Modern stems

[mjr]

Your choice, my own view is its great to see other cyclists if they are in groups clubs solo vintage new or unusual, far rather see a tandem, recumbent or mtb, plus get talking to these cyclists and you may find out that they have more than one bike never know you may get hooked and find yourself on an older bike?
Have a look at this from utube.



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZbVsrYPOGE

Even for an older bike, it seems pretty unusual to have 42/19 as lowest gear - it may be set up with a high+close flattish-race gearing - I think 38/28 was widely available on road bikes since the 1970s (52-38 front and 14-28 rear is within range of SunTour RoadVx derailleurs for sure). The retro rider is on the tops rather than hoods (there's a comment later about moving the hoods if it was his) and has to sit down to shift down, which may be because it's a borrowed bike and not quite the right fit... and despite all that, it's still more fun

 

[mjr]

It was a team bike, ridden in the tour.

Even then, they may have been fitting different gears for different stage types.

 

[raleighnut]

where would I get such a thing taleighnut?

The only bike I have that has that type fitted is the Raleigh Equipe I posted the picture of earlier, that's from 1982, sorry.

 

[youngoldbloke]

My 1992 Peugeot 525 Comp 'ideal for the racer or triathlete just starting out' came with 42/52 chainrings and 14 speed 13-24 cassette as standard. The 531Pro 'no-compromise competition road bike' of the same period, 42/52 with 13-23 - again 14 speed. Down tube SIS (indexed) changers, but brake cables under the bar tape. I can't remember exactly (it was the 60s after all), but my first 'proper' road bike - had 52/48 TA chainrings on Williams forged cranks, and an even closer 5 speed block, with Campag Gran Sport front and rear.

 

[mjr]

My 1992 Peugeot 525 Comp 'ideal for the racer or triathlete just starting out' came with 42/52 chainrings and 14 speed 13-24 cassette as standard

I know they were available but they seem like racing gears to me. It looks like 52-39 front doubles and 14-28 freewheels were available from the late 1960s onwards and I think that's what I grew up with in the rolling hills in the 1980s/90s.

 

[youngoldbloke]

This was Peugeot's road bike range from the early 90s. I bought my 525 Comp in '92 (£314.95 - list £349.95, so I got a bit of discount! The top of range 531Pro was £599.95, and the 'Course' £269.95 - I kept the catalogue!). Obviously 'sporting' bikes, but I don't think the gearing was that unusual for the time. In recent years I've changed the chainrings, and the cassette, to give me a range more suited to my more 'mature' legs

 

[raleighnut]

My 1992 Peugeot 525 Comp 'ideal for the racer or triathlete just starting out' came with 42/52 chainrings and 14 speed 13-24 cassette as standard. The 531Pro 'no-compromise competition road bike' of the same period, 42/52 with 13-23 - again 14 speed. Down tube SIS (indexed) changers, but brake cables under the bar tape. I can't remember exactly (it was the 60s after all), but my first 'proper' road bike - had 52/48 TA chainrings on Williams forged cranks, and an even closer 5 speed block, with Campag Gran Sport front and rear.

I put pretty much the same set-up on my Carlton when I rebuilt it in about 87 (a lorry ran it over) nowadays I can't believe some of the hills I rode it up with that gearing,