Vintage bike vs modern bike

[derrick]

Just like my nineties steel framed Schwinn

Thats probably the same weight as both of mine.

 

[raleighnut]

Why doesn't it count?

Not a roadbike.

 

[MichaelW2]

Using friction dt shifters is like playing the violin, you have to practice but if you get good you can shift really quickly, even f/r at the same time with one hand. You don't get to be this good by occasional riding, it has to be daily commuting.
I prefer integrated shifters on my tourer to maintain control on descents and rough ground but there is always a bit of lag in shifting.

 

[Blue Hills]

Not a roadbike.

ah, didn't see it in original post - maybe it emerged in the thread - i scan things.

 

[Andrew1971]

My main road bike is a mid 90's dawes. Upgraded from 14 to 16speed and brifters and new wheels about 5 year's
ago. reynolds 531 competition frame and forks. Best road bike i have ever had.
Andrew

 

[Gravity Aided]

I've used both modern and old bikes for touring and such in the past. Aluminum modern Dawes for winter, a good bike, but not impressive. 1986 Schwinn Passage touring bike made of Columbus tubing, a fine bicycle that is impressive. Probably cost a lot more new. Sometimes the history of the bicycle, and the place it held in the line of products make for a good estimate of an old bicycles suitability. I have a Falcon San Remo that still keeps up quite well, made in 1972, but 531 steel and Campagnolo drivetrain. A different Falcon from lower in the line probably would not be as good a machine.

 

[MichaelW2]

I have a Falcon San Remo that still keeps up quite well, made in 1972, but 531 steel and Campagnolo drivetrain. A different Falcon from lower in the line probably would not be as good a machine.

My 1979 Falcon Majorca 5 speed was a basic sports bike but rode very nicely. Unfortunately it didn't have the gears or brakes or threaded holes for touring which proved to be limiting.

 

[mustang1]

I haven't ridden a dt-shifter bike for a long time but I had a friction dt-shifter bike as a kid. I love them these days for nostalgic reasons and one day I'd like to own one again. I have newer steel and carbon bikes and the steel ride waaaaay-smooth. It doesnt iron out the bumps like a Cadillac but it sure is less buzzy than a carbon bike (which I find is less buzzy than an Al bike (generally speaking).

 

[Drago]

The biggest difference is that when riding my Claud I'm transported back in time 40 years, and people suddenly want to come and talk to me about the bike.

 

[rogerzilla]

The fastest bike I have is a 1951 Holdsworth Tornado with a Sturmey-Archer AM hub. The wheels are anachronistic - Deep V rims and Vredestein Fortezza racing tyres on period hubs. It's not a hillclimb champion, with only a 52" low gear, but on a flat road it absolutely flies.

It may be the position, the tyres, some marginal aero effect from the rims or the lack of any draggy seals in the hubs. It left a load of pretty good fellow riders on carbon bikes behind one night, and earned me the soubriquet "Rocket"! Also averaged over 18mph over 20 miles one Saturday morning, and that included going through the centre of Swindon with traffic light stops.

 

[LemonJuice]

So, do people actually bother wearing lyrics, using road shoes and clipless pedals with a vintage bike? Or, is a vintage bike more of a bike to just use to go to work and back?

 

[vickster]

So, do people actually bother wearing lyrics, using road shoes and clipless pedals with a vintage bike? Or, is a vintage bike more of a bike to just use to go to work and back?

Wear whatever you want on whatever bike you want...dgaf about what anyone else thinks, there's no right and wrong in the broad church of cycling. Do what suits and works for you

Weren't you planning on spending 2k on a bike though, that'd one hell of a vintage machine??

 

[I like Skol]

So, do people actually bother wearing lyrics, using road shoes and clipless pedals with a vintage bike? Or, is a vintage bike more of a bike to just use to go to work and back?

As has been said, do what YOU want.

I had clipless SPD pedals on my 1991 531 frame Raleigh, but I also ride my £3k carbon road bike in baggy shorts and MTB shoes... Rebel

 

[avecReynolds531]

I have a few questions for anyone on here who rides a vintage bike (say up until the late 1990s) and a modern-day bike.

1) What is the biggest difference you find between them when riding?

2) Do you find downtube shifters difficult to use?

3) When you are riding your older bike, are you able to keep up with other people who are using more modern bikes?

My modern-day bike is getting sorted next week, but I am looking on eBay for an old school bike from the 1980s or 1990s. I really like the old school look on bikes.

1. The vintage bike encourages you to take a slow place and enjoy the views. It's nostalgic too, for those of us of a certain age.
The roadbike is a different universe in speed, handling, acceleration, braking and gear changes.
Here, the vintage bike is largely ignored by local cyclists, whereas my road bike gets attention.

2. No, friction shifting takes practice & accuracy - as some comedian once said to me: "It's in there somewhere."
I find it also takes more time and I prefer not to take my hands off the bars for gear changes.

3. Rarely, the gear changes - the 5 speed freewheel has large gaps between gears - and the weight of the wheels (anchors), mean that the modern bikes are usually a dot on the horizon, particularly on the climbs.

For me, a good lugged 531 frame is timeless & beautiful. As is an Italian road bike, with a horizontal top tube, and modern Campagnolo components. Having both helps to appreciate their differences.

Everyone's different & we all love the bike.

 

[Blue Hills]

The fastest bike I have is a 1951 Holdsworth Tornado with a Sturmey-Archer AM hub. The wheels are anachronistic - Deep V rims and Vredestein Fortezza racing tyres on period hubs. It's not a hillclimb champion, with only a 52" low gear, but on a flat road it absolutely flies.

It may be the position, the tyres, some marginal aero effect from the rims or the lack of any draggy seals in the hubs. It left a load of pretty good fellow riders on carbon bikes behind one night, and earned me the soubriquet "Rocket"! Also averaged over 18mph over 20 miles one Saturday morning, and that included going through the centre of Swindon with traffic light stops.

This calls for a photo.