BikingViking793 

I guess a rider first. I mean nothing beats a glorious ride on a beautiful day. But I also really like my vintage bikes and researching bike history. And I really enjoy building bikes...

Olang

I guess a combination of rider and collector. Have learned that it doesn't have to be the "best" bike when you ride, with the best components, while I also like the beauty of certain parts, frames and bikes.
Have always collected various things, furniture, art, books. Sometimes it's something cheap but still special, other times something more "exclusive". Rather buy something I like there and then, than wait and possibly miss out.

Pompiere

I guess I'm a rider first, but I also like to experience different bikes, so I'll buy one if it interests me. I generally try to raise the bar a little with each addition. Being able to wrench allows me to rescue old neglected bikes and give them a new life for minimal expense. I also like to tinker, so I'll play around with different combinations of gearing, shifting, and braking.

EddyR

Rider and wrench guy since 1950. I have been painting cars and model aircraft for 50 years. Started flipping 15 years ago and did a few custom bike paint jobs for collectors and museums. I found a way to make a new paint job have patina so it does not look like a repaint. My riding had come to a stop two years ago waiting for knee replacement. Knee job got stopped twice but it looks like it will happen in Feb 2022 . I did ride last week and just put up with pain for a hour. Never was a collector until I came upon a 1987 team 7/11 frame. I had three for a few years but sold them when I sold my house and moved to apartment.
Ed

clubman 

Rider, then wrencher, then collector, then hoarder.

More fool me.

CMAW 

I'm in it for the riding, partly, not in the least, for the pure work-out and its most rewarding aspect, the inappropriately called runner's high (runners are Neanderthals, compared to cyclists).Endorphins, am I right? Now a few days ago, I read an article in the paper titled Runners high is not an endorphin boost. Apparently, after ample research American neuroscientists have concluded that endorphins have nothing to do with it (it: feeling euphoric, followed by the munchies), they're pointing instead to a bunch of microscopic aliens living inside the human body called endocannabinoids or EC's. You can read all about it in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, seriously. Seriously seriously!
I have a d'oh brain, do not understand or remember any of the specifics, but I'll remember this: a bike's a bong.

Classtime 

More rider of nice old race bikes. I enjoy the rescue part of C&V and would like to have sold my rescues to local riders so I might admire them on occasion. The rider in me won't allow my collection to get out of hand as I cannot stand having a nice bike that doesn't often get ridden. I wrench in order to ride nice bikes for little money. While I am not a polisher, I do obsess over the wrenching at times because nice bikes need to ride nicely.

curbtender

The grass is always greener...

johnnyace 

I'm a rider. I'm not very good at wrenching, just enough to get by, and barely at that. Trying to work on that, but I don't have a passion for it. I don't consider myself a collector; I currently have four bikes, and a custom on the way. One of the current four will probably be sold soon (it's just a bit too small and kind of a sluggish ride).

I'm becoming more pragmatic about cycling, and so I'm moving away from vintage bikes toward modern steel bikes and components.

tkamd73 

Depends on the season, winter and early early spring, pretty much a wrencher, usually working on my builds, and friends rides. The rest of year consider myself a rider. Only have 9 bikes so not much of a collector, but do enjoy the searching and sourcing involved with a new build, and the discovery, of how it rides.
Tim

majmt 

I don’t think that I could claim to be much more than a poser in any of the three categories.

icemilkcoffee 

Bottomfeeder- scrounger- hoarder

merziac

Otherwise known as essential skills and prerequisites.

nomadmax 

Rider first and always. Collector second and wrench only to facilitate the first two.

GhostRider62

All the old bikes hanging represent a collection of my memories. Am I a hoarder or a collector? I'd never lust after someone else's memories, so, I guess I am just a rider with 15 or so bikes hanging around.

Germany_chris

I'll always be a wrench first, bike, cars, lawn equipment, computers etc. I don't collect because there are better places for that money no matter the hobby.

