Is the old bike hobby growing or will it die out?

[fordsnake]

Don't feel bad Canadians...

It took me a while to get the Wheelman's hint, after 3 years and 4 requests! I guess I'll never get a drink of their water.

 

[2jakes]

I've noticed the same situation on other forums .
I have a '63 VW beetle, a 39 Ford. I decided to sign up.
Not sure if I can mention them by name...but every time
I log in , it's like going to an empty vacant house & no
one around.No response.And not just towards me, but
everybody.

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It's eerie...but around this time of the year...very appropriate

 

[2jakes]

It took me a while to get the Wheelman's hint, after 3 years and 4 requests! I guess I'll never get a drink of their water.

...and all this time I thought it was the urinal for non-whites...

"sorry bout dat "...:o

 

[Hermanator3]

No one has mentioned high end road bikes from the 1950's through the 1970's as collectibles. I'm interested in getting an English built, full 531 Reynolds frame from the 1970's. I've been checking ebay & believe me they are not giving them away. Part of my problem is that I need a small frame, 52 cm c to c. Big frames are much easier to find. The best of the Italian & French road bikes of the same period are also in demand. If you have ever seen an English Mercian with the elaborate lugs of some of their models, you would know why they are lusted after.

I'm an old fart @ 74 but I still prefer dropped bars for distance riding.

 

[slick]

Well, i guess i will speak for the younger generation of collectors even though i am a soon to be an over the hill age of 36 in a month. In my opinion 35 is the top of the hill.

So here is how i see it as most of the younger bunch i hang out and RIDE our vintage bikes with. The vintage bike realm would be great to carry on but there are some factors to be considered which most of the guys on here are accusable of.

The first fact is that parts are unobtainable to finish the bike if these guys who have multiple of the same part refuse to give them up because they look better in their display case.

The price on the collectible bikes are so far out of reach for us young guns compared to what the cost of living is. To bust your ass on a daily basis, raise a family, and live does not leave enough money behind to afford a $3k + bicycle. So the odds of one of us getting it is simply out of reach. Sure you might have gotten it at a deal 20+ years ago, and sure their is inflation to factor in but to ask an obscene amount is just unobtainable leaving the youth to move onto another hobby in a more affordable range for us even though we love the bike world. I for one am in this world. I'm pretty much over trying to find anymore mens bikes. Damn near all the prewar mens tank bikes are $1k on up. Girls bikes on the other hand, $300-500. So it looks like Karlas collection will grow as mine dwindles in the twillight. I'm happy with what i have. It's bad enough i had to sell my child hood dream real henry steel 32 ford 5 window coupe to make me Shelby Speedline a reality to own. That right there is pretty damn sad. What was i thinking???

 

[GiovanniLiCalsi]

Better to have a $3,000.00 bicycle than ten $300.00 bicycles.
It is untrue that the one who dies with the most bicycles wins.
The dead just go to an afterlife without there bicycle collection.

 

[GiovanniLiCalsi]

It took me a while to get the Wheelman's hint, after 3 years and 4 requests! I guess I'll never get a drink of their water.

Believe me. It has nothing to do with anything other that their website is screwed up and the administrator is asleep at the wheel and mostly likely needs their license revoked!
But when I posted a G rated German video ad, made by the German government, the Wheelman administrator promptly removed it, saying it was unsuitable for children! Go figure.
She was a female administrator.

http://youtu.be/ZNGSnLZrLYg

 

[MrColumbia]

I've been a paying member of the Wheelmen for a few years now. I don't think racism or snobbishness has anything to do with the membership problems people have had. When I was looking to join I asked if I could since I did not have a high wheel bike. The answer..."of course, we are happy to take anyone's money and send out the newsletters." Their policy is to accept anyone who pays the membership fees into their club, period. They do not pick and choose members.

When I send my check in for my yearly membership renewal it usually takes a bout 3 to 4 months for them to cash it. At times they have lost it. This speaks volumes about those who administer the organization. The membership department is not very organized. I've never tried to renew online. I'm not sure you even can but would not trust it. The members do what they do well but the organization is stuck in the 70's...maybe 1870's. It's amazing they even have a web site that is good as it is. Many of the members seem technologically challenged as well. I have responded by email to adds placed in their newsletter and never get a response. I call and eventually get the person and the excuse..."I never check my email". Really! Why put one in your ad then?

Lets face it, the high wheel bikes are a different world than what most here are in. Riding them is a completely different experience and the prices and level of expertise to work on them bring the whole thing to another level that is not for everyone. As the older Wheelmen pass on newer and younger riders will be few and far between. It's kind of like the guys who were into the brass era automobiles years ago. They had strong clubs and great meets. Eventually those old guys died off and the younger guys were into newer more affordable cars that could be used on modern roads in modern traffic. The Brass era cars all went into private collections and museums and the brass car clubs went the way of the Dodo Bird. They are fewer in number by far even at big meets like Hershey. Everything has it's time. The same for the earliest of bicycles.

 

[squeedals]

I refuse to PAY for a bike site that is mediocre and unresponsive......when we can hang here with a great bunch, have our problems addressed almost immediately ( I have) for FREE! I regerstered with The Wheelman a while back and have not heard a peep.......so who needs that when we have this WONDERFUL SITE? Not to dis any Wheelmen and I know a few CABE members are, but I'm sorry, momma always said NEVER pay for what you can get for nothing.

GREAT responses BTW guys and gals. Averaging them all out I'd say old bikes will be popular, with someone, somewhere at some time.

 

[2jakes]

I've been a paying member of the Wheelmen for a few years now. I don't think racism or snobbishness has anything to do with the membership problems people have had. When I was looking to join I asked if I could since I did not have a high wheel bike. The answer..."of course, we are happy to take anyone's money and send out the newsletters." Their policy is to accept anyone who pays the membership fees into their club, period. They do not pick and choose members.

When I send my check in for my yearly membership renewal it usually takes a bout 3 to 4 months for them to cash it. At times they have lost it. This speaks volumes about those who administer the organization. The membership department is not very organized. I've never tried to renew online. I'm not sure you even can but would not trust it. The members do what they do well but the organization is stuck in the 70's...maybe 1870's. It's amazing they even have a web site that is good as it is. Many of the members seem technologically challenged as well. I have responded by email to adds placed in their newsletter and never get a response. I call and eventually get the person and the excuse..."I never check my email". Really! Why put one in your ad then?

Lets face it, the high wheel bikes are a different world than what most here are in. Riding them is a completely different experience and the prices and level of expertise to work on them bring the whole thing to another level that is not for everyone. As the older Wheelmen pass on newer and younger riders will be few and far between. It's kind of like the guys who were into the brass era automobiles years ago. They had strong clubs and great meets. Eventually those old guys died off and the younger guys were into newer more affordable cars that could be used on modern roads in modern traffic. The Brass era cars all went into private collections and museums and the brass car clubs went the way of the Dodo Bird. They are fewer in number by far even at big meets like Hershey. Everything has it's time. The same for the earliest of bicycles.

With regards to your reply as a paying member for a few years to a "department that is not very organized".
"Organization that is stuck in the '70s". Whose "members seem technologically challenged as well". Zero response
to your emails...makes me wonder... are you still a member & why