The true value of this hobby...

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So this little post is nothing more than to feed the need of the somewhat narcissistic "writer" that is buried deep within the guise of an old, ex BMX racer who still loves bikes and thinks what he has to say is of any importance amongst a sea of like minded individuals. I know it sounds odd, especially since I have never met any of you on any level other than the confines of this little dialogue box, the response I look most forward to is that of Matti Thundrrr. Why? because this guy (I believe you are male) seems to have a pretty witty sense about him. Knowledgeable, As are most of you, kind of a smart a**, but in a good way, never obtrusive nor offensive, but still able to convey his opinion about any project. Again, not sure why, the dude just seems pretty dang cool..as do all of you. Maybe a "kindred" spirit of sorts...who knows. With all that said:
So here is my 72 skipper, all "BMX-ified", with the new addition of the earth cruiser forks I recently acquired through a complete bike purchase on CL. (which was the inspiration for this writing) $65 bucks for the entire bike. With that one bike, I was able to fortify 3 other bikes with the parts that came on it, and its barely half torn down. Individually, I probably could have sold the parts on Ebay for $250+. But I dont do this to make a profit. I have a job. Now I'm not against making a few extra bucks, but my point is this: Once you get to a certain point in this hobby, it pretty much starts to pay for itself. You buy a bike for parts, get to work on said bike, get to ride said bike, sell leftovers and essentially, your original purchase price is covered, with beer Money left over, and the bike you donated the parts to, creeps ever closer to that "complete" status, until its time to move on to the next one, not to mention the surplus one acquires after purchasing many donor bikes along the way. So, to sum it all up...I think the true value of this hobby, as silly or overdramatic as it may sound, is the constant resurrection of cool old stuff, utilizing other cool old stuff, that we build with our own two hands, keeping a little bit of history alive, and not only seeing the fruits of our labor, but actually getting to physically enjoy the fruits of our labor. Not to mention making a killer deal on a bike or parts, the rush of being the first to contact the seller in hopes you can get to them before anyone else can, and probably most important of all, the first ride on that labor of love....Oh...and chicks dig cool bikes...at least they did when I was a kid...:banana::banana::banana:
20201110_142444.jpg
 
I have the opposite experience...I go to buy a part for a specific project...end up with that part, several others, and a few frames. Now I need a bunch more parts to finish these other projects I just accidentally picked up! I got into this hobby because it was cheaper than cars, trucks, and motorcycles...:39:...nope.
 
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I have the opposite experience...I go to buy a part for a specific project...end up that part, several others, and a few frames. Now I need a bunch more parts to finish these other projects I just accidentally picked up! I got into this hobby because it was cheaper than cars, trucks, and motorcycles...:39:...nope.
Wrong!
 
I have the opposite experience...I go to buy a part for a specific project...end up that part, several others, and a few frames. Now I need a bunch more parts to finish these other projects I just accidentally picked up! I got into this hobby because it was cheaper than cars, trucks, and motorcycles...:39:...nope.


I will say this though. It's still cheaper than $800 plus each weekend road racing. And that's if I didn't stack it and need parts :rofl:
 
So this little post is nothing more than to feed the need of the somewhat narcissistic "writer" that is buried deep within the guise of an old, ex BMX racer who still loves bikes and thinks what he has to say is of any importance amongst a sea of like minded individuals. I know it sounds odd, especially since I have never met any of you on any level other than the confines of this little dialogue box, the response I look most forward to is that of Matti Thundrrr. Why? because this guy (I believe you are male) seems to have a pretty witty sense about him. Knowledgeable, As are most of you, kind of a smart a**, but in a good way, never obtrusive nor offensive, but still able to convey his opinion about any project. Again, not sure why, the dude just seems pretty dang cool..as do all of you. Maybe a "kindred" spirit of sorts...who knows. With all that said:
So here is my 72 skipper, all "BMX-ified", with the new addition of the earth cruiser forks I recently acquired through a complete bike purchase on CL. (which was the inspiration for this writing) $65 bucks for the entire bike. With that one bike, I was able to fortify 3 other bikes with the parts that came on it, and its barely half torn down. Individually, I probably could have sold the parts on Ebay for $250+. But I dont do this to make a profit. I have a job. Now I'm not against making a few extra bucks, but my point is this: Once you get to a certain point in this hobby, it pretty much starts to pay for itself. You buy a bike for parts, get to work on said bike, get to ride said bike, sell leftovers and essentially, your original purchase price is covered, with beer Money left over, and the bike you donated the parts to, creeps ever closer to that "complete" status, until its time to move on to the next one, not to mention the surplus one acquires after purchasing many donor bikes along the way. So, to sum it all up...I think the true value of this hobby, as silly or overdramatic as it may sound, is the constant resurrection of cool old stuff, utilizing other cool old stuff, that we build with our own two hands, keeping a little bit of history alive, and not only seeing the fruits of our labor, but actually getting to physically enjoy the fruits of our labor. Not to mention making a killer deal on a bike or parts, the rush of being the first to contact the seller in hopes you can get to them before anyone else can, and probably most important of all, the first ride on that labor of love....Oh...and chicks dig cool bikes...at least they did when I was a kid...:banana::banana::banana:View attachment 143803

Okay- the bike is nice, but the car in the back ground is HAWT!
 
I will say this though. It's still cheaper than $800 plus each weekend road racing. And that's if I didn't stack it and need parts :rofl:
True, but with the money I have spent on bikes in the last five or so years, I could build a bracket car, or motorcycle...and run every weekend for less (barring catastrophic failure...or stacking it :bigsmile:)...or an autocrosser/hillclimber, even cheaper (less events).

