Vintage Bicycle vs New Bicycle

K

KenX

New Member
Other than someone just wanting to take on a vintage bike for nostalgic reasons are there any advantages to one over a new pretty well built say $200 or so Bicycle? Schwinn for example with single or 3 speed internal gears.

Thanks,

Ken
 
most of your vintage bikes are built a lot better, american made, with better components.

if you find a $200 schwinn from the 70's on craigslist, it's a lot better than a chinese schwinn built today.

plus they usually look cooler than a cookie-cutter china built bike.
 
bairdco said:
most of your vintage bikes are built a lot better, american made, with better components.

if you find a $200 schwinn from the 70's on craigslist, it's a lot better than a chinese schwinn built today.

plus they usually look cooler than a cookie-cutter china built bike.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Quality is a lost art.
 
plus, there's tons of cheap walmart builds out there that all look the same. a cool old bike sets you apart, and i've found gets you more respect from regular people.
 
Anything pre-china is a step up in quality. Even lesser brands like Huffy have some decent old frames.
 
I like the newer stuff myself- I build up a cruiser frame because of the clearances for the motor, but use big 700c and 27 wheels-

the frames ARE lighter and I've never had a problem with a Micargi several years old or a Huffy of unknown origin a few years older still-

the larger tubing is a pain for mounting the motor though without a wide motor mount

Alloy wheels are essential no matter what size for me- they just save so much weight, and I use alloy on any component i can.

and give me a nice TUBULAR cruiser fork over an older flat or standard fork- I don't care if they have empty canti brake fittings sticking out- they are STRONGER

and more available

this winter I got a 69 huffy 3 speed cheap and had to replace the fork- I found a Free Spirit fork online- It fits but barely. huffy uses some strange stuff back in the past- it's like it's built in incompatibility

I wanted to keep the classic three speed look- but now wish i'd thrown on the Micargi tubular cruiser fork I had left over when I put a shock fork on my first build

would have saved both expense and compatibility headaches
on the other hand the small tubed diamond frame would be an easy motor mounting

if I put a motor on, I'd also put that tubular Micargi fork on, brcause I know it's sTRONGER than the older style, and the front fork and axle is the failure I fear the most.

wish I could get an under bar tank at a reasonable price, cause the teardrops are in the way on diamond frames. Gonna try to sell it anyway- too many bikes aroun
 
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This discussion brought back a flood of memories from my childhood and early youth.

Each of my three older sisters got her first bike on her seventh birthday. No training wheels or kiddie bikes in the early/mid fifties. My oldest sister had a 1953 Schwinn and the twins each got a new 1956 Schwinn; all three had the huge dip in the frame down to the pedals because girls rode to school in dresses every day.

We were on vacation when I turned 7 in August of 1959, but as soon as we got home I got a new bright red Schwinn Tornado. We rode everywhere back then and by the time I was turning 13 I was outgrowing my red Tornado. I begged for a three speed, Mom insisted that 1 speed was plenty; then I received a new green 5 speed Schwinn Collegiate on my birthday.

Having "outgrown" the old Tornado and thrilled to no end with the new Collegiate, I was happy to sell the Tornado to a neighbor boy for all of $11.00. It seemed like a good deal at the time, but boy would I like to have it back now. I wonder what a '59 Tornado goes for these days?

If you have a classic, or a classic in the making, hang on to it!

Thanks for the memories.

.flg.
 
This forum is a great source of information on how to modify things to make them work. Sometimes it means mixing the new in with the old.
 
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