Pete, let me first refer you to my response to John's earlier post in which I outlined my position on preservation vs. consumption. Give it a good reading and think about it. You may find that your perspective differs from mine only in some subtleties. That having been said, why do you drag your silly class-discrimination comments into this? The stuff about "rich doctor, lawyer, CEO," sounds like teen angst to me... or is it sour grapes?
Pete wrote: Big checkbook does not equal skill. A lot of collectible bikes started life as racing machines. Riding it well may be another matter too. In some cases maybe the owner is not up to riding the bike as intended?
Yep, that's me. Working my $35,000 job and living the high life. Buying NOS 70's Masis from Japanese sources and leaving them unridden because I don't know how to shift on a friction setup or use toeclips. Pete, why don't you come out to the Velodrome some Sunday and join me on the Derby ride. I'll probably get dropped and I'll be the first to congratulate you if you can hang with Marty. I can't usually hold his wheel. Heck I'd be impressed if you made it thorough the first half as even the warm-up isn't that slow. Seriously, if you don't already do this ride, I really reccommend it. You can meet vintage racing celebrities like Paul Pearson and Bruce Donaghy, who, believe it or not, do ride modern bikes, becasue that kind of riding is about performance, not nostalgia.
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