Embarrassingly outdated bike ‘works just fine’, ‘still shreds’

[mhespenheide]

https://cyclingtips.com/2019/09/breaking-news-embarrassingly-outdated-bike-works-just-fine-still-shreds/


Okay, I think we all know this here, and the article speaks to my own biases, but still...





:banana:

[Ruimteaapje]

:D Spot on!

[rustychisel]

Indeed.



"and the frame was, to a point, both vertically stiff and laterally compliant."

Methinks a tongue in cheek reference to specific manufacturer's claims....

[kohagen]

"and the frame was, to a point, both vertically stiff and laterally compliant."

This reminds me of one of my previous rides, a Lemond Tourmalet, also an aluminum frame. It was once characterized as an "ass hatchet". It was unloved, and is unmissed. It has given me the prejudice, perhaps currently unjustified, against all aluminum bikes.

[unterhausen]

Okay, didn't read it, but the discussion reminds me of going to a local mountain bike trail system and seeing guys on their old 26" mountain bikes. We tend to overlook how much "progress" is actually marketing.

[Ralph]

Yes....maybe at the elite level....equipment matters or "progress".

At my level….not so much. And I like simplicity of older stuff. But us old guys already know this.

[jamesdak]

:banana: Some of us don't need a magazine article to know that old bikes still get the miles done just fine. :banana:

https://pbase.com/jhuddle/image/168369141.jpg

Oldest is a 1972 and the newest is a 2006. :cool:

[oldpotatoe]

Okay, didn't read it, but the discussion reminds me of going to a local mountain bike trail system and seeing guys on their old 26" mountain bikes. We tend to overlook how much "progress" is actually marketing.

Nope, not overlooked..everybody and anybody who has sipped the 'GRoad' bike koolaide knows it's hype. They won't say it's hype.

'game changer'...righto..nope, same game, shiny new ball but same game.
“Look, it’s not my place to discourage people from dropping their hard-earned on a 2020-season gravel bike, but this thing worked just fine. Maybe we’re all getting it wrong. What if it’s just about getting out there?” said our source with a faint quiver, before unravelling further into an existential funk.

Gee, what if??

[colker]

Nope, not overlooked..everybody and anybody who has sipped the 'GRoad' bike koolaide knows it's hype. They won't say it's hype.

'game changer'...righto..nope, same game, shiny new ball but same game.


Gee, what if??

Riding a bicycle fast is a sport. Constantly buying new stuff is not a sport.

[Ttx1]

Reads like a title from The Onion.

We need more of this in the cycling media. Even the bloggers are so beholden to sponsor $$$ that we rarely see truly candid commentary. It's always new, new, new.

[FlashUNC]

Trying wayyyyyy too hard.

1/10 Onions.

[GregL]

I've come to really like CyclingTips. Not only does their writing staff seem to embrace the joy of riding, but they also will call out a product that doesn't perform up to expectations. They actually panned the Shimano E600 pedals (https://cyclingtips.com/2019/02/shimano-pd-es600-ultegra-spd-pedal-review/), stating that the previous A600 model was a better product.

Greg

[NoMoreParagon]

Sorry but wider tires, disc brakes and electronic shifting just make cycling more comfortable.
The good thing about cycling is that the more you do the more you know when a new thing is hype or not.

To me, G-road is really a useful innovation for the average cyclist.

There is no way I would find the same enjoyment in cycling when using a skinny 23mm tire on a pro aggressive geometry.

The major thing happening now is that finally bike manufacturers are releasing products aimed at the average, motivated cyclist who doesn’t fit on a Dogma but fit well on an Open, Hakka or Aspero.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[colker]

Sorry but wider tires, disc brakes and electronic shifting just make cycling more comfortable.
The good thing about cycling is that the more you do the more you know when a new thing is hype or not.

To me, G-road is really a useful innovation for the average cyclist.

There is no way I would find the same enjoyment in cycling when using a skinny 23mm tire on a pro aggressive geometry.

The major thing happening now is that finally bike manufacturers are releasing products aimed at the average, motivated cyclist who doesn’t fit on a Dogma but fit well on an Open, Hakka or Aspero.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Fat tires always existed. It was up to you to not conform to 23c and go w/ something else.
You know what is comfortable? Following trends and marketing.

[NoMoreParagon]

Fat tires always existed. It was up to you to not conform to 23c and go w/ something else.

You know what is comfortable? Following trends and marketing.



Hmm not sure about that. I am not aware of frames with 35-40mm clearance and 420mm long chainstays until probably 3-4yrs ago.

Wider tires clearance were usually associated with rando style bikes with long chainstays and slack HT which have nothing in common with the nimble and agile frames you can find today.

Better manufacturing techniques (from more articulated tube bending jigs when building metal bikes to cheaper open molds when designing carbon monocoque frames) have allowed this.


Its easy to say everything is hype without trying.
To me this aero craziness is a hype. Gaining 3 watts using larger pulleys...
But a lot of other good innovations have been introduced in the past 2-3yrs which made cycling far more enjoyable.


