Leaving a legacy

"Andrew Price" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

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When the kids have finished physically growing I was wondering about equipping them with a good
quality bike (where quality = longevity)

as part

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of the kit they might keep around somewhere and come back to at some

stage.

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What provoked the thought was restoring my wife's old road bike with

a

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respray to her favourite colour, modern groupset and tyres - after a

long

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way down life's path not riding, she expresses affection for the

admittedly

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rather attractive "new" old bike and after a long spell between

rides she is

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re-discovering a long forgotten delight.

Given that the diamond safety frame has evolved surprisingly little

in over

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100 years I suspect they may be one of the few things that remain of

value

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with little or no built in obsolescence, a rare quality.

I suspect/hope a bike may become an essential part of urban living

as

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population densities increase and cars in some locations become more

of a

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problem than a solution. I also suspect our kids will travel more

and work

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in many and more varied places and countries than we did. Moving

cars is

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difficult, moving a bike simple.

Having a quality frame in your life (even if not in use for a few

years)

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strikes me as one of those essentials that children need to be

equipped with

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at the time they have attained their adult structure; not hard to

store,

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unlikely to deteriorate with a bare minimum of care and ready to be

restored

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to use quickly - and it will continue to fit !

Anyone out there left a bike by a cycling parent and did it bring

them back

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to the sport (assuming they ever left it) ?

I've tried this Andrew and have yet to see any results of it. Perhaps in the distant future the kids
will start going out for a ride again and remembering when they rode with me. They'll remember the
racing and the trips across the country to make the Jr. Nationals. The rides in Texas and Indiana
and Iowa and Oregon and Montana and, and and.

But right now the bikes are moldering in back rooms, garages or their mother's house. I'd bet that
they'll be thrown away before they are ever ridden again.

Sad, but that's life.

Andrew Price said:

... Given that the diamond safety frame has evolved surprisingly little in over 100 years...

For purposes of track and road racing competition at the professional level, the UCI has kept their
narrow definition of what constitutes a "bicycle" fundamentally unchanged since April 1, 1934. [1]

[1] < bikefix.co.ukforbidden.htmlOpen ↗ >

Tom Sherman – Close to 41½ N, 90½ W

"Tom Sherman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Andrew Price said:

... Given that the diamond safety frame has evolved surprisingly little in

over

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

100 years...

For purposes of track and road racing competition at the professional level, the UCI has kept
their narrow definition of what constitutes a "bicycle" fundamentally unchanged since April 1,
1934. [1]

[1] < bikefix.co.ukforbidden.htmlOpen ↗ >

Sure. But...

If my father had given me a top-grade legacy bike when I left home, it would have probably been:
* a ten speed
* with 27 inch
* steel rims
* drop handlebars
* shifters on the downtubes

Heck, I ride one of those NOW (except with aluminum alloy wheels!). Because of that, I realize that
while the bikes are very serviceable, few people want to get back to bicycling on a machine like
this. They buy a hybrid with grip shifts instead -- which is a similar bike to the old cruisers
except for ... lots of stuff.

While the general overall pattern of the diamond safety frame has been, and is likely to remain,
stable there are a number of small, unpredictable ways in which the bicycle of 2004 is likely to be
considerably different than the bicycle of 2029.

The most likely effect of leaving a bicycle as a legacy is to make some garage sale patron very
happy in another 25 years.

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

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"Tom Sherman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message -"]news:[email hidden]-
berlin.de...

Quoted message said:

Andrew Price said:

... Given that the diamond safety frame has evolved surprisingly little in

over

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

100 years...

For purposes of track and road racing competition at the professional level, the UCI has kept
their narrow definition of what constitutes a "bicycle" fundamentally unchanged since April 1,
1934. [1]

[1] < bikefix.co.ukforbidden.htmlOpen ↗ >

Sure. But...

If my father had given me a top-grade legacy bike when I left home, it would have probably been:
* a ten speed
* with 27 inch
* steel rims
* drop handlebars
* shifters on the downtubes

Heck, I ride one of those NOW (except with aluminum alloy wheels!). Because of that, I realize
that while the bikes are very serviceable, few people want to get back to bicycling on a machine
like this. They buy a hybrid with grip shifts instead -- which is a similar bike to the old
cruisers except for ... lots of stuff.

While the general overall pattern of the diamond safety frame has been, and is likely to remain,
stable there are a number of small, unpredictable ways in which the bicycle of 2004 is likely to
be considerably different than the bicycle of 2029.

The most likely effect of leaving a bicycle as a legacy is to make some garage sale patron very
happy in another 25 years.

My folks bought me Sturmey-Archer 3 speed "English" style bikes, when banana seats and orange krates
were the rage. I wasn't happy about that then. But I wish I could have one now!

As to the permanence of bikes and frames - I'd guess the frame will still by useable, and maybe even
valuable - way into the future. But MikeKr is right about components! When did derailleurs first hit
the scene? 1930's or 40's wasnt it? And quick releases? 1940's or 50's? STI? 1980's (popular, I know
other vers earlier). Cassette wheels, 'bout the same decade, brifters 1990's. The evolution of parts
has been nothing short of incredible.

Old parts in good shape are still as useable now as then, but hard to find spares! Gets kinda like
keeping a vintage auto.

Ride well! Mark