Dear All,
A question that I am sure comes up periodically, and one that has certainly has risen again (it's alive!) in George's letter, is a definition of terms:
When we say 'we ride' (as in, our bikes) what number does 'ride' constitute?
I have found that as I ride more (not a racer, not fast, but still do ride) that I am relegating my somewhat older bikes (bordering between 'on topic' and KOF mid '80's–Eisentraut, Colnago, Tesch, Sachs) less, my mod squad (Pegorettis, Litespeed) more...
It's not a 'better'/'worse' commentary–more of what bike is appropriate for what ride. For distance, the mods. Pretty much, always.
Which would beg (well, maybe not beg) the question: of those of you with modern bicycles & vintage, do you choose the vintage over the modern for rides that are 30+ miles?
And how many miles a year on vintage vs. modern?
I am, happily, at about 1000 per year vintage, 3-4,000 per year modern.
How about all youz guys?
Just curious.
Ricky in very much Carrboro, NC
--- Syke - Deranged Few M/C <sykerocker@yahoo.com>
wrote:
> OK, now that we're drawing parallels between custom
> bicycles and custom motorcycles (trust me, a VERY
> apt parallel) I'm on solid enough ground to wade in.
>
> One point hasn't been mentioned regarding prices
> that is critically important: The customer who pays
> $40,000+ for a custom motorcycle doesn't ride!
>
> OK, in the previous statement, my definition of
> "ride" means doing more than a sunny Sunday cruise
> out to the local safe biker hangout making sure one
> gets home before dark (it cools off and bugs tend to
> come out as the sun goes down) - 50 miles or less.
> Actually putting down 5,000 or so miles a year
> (minimum) either commuting to work and/or doing long
> distance trips is riding. And those guys will
> usually stick with garden variety
>
mass-market-produced-in-a-factory-under-well-known-name
> motorcycle. Mainly because those bikes are more
> cost effective, comfortable, reliable and infinitely
> more practical, than the custom versions.
>
> I've got no doubt that in trying to sell
> incredibly expensive custom built bicycle frames
> would best be served by targeting the same crowd.
> Someone who has an incredible cash reserve for toys,
> who will show up with said toy occasionally (when
> the weather's nice and the event isn't too
> physically demanding, preferably well-attended and
> trendy), and let it spend the rest of its existance
> hanging on a wall or sitting in the garage.
>
> Look at your average Hell's
> Angel/Bandido/Outlaw/Pagan/whatever colors he's
> flying. You'll find a mildly modified H-D, not a
> wild custom-built chopper. And the rare exception
> to that statement built his own. And rides it.
>
> Of course the CR survey says leave the prices
> where they're at. We're the guys who actually ride
> them, who use them for the finely made road tools
> that they are. Were were buying motorcycles, we'd
> be buying stock, basic Harley-Davidsons that could
> conceiveably be RIDDEN to Daytona Bike Week, not
> automatically put in an enclosed trailer, hauled
> down, and then spending the week doing three mile
> runs between bars and down Main Street (like
> 99.99999999999999% of those five and six figure
> customs you see on International Speedway
> Boulevard).
>
> We ride - and we don't have gobs of cash to throw
> away on a mere status symbol. So we want the prices
> kept as cheap as possible.
>
> By the way, don't ever expect custom bicycles to
> take off like custom choppers: There's this little
> shortcoming of physical conditioning. Yer average
> rich guy may have a Bowflex, but he quit using it
> after the third day because it's too much trouble.
> And it doesn't take any physical conditioning to
> straddle a $40K Big Dog and putt down Main Street.
>
> Doing five miles on a custom bicycle is a
> different matter however.
>
> George R. "Syke - who's flown colors for the last
> sixteen years and rides 20K a year" Paczolt
> Montpelier, VA
>
>
>
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