....but what style is the question. #21 on my 30 before 30 list is "Own a vintage bicycle (and ride it)" but the more I look into it, the more another question presents itself.
Do I stay true to my original intent and buy vintage, or do I spend LESS and get a new bike with vintage style?
You know I like old things. Old things have character, pizazz, a history. But sometimes old things can be expensive. I've been scouring Criagslist for vintage women's cycles (in addition to scouring it for a bench) and I'm noticing a trend. The vintage bikes that don't look like a pile of rust and actually look ride-able are $150 and up (and probably need a serious tune-up on top of that)
Huffy and Schwinn have caught on to the vintage-style trend and now have classic styled bikes for extremely reasonable prices! What's a girl to do??
This bike, for example- a vintage 1930's womens cruiser listed on Craigslist for the paltry sum of $200 (rust included!). It would be an awesome piece of history to own, but to get it fixed up and made into a comfortable ride, I'm sure it would cost easily another $100+.
Smart Schwinn. Here's one of their current bikes, 80 years later.
The pin-striping modernizes it a bit, but the shape is very reminiscent of the older version. And at $169 verses $200 and up, I think this one wins this round.
What I REALLY dig is the 1-speed cruisers. I'm not 100% sure how much use I'd get, but where I intend to ride my bike (yoga, farmers market, etc) is a flat run.
This bike has since sold (pout) but was listed on Craigslist for a decently reasonable price (under $150 if I recall correctly), more than an hour away from me. But isn't she pretty?? I love how the rims are the same blue as the body.
Oh Huffy. When I think of Huffy, I think back to my purple and pink paint-splatter-designed bike that I wore out as a kid. They've certainly upped their game. Same lines, same delicious matching rims. Brand spanking new for $149.99. Drool.
It could use a wicker basket, but that's a simple fix. I'll admit, the new is taking the lead, but I really hate to say that! Vintage cycles have more of a soul, but wow, good job styling the new cycles Schwinn and Huffy!
Choosing to go vintage or new on a bike is going to be a tough choice!! What's your vote?