Other Vintage Inspired Forums/Site?

[hd3kmize]

So, I happened upon The Fedora Lounge circuitously because I was researching the purchase of some engineer boots. Alas, there is a ton of great information here and I’m surfing almost daily.

I have been collecting vintage bicycles since 2009 and became quite involved in that hobby for many years. There is a site called The Classic & Antique Bicycle Exchange (thecabe.com) with many similarities to TFL. I had lunch with one of the longtime members last week and espoused the wealth of knowledge here. He was so intrigued that he is now investing time reading through the forums. There’s a lot of crossover information for both sites and this era.

Just curious if there are other forums with similar content. It’s fun to learn more about this era and all the wonderful artifacts that still capture our interest today.

 

[tonyb]

^^^^^^
It’s not entirely to the better that many of the discussions here have drifted far away from this place’s original focus. Its reason for being was to celebrate the culture of the 1930s and ‘40s and to collect and preserve artifacts from that time.

We’ve already kinda chewed over the idea that perhaps nostalgia for the “Golden Era” has had its moment. Almost everyone who was adult back then is gone now, and those who were children then are, if not themselves deceased, undeniably elderly at this point. The “swing revival” of a couple-three decades ago has largely faded away, as has the Indiana Jones franchise, both of which did much to fuel interest in “the era.”

 

[hd3kmize]

I agree. This era and many other aspects of it are slowly losing interest. The vintage bicycle hobby is also seeing a decline. The number of older hobbyist are slowly disappearing and there are fewer younger hobbyist entering the fold. Perhaps a good authentic Hollywood movie could revive more interest in this era.

FWIW, here is a pic of one of my restored bikes. It's a 1915 Excelsior Motorbike with 1917 Shaw belt drive motor. It's fun to see the engineering and innovation from 100+ years ago. Hope you enjoy!

 

[tonyb]

^^^^
A thing of beauty.

 

[tonyb]

I agree. This era and many other aspects of it are slowly losing interest. The vintage bicycle hobby is also seeing a decline. The number of older hobbyist are slowly disappearing and there are fewer younger hobbyist entering the fold. Perhaps a good authentic Hollywood movie could revive more interest in this era.

FWIW, here is a pic of one of my restored bikes. It's a 1915 Excelsior Motorbike with 1917 Shaw belt drive motor. It's fun to see the engineering and innovation from 100+ years ago. Hope you enjoy!

View attachment 727496

I don’t watch American Pickers with regularity, but I’ve seen enough of it to know that Mike Wolfe is partial to old two-wheeled vehicles — motorized and otherwise. Does it seem that has fueled more interest in such things? I’ll admit that those early motorcycles, often just bicycles with small engines attached, are kinda intriguing.

 

[hd3kmize]

I know a handful of the pickers Mike often calls from the show for expert advice on certain artifacts. It's an interesting business model and these guys have a ton of knowledge all gained by years of spelunking through old barns, garages, etc. The show definitely created a buzz for a while. The show has been in circulation for many years now and I think the excitement from the early years has decreased.

Many years ago Mike reached out to me indirectly inquiring about my 1937 Evinrude Streamflow bicycle. Evinrude the boat motor company actually produced a bike for one year. The front fork was made from extruded aluminum which was very fragile. This is part of the reason they only produced the bike for one year. I parted with this bike many years ago, but it is a really nice collector piece from the pre-war balloon tire era of bicycles 1934 - 1941.

 

[JJ Katz]

On this topic, I think perhaps some of the members here might enjoy having a look at this online magazine that we've done some work on. Two issues already out adn working on a third.
It's about the *current* vintage scene but obvs references the Golden Era, etc.

The Vintage Review

Be sure to click on the enlarge button to see it a fuller size.
Would love to hear what you all think.e

 

[GHT]

Some twelve years or so ago, I had a hip replacement. "No impact exercise," my surgeon said, so no running or jogging, no fear of that. Swimming and cycling were the order of the day. I don't have a pool at home but Tina and I are members of a sports club where there's a full size swimming pool. In the gym there are static exercise bikes but they are tedious, not inspirational to get on.
The new hip gave me a new lease of life and as my surgeon advised, don't be afraid to do the correct exercise, it will do all the surrounding muscle the world of good, but that static bike was so boring. Then Tina struck gold, she came across an old bicycle in a charity shop, it had a lady's frame in that there was no crossbar, perfect for lifting my leg and new hip onto the pedals.
Tina smiled as I gave it a test ride, then asked if I would pose for a photo to put in her phone gallery. "Let me get changed first," I said. My photo has turned up here, there and just about everywhere.
An old man, on a period correct bicycle, dressed the part. Some of the comments about the width of the trousers that Tina made for me are priceless!

 

[hd3kmize]

On this topic, I think perhaps some of the members here might enjoy having a look at this online magazine that we've done some work on. Two issues already out adn working on a third.
It's about the *current* vintage scene but obvs references the Golden Era, etc.

The Vintage Review

Be sure to click on the enlarge button to see it a fuller size.
Would love to hear what you all think.e

I’ll check it out!

 

[hd3kmize]

Some twelve years or so ago, I had a hip replacement. "No impact exercise," my surgeon said, so no running or jogging, no fear of that. Swimming and cycling were the order of the day. I don't have a pool at home but Tina and I are members of a sports club where there's a full size swimming pool. In the gym there are static exercise bikes but they are tedious, not inspirational to get on.
The new hip gave me a new lease of life and as my surgeon advised, don't be afraid to do the correct exercise, it will do all the surrounding muscle the world of good, but that static bike was so boring. Then Tina struck gold, she came across an old bicycle in a charity shop, it had a lady's frame in that there was no crossbar, perfect for lifting my leg and new hip onto the pedals.
Tina smiled as I gave it a test ride, then asked if I would pose for a photo to put in her phone gallery. "Let me get changed first," I said. My photo has turned up here, there and just about everywhere.
An old man, on a period correct bicycle, dressed the part. Some of the comments about the width of the trousers that Tina made for me are priceless!

View attachment 760770

Awesome pic! Love it! Enjoy the ride!

 

[tonyb]

On this topic, I think perhaps some of the members here might enjoy having a look at this online magazine that we've done some work on. Two issues already out adn working on a third.
It's about the *current* vintage scene but obvs references the Golden Era, etc.

The Vintage Review

Be sure to click on the enlarge button to see it a fuller size.
Would love to hear what you all think.e

Quite ambitious. The format doesn’t agree with a small iPhone screen and my old eyes. Far better on the iPad.

The mimicking of print formats, with the flipping pages and all, is in keeping with the spirit of the publication.

I appreciate the effort. I enjoyed the feature on the fellow reviving the straw boater industry on its traditional home turf.

 

[JJ Katz]

Very happy to read that The vintage Review was of interest.
I imagine there is a decent overlap between interests there and here.
If you go to the website, you can subscribe for updates (we never, ever sell the email addresses onward or sue them to spam readers with nonsense).

 

[GHT]

^^^^^^
It’s not entirely to the better that many of the discussions here have drifted far away from this place’s original focus. Its reason for being was to celebrate the culture of the 1930s and ‘40s and to collect and preserve artifacts from that time.

Quite so Tony, hats and the swing era that once filled The Lounge's pages are no longer the main focus. I do miss that.