Edited to make the meaning clear
 
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Well, I have very limited funds for any hobby, and I recycle a lot of that into my hand-made guitars, ukuleles and mandolins-it pays for itself and makes a small but noticeable profit, so i'm happy.

I don't get that with bikes, not in the Newport NC area-either everybody goes to Wallyworld, buys Chinese, runs them until they wear out( or they get bored) and donate to charity or the dumpster...OR they blow multiple hundreds on racing bikes, spandex, helmets and go full bore Cyclist, keep said bikes well-maintained and never, ever let them go.

What I do get out of this hobby though, is knowing how to find a Yard Sale Special, check out the parts needed, find a Parts bike to strip, wrench it myself and have a nice Daily Fitness cruiser. On rare occasions i'll have enough parts in my tiny 8"X8" shed to build a second one-invariably, somebody offers me money for one of them and i'll let it go, because living in an RV means my bikes stay outdoors in the sun,rain and salt air...:( One and a spare is my absolute limit.

In short, I don't build as actively as some on the Forum, but I am still hooked-and I blame each and every one of you for getting me into this mess, what with your awesome Builds and your free advice and all...

So, Thanks for that...:21:
 
my point is this: Once you get to a certain point in this hobby, it pretty much starts to pay for itself. You buy a bike for parts, get to work on said bike, get to ride said bike, sell leftovers and essentially, your original purchase price is covered, with beer Money left over, and the bike you donated the parts to, creeps ever closer to that "complete" status, until its time to move on to the next one, not to mention the surplus one acquires after purchasing many donor bikes along the way. So, to sum it all up...I think the true value of this hobby, as silly or overdramatic as it may sound, is the constant resurrection of cool old stuff, utilizing other cool old stuff, that we build with our own two hands, keeping a little bit of history alive, and not only seeing the fruits of our labor, but actually getting to physically enjoy the fruits of our labor.

What I do get out of this hobby though, is knowing how to find a Yard Sale Special, check out the parts needed, find a Parts bike to strip, wrench it myself and have a nice Daily Fitness cruiser. On rare occasions i'll have enough parts in my tiny 8"X8" shed to build a second one-invariably, somebody offers me money for one of them and i'll let it go,

I agree with the sentiments stated above. I was just telling the wife how satisfying it was to bring back muscle and BMX bikes from from the grave with totally recycled bike bits. The ratio for me is probably scrap 6 bikes for every one I keep and build. I'm still going thru carcasses of bikes I picked up 2 years ago at the last police auction I attended, some I inherited and the odd C/L and marketplace deal.

Surprises along the way were amazing bikes by Cannondale, Fuji, Miyata, Raleigh and Panasonic. Also a new found interest in road and early mountain bikes. Some of the "keepers" in much better condition than others, but all needing tweaking to get them just right. Having a good stock of interesting parts makes this customization much more interactive and reduces the cost to just the time involved. The ability to get out of the house and enjoy fresh air and exercise is an added plus. :113:
 
I'm moving soon and have to thin the herd. I'm now at the point that I would rather give the bikes to friends than sell them to strangers. At least I'll still see them when friends ride them . Money comes and money goes.
 
the car is my '50 Chevy Styline Deluxe. 2 door, mostly original, except paint and dual exhaust. Inline 6, 6 volt, 3 on the tree...another hobby of mine. Ive had a few others, looking for another
CView attachment 143857-10.

Nice, my folks had the same model, same color Chevy when I was a kid growing up. It had the single exhaust and stock wheels though, small center caps with trim rings.
 
I'm moving soon and have to thin the herd. I'm now at the point that I would rather give the bikes to friends than sell them to strangers

We're all like your friends basically...........right?
 
the car is my '50 Chevy Styline Deluxe. 2 door, mostly original, except paint and dual exhaust. Inline 6, 6 volt, 3 on the tree...another hobby of mine. Ive had a few others, looking for another
CView attachment 143857-10.
Back in my tricycle days, my parents would drive second or third hand cars of that vintage until it needed ball joints or heater core, then sell it to the kid down the block for 50 bucks. Then they'd go buy another one that wasn't broke yet. My mom used to get mad at me for sitting on them and grinding the chalk that used to be paint into the seat of my pants. :rofl:
 
the car is my '50 Chevy Styline Deluxe. 2 door, mostly original, except paint and dual exhaust. Inline 6, 6 volt, 3 on the tree...another hobby of mine. Ive had a few others, looking for another
CView attachment 143857-10.
My dad was the proud owner of a 1954 Bel Air with the 2 speed automatic transmission, 235ci stovebolt motor. Did a memorable roundtrip with my Dad when I was 14 from Reno Nv. to Klamath Falls Oregon over some of the loneliest roads in America. Car was steady, not a lot of power, and made the trip just fine. Had to keep waking my dad up on the way back so we wouldn't run off the road. Too many miles of road and no towns. Good memories.
 
My dad was the proud owner of a 1954 Bel Air with the 2 speed automatic transmission, 235ci stovebolt motor. Did a memorable roundtrip with my Dad when I was 14 from Reno Nv. to Klamath Falls Oregon over some of the loneliest roads in America. Car was steady, not a lot of power, and made the trip just fine. Had to keep waking my dad up on the way back so we wouldn't run off the road. Too many miles of road and no towns. Good memories.
One of the most reliable cars ever built.
 

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