What draws you to a certain type of bike to collect?

[dragnusa]

What draws you to a curtain type of bike to collect? One of my FB friends asked me today at work why he see's me posting about working on one kind bike one week then the next I will be working on another kind of bike and asked if I kept them all. I said I keep most of them for my collection. Then he asked what draws me to collect different types of bikes? Well that got me thinking, why do I?
Well
60s muscle bikes- because they are cool
cruisers- my mom had a cruiser when I was a kid that I couldn't wait to be big enough to ride then when I could it wasn't "COOL" to ride.
70s BMX- Had a Thunder road that was handed down to me from my older brother. rode the wheels off it.
80s BMX & Freestyle- never could afford them back then, still can't afford most of them but have collected a few here and there.

 

[RustyGold]

Initially, just trying to reclaim a bit of my early childhood...so late 70s, early 80s, bmx. Now, still trying to reclaim my early childhood...26" and 29" bmx . However, found ratrodbikes on accident...loved the hot rod aesthetic (have always owned old cars), and am now heading in that direction. It is hard for me, however, not to see nearly every bike as a potential bmx/trail bike .

Jason

 

[Kruez]

I wanted a Dyno Roadster when my kids were very young. Purchased diapers and shoes instead. Kids are now in college. One at IU and one at USNA. After gaining a couple three pounds a year I realy need the fitness aspect of riding. Old bikes have the right amount of industrial, art, fitness, and coolness to keep me motivated. After depriving myself for 18 years so. I swore I would purchase every roadster that came across my radar that could be had at a reasonable price. I now have 3 Dyno roadsters in a collection of 30 bikes. Roadsters and cruisers draw my attention. I have to find room for Grandmas trike this weekend.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N915A using Tapatalk

 

[CrazyDave]

I dig the pre-war balloon tire'd bikes. They ride and look great (IMO)! Long spring seats, truss bars, heavy steel frames, big ol bars, cool paint, chrome..

 

[horsefarmer]

I always liked bikes and mechanical things. Found rat rod cars cooler than fancy show cars, Have not built one yet tho. Bikes are cheap fun to mess with. Fair to say RRB is part of it too, Thanks Steve!

 

[SILVERKINGPC]

I picked up my1st Pre/Post War Ballooner around 1975. It was because they were cool-lookin, nearly indestructible, USA-made (by hand) bicycles. They really do represent an age of form and function combined together to provide self-powered mechanical adventure and freedom. 26" ballooners were the all-terrain, do-it-all bikes with style. We stopped years ago making these kinds of functional things, so in 1981, I started to look for more and more of them because I wanted to have a few examples around. Then I started custom Ratting them out. I just can't help but to continue doing so. Just a cool hobby.

 

[Yooperman]

I grew up in a small town in upper Michigan in the 70's and bicycles were a symbol of independence and freedom. Riding to the country school verses the bus or to town for a soda with your buddies in the summer was great. Later I did three years as a newspaper boy and had both a morning and afternoon routes.
I made the mistake last week driving by a local high school as classes were letting out and blocks of cars lined the street to pickup the kids. But hope was restored as the other morning I saw a girl and boy riding to school at 7:30 am.
From the first time you had to get your fingers greasy putting the chain back on the front sprocket or doing your first canned paint job, it was just the bond your parents trusted you in your adventure. Years later hanging with others at the site, I feel the adventure continues!

 

[ZygoteLittle]

Hi Yooperman, I have family living in Newberry and I really dig the UP; froze my butt-off swimming in Lake Superior – in August! But, that’s off-subject…

I became hopelessly addicted to bicycles on Christmas Day 1967 when I was given a Schwinn Stingray (there must have been some parental conspiracy because six of us got muscle bikes that year!). My friends and I rode our muscle bike all over Manhattan’s East Side and as we got older we expanded into Brooklyn and then later into Queens.

My primary interest is muscle bikes, but over the past few years my friends in NERRB have rubbed-off on me and an interest in cruisers has been sparked.

My collection is rather eclectic, a 1970 Peugeot UO-8 fully restored in the winter of ‘06/07 as the winter project; a 2007 Schwinn BFK converted into a 7-speed; a 2006 Schwinn Manta-Ray converted into a 3-speed; a 2015 Huffy Cranbrook converted into a 2-speed kick-back; a 2016 Schwinn Blackwell w/a MegaRange 14-34 freewheel to better handle our hills here; and a 2007 Giant Stiletto that has been extensively customized – all are ridden.

There is nothing more in keeping with living life in the moment then riding on a bicycle; time evaporates and space is the path ahead of us.