How did you get introduced in to the antique classic bicycle hobby

[mrg]

Always had 2nd hand Schwinns and did a lot of digging for parts to make dirt bikes & choppers in the mid-late 60's ( back then we found stuff in the orange groves, riverbed, RR tracks, barns & vacant lots! ) and there was my dads 55 Spitfire ( my cousin bought new at Pioneer Schwinn in Norwalk Ca. ) that we terrorized then robbed part off of and left behind garage, well then 2 things happened, mid 70's news footage of Joe Breeze and the Norcal Marin gang racing Klunkers down Mt. Tam started the digging again ( only seemed to bring home frames and skiptooth rims ) to build bikes for the Mt. Wilson downhill here in Socal and a move to HB, cruising the beach trail after surfing and going to Gertrude's PP & Recycled Cycle seeing all that cool stuff I started thinking about all the parts I passed over digging ( tank, springers etc. ) and that started the hunt!. pic is my 3rd used bike ( 1st was a Colson chain drive trike then a 24 in Dx ), I still have the rear rim of that 24 ( cut the frame to make a chopper and my dad thru it away ) and maybe that 64 StingRay frame but that's for a different thread!, I think that used 64 lime StingRay really started it!, Filled my mom’s patio and garage by the mid-80s

 

[piercer_99]

It was completely by accident.

I bought one, the rest is history.

I have had a bike since I learned how to ride one at 5 years old. In that time, 2 were purchased brand new, the first new one was in 1970, the second one was in 1978. I still have the 78.

For some reason though, the older they are, the more I like them.

 

[partsguy]

I always loved old iron. But never had the room or money for cars as a kid, bikes were a good down payment to fill the void. The void was filled when I found a worn 1963 Columbia and a trashed 1966 Spaceliner on the curb when I was about 13. I scored a really nice 1963 Huffy a year later, and the rest was sealed...

Sold the Columbia, sent the Spaceliner to the crusher (like a month before I found this forum), and I still have and enjoy that Huffy.

 

[redline1968]

1988 found one from my wife’s friend a green cream bike. The in 1990 the rest of the pictured just started to show up. I painted a blue schwinn for a friend...Then I was hooked.

 

[1817cent]

I bought a 1961 2 speed Schwinn Tiger at a yard sale for $10 in 1995. Later that same year i was in a bike shop in Walla Walla WA and saw one like mine (except in green) and mine was nicer. They wanted $200 for their bike.

The shop owner saw me eye balling the Tiger and asked me if i liked old bikes. I answered in the affirmative and he then took me into the back room of his shop. Hanging in that store room was multiple old balloon bikes from the 30's through the 50's that he had taken in on trade over the years. I bought some of those bikes from him and also refurbished several for him. He gave me one bike free for every 2 i refurbished for him. He also reimbursed me for parts i had to get elsewhere to complete the bikes.

One bike i did for him was a late 40's CWC Roadmaster. That bike needed rims as the originals were nothing but rust. Somehow, i got connected with Jerry Germeau in Seattle, as he had a set of good rims for the bike. I had the new rims chromed and found the other needed parts and the rest is history...

At one time the shop had multiple bikes that i did on display in their showroom. They still may, but i have not been in that shop again for years.

 

[Rollo]

1988 found one from my wife’s friend a green cream bike. The in 1990 the rest of the pictured just started to show up. I painted a blue schwinn for a friend...Then I was hooked.View attachment 1192839
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... I really like that '68 Ramshorn FB ! ...

 

[Ernbar]

I had a nice bike as a kid and always loved bike riding but my oldest brother did the dumb hitch up to a bus trick on his bike and fell down breaking his hip. From that moment on our mom took away my Columbia bike, my other brother’s Niagara bike and my injured brothers JC Higgins and refused for us to own or ride one. Over her objections, I went and bought a Schwinn 10 speed as soon as I turned 18 and rode it for several years till it got stolen. I replaced it with a Raleigh Marathon that I passed on to my son in law about a year ago.

 

[the tinker]

My older brother gave me his Phantom back in 58. Dad bought it new in 52. I fell in love with them springers. All of them, especially Schwinn and Monark. Always had plenty of old ballooners, but never considered it a hobby. There were plenty to choose from on any garbage night. Anytime I seen one with a springer, I'd drag it home. No one wanted the old heavy bikes. Never in my life did I think I'd still be liking them springers. . .

 

[Jimmy V]

I've always liked old stuff for the style, quality, nostalgia. My collecting interest had been old cars, auto related stuff, vintage toy trucks, and vintage (promo) model cars.
My wife is also a collector/antique dealer so we're always shopping and picking. I had a lightweight Schwinn as a rider and my wife had (has) her childhood Breeze.
She was out on a buying spree one day and brought home a nice Typhoon and a Hollywood and wanted me to clean them up for resale. I found that I really enjoyed that and it took off from there. That was about 10 years ago. The middleweights Schwinn's were the gateway for me. Well made and plentiful (at least they used to be), and easy to sell. Then I met people into old bikes, and went to Ann Arbor.. I was hooked!

My collection is a mix of middleweights and ballooners, and a few good Schwinn lightweights. Bikes are easy to collect and store compared to say..cars..
And riding them is good for you. And if you're riding with good friends and like minded people and enjoying good scenery, even better!

 

[partsguy]

I've always liked old stuff for the style, quality, nostalgia. My collecting interest had been old cars, auto related stuff, vintage toy trucks, and vintage (promo) model cars.
My wife is also a collector/antique dealer so we're always shopping and picking. I had a lightweight Schwinn as a rider and my wife had (has) her childhood Breeze.
She was out on a buying spree one day and brought home a nice Typhoon and a Hollywood and wanted me to clean them up for resale. I found that I really enjoyed that and it took off from there. That was about 10 years ago. The middleweights Schwinn's were the gateway for me. Well made and plentiful (at least they used to be), and easy to sell. Then I met people into old bikes, and went to Ann Arbor.. I was hooked!

My collection is a mix of middleweights and ballooners, and a few good Schwinn lightweights. Bikes are easy to collect and store compared to say..cars..
And riding them is good for you. And if you're riding with good friends and like minded people and enjoying good scenery, even better!

I remember when most 50’s-60’s middleweights were common and cheap, like $20-$50. Now, around here, the supply is drying up.