Where does a classic road bike fit in your cycling life?

[Clean39T]

On the heels of XX's evolution of the tire thread and after gawking at the '86 Nova project, I've been thinking a fair bit about what place a classic road bike has in my garage going forward.....and I'm curious to hear other perspectives.

When I say "classic road bike", I'm thinking of what most of us rode on the road for the last twenty years - 23-25mm tires, standard or compact gears maybe maxing out at a 34x28, steepish angles, and an efficient position for riding at 18-20mph solo over varied terrain.

I didn't think I would ever be without a bike like that - and yet here I am now, at N=1 with what could be described as a semi-modern all-road bike (https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=256326) that has sub-compact gears and pretty fat 30mm tires, and handles more like the bike you want for a spirited century than an invigorating romp through the twisties. My #2 and #3 bikes on the way (gee, who-wouldda-thought..) are all-road disc/gravel/deep-gravel options that I'm picking up to hit the trails and dirt-roads in Central OR. Which means I'd be getting to bike #4 before selecting a "classic road bike" and that has me wondering if or why I'd even need or want that in my garage at that point.

One argument I can find is that such a bike makes a great trainer - something to put on the rollers and to go out and hammer hill repeats on when the only goal is really to ride hard just for the sake of it. Of course, I can do that on bikes #1-#3 above too, but in general, one can keep a trainer running cheaper than the buffed out specialty bikes that take up the first few hooks.

Or for those who still race on the road in packs - or who may race again next year, if such a thing is a thing again - I guess that bike is still a passport to a reasonably competitive time in the lower categories where skill and experience can overcome the losses of round tubes, spokes, seatposts, and handlebars - or off too-narrow tires. It is certainly cheaper to replace and repair a classic than something that may break in half if you sit on the top tube, or if the bars swing round the wrong way.

Another argument is that such bikes keep us connected to the heart and soul of road riding as we once knew it to be - the times when our heroes were young and we dreamed of all things Italian. Maybe the shock of small irregularities in the pavement jarring up through 23s at 100psi still serves a purpose - or of wrestling a 39x25 up a 10% grade. Maybe it connects us to the images we have of ourself on the bike - or of what it means to ride with panache, efficiency (and cartilage) be dam'd.

Maybe there's an aspect of this too that is regional - I'm moving somewhere with aluring dirt, but if I were in SoCal or parts of the NE, or certainly if I was in France or Italy, it would be a different calculus. And we can't negate that road bikes must be ridden on the road - where big dumb animals are piloting big dumb death missiles - and must have reasonably decent roads to be ridden, which city and county budgets are struggling to keep providing.

Anyway, I'd hoped by the time I got to this point in the post I'd have come up with an answer.

The truth is, I don't know if or where a classic road bike fits in my cycling life at this point.

Also me - I want this Mondonico (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mondonico-Foco-Frame-60cm-2005/254696475183)!

[thirdgenbird]

That’s a tough one. I love classic lugged road bikes with silver bits but find a cross/gravel bike with a wide gear range and a few wheelsets is all I need for recreation. (I’ve also got a budget single speed with fiat pedals for transportation)

I am all about curation (vs collection) and don’t typically keep possessions that don’t see use but in this case, I’ve got a rational excuse. I’ve got a Tommasini my dad bought new. It’s built up exactly how I would want it using a mix of bits that he had on it at various points with a few of my touches sprinkled in. I used to ride it as an occasional Sunday rider but it’s been hanging on the wall since he passed away. It’s been kept in riding condition and will see the road again someday, but it’s currently reclassified as an heirloom. If it were not for this exception, I would probably just own the two bikes in paragraph one.

[FlashUNC]

Always.

[Andy sti]

Road bike forever!

I just have 25mm tires and a 28 on the back - does that still count?

[Nomadmax]

Steel road bikes with SL/SLX tubing and Campagnolo components for me; to the tune of half a dozen. Most with "modern" 10 speed Ergopower and compact cranks, one with CDA Syncro/Delta and my oldest is a throwback with old Super Record and Simplex retro-frictions.

At this point in my life/cycling career, the performance difference between something new that has all the "latest/best" and my bikes is negligible given the 100,000 + mile motor that's lost some compression. Given that, I ride what I did back when I was young, strong and invincible without anything on the handlebars to tell me the awful truth.

Sometimes, when I'm riding back into town with a tailwind, I'm 25 years old again, on a solo breakaway with the thin steel tubes in my lower peripheral vision and the tires singing in my ears; literally, a state of grace. I don't ride what I ride for what they "do", I ride the bikes I have for what they "are".

[reuben]

Steel road bikes with SL/SLX tubing and Campagnolo components for me; to the tune of half a dozen. Most with "modern" 10 speed Ergopower and compact cranks, one with CDA Syncro/Delta and my oldest is a throwback with old Super Record and Simplex retro-frictions.

At this point in my life/cycling career, the performance difference between something new that has all the "latest/best" and my bikes is negligible given the 100,000 + mile motor that's lost some compression. Given that, I ride what I did back when I was young, strong and invincible without anything on the handlebars to tell me the awful truth.

Sometimes, when I'm riding back into town with a tailwind, I'm 25 years old again, on a solo breakaway with the thin steel tubes in my lower peripheral vision and the tires singing in my ears; literally, a state of grace. I don't ride what I ride for what they "do", I ride the bikes I have for what they "are".

What he said.

Another potential writer for the Paceline Magazine (https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=258507).

[velomateo]

Everything I ride falls in to the classic category, Serotta, Bertoni and a recently acquired mid 70’s Masi. Even my Moots has down tube shifter mounts, but runs an 11s drivetrain.

[mcfarton]

Steel road bikes with SL/SLX tubing and Campagnolo components for me; to the tune of half a dozen. Most with "modern" 10 speed Ergopower and compact cranks, one with CDA Syncro/Delta and my oldest is a throwback with old Super Record and Simplex retro-frictions.

At this point in my life/cycling career, the performance difference between something new that has all the "latest/best" and my bikes is negligible given the 100,000 + mile motor that's lost some compression. Given that, I ride what I did back when I was young, strong and invincible without anything on the handlebars to tell me the awful truth.

Sometimes, when I'm riding back into town with a tailwind, I'm 25 years old again, on a solo breakaway with the thin steel tubes in my lower peripheral vision and the tires singing in my ears; literally, a state of grace. I don't ride what I ride for what they "do", I ride the bikes I have for what they "are".


Well said, but I still lie to myself and pretend I am strong. If I don’t believe it no one else will.


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[marciero]

If that Seven does not qualify then we are essentially talking race bikes. I have one such bike that I hardly ever ride. I keep it around for fast group rides. But even pre-covid this was like once or twice a year. I also have brought it as a second or third bike on cycling vacations for use as a hill climber. It's the Mt Washington bike.

I have one other bike at is more like that Seven. Steel. 700c x 27 tubulars. It gets ridden once in a great while but for rides less than 70 miles; usually much less. I am in the minority here in that my "all road" bike and my main "road" bike-and for that matter our main tandem- are all 650b and have much wider tires.