T-Mar

First and foremost, I consider myself a long time avid cyclist. Over the last five decades, I've worn many cycling caps and helmets, including pro mechanic, licensed racer, certified coach, shop manager and owner, to name but a few. However, two classifications that I dodge are bicycle flipper and bicycle collector. Advancing years and associated health issues have limited the riding and consequently the wrenching, though I still enjoy both. These days, my most frequent cycling related activity is playing the role of amateur cycling historian. I enjoy researching cycling that pre-dates my first hand experience and helping fellow cyclists with their C&V related issues and enquiries.

rumrunn6

• went thru a collection / wrenching phase. took a while, but I got out of that hamster wheel
  • now I ride & only wrench when I have to
    • so I guess I've settled into being a rider

sd5782 

I find wrenching to be quite therapeutic, especially in the long cold gray winter. The mental planning and calculations keep the mind busy too. Rehabbing, upgrading, and rescuing all occupy the mind and hands. Being recently retired frees more time, and makes me thankful for these endeavors to perhaps keep my mind active.

Riding is a time luxury and I plan to enjoy it more in retirement. I haven’t quite fallen apart yet, but I at least need drops that aren’t too low. Only 8 months or decent riding where I live that I am willing to tolerate. I do cherish the riding, especially when I get out into farm country. I am a solo rider and appreciate the solitude and freedom. The riding feeds the wrenching as I’ve learned to appreciate the different feel of various bikes and need to try them all.

That brings me to accumulating; not really collecting. My aspirations won’t ever lead to the fine customs or top end small manufactures. With my modest skills and riding environment I wouldn’t even be able to quantify or appreciate such machines. I have been enjoying accumulating bikes from various makers and countries and some meant for differing disciplines. I have enough bikes now that I strive for mid tier from major manufacturers which really is a vast area. That is my excuse for buying and wrenching on something new. It is a viscous circle however.

Schlafen

Rider of modern and vintage frames, modern groups only.

Wrenching on my own bikes mainly, avoid working on other people's bikes for various reasons, unless in an emergency situation. I'm a natural tinkerer, rarely get bored.

Don't understand purists and collecting 🤷‍♂️.

Chuck M 

This is how I explained it to my wife, who is a therapist. She does not understand my approach to buying parts as I like to have them trickle in. We don't have a bike shop locally, so I order most of my parts. Instead of ordering everything I need at once, I order in stages and put the bike back together over the course of several weeks. I have plenty of bikes to ride so having one out of commission like this isn't a problem. It lets me enjoy the progress that the project is taking.

merziac

I get it but many bikes only hold their true appeal, value, soul, voodoo, whatever in their original form.

Case in point for me is this 1978 Merz touring that was built for Paris Brest Paris but ended up not going for being a bit small.

It is almost original save for tires, bar tape and saddle.

It would be a fantastic bike no matter how it is built up but it functions so well as it was/is I can't imagine ever changing it from how it is.





These next two prove out your point as they came to me already hot rodded with 9 speed triples and brifters so all bets were off and they are phenomenal riders, a big part of my reboot to cycling 10-12 years ago, they work so well, nothing short of amazing to me.

surveyor6

I have owned a collector bike, but I am not a collector. I was more of a rider when younger. I became more of a wrencher in my mid fifties.

ofajen

Rider. I have built up my current two bikes from old frames. I maintain them, but that is almost nothing as they are both SS.

Also have done a fair amount of tinkering to explore how bar type and position complement my riding style.

Not a collector.

Otto

Schlafen

The original spec was the best available at the time, which was upgraded to the best available to the previous owner.

A resto mod is simply giving a vintage frame the best possible components to work with, which will always be better than what it came with originally, if done properly.

I can only look at vintage builds/components from a value standpoint: high value complete and original, I will cash it in an move on.

The PH12 I posted a while ago, I initially bought it to modify it. It was mint so I serviced it and moved it on for almost x6 times what I paid for it. Sold to a collector.

Now I have a PSV10 frameset stashed away which compells me to build it as a superlight carbon everything (came to me as a frameset) to satisfy my own curiosity and to see how far I can take a superlight steel frameset.

Also compelling to sell are the prices complete and original Peugeots go for these days, especially in small and medium sizes 50-54. But it would take me a long time to source all the Simplex crap in good condition.

On the other hand my PX10 is a mule, which I'm quite happy with, the only Peugeot bit left is the frame.

Looking back I realise these dang Peugeots keep finding their way to me somwhow, lol. They are a small sample of the bikes I've gone through but they're the only ones I posted here.