Why vintage bikes are better than new bikes

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pawl

Legendary Member
I can't find any pics of it. I doubt he's old enough. Are you sure you're not thinking of interrupters aka crosstops aka cyclocrossers?


Is that what there called. I remember there were levers mounted on the top of his bars. Thanks
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
Is that what there called. I remember there were levers mounted on the top of his bars. Thanks
If they were mounted on the top then probably. Suicides were long levers actually attached at the pivot of the main lever and so named because some were prone to bend and strike the handlebars long before maximum braking force was applied.
 

raleighnut

Legendary Member
I'm glad I never knew that, because I do it all the time :okay:
You get some braking from them but similar to @Illaveago 's post upthread you wouldn't want to brake in an emergency from there. I on the other hand suffer from the opposite on the Road Ace, I've fitted modern 105 dual pivot brakes to that and they're far too powerful for an instinctive 'grab' and yes they have spat me off over the bars more than once but 1 finger braking is excellent.

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OP
OP
mikeymustard
You get some braking from them but similar to @Illaveago 's post upthread you wouldn't want to brake in an emergency from there. I on the other hand suffer from the opposite on the Road Ace, I've fitted modern 105 dual pivot brakes to that and they're far too powerful for an instinctive 'grab' and yes they have spat me off over the bars more than once but 1 finger braking is excellent.

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I've done the same on most of the bikes I've ridden a lot especially the fairly quick ones, but I've usually matched them with modern (ish at least) levers
 

raleighnut

Legendary Member
I've done the same on most of the bikes I've ridden a lot especially the fairly quick ones, but I've usually matched them with modern (ish at least) levers
The TT brake levers are new, bought to match the brakes it's my being so used to older brakes and the feel of them that is at fault, I'm fine when thinking about which bike I'm on and how they work but in an emergency I've just grabbed em and :B)
 
So far we seem to have focused on a negative aspect of vintage bikes. I feel that they are a lot easier to work on not requiring specialist tools . A lot of the parts are interchangeable although there are a few exceptions such as seat post diameter .
I had forgotten how nice they were to ride and at times just enjoy playing , freewheeling standing on the pedals zig zagging around like a racing car warming up it's tyres. Yes ! I know that one day I will get it wrong and fall off . But that is the feeling of enjoyment I am getting from riding them .
 

Dan B

Disengaged member
I feel that they are a lot easier to work on not requiring specialist tools .
Except for the imperial spanners, the whitworth threads, and the need to carry two or more screwdrivers for bolts which on a modern bike would all have Allen heads.

On the other hand you can do a lot of stuff with an adjustable spanner if you're not too fussy. Swings and roundabouts, really
 

SkipdiverJohn

Deplorable Brexiteer
Location
London
The most obvious difference is that almost all vintage bikes are attractive to look at, irrespective of whether they are intended for utility riding, off-road exploring, touring, or racing. The frames aren't made of weird shaped, ugly, oversized tubes, and the forks are elegant and don't look like someone has sawn a couple of legs off their kitchen table and jammed a wheel in between them, which is what modern carbon forks resemble.
 
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