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[cinco]

Does touch on my experience. While I really, honestly have nothing but respect for people who show up to a ride on just any old bike, especially when they can keep up with the mods in the A Group, I still get caught up in all the hype of the latest & "greatest" when it comes to my own rides & kit. I just cannot afford it, and therefore, feel a bit of shame or jealousy that I ride last seasons' hand-me-downs. Still, try to keep somewhat current.
But why do I put this pressure on myself when I admire others who seem to care not about modern this or that. Why does that admiration not translate into pride when I turn up with the less-than new?

Andy in Houston

[Lewis Moon]

Owner of two "olde timey" 'cross bikes here. Both work perfectly for anything I would ride with drop bars.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CAAV6MdRS4JZogGM_HB3Gc0jPDYD2XYRk-djCG8OO18onQ41HG-FAXm82zX_0ZftjQXl4Ykwj0ZTPNUXVrK8hu32RZAYD32g5B-ZKtN0hzGZDvrGccj4qN7ji53Kr4yHpPMR4piTQa-VZyQCiObOWPOrtWAFd3_MJ0vTnIYVvJ1tHAC1rxsiQGNKxy3_P XbYapn48cAc8AHM4m655T0oz2CK4s5Pf3bg-mImVs33H_8z2kSTBLo8O7Obp5aiUoCZmh-UbiitoEfYEmVmd61kt0wSozuHLmbIBqHU03VBFaiiLS09-2DysCXGPfEQSp40gBC0p5nAV24mLOjFxxmP3NHsGRD9n5-Rj0mUCfq_hQph7pG22Gs4mPmaXTZRpeONwCeXZvhFdUMLsPooP lAKM65qtjgwBYYnzVcQDQECT90rYq5IKHPduWnDrsPekEY26ud kTeYGlZ-lSTTviC7fB03aUvcEj1Q6FjLrU50oT7UDIid3lsXmb8OWgxxfm FiuqqF84kQoexNb27QCWSiO04Q8OTQpDkJc83-WCWBPKKV9JP_PXoaI0IYiJJIFgn9dQRTkWTeN9Bff9_l0tHpOJ J5zrVCUydH2O6YtJblxQjz2lDOzbjF1twxQvLqe05eNp8B936I H6ziuL2EOO7ojwCSxmHHd489g0lDegv4kF9EL94zwrNmdL6A=w 1300-h976-no

[dgauthier]

I must be out of touch. I still thank the cycling gods for clipless pedals and brifters. :D

[Mark McM]

Hmm not sure about that. I am not aware of frames with 35-40mm clearance and 420mm long chainstays until probably 3-4yrs ago.

Wider tires clearance were usually associated with rando style bikes with long chainstays and slack HT which have nothing in common with the nimble and agile frames you can find today.

Then you have not been watching the bicycle world very long. Bicycles of all shapes and geometries have been built over the 135 years of so since the diamond frame safety bike became the norm. When I started riding bikes, most road bikes had clearance for 32-35mm tires, and wide range ("Alpine") gearing. Only a few specialty "racing bikes" were built for skinny tires and narrow range gearing, and most people didn't ride them. It was only when American bike racers became popular (first Lemond, then Armstrong) that skinny tire bikes with narrow gear ranges became the new "norm" (because, apparently, everybody had to ride bikes built for pro racers). The latest move toward fatter tires and wide range gearing is more of a correction, than it is an innovation.

[SeanScott]

This reminds me of a friend that started riding his old Quiros from the 80s to work to get back into shape. It has MTB pedals and a hitch to pull a kids bike mounted on it, rotten 23c tires. He had no kit, no aero, just a dusted off bike.
I got him to join Strava and after a few weeks he was getting top 10 on his rides. So great. He is totally oblivious to the advancements in cycling and it does not matter.

[bigbill]

I was no faster on my dedicated Dirt Road Racer with hydraulic disc and bigger tires than I was on my Gunnar Crosshairs with 32mm tires and Vbrakes. But I felt further from death at the end of a long gravel event. I think the best modern invention for gravel riding is tubeless tires, especially on the event where you're riding some bigger aggregate gravel. Other than that, my cross bike was good.

[dddd]

We've had CX bikes with something like 43cm chainstays that use vertical dropouts to facilitate installing wider tires, and some of these had steeper HT angles than others.

I agree though that they are pushing the limits today WRT shortest stays and widest tires, though I haven't sought a frame to be used with drop bars and wider than 35mm tires myself.

For on-road riding where shorter than 43cm chainstays are an advantage, I wouldn't be looking for fatter tires than 28mm myself.

Some of the various new (and competitive) "gravel" disciplines/venues would seem to put value on the more radical shortest-chainstay and widest-tire drop-bar bikes, but I haven't gone beyond plain old CX (and off-road exploring on touring bikes) as far as drop-bar bikes go.

