"Sounds like a riddle to me... When is a tool not a tool? I put tools to good use.
Chuck Schmidt"
A tool is not a tool, when its intrinsic value exceeds its practical value. In general, I agree with the "good use" concept -- my version of that is, "equipment is made to be used". However, there are cases where the historic value of a thing -- let's say a bicycle, for instance -- exceeds the value of the "bicycle-ness" of the thing. Other than that, I say, ride it, except that I might not be man enough to ride a gold-forked Paramount.
I buy bikes strictly in order that they be available for riding, but if I stumbled into a historic bike -- a Coppi Tour winner, Merckx's first Tour winner, Merckx's hour bike, let's even say Thevenet's Tour winner.... I would either hang them up on the wall, or make sure they got to a place that would hang them up on the wall for the pleasure of lots of folks.
There's a point at which a tool is..... more than a tool.
Cheers,
Peter Bridge
The Mile-High City, CO