[DeBike]

Three of the four bikes I ride most are all steel frame with classic type geometry. I guess the nearest to being truly classic is my late 80s Ochsner. However, I did switch from DT shifters to 9 speed STI a couple of months ago. I do not ride it that much these days as it really is too big for me, 57cm while 53/54 is best for me. 25mm tires are the widest that will fit. Also, last year I stripped it to bare metal, had it powder coated, and rebuilt it with mostly used components.

[Toeclips]

Classic bikes at least for me they give me a sense of history and it makes me feel like I'm doing something old world

[Marvinlungwitz]

.

[paredown]

My real classic from the '70s (my old race bike) is a wall-hanger--needs a rebuild and a better gear range for the reality of my old legs...

But I agree with Reuben--my preferred ride is still a classic setup on a steel frame--and although I love the improvements of better brakes and ergo shifters, as soon as get rolling, muscle memory kicks in, and things fall to hand as they should, gears are selected that feel right--and yes, on a good day I feel as fast as I ever was...

I suspect it is the 'old dog, new trick' problem--I tried mountain biking, and although residual fitness and balance made it relatively easy for me to keep up, it really didn't take. (As HappyCamper will attest--he bought my pretty pristine early gen Fischer).

I'm tempted to try gravel, and may get there with a purpose built bike after all the stories and builds that have been shared--but it is not a priority.

I want the speed (or as much as I can manage) and the sound of my pumped up skinny tires singing on the road--and I don't even mind old school sharp handling where if you run over a quarter, you can tell if it heads or tails facing up...

[Smitty2k1]

Ok I'll bite - being new at this I've never had a real road bike. This is where Paceline needs to help.

My past 5 years of cycling started when I moved into the city with my now wife, sold the car, and began commuting full time on bike share. The next year we moved a little further from work (1 mile to 2.5 miles lol) and I bought a cheap hybrid. Two years ago I decided I wanted a "real" bike to do more than commute, and found a nice touring bike (Jamis Aurora Elite). I put 2,500 miles or so on it that year between commutes, group rides, camping trips, and joy riding. Then I decided it was time to get serious and built up a Black Mountain Cycles Road+ from the frame up, including my own wheels. I put 2,500 miles on that in less than 6 months.

I just had a kid and haven't ridden a bike in almost 5 weeks. I've been dreaming of building a true road bike to compliment my stable of the touring/grocery getter/baby hauler (flat bar basket conversion) and the Road+. I've considered just building a nice 700c wheelset for the Road+, but why not dream of N+1 while I'm stuck holding a crying pooping baby for 12 hours a day?

So what is it Paceline? What kind of bike should I lust after as my pure road go fast bike? I probably don't have the fitness for a true race bike, but something with endurance geometry and 28c tires? Go skinnier and vintage? Budget aluminum with carbon fork? Cheap chinese open mold carbon frame with modern components? So many choices I'm getting analysis paralysis.

... First world problems.

[buddybikes]

Ok I'll bite - being new at this I've never had a real road bike. This is where Paceline needs to help.


So what is it Paceline? What kind of bike should I lust after as my pure road go fast bike? I probably don't have the fitness for a true race bike, but something with endurance geometry and 28c tires? Go skinnier and vintage? Budget aluminum with carbon fork? Cheap chinese open mold carbon frame with modern components? So many choices I'm getting analysis paralysis.

... First world problems.

Once you get sized up, keep eye on classifieds here - stunning machines going for fraction of what they once priced out at.

[Hilltopperny]

For the years when I started riding road bicycles the majority were older steel bikes. I loved most of them and they definitely have a place in a stable of bikes if you have the time to ride them. They are beautiful in construction and there is just something about the road feel of skinny tubes and tires on smooth roads , but over the past few years I did not grab them off the hook enough to justify keeping them.

The last classic bike I had was a gorgeous Columbine. It rode amazingly and looked great as well, but I honestly only had it out a dozen times while it was in the stable. It was responsive and smooth riding, but half of the dozen rides I was pulling a Burley Solo with my son in the back. This was a high end race bike and I felt it was better to pass it along then have it languish in a hook, so off it went to a more deserving home!

I have enough rough roads and dirt/gravel out here to justify the two Allroad/Gravel bikes I currently ride. They see the majority of my ride time and I even enjoy riding them on the road!

I bought a $100 Battaglin aluminum frame and built it up with Campagnolo 11spd that and some cheap Token C45r wheels that were on my last high end frame set. I figure I can pull my son on the bike trail and take it out for some road fun if I have the opportunity for short money.

All in all I am at N=4 with my fat bike and that seems to be where I will be staying for the foreseeable future. If I had more ride time then a nice classic style steel bike with modern components would probably be the next thing to add, but given the fact that I have a new baby in the house, a toddler and a teenager extra time to ride bikes is in short supply!


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[Frankwurst]

I quit trying to over think a bicycle's purpose in the 70's. They just make me happy and that's enough for me.:beer:

[colker]

Classic road bike to me is something i commute long distances on, fast and comfortable. So yes, there is place: it´s right at the center of my cycling habit. All the other bikes are eccentric.
A classic bike must have technology i can deal with classic tools and must withstand abuse. Aluminum rims, steel forks and unless i am on cactus country, no tubeless.
I really want to have a classic touring bike, with racks and an old tech bag.
A rigid mountain bike to play around and i am set. Though i only have space for 2 bikes.

[AngryScientist]

For me, a "classic" road bike is the perfect machine. everyone's riding has evolved and just like everything else in the world - is falling more and more into "specialty" camps. gravel, roguh gravel, mid gravel, all-road......etc.

not for me. i ride 95% of everything on my classic stage race geometry road bikes. they are pretty good at everything.

New England is a perfect terrain to prove this out. i'll happily ride a roadie with 25c tires over tight twisty climbs and descents and for hours over well groomed dirt roads. it's all good.

unfortunately, that means i'll rip a RD off once and a while, haha

[mhespenheide]

We're into the realm of "need" versus "want" here.

Your current Seven fits the niche you're addressing handily. You don't need something beyond it, although if you're not in a small urban apartment and you have room, it's really convenient to have a dedicated trainer bike. (To me, it makes more sense for a dedicated trainer bike to be either a beater or aluminum or maybe titanium given potential sweat damage. Mine's Ti, but that's really only because I already had it.)

So ... why a classic road bike? There are plenty of good answers, but they all boil down to want. And that's totally fair, if you've got the money and the space. Whether it's because it reminds us of our youth, reminds us of reading Winning magazine or the newsprint VeloNews, if it brings you joy, go for it. There are far, far worse vices to chase out there.

For me, I agree with the idea that "classic" goes back a little farther; my classic road bike is a lugged Bianchi that mixes the last of the polished-silver-components era and the dirt-road-climbs-in-the-Alps-in-the-Tour era. It was my first good bicycle, so it hits the nostalgia/heirloom niche, and is just barely legal for Eroica CA so it ticks that box as well.

If I were living in Bend (and had the $ and space), I'd probably want five or six bikes: modern road like your current Seven, gravel/all-road, mountain bike, beater/townie, and classic road just for the joy of it. And then a dedicated trainer bike to try to have a shred of a chance of keeping up with @Andy_sti, even though I wouldn't really.

