can have lugged steel frame, aluminum and CF sub-forums!
Where would my 04 Norco team XC aluminium frame with Carbon seat stays fit in?
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Old 05-02-21, 02:19 AM
  #32  
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I decide. If I think it's classic, it's classic. If I think it's vintage, it's vintage. Other people on this forum may disagree with me. We each have our own opinions.

We could put the answer in the forum description somewhere if we agreed. I think there's something deeply ironic about people on a C&V forum being unhappy that someone has asked a question that's been answered before.
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Old 05-02-21, 02:31 AM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by SDReames
Thanks for the links. Again, a sticky post at the top would help eliminate these repetitive posts.
Where's the fun in that?
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Old 05-02-21, 02:39 AM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by Krazyistkarl
Where would my 04 Norco team XC aluminium frame with Carbon seat stays fit in?
Somewhere else?

If you post that here with the appreciation that it came from what came before it then you're probably ok, if you try to say its the be all, end all compared to the junk that came before, then not so much.

There are some loosely relevant, half ass guidelines somewhere that say 20-25 years means this or that but this far down the road that lets in some very much not so C+V characters so.....

Last edited by cb400bill; 05-02-21 at 05:46 AM. Reason: You can say ass
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Old 05-02-21, 02:51 AM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by SDReames
Thanks for the links. Again, a sticky post at the top would help eliminate these repetitive posts.
AND welcome aboard, glad you found us, just asking the question means your probably in the right place.

We need pics of what you got, good ones especially drive side, the more the better, you're almost there, 5 posts X 2 days for 10 to post them.

It's an anti-spam measure that serves us very well.

We all decide for ourselves and most of us have a lot of latitude when this comes up. You'll know when you're pushing the limits, somebody will say they could, should or would have done it this way or that but if you're even close in spirit, you should, could or will get along just fine.
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Old 05-02-21, 05:50 AM
  #36  
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Your Peugeot is C&V.

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Old 05-02-21, 07:00 AM
  #37  
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Old 05-02-21, 03:52 PM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by cb400bill
What bikes do you have?
The only bike that I have that would be considered Classic or Vintage is the PH10L Peugeot. I have a Red Line ConquestDisc hybrid bike that is my primary bike, an E3 Peak DS mountain ebike and a genZe e102 that I take on the back of our camping trailer for use around a campsite.

I would love to find a new home for the Peugeot, since I have not ridden it in about 20 years now.
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Old 05-02-21, 04:34 PM
  #39  
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The subforum title says, "this forum is to discuss the many aspects of classic and vintage bicycles, including musclebikes, lightweights, middleweights, hi-wheelers, bone-shakers, safety bikes and much more."

It should simply read, "everything associated with lugged, steel lightweights made prior to 1988."

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Old 05-02-21, 04:46 PM
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Even my newest bike is darn near vintage these days...


The rest are definitely vintage but I am not sure if I have ever owned a classic...


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Old 08-03-21, 08:30 AM
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Old 08-03-21, 08:41 AM
  #42  
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Hold on to your butts, anything with rim brakes and quick release wheels is fast becoming "C&V".
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Old 08-03-21, 10:14 AM
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Thrilled to see this finally become a sticky.

Thank you, mods!

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Old 08-03-21, 09:29 PM
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A bike is classic or vintage if replacing one of the components with NOS costs more than the entire bike cost new.

John
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Old 08-03-21, 10:02 PM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by SurferRosa
The subforum title says, "this forum is to discuss the many aspects of classic and vintage bicycles, including musclebikes, lightweights, middleweights, hi-wheelers, bone-shakers, safety bikes and much more."

It should simply read, "everything associated with lugged, steel lightweights made prior to 1988."

But not with 7, 8, 9, or 10 speeds and no brifters. Or anything that might resemble a restomod.
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Old 08-04-21, 12:20 AM
  #46  
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Originally Posted by cudak888
C&V is any decent bike the LBS will scoff at, really.
Think this sums it up.
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Old 08-04-21, 07:24 AM
  #47  
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The truth is, time has a way of resolving everything. It doesn’t really matter what constitutes classic or vintage today because it will change tomorrow, or the next day, or disappear.

Some items will always have collectibility value, even if monetary value wanes. But popular collectibility is always generational. As one generation moves on the next one celebrates what is important to collect. Eventually everything gets old.

One thing that BF C&V has done right is embracing all levels of older bikes not just those with special significance. I witnessed to the effective demise of MTBR’s Vintage, Retro, Classic subforum. It still exists, but in name only as it really is a ghost town. There are still a few hardliners, but from my occasional visit over there, threads remain pretty stagnant.

As long as C&V keeps evolving, people will still want to talk about the stuff they had or wanted when they were young.

John
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Old 08-04-21, 11:41 AM
  #48  
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Originally Posted by ThermionicScott
Hold on to your butts, anything with rim brakes and quick release wheels is fast becoming "C&V".
so true!
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Old 08-06-21, 12:44 PM
  #49  
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Originally Posted by ThermionicScott
Hold on to your butts, anything with rim brakes and quick release wheels is fast becoming "C&V".
That would be every bike that I have!!!
My Bianchi was “old” when I got it. But the rest were all current product when I got them. … I have been out of the saddle for over 20yrs😀

This should be post #10 for me, so I can start sharing some pictures.
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Old 08-06-21, 01:14 PM
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Originally Posted by randyjawa
Even my newest bike is darn near vintage these days...

The rest are definitely vintage but I am not sure if I have ever owned a classic...
With your cult following on this forum, I suspect anything you've ever owned is a classic by virtue of ownership.
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