Is my bike vintage?

[WesternBikingGirl]

I ride a bike far older than me. Is a 40 year old bike vintage?

 

[goldcoastjon]

WesternBikingGirl,

Yes, you have a vintage bike. What do you have? Please post photos and more details of your ride.

If you have a road or racing bike, the USA-based Classic Rendezvous website and Google group may be of interest to you:
http://www.classicrendezvous.com

There are other groups for vintage cruiser bikes English 3-speeds, penny-farthings (AKA "boneshakers" or "high-wheelers" and other classes of older bikes, too. There are also groups devoted to various makes of bikes.

 

[MntnMan62]

I would think that in order for a bike to be considered vintage, it probably has to be at least 25 years old at a minimum.

 

[matticus]

The car-fancying world is very specific about this issue. They even have categories like "Post Vintage Thoroughbred".

But as cyclists we are better than them!

 

[Cycleops]

Pictures please. If you find you can’t post by the ‘attach files’ button as you might not have the required number of postings you post a link to a photo sharing site.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I ride a bike far older than me. Is a 40 year old bike vintage?

In the absence of any authoritative rule, I suggest that the rules for bikes one can use in the Eroica rides offer a useful threshold for 'vintage'.
Since the OP is from over that way, here's a Californian page: https://element.ly/2015/03/how-to-play-by-the-rules-at-the-eroica-california/
A snip from some Italian 'regulations' says:

"bikes built up to and including 1987, both with and without gears . . . These bicycles most likely have a steel frame or an Alan type aluminium frame. [Side note: I have a glued and screwed ALAN about to celebrate its 40th birthday.]
"Regarding components, bicycles should adhere to the following general guidelines:
1. bikes with gears and derailleurs must have shift levers on the down tube of the frame; exceptions include pre-1980 non-indexed bar-end gear shifters;
2. Pedals must have toe clips and straps or original pedals for older bikes; quick release, clip-less pedals are not allowed;
3. Brake cables must pass outside and over the handlebars (cables can pass inside the frame);
4. Wheels must have at least 32 spokes laced to a low profile rim (20 mm depth or less); rims must be of either steel, aluminium or wood;
5. Both tubular tyres and clinchers with inner tubes are allowed"

 

[Drago]

Its an old bike.

If in addition to that its also interesting, rare, of quality or historical signifcance, etc, then its also vintage. Otherwise old it's simply old.

And welcome to the team.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Welcome, @WesternBikingGirl . What sort of bicycle are you speaking of ? Some bicycles are a bit more likely to be considered vintage than others, but I find any bicycle that has survived 40 years interesting.

 

[WesternBikingGirl]

Thanks for all the comments guys. It's a 1980 (give or take one year) Schwinn Super Le Tour. It had lights and a generator added from that era and I keep it even though I use LED lights. I took off the rear rack but added fenders. Just for the winter since I like to ride when it's wet. It had clips and straps but one was broken and the other one hurt my foot since I ride in sandals in the summer. Drop bars and yes the brake cables are in front of the bar. I'd like to strip it down but I do need lights and my cool sounding bell. Let me know if you want to know more. Someday I'd like to get a camera mounted to record my trips and might put them on youtube.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I would think that in order for a bike to be considered vintage, it probably has to be at least 25 years old at a minimum.

I also consider the age of the design, just like with cars. If something stayed in production for a long time, or is relatively new but based on an old design, in my book it qualifies as vintage or at least classic. I would even apply that to a brand new machine if it was a hand built lugged & brazed steel frame. Even if it only left the builders shop last week, the design, technology and fabrication techniques are still more than a hundred years old.

 

[MntnMan62]

I also consider the age of the design, just like with cars. If something stayed in production for a long time, or is relatively new but based on an old design, in my book it qualifies as vintage or at least classic. I would even apply that to a brand new machine if it was a hand built lugged & brazed steel frame. Even if it only left the builders shop last week, the design, technology and fabrication techniques are still more than a hundred years old.

If it left the builders shop last week bur was based upon a design that was decades or a century old, that doesn't make it "vintage". That only makes it a "classic design". Those are two very different things.

 

[matticus]

I think there are two different things there.

If something stayed in production for a long time, ... Even if it only left the builders shop last week, the design, technology and fabrication techniques are still more than a hundred years old.

If it left the builders shop last week but was based upon a design that was decades or a century old, that doesn't make it "vintage". That only makes it a "classic design".

I admit I have no idea what to call them!

 

[Ajax Bay]

“Vintage-looking bikes" [Eroica California]
“Vintage style bikes" [Eroica (Gaiole)]
6.1 – BICYCLES
At L’Eroica, "only the following kinds of bikes are admitted [ https://eroica.cc/en/gaiole/regulation-eroica-gaiole ]:
-vintage road-racing bikes, or so-called HEROIC BIKES, as described in paragraph 6.1.a;
-historically inspired or VINTAGE-STYLE BIKES, including recently built bikes, as described in paragraph 6.1.b.;
"6.1.a – Heroic bikes or vintage bikes
HEROIC BIKES are all road-racing bikes built up to and including 1987, both with and without gears, such as those built in the late 19th or early 20th centuries.
"6.1.b – Vintage-style or modern built bikes
Vintage-style, steel framed bikes of new or recent construction with vintage look and characteristics may be used only if they are road-racing bikes assembled using vintage components or replicated parts similar to the originals, as described above.
Of course L'Eroica deals with road bikes. There are many other bicycles (and tricycles) which can reasonably be considered vintage."

For example the 'velocipede' which my great-grandfather "built and then rode on Barnes Common" over the winter of 1868-69.

 

[MntnMan62]

I think there are two different things there.



I admit I have no idea what to call them!

Semantics my friend. Semantics.

 

[DCLane]

To give a simple answer to your question @WesternBikingGirl - yes. It's a 1980 bike so I'd call it a vintage one.