There have been a couple of gravel events promoted locally, but I was shocked to see that these initial offerings were of such great length (altitude AND mileage). It seemed like the opposite of trying to get existing road and mountain riders to give it a go with a lower entry bar in terms of cost and preparation.
Might it be that the marketing approach here is "aspiring to achieve fitness status", such as with the Death Ride or DK, instead of promoting sporting-yet-fun events?
Do the interested parties perhaps fear that riders might ask "why bother with the drop handlebars?"?

[weaponsgrade]

touche CT.

[mmelito]

hey, that's me.

I still have aluminum steads in the stables and FWIW, I still enjoy them. I suspect on the not too distant future we will look back at carbon with a different lens then we do today.

Okay, didn't read it, but the discussion reminds me of going to a local mountain bike trail system and seeing guys on their old 26" mountain bikes. We tend to overlook how much "progress" is actually marketing.

[Red Tornado]

My current stable of bikes consist of two 26" mountain bikes and two geared road bikes. One MTB is a 90's retro build (3x8, linear brakes, 25.4 bar/stem, vintage Manitou fork w/2" travel) the other a more updated 1X (cable discs, 80mm travel fork, 31.8 bar/stem). Road bikes are both 2X10, rim brakes & aluminum; one with steel fork the other full carbon.

I can still ride away from a fair amount of other road riders of approx the same form with the latest wunderbikes, and hang with guys on tech dirt sections where "they" tell me I need a 29" or 650b. Now, I'm not riding older stuff by choice, just got two kids out of college (the third is still attending) so have had to be conservative with the little disposable income we've had. Would like to try some of the newer stuff, don't get me wrong, but IMHO not all of it will make you faster or better.

[AngryScientist]

The frame is made of aluminium, a material best known from such hit products as ‘food tins’ and ‘beer cans’.


haha. :hello::hello:

it's a comically written article, but it's a good point.

i have a number of roadie friends who i have been trying to convince to come out with me and do some gravel riding; nice stuff we have access to in the catskills and western NJ. awesome quiet roads that get us away from traffic.

i always get the "man i'd love a gravel bike, but i just dont have the money to spend 5k getting into gravel with new wheels brakes, etc..."

any my response is always the same - just buy a gently used CX bike with cantis. these can be had now for pennies, and they work. sometimes we just need a reminder.

[fiamme red]

I've been riding lots of dirt roads lately on a steel bike with a 28 mm front tire and a 23 mm rear tire. I'll change the rear tire to something wider when it wears out.

[colker]

haha. :hello::hello:

it's a comically written article, but it's a good point.

i have a number of roadie friends who i have been trying to convince to come out with me and do some gravel riding; nice stuff we have access to in the catskills and western NJ. awesome quiet roads that get us away from traffic.

i always get the "man i'd love a gravel bike, but i just dont have the money to spend 5k getting into gravel with new wheels brakes, etc..."

any my response is always the same - just buy a gently used CX bike with cantis. these can be had now for pennies, and they work. sometimes we just need a reminder.

Just ride whatever you have. Don´t need to buy anything.

[Gummee]

While the old stuff still works, the new stuff does it better.

Whether that's important to you is up to you.

M

[bfd]

Just ride whatever you have. Don´t need to buy anything.

I don't know, if you're like me and have bikes that only fit 700x25 tires and want to go "off-road," you may want to get something that can fit fatter tires.

But since 90-99% of my riding is on the road, how much fatter tire do I need?!

Further, most of my friends have disc brakes, and insist it is superior. That may be so, especially in wet weather and on the dirt. But again, if 90+% of my riding is on the road, I think a good set of dual pivot brakes is really all that is needed.

Good Luck!

[quickfeet]

Why can’t we all jus understand that we can ride what each of us want to ride? There is no reason to feel bad riding a 20 year old aluminum cantilever bike just like there is nothing wrong with wanting and riding the latest and greatest. There can be room for both.

[smead]

haha. :hello::hello:

it's a comically written article, but it's a good point.

i have a number of roadie friends who i have been trying to convince to come out with me and do some gravel riding; nice stuff we have access to in the catskills and western NJ. awesome quiet roads that get us away from traffic.

i always get the "man i'd love a gravel bike, but i just dont have the money to spend 5k getting into gravel with new wheels brakes, etc..."

any my response is always the same - just buy a gently used CX bike with cantis. these can be had now for pennies, and they work. sometimes we just need a reminder.

Or just ride your skinny tire road bike on gravel - have been doing it for years on 25s, rim brakes, and I'm still alive!!

[Drmojo]

Or just ride your skinny tire road bike on gravel - have been doing it for years on 25s, rim brakes, and I'm still alive!!

and...
you kick ass Speedy
but you are a mutant
(used to be me)

[Ronsonic]

Okay, didn't read it, but the discussion reminds me of going to a local mountain bike trail system and seeing guys on their old 26" mountain bikes. We tend to overlook how much "progress" is actually marketing.

So weird, right. They actually look like they're having fun out there too. Whaddya know?