When you eventually die someone is probably going to ride it.
They might even ride it in the rain! They might crash it! They might part out the Campy stuff and put Shimano digital electronic juice drive plastic parts on it.
You should be the one to use it now! Take care of it, keep it clean, take pictures for the 'preserve history' school. Unless you're looking to sell it for the maximum amount a little use won't hurt it. And sorting out the mechanicals through a little use might actually make it a better bike.
Just my $.02
Ed.
Here is the question which I have been pondering lately. Say you had a classic bicycle which had never been ridden, would you ride it or not ride it? How many of you guys do ride some or all of your really pristeen bikes? Are there some bikes you would ride, some you would keep nice?
The reason I ask is that I am just about to finish making up my first classic bike - Colnago Mexico 1982 with Super Record. It is all NOS, so it has never been ridden, and I am really divided between keeping it perfectly mint, or taking it for the occassional ride. I am certainly not planning to sell it ever, but it seems odd taking all this stuff out of the boxes and sitting on it on a dirty road!
I guess there is the 'made to be ridden' school and the 'preserve history' school. Any comments would be appreciated.
Jon Bridges. Auckland, New Zealand.