On the one hand, that's a little silly, but again, there's no real harm in it either. There's a distinct pleasure in a clean and waxed steel bike with lugs and a great paint job, with the neurons firing to control a friction shift on the downtube, or tanwall tires on a 32 silver spokes flashing in the sun, or hands draped over the hoods on Cinelli bars.

[charliedid]

I have no real interest in owning old bikes, classic or otherwise.

[colker]

For me, a "classic" road bike is the perfect machine. ...

not for me. i ride 95% of everything on my classic stage race geometry road bikes. they are pretty good at everything.



That´s the beauty of the road bike. I treat it like a freaking tank riding over anything.
Something i admire about the stage race road bike is the maturity of the design. Geometry is all set. It is what it is. I always liked tradition.

[jamesdak]

Til the day I die.....I hope!

Pretty much everything I ride fits this.

This was my ride yesterday. 1985 Belgium built racer made by Eddy Martens. DT shifters and 23mm tubulars. Only concession on this one right now are the modern wheels but I also use some old alloys on it. 40 miles of pure steel goodness, other than the smoke in the air, cough, cough....

https://pbase.com/jhuddle/image/171050087.jpg

Then over the past two weeks 3 more old steel bikes have made their way into the stable including one like what the OP mentioned.

Late 80's Nova Special.

https://pbase.com/jhuddle/image/171048626.jpg

The other two were a late 80's Colnago Super and a 1991 Miyata 914SE.

https://pbase.com/jhuddle/image/171031702.jpg

https://pbase.com/jhuddle/image/171016320.jpg

I do have some more modern style bikes like two of those funky C.F. Trek Y Foils but most of my wheels will be classic steel. Heck even my upright, 3 speed errand runner is 1972 steel. Looks like a piece of junk but if you look closer you'll notice a NOS crank, new chain, leather washers on all mount points, new saddle, new stem, new pedals, light converted to LED, new brake pads, etc, etc.

https://pbase.com/jhuddle/image/169181594.jpg

Funny story on this old bike is a year or two ago some punk youngster hollered some rude stuff to me on the bike path while I was on this. Insulted the old beast for no reason. So I dropped it into top gear, blew by his young spandex covered butt and proceeded to pull away for about another 1/2 mile before he turned off in shame. Lucky for me because I was about to have a heart attack, LOL! True story though!

And even my newly configured "gravel bike' is classic steel. A mid 80's Orbea Cabestany. The same model Pedro Delgado raced to victory in 1985. Earlier this week I took advantage of all the frame clearance and threw on some 700 x 32 knobby's and flat MB pedals.

https://pbase.com/jhuddle/image/171042561.jpg

And as to true classic, it doesn't get much more classic then my pretty much unmolested, Opus III. 6 speed of Superbe Pro goodness with this ol' beauty.

https://pbase.com/jhuddle/image/167931185.jpg

Or if you want "really steep" how about this classic racer?

https://pbase.com/jhuddle/image/169180597.jpg

Although.....to be honest. This one is listed for sale locally. Every since the dog wrecked me on my Jake to Snake I've been unable to ride this. Had a major grade three seperation of my AC joint and when I try to get into position to ride this things still pop in my shoulder. Stupid dog!

Anyway...enough rambling.... needless to say I love classic steel and hope it is always in my life.

[prototoast]

I would consider the Seven to be a classic road bike. 28-30mm tires aren't giving up anything in terms of performance. The gearing is maybe a little low for racing, but you could easily change that, and even then, with 11 and 12 speed groupsets, you can get the racing gears and and endurance gears at the same time. Unless you're a sprinter, 48x11 will be fine for amateur racing.

Maybe in your mind, a "classic" road bike has a 53/39 and 23mm tires, but from a functional standpoint, your Seven fills that niche perfectly fine, so there's really no need (not that there's no "want") for a more roadly road bike.

[tv_vt]

I have a Merckx MXL built in 94 and a Merckx Corsa 01 with Freuler extensions built in late 90's. They weigh 21 and 20# and have 10 or 11 speed stuff on them. I can fit 30mm tires on the MXL and 28s easily on the Corsa.

I totally love riding them. Just a total joy. The ride is great, the fit is great, and they just look so dam cool with their lovely paint jobs (that you don't see except on customs anymore) and level top tubes.

[Spinner]

I love riding my classic road bikes (Serotta CIII, 2 x 9; Serotta CIII, 3 x 9). Both are fitted with 23 tires mounted on Open Pros; 99% of my riding is on good pavement and I don't find the ride to be jarring whatsoever. I even ridden these bikes on well maintained packed gravel roads and trails without issues.

When I do have the need for something better suited to gravel, my Rambouillet outfitted with 28s does the trick.

On the other hand, if I lived in a rural area where gravel roads were the norm (we used to call them dirt roads), I'd likely put bigger tires on my Rambouillet.

[bocobiking]

This thread seems to posit an overly simplistic dichotomy, one that makes it impossible for me to respond to the issue. I love, and only have, steel road bikes with steel forks and 23mm tires. Most are older than 1990, one is a brand new Gunnar. But all of them have triples with low gearing, all have dual pivot rim brakes, and several of them do not have racing geometry. The older ones have downtube friction shifting; the Gunnar has Shimano 10 speed integrated shifting. So, are my bikes "classics" or "moderns"?

Sometimes I think dichotomies like this are created by, and serve the interests of, bike industry marketers, the better to sell you the "modern" bikes.

[robt57]

Steel road bikes with SL/SLX tubing and Campagnolo components for me.

Steel forks especially for me often. The lively snap to neutral give a feel carbon just does not possess...

I ride my 1985 Colnago resto-built SLX bike a lot. 11s Chorus and either Zipp 404s w/25mm or some super-lights with 25mm Vitt pavs.

No other bike I have seems so connected to me and the road quite like the way it responds. It is a few lb heavier than my 585, but you are not aware of the weight of it. Contrary, as much as I like the glide of the 585, the Steel Nago/steel fork stays constant weighted or unweighted on skittery pave or lighten Gs rises etc.

I still have trouble comprehending how skinny little diameter tubes on a 61CM frame is so stiff. It needs to be pushed or it is less pleasant to JRA on. Outta a dozen plastic/Ti/and other steel bikes I have, nothing is like it. The way nothing is like the 585 in the plastic dept. ;)

It seems the pinnacle road bike, it will soon be 30 years that she has been under my watch which is also special...

And it will fit a pretty fat tire, but it just does not need fat tires IMO.

[mtechnica]

I like vintage road bikes, mostly for aesthetic reasons but they ride pretty good. Unfortunately I can’t be bothered to ride them over modern road bikes most of the time because they feel/are slower and less comfortable.

My only vintage road bike now is an Eddy Merckx corsa extra (SLX) with dura ace 7400 and 8 speed. It’s literally as good as it gets for vintage.

[XXtwindad]

"Another argument is that such bikes keep us connected to the heart and soul of road riding as we once knew it to be - the times when our heroes were young and we dreamed of all things Italian. Maybe the shock of small irregularities in the pavement jarring up through 23s at 100psi still serves a purpose - or of wrestling a 39x25 up a 10% grade. Maybe it connects us to the images we have of ourself on the bike - or of what it means to ride with panache, efficiency (and cartilage) be dam'd."

