What got you into vintage bikes and collecting?

[outskirtscustoms]

I was reminiscing about the old days with a friend and talking about our early bicycle days while looking through my bike collection and I thought I'd share a little Kokomo Indiana history with you all and how that started the bicycle addiction in me that will never die. Plus I found some pictures that really help to tell the story that I wanted to share.

Growing up in Kokomo we had a bike shop downtown on the square that was the local hangout for young kids who customized bikes. Victory bike shop. This was an old timey bike shop that opened in 1940 and had been there for ages. Charlie managed the bike shop from 1942-2001 and was an absolute salesman. Always polite, always busy, and always a joy to talk to especially if you were asking about his top shelf. He always had the coolest selection of valve stem caps, lowrider bike parts, new BMX bikes (Dyno and GT), and up around the ceiling his personal collection of really cool vintage bikes. From 1950's tank bikes to old shaft drive bikes to wood rim antiques and everything in between. I bought my first new bike from there. A black and red Dyno Air with the 3 spoke GT mag wheels (only got that because Charlie said I didn't have enough money to afford anything on the top shelf and have anything left to make it rideable.).

I always enjoyed every trip to that shop just to check out the new stuff, check out his collection, or buy model car parts which I was heavy into at the time as well.

This is the place which is gone now. Charlie retired in 2001 and the shop hasn't been the same and has since moved to a new smaller location and lost that old timey feel. Charlie passed in 2015 and Kokomo lost a legend.

As it turns out Charlie was always into bikes himself which really showed in his work and in his collection.

Now fast forward 22 years and Charlie's impact on me couldn't be clearer. I am fully addicted to bikes and wouldn't have it any other way. Cheers to Charlie.

 

[Kevin B]

I was reminiscing about the old days with a friend and talking about our early bicycle days while looking through my bike collection and I thought I'd share a little Kokomo Indiana history with you all and how that started the bicycle addiction in me that will never die. Plus I found some pictures that really help to tell the story that I wanted to share.

Growing up in Kokomo we had a bike shop downtown on the square that was the local hangout for young kids who customized bikes. Victory bike shop. This was an old timey bike shop that opened in 1940 and had been there for ages. Charlie managed the bike shop from 1942-2001 and was an absolute salesman. Always polite, always busy, and always a joy to talk to especially if you were asking about his top shelf. He always had the coolest selection of valve stem caps, lowrider bike parts, new BMX bikes (Dyno and GT), and up around the ceiling his personal collection of really cool vintage bikes. From 1950's tank bikes to old shaft drive bikes to wood rim antiques and everything in between. I bought my first new bike from there. A black and red Dyno Air with the 3 spoke GT mag wheels (only got that because Charlie said I didn't have enough money to afford anything on the top shelf and have anything left to make it rideable.).
View attachment 237040

I always enjoyed every trip to that shop just to check out the new stuff, check out his collection, or buy model car parts which I was heavy into at the time as well.

View attachment 237041
This is the place which is gone now. Charlie retired in 2001 and the shop hasn't been the same and has since moved to a new smaller location and lost that old timey feel. Charlie passed in 2015 and Kokomo lost a legend.
View attachment 237045
As it turns out Charlie was always into bikes himself which really showed in his work and in his collection.


View attachment 237046View attachment 237047View attachment 237048View attachment 237049
Now fast forward 22 years and Charlie's impact on me couldn't be clearer. I am fully addicted to bikes and wouldn't have it any other way. Cheers to Charlie. View attachment 237065

Looks like a shop that could have housed a commercial slot car track in its' hey day if they had the room. I loved those old hobby shops. Hands on mechanical skills have been supplanted by video games now The world moves on.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

In the 90s, I bought a specialized Hardrock and rode it until it was a retro bike. Voila, I was into retro bikes! I guess I'm one of the video game kids, I am a terrible bike mechanic. I take usually just take things apart, and that's the end for the bike. I currently have 6 failed project bikes in pieces around the place. It is getting depressing

 

[Poor Side of Town]

Restored some European 10 speeds , sold one to buy another . Enjoyed rebuilding more than riding . Got into Gas Bikes , built a few . Can't ride due to health problems . Gas Bikes are in Shed , Complete, and built from good materials , future uncertain .
Rescued, rebuilt , a couple bikes, currently on Craig's List Worcester MA Bought a Fuji Comfort Cheap , good ' later ' build
Just Started with Columbia Manhattan Trike . Learned it has a differencial making it a true Velocipede . Also appears to be a ' Fixie " No brakes . Bought trike as a $ 30 Salt Air Damaged heap , learned of this forum , and joined .

 

[Kevin B]

I just had a standard cruiser to ride. Then I stumbled onto this site (RRB) many years ago and discovered so much more to make biking fun and interesting.

 

[user 35233]

The price of gas and distaste for modern manufactured designs.
Your story is far more meaningful @outskirtscustoms. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[Ed Stately]

I got offered 4 old bikes for $40 a few months ago. A 47 ladies Monark super Deluxe, a 1972 girls Schwinn Collegiate a 1973 girls Schwinn Breeze a boys 1964 Schwinn Tiger. And that was it. In just a few months I've "built" a 16 bike fleet. I'm going to look at 4 bikes at one location and 2 at another location and someone else will be dropping off 4 more bikes by the end of the week. I am learning and using some restraint, I no longer grab or accept every bike I come across. I tend to get very involved in whatever hobby I take up. The last one was vintage Hot Wheels and A/FX slot cars from the 60's-#70. Got about 150 slot cars. I stopped counting the Hot Wheels, M2 Machines, Matchbox, Lesney, Johnny Lightning, Tomica, etc. Around 3500 cars/trucks.
I am really enjoying working on and collecting these bikes. I put together or repair 3 or 4 bikes for kid's and/or their parents that don't have bikes or need them repaired or upgraded. The local bike shop owner gives parts for those bikes at his cost.