And therein lies the rub,
as the Bard would say.
I caught a glimpse of myself
In the mirror the other day.
Only so long you can hold Dorian Gray
At bay.

The hard cold truth
Doesn't need a skilled sleuth.
I'm a prime example
Of a MAMIL
And one that like his teeth
With all their enamel.

So give me lower gearing
So that my ligaments won't be searing
And toss in some fat tires
For that will surely slake
My cycling desires.

[Routewerks]

wrong spot, sorry

[bicycletricycle]

I have not had a traditional road bike in a long time. I am tempted on a weekly basis to pick one up but I am not sure if I would choose to ride it over all my other more comfortable bikes (bigger tires, gearing, storage). I do feel a longing for one, I spent so much time riding bikes like that in the past.

[Kirk007]

Yes.


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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200919/dc0c537f9166eea04ad8d184b11cc1c9.jpg

[jamesdak]

I like vintage road bikes, mostly for aesthetic reasons but they ride pretty good. Unfortunately I can’t be bothered to ride them over modern road bikes most of the time because they feel/are slower and less comfortable.

My only vintage road bike now is an Eddy Merckx corsa extra (SLX) with dura ace 7400 and 8 speed. It’s literally as good as it gets for vintage.

I looked at around 7 years of my daily logs and realized that both my Madone 5.9 and my Scott CR1 Pro were never any faster than my steel bikes and on the longer rides normally slower. I contributed that to the beating I took on the chipseal when riding the C.F. bikes. The steel left me feeling fresher and able to carry a better pace on the longer rides. In fact the only time I saw a big advantage for the CF. was on one local CAT2 climb that was around 22 miles long. Over that distance my best time then was on the CR1 pro.

All my C.F. is gone (well except for the Y Foils) and I don't regret it at all. Of course I'm not that fast. I usually ride at least 25 miles daily and more on the weekends. A really fast avg pace for me is in the 20 mph range. Normal hard workout is in the 19 mph range and an avg riding day in the 18 mph range. Except this year, 7 months with knees jacked up has really slowed me down even more. I guess if I was riding a paceline with fast guys or a faster rider C.F. might, maybe, possibly, make a difference.

Dura Ace 7400 is soooooo good, isn't it?

[John H.]

To me, it doesn't fit.

I rode them when they were state of the art and that is what you raced on-
Lugged steel, box section tubulars, and everybody had the same thing.

To me- I appreciate a classic steel bike but I don't need one. The carbon wonder bike that I ride is better in every way.

So for me steel is just nostalgia.

[EPOJoe]

Oh, man...can't get enough classic road bike. :)

[Clean39T]

Lots of interesting and intriguing responses here. I think I did a disservice to my question though by saying "classic" - it seems in most peoples' minds here, that means full steel and tubulars and retro/nostalgia. It's almost easier for me to feel the pull to those. I was thinking more modern-classic I guess, from the '00s through the '10s...

For me, these bikes below are emblematic road bikes from a bygone era - they are not what is chosen for setting fast times, having the most comfortable ride, or stopping well in the wet - so why (other than affordability, obviously) would one still choose them over something newer and more modern? Is it only nostalgia, or do these do something and evoke a feeling that surpasses the feeling of being on the latest/greatest/fastest/supplest option out there?

And I'm probably undercutting my thought here because the bikes below can fit reasonable rubber..


https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170819/fca1680c775b44daf29a4fd703a3d5f7.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190801/0490e301b4b1c4adcb4e019904ce05bd.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180429/ef8b957c0ec3b4f78290e6fd6cb1369b.jpg

[Mike V]

Classic 80/90's grail lugged steel + 12 Campagnolo + Deda Superleggera + mid Bora = :banana:

[NHAero]

You've just said it - the original post offered the opportunity to conflate road bike with vintage.
I live where the pavement is very good. The bikes that get the most miles are the Firefly with rim brakes and 25 mm tires and 11 speed STI, and the 89 Casati with rim brakes and 28 mm tires and 10 speed Campy. Both pure road bikes. Firefly low gear is 34-34, Casati is 39-29. I don't get to low gear on the FF every ride, but I sure do on the Casati.
I have a lovely Anderson stainless with discs and 37 mm tires, but it gets less use. It's what I'd be likely to take for a few days off the island, where there are far more dirt road routes.
So for me, hard to imagine not having a pure road bike.

Lots of interesting and intriguing responses here. I think I did a disservice to my question though by saying "classic" - it seems in most peoples' minds here, that means full steel and tubulars and retro/nostalgia. It's almost easier for me to feel the pull to those. I was thinking more modern-classic I guess, from the '00s through the '10s...

For me, these bikes below are emblematic road bikes from a bygone era - they are not what is chosen for setting fast times, having the most comfortable ride, or stopping well in the wet - so why (other than affordability, obviously) would one still choose them over something newer and more modern? Is it only nostalgia, or do these do something and evoke a feeling that surpasses the feeling of being on the latest/greatest/fastest/supplest option out there?

And I'm probably undercutting my thought here because the bikes below can fit reasonable rubber..


https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170819/fca1680c775b44daf29a4fd703a3d5f7.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190801/0490e301b4b1c4adcb4e019904ce05bd.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180429/ef8b957c0ec3b4f78290e6fd6cb1369b.jpg

[Fixed]

1989
In perfect condition
I like my new bike way better
the past is the past now is the new now
Now is the time
Cheers

[makoti]

A classic road bike is front and center in my cycling life. Now & hopefully for a long, long time.

[XXtwindad]

Lots of interesting and intriguing responses here. I think I did a disservice to my question though by saying "classic" - it seems in most peoples' minds here, that means full steel and tubulars and retro/nostalgia. It's almost easier for me to feel the pull to those. I was thinking more modern-classic I guess, from the '00s through the '10s...

For me, these bikes below are emblematic road bikes from a bygone era - they are not what is chosen for setting fast times, having the most comfortable ride, or stopping well in the wet - so why (other than affordability, obviously) would one still choose them over something newer and more modern? Is it only nostalgia, or do these do something and evoke a feeling that surpasses the feeling of being on the latest/greatest/fastest/supplest option out there?

And I'm probably undercutting my thought here because the bikes below can fit reasonable rubber..


https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170819/fca1680c775b44daf29a4fd703a3d5f7.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190801/0490e301b4b1c4adcb4e019904ce05bd.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180429/ef8b957c0ec3b4f78290e6fd6cb1369b.jpg

"Another argument is that such bikes keep us connected to the heart and soul of road riding as we once knew it to be - the times when our heroes were young and we dreamed of all things Italian. Maybe the shock of small irregularities in the pavement jarring up through 23s at 100psi still serves a purpose - or of wrestling a 39x25 up a 10% grade. Maybe it connects us to the images we have of ourself on the bike - or of what it means to ride with panache, efficiency (and cartilage) be dam'd."

I caught the crux of your question. You just answered it above haven't you? Sometimes there is a schism between who we are and who we perceive ourselves to be.

I live in an area with very steep hills and crappy pavement. Not to mention lots of dirt trails. I took my Ti gravel bike (Alliance) and Ti road race bike (Firefly) out on separate rides this week. Every time, especially on the flats and descents, the Firefly was faster. (Turns out I was partially mistaken in a previous thread) Now, part of that is that the Alliance tops out at 48 in the big ring and the Firefly is a 50.

Conversely, every time out, I've enjoyed the ride more on the Alliance. So, for me, the answer is a "race comfort" bike, which is, in fact, currently being built. Able to take 32 tires, somewhat relaxed geo, and disc brakes.

I think the need for a strict race bike depends on the individual.
For AndySti, sure.
For you (based on your post), probably not.
For me, (and the vast majority of cyclists), definitely not.

[tuscanyswe]

Old or relatively old steel with "new" equipment is the bikes i appreciate the most. In fact i just ordered a new frame made with sl tubing that im putting campy 11 and tubulars on.

Its a category of bike i cant do without. The total package of these bikes in terms of ride quality and feel paired with superior looks just does it for me.

I do however not enjoy the same frame with old components much at all so i prefer to have them made for regular a-headsets and modern stuff or they do not get any use.

[OtayBW]

I like vintage road bikes, mostly for aesthetic reasons but they ride pretty good. Unfortunately I can’t be bothered to ride them over modern road bikes most of the time because they feel/are slower and less comfortable.

My only vintage road bike now is an Eddy Merckx corsa extra (SLX) with dura ace 7400 and 8 speed. It’s literally as good as it gets for vintage.
Wondering what constitutes 'vintage'. I ride a 15 yo Serotta Legend Ti and a Peg Responsium, neither of which I would call vintage. I WOULD place them in a 'traditional' geometry arena. I've got a BMC SLC01 road in CF - neither vintage nor traditional. Finally, I have a De Rosa Primato which classifies as both, and which stacks up in many ways against any of them in terms of performance and thrill.

[XXtwindad]

You've just said it - the original post offered the opportunity to conflate road bike with vintage.
I live where the pavement is very good. The bikes that get the most miles are the Firefly with rim brakes and 25 mm tires and 11 speed STI, and the 89 Casati with rim brakes and 28 mm tires and 10 speed Campy. Both pure road bikes. Firefly low gear is 34-34, Casati is 39-29. I don't get to low gear on the FF every ride, but I sure do on the Casati.
I have a lovely Anderson stainless with discs and 37 mm tires, but it gets less use. It's what I'd be likely to take for a few days off the island, where there are far more dirt road routes.
So for me, hard to imagine not having a pure road bike.

I think we're going need to see some proof :)

[Velocipede]

I just bought a 1989 road bike I've always wanted and I have two classic lugged frames on order. So I love classic road bikes.

[paredown]

Lots of interesting and intriguing responses here. I think I did a disservice to my question though by saying "classic" - it seems in most peoples' minds here, that means full steel and tubulars and retro/nostalgia. It's almost easier for me to feel the pull to those. I was thinking more modern-classic I guess, from the '00s through the '10s...

For me, these bikes below are emblematic road bikes from a bygone era - they are not what is chosen for setting fast times, having the most comfortable ride, or stopping well in the wet - so why (other than affordability, obviously) would one still choose them over something newer and more modern? Is it only nostalgia, or do these do something and evoke a feeling that surpasses the feeling of being on the latest/greatest/fastest/supplest option out there?

And I'm probably undercutting my thought here because the bikes below can fit reasonable rubber..

...

I could have been clearer in my response--I think I fit in the retro-modern category--new brakes/shifters/wheels because they are mostly better--but I will happily hang them on a classic steel frame and enjoy the ride. I don't really have much interest in going back to skinny tubes/box section rims and tubulars--that's for the retro grouches...

Currently--in rotation:

1990s filet brazed Simonetti (prolly Tange)--cf Time fork, quill stem, Campy 10 double

1990s lugged 853 Nobilette steel fork, quill stem, Campy 10 triple

1990s lugged Serotta CSi, F1 carbon fork, quill stem Campy 10 triple

2010(?) Look 585 full carbon Campy 10 double--fits your group of "classic" rides--and I would agree. To me it makes little difference in my ride over the steel choices

(One of the first three will likely go--if I can get clear what I like about each... All are shod in 25s now except the Nobilette since the only tubular wheels and tires are the ones that I got from you, and I haven't tried wider ones yet...)

Still missed--the Colnago CT-1 (plush!) and the Tecnos--both still 1" forks, but carbon... and they would fit into my version of "classic" as well. And the Peter Mooney--all steel, retro mod and truly a frame that hearkened back to the frames I raced on, but with something else going on as well--completely dialed. And the Nobilette reminds me of it...

The others that I shed--the Mercian 531 (skinny tubes), the Concorde EL-OS (Italian) were more like the bikes I grew up racing on--they were nice rides but I definitely had the 'been there, done that' reaction once I rode them a good bit, so they are not missed...

[reuben]

"Another argument is that such bikes keep us connected to the heart and soul of road riding as we once knew it to be - the times when our heroes were young and we dreamed of all things Italian. Maybe the shock of small irregularities in the pavement jarring up through 23s at 100psi still serves a purpose - or of wrestling a 39x25 up a 10% grade. Maybe it connects us to the images we have of ourself on the bike - or of what it means to ride with panache, efficiency (and cartilage) be dam'd."

And therein lies the rub,
as the Bard would say.
I caught a glimpse of myself
In the mirror the other day.
Only so long you can hold Dorian Gray
At bay.

The hard cold truth
Doesn't need a skilled sleuth.
I'm a prime example
Of a MAMIL
And one that like his teeth
With all their enamel.

So give me lower gearing
So that my ligaments won't be searing
And toss in some fat tires
For that will surely slake
My cycling desires.

Paceline Magazine/Newsletter material. :hello:

[colker]

Lots of interesting and intriguing responses here. I think I did a disservice to my question though by saying "classic" - it seems in most peoples' minds here, that means full steel and tubulars and retro/nostalgia. It's almost easier for me to feel the pull to those. I was thinking more modern-classic I guess, from the '00s through the '10s...

For me, these bikes below are emblematic road bikes from a bygone era - they are not what is chosen for setting fast times, having the most comfortable ride, or stopping well in the wet - so why (other than affordability, obviously) would one still choose them over something newer and more modern? Is it only nostalgia, or do these do something and evoke a feeling that surpasses the feeling of being on the latest/greatest/fastest/supplest option out there?

And I'm probably undercutting my thought here because the bikes below can fit reasonable rubber..




I got it from the first post classic road bike meaning stage race geometry numbers, 700 wheels, clearance for 25 tires maybe 28.
Nothing beats the exhilaration i feel on a good day on a fast road bike. Cornering at speed, bike balanced and going where i want without any effort, accelerating quick and easy.
Maybe because it´s fast, maybe because it´s simple, maybe because it goes the distance but the road bike is the number one.

[sg8357]

Clean39T
Lots of interesting and intriguing responses here. I think I did a disservice to my question though by saying "classic" - it seems in most peoples' minds here, that means full steel and tubulars and retro/nostalgia. It's almost easier for me to feel the pull to those. I was thinking more modern-classic I guess, from the '00s through the '10s...

My newest bikes are '03 and '05, modern to me.
If I want to ride like the good old days, I have a pukka '54 Claud Butler New All Rounder. (brake cables have been fixed, since pic)

[NHAero]

https://forums.thepaceline.net/showpost.php?p=2545702&postcount=5

I think we're going need to see some proof :)

[Kirk007]

I live in an area with very steep hills and crappy pavement. Not to mention lots of dirt trails.... every time out, I've enjoyed the ride more on the Alliance.

I think this - road conditions and to a lesser extent terrain, have a lot of influence here. Our local roads are mostly chipseal and "lumpy" for lack of a better description - not so much broken pavement with gravel, just a lot of bumps everywhere. The attributes of all road bikes with wider tires tend to help make the ride a bit more relaxed here than for instance the Dgma F10. that I picked up. But if I lived say in the areas of Italy France where I've done a lot of riding, a "classic road bike" whether newfangled carbon or "old fashioned" steel with 25mm tubulars would get 90+ percent of my miles.

[Tz779]

Well said, but I still lie to myself and pretend I am strong. If I don’t believe it no one else will.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

yes. i still think i am 30 y/o, and that i should still ride like that!

[reuben]

yes. i still think i am 30 y/o, and that i should still ride like that!

Wait, wot? We're not?

That could explain a lot, but I'm disappointed (in myself).

[Tz779]

Ok I'll bite - being new at this I've never had a real road bike. This is where Paceline needs to help.

My past 5 years of cycling started when I moved into the city with my now wife, sold the car, and began commuting full time on bike share. The next year we moved a little further from work (1 mile to 2.5 miles lol) and I bought a cheap hybrid. Two years ago I decided I wanted a "real" bike to do more than commute, and found a nice touring bike (Jamis Aurora Elite). I put 2,500 miles or so on it that year between commutes, group rides, camping trips, and joy riding. Then I decided it was time to get serious and built up a Black Mountain Cycles Road+ from the frame up, including my own wheels. I put 2,500 miles on that in less than 6 months.

I just had a kid and haven't ridden a bike in almost 5 weeks. I've been dreaming of building a true road bike to compliment my stable of the touring/grocery getter/baby hauler (flat bar basket conversion) and the Road+. I've considered just building a nice 700c wheelset for the Road+, but why not dream of N+1 while I'm stuck holding a crying pooping baby for 12 hours a day?

So what is it Paceline? What kind of bike should I lust after as my pure road go fast bike? I probably don't have the fitness for a true race bike, but something with endurance geometry and 28c tires? Go skinnier and vintage? Budget aluminum with carbon fork? Cheap chinese open mold carbon frame with modern components? So many choices I'm getting analysis paralysis.

... First world problems.

BMC Teammachine SLR02 $3199.
Basso Venta, $3795
For comparison, i just spent around $2600 on a new Ciocc steel frame, Dura Ace 7402 8-sp group, and Mavic GEL280 8-sp Campy wheels. Dura Ace group and wheels were purchased used. i ride n 21mm tubulars which is going to freak ppl out!
Robin

[Tz779]

Wait, wot? We're not?

That could explain a lot, but I'm disappointed (in myself).

yeah, i disappoint myself all the time. I think I should TT like I did in 1983!

oh, i got to the velodrome in Rock Hill, SC last week for Track 101. At the end, the instructor took some pics and a video. I thought I was doing some “hot laps” but when i saw the video i was prob goung 18mph! hahah! The track bike was a Pinarello, alum frame, carbon fork, clinchers. Bike felt sluggish compared to my Ciocc.

[Smitty2k1]

BMC Teammachine SLR02 $3199.
Basso Venta, $3795
For comparison, i just spent around $2600 on a new Ciocc steel frame, Dura Ace 7402 8-sp group, and Mavic GEL280 8-sp Campy wheels. Dura Ace group and wheels were purchased used. i ride n 21mm tubulars which is going to freak ppl out!
Robin

Those are definitely too pricey for my budget. Maybe "lust after" was the wrong terminology.

[Andy sti]

Stop posting all this retro stuff! As Dan clarified and seemed obvious (to me) in the OP a classic road bike is a standard road bike. What many would call it a race bike. Doesn’t imply old.

I’m currently on a road trip chilling in my van for the night at a friendly truck stop. I have my MTB and my gravel bike with me. Gravel bike is rocking 40s. I did a 53 mile road ride today and it was great. Averaged 18.9 mph and had a fun time. Now if I brought my road bike I would have taken some KOMs. :)

https://www.strava.com/activities/4084515214/overview

For me, I love my road bikes. Sure fat tires are fun but man I could feel the drag, both aero and rolling resistance, on my ride today. I do use my gravel bike on the road a lot because I love riding it but it will never replace my classic road bikes - of which I have another on the way!

https://i.imgur.com/qZYA7cH.jpg?1

https://i.imgur.com/TfKBjUh.jpg?1

[Alaska Mike]

I'm in the semi-classic camp ('02-'14 era). Integrated shifters, clipless pedals, rim brakes, 25mm tires... that sort of stuff.

I have three Moots, a Merlin, 3 Madones, and a Storck that all sort of fit that description. I've certainly spent a ton of money on disc all-road, gravel, and 'cross bikes, only to discover time and again that I wasn't really interested in that sort of riding day-in and day-out. For a specific event or race they work, and then I just go back to my favorite Moots Compact.

Currently I own a Ritchey Breakaway CX that has never been ridden on anything but the trainer. I have a Lynskey Urbano project that has been sitting 90% complete in a corner of my workshop for the last three or so years. No interest. If I finished it, I would probably ride it a couple times and then sell it, as I have so many times before.

Some of us are just wired that way.

[Clean39T]

Stop posting all this retro stuff! As Dan clarified and seemed obvious (to me) in the OP a classic road bike is a standard road bike. What many would call it a race bike. Doesn’t imply old.

I’m currently on a road trip chilling in my van for the night at a friendly truck stop. I have my MTB and my gravel bike with me. Gravel bike is rocking 40s. I did a 53 mile road ride today and it was great. Averaged 18.9 mph and had a fun time. Now if I brought my road bike I would have taken some KOMs. :)

For me, I love my road bikes. Sure fat tires are fun but man I could feel the drag, both aero and rolling resistance, on my ride today. I do use my gravel bike on the road a lot because I love riding it but it will never replace my classic road bikes - of which I have another on the way!



Exactly.

Now then, why do you choose handbuilt, steel, and classic lines over the latest/greatest/fastest aero-carbon-disc wunderbike???

I think all of this is answering the question for me anyway.

I'm going to need more bikes.

I do really enjoy riding something that is unapologetically a road and road only machine -- it's what I loved about the Dogma F8.

And I also really enjoy something with a level top-tube and a steel fork and standard gearing -- it's what I loved about the pristine CSI I had a year or more ago, or the Ellis Strada (the one w the surface rust).

Plus as Mark pointed out, I'll need a townie bike for sure.

And we haven't gotten into talking MTBs yet either.

Good thing I'm moving into a home with an oversized two car garage shortly.

:eek: :eek: :eek: ------ :banana:

[Clean39T]

quiver killer is just that -- a killer that kills all the bikes and out of that is birthed a beast slouching it way into nothingness. ;)

there is nothing as pure on the road as a pure thoroughbred race bike. In all my bikes and all their iterations of 650b and 700c with this mm of tire and that mm of internal rim width, nothing approaches the sensation of pure speed and agility like a road bike made for the race.

for me, nothing other than another road race bike will replace my road race bike.

This was too good not to quote and cross-post.

[marciero]

Lots of interesting and intriguing responses here. I think I did a disservice to my question though by saying "classic" - it seems in most peoples' minds here, that means full steel and tubulars and retro/nostalgia. It's almost easier for me to feel the pull to those. I was thinking more modern-classic I guess, from the '00s through the '10s...



One could go farther and argue that all of these are modern race bikes. Though the materials and components have changed, the basic design, including geometry, wheel and tire size, has not changed since about the mid 20th century or whenever skinny tires came into vogue.

[weisan]

Good thing I'm moving into a home with an oversized two car garage shortly.

:eek: :eek: :eek: ------ :banana:

That's the answer to everything, including your original question.

http://alicehui.com/bike/garage/IMG_1236.jpg

[oldpotatoe]

That's the answer to everything, including your original question.

http://alicehui.com/bike/garage/IMG_1236.jpg

How much for the box fan...:eek:

[R56Blues]

I see this drew lots of old dudes like me out to post. No need to get too long winded, but it is fun to read.

Classic (for me '80's) road bikes are what we grew up on. What our heros raced on. We love them for that reason and for that great steel ride only a quality tubeset can yield. The twang when you hit uneven pavement. The responsive steering combined with all day comfort.......

For me classics fill a void. I couldn't afford them in my 30's. I read the catalogs and brochures over and over, then hopped on my only bike. Peugot, Trek, Miele or Canondale and dreamed on.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200920/99ed2a000c59286ad0783c92c49d547d.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200920/3d8b6bdf478fa717111117d69618b3f5.jpg

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[Kirk007]

That's the answer to everything, including your original question.



http://alicehui.com/bike/garage/IMG_1236.jpgAh Weisan, thank you. I feel much better now and will file this photo away for the next time I get needled with the question of how many bikes I have. I feel positively tidy.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200920/5c23682aeccd00665baad0e1895ba897.jpg

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

[gbcoupe]

How much for the box fan...:eek:

Pretty sure that's a Park Tool box fan. They're pricey!

[robt57]

Vintage VS Classic, as noted:

Try to keep this quick. I sited my Nago as it IS as modern a classic and a modern classic. Take my Strong Road, tig instead of lugs, slope TT and long post, but contact points, WB/CS and rake trail not different between the two.

Now the 1972 Paramount IMO less classic and more vintage. 80s is when they all got it right IMO. Rake and trails especially..

[charliedid]

I was one that assumed for whatever reason lugged steel with tubulars, even with your examples. I should pay attention.

So to answer your question I think my Emonda is that bike for me and will always have such a bike. Quick, light enough and 25-28 I'm all in.

[Clean39T]

How much for the box fan...:eek:If you can strap a Merv-13 to it, it's worth it's weight in gold round these parts.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[shinomaster]

On the heels of XX's evolution of the tire thread and after gawking at the '86 Nova project, I've been thinking a fair bit about what place a classic road bike has in my garage going forward.....and I'm curious to hear other perspectives.

When I say "classic road bike", I'm thinking of what most of us rode on the road for the last twenty years - 23-25mm tires, standard or compact gears maybe maxing out at a 34x28, steepish angles, and an efficient position for riding at 18-20mph solo over varied terrain.

I didn't think I would ever be without a bike like that - and yet here I am now, at N=1 with what could be described as a semi-modern all-road bike (https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=256326) that has sub-compact gears and pretty fat 30mm tires, and handles more like the bike you want for a spirited century than an invigorating romp through the twisties. My #2 and #3 bikes on the way (gee, who-wouldda-thought..) are all-road disc/gravel/deep-gravel options that I'm picking up to hit the trails and dirt-roads in Central OR. Which means I'd be getting to bike #4 before selecting a "classic road bike" and that has me wondering if or why I'd even need or want that in my garage at that point.

One argument I can find is that such a bike makes a great trainer - something to put on the rollers and to go out and hammer hill repeats on when the only goal is really to ride hard just for the sake of it. Of course, I can do that on bikes #1-#3 above too, but in general, one can keep a trainer running cheaper than the buffed out specialty bikes that take up the first few hooks.

Or for those who still race on the road in packs - or who may race again next year, if such a thing is a thing again - I guess that bike is still a passport to a reasonably competitive time in the lower categories where skill and experience can overcome the losses of round tubes, spokes, seatposts, and handlebars - or off too-narrow tires. It is certainly cheaper to replace and repair a classic than something that may break in half if you sit on the top tube, or if the bars swing round the wrong way.

Another argument is that such bikes keep us connected to the heart and soul of road riding as we once knew it to be - the times when our heroes were young and we dreamed of all things Italian. Maybe the shock of small irregularities in the pavement jarring up through 23s at 100psi still serves a purpose - or of wrestling a 39x25 up a 10% grade. Maybe it connects us to the images we have of ourself on the bike - or of what it means to ride with panache, efficiency (and cartilage) be dam'd.

Maybe there's an aspect of this too that is regional - I'm moving somewhere with aluring dirt, but if I were in SoCal or parts of the NE, or certainly if I was in France or Italy, it would be a different calculus. And we can't negate that road bikes must be ridden on the road - where big dumb animals are piloting big dumb death missiles - and must have reasonably decent roads to be ridden, which city and county budgets are struggling to keep providing.

Anyway, I'd hoped by the time I got to this point in the post I'd have come up with an answer.

The truth is, I don't know if or where a classic road bike fits in my cycling life at this point.

Also me - I want this Mondonico (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mondonico-Foco-Frame-60cm-2005/254696475183)!



All my road bikes fit this description! I'll always want a proper road bike no matter what, I'm just super old school it turns out. All these new bikes I see with monster head tubes and disc brakes and curious looking tires and components sorta make me cringe in a way. I realize that form follows function so I get it, but as an artist aesthetics mean a lot to me. My Zank CX which I hope to rebuild soon is my almost perfect do everything bike. One summer I used it as a road bike and it was fantastic and I can ride down a bumpy street picking my nose its that stable. The cantis do stink in the rain though. Maybe I will put a chorus 12 group on it so I can climb up everything and anything. PS. That Mondonico is sweet, get it for grocery store runs and cruising.

[thirdgenbird]

My Zank CX which I hope to rebuild soon is my almost perfect do everything bike. One summer I used it as a road bike and it was fantastic and I can ride down a bumpy street picking my nose its that stable. The cantis do stink in the rain though. Maybe I will put a chorus 12 group on it so I can climb up everything and anything.

Do it.

https://forums.thepaceline.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1698002947&stc=1&d=1593363413

This covers nearly all of my riding.

[colker]

Pretty sure that's a Park Tool box fan. They're pricey!

What about the Campagnolo box fan? I cannot not use Campy around my bikes. I am the classic type.

[shinomaster]

Do it.

https://forums.thepaceline.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1698002947&stc=1&d=1593363413

This covers nearly all of my riding.

Nice!

[Fixed]

I asked my friend that Question he said buy a New S Works and you will have one .

Cheers

[Sawas]

Yeah, lots of S-Works on the road these days.

[mhespenheide]

Circling back to this thread after @Clean39T clarified his definition of "classic" --

I think your current Seven already fits that functional niche. I mean, put on a light set of wheels with some fat 25's and a slightly smaller cassette (say 11-28 instead of 11-32), and you're there. What have you really lost in comparison to a "classic" road bike? The aesthetics of a horizontal top tube? The tiniest fraction of one percent of performance with marginally shorter chainstays and brake arms?

This is why I love road bikes that are dialed to the point of being able to fit 32's, either with maxed-out short reach brakes or with medium-reach brakes. You're not really giving up any more than 0.2 or 0.5% performance for a trade-off with a lot more functionality for bad pavement or good dirt roads. On a day that I know I'm sticking to good roads, I can drop in a skinnier set of tires on lightweight wheels and the bike sings. On a regular day, I can still handle the short segments of 0.5 to 2 miles of dirt and enjoy a great ride.

[KidWok]

My main reason for not going more modern is the ridiculousness of forced obsolescence. The "modern" stuff out now has a more limited shelf life than anything from prior to 2010 because of proprietary standards that companies are only willing to support for a short period of time. Wheels, BB's, HS, brakes, seatposts/seatmasts, etc...Once any of this stuff breaks or is no longer supported, it's more downtime for the bike. I haven't found that the newer stuff is faster, more comfortable, or better functioning enough (if at all) to justify the lack of durability and serviceability. I've owned some of it and sold it off because it's just not worth dealing with in the long run.

Tai

[shinomaster]

My main reason for not going more modern is the ridiculousness of forced obsolescence. The "modern" stuff out now has a more limited shelf life than anything from prior to 2010 because of proprietary standards that companies are only willing to support for a short period of time. Wheels, BB's, HS, brakes, seatposts/seatmasts, etc...Once any of this stuff breaks or is no longer supported, it's more downtime for the bike. I haven't found that the newer stuff is faster, more comfortable, or better functioning enough (if at all) to justify the lack of durability and serviceability. I've owned some of it and sold it off because it's just not worth dealing with in the long run.

Tai

I agree! I tend to keep bikes for a long time.

[Smitty2k1]

This is why I love road bikes that are dialed to the point of being able to fit 32's, either with maxed-out short reach brakes or with medium-reach brakes. You're not really giving up any more than 0.2 or 0.5% performance for a trade-off with a lot more functionality for bad pavement or good dirt roads. On a day that I know I'm sticking to good roads, I can drop in a skinnier set of tires on lightweight wheels and the bike sings. On a regular day, I can still handle the short segments of 0.5 to 2 miles of dirt and enjoy a great ride.

I think this is what I want as my first "real" road bike. Got any suggestions on frames/bikes that are affordable?

[Spoker]

Not racing anymore I really appreciate the performance of my stiif- carbon - lazy geometry -carbon- disc all road bike. Pretty sure I would have raced better on this bike as well.
Will not sell the old steel bike though. I can thrive any day on nostalgia.

[robt57]

My first post wildfire ride in some clean air, 30mm tubulars, air in tire was clean too... ;)

Boy it was nice to roll after all that..

Kinda Classic, Helix Disc w/tubulars, classic road position. Little extra WB is all. ;)

[s4life]

Hmm.. was wondering about this question myself, but I find it hard to imagine any modern setup being able to replicate the feeling of a classic road bike matched with a high quality steel fork. If that's your thing, I don't think you'll ever be without one.

[bigbill]

I was sorting bikes today to keep four in ready standby and put the rest in the shed. The shed is insulated and I'm in bone-dry Arizona so they're fine. I kept the Coconino MTB, Coconino DDRR, Lynskey Helix, and Pegoretti BLE ready to go. The Merckx MX Leader, Former Shaklee GT, Serotta Ti, and Gunnar Crosshairs went into storage. I consider the BLE to be a classic road bike, its close to 15 years old now. With the roads around here, I really have no use for a ultra stiff modern carbon wonder bike. I'll rotate the Merckx in this winter but it will only clear a fat 25.

[Tandem Rider]

I can't imagine not riding a road bike. I have 4 total, 2 are wall queens that haven't been ridden in a while. A custom steel "upgraded" to 9spd with max tire size 23 Vittorias. This thing is as close to perfect fit and "fly by thoughts" as I have ever ridden. I left it on a hook for over 20 years. A couple months ago I hung some modernish drivetrain parts on it and now it's my favorite "just go out and roll on pavement" bike. Specialized SLwhatever carbon bike, probably the most practical actual modern race bike I could have. I kept it in case I ever wanted to jump into group rides again, probably should be honest with myself and just move it on.

[Ernesto]

Hmm.. was wondering about this question myself, but I find it hard to imagine any modern setup being able to replicate the feeling of a classic road bike matched with a high quality steel fork. If that's your thing, I don't think you'll ever be without one.

This. Completely agree about the high quality steel fork... it’s the special sauce!

[choke]

And we can't negate that road bikes must be ridden on the road - where big dumb animals are piloting big dumb death missiles - and must have reasonably decent roads to be ridden, which city and county budgets are struggling to keep providing.I have to disagree with this. I get that most people aren't willing to take a pure road bike on to the dirt but they will survive it. I've done Cino twice on bikes that wouldn't fit anything larger than 26mm wide (Merckx and Pogliaghi) and they worked just fine. A lot of people have done Cino on 23s.

This is an example of a smoother section...

http://cino16.ciocctoo.com/cino16-3.jpg

[Clean39T]

I have to disagree with this. I get that most people aren't willing to take a pure road bike on to the dirt but they will survive it. I've done Cino twice on bikes that wouldn't fit anything larger than 26mm wide (Merckx and Pogliaghi) and they worked just fine. A lot of people have done Cino on 23s.


There's a difference between "I can ride that" or "It's a fun challenge to ride gravel/dirt on 23s/25s" and being able to truly enjoy it in a sustainable and less risk-prone way. The margin for error is very slim when you're riding narrow tires off road and the toll it takes on your body can be large. One wrong line choice or some unseen sand or a hidden square-edge rock and it's game over, where's the life-flight gonna land time. I'm not saying you can't do an Eroica/Cino ride on narrow tires, obviously you can - but that doesn't mean those tires or the bikes they're on are a good day-in day-out substitute for modern gravel wheels/tires/frames.

[Clean39T]

This. Completely agree about the high quality steel fork... it’s the special sauce!

Also agree there. It's the main reason I need/want a second Kirk, an Ellis, a Hampsten, or a Waterford or..... But I'll have to see how much I like the road riding in Bend first. Something tells me I'm going to be more drawn to the dirt there and that will dictate how much time/effort/money I devote to road pursuits. Since I'm moving right before winter though, it may be a good 4+ months before I'm even asking the question!

[Kirk007]

Also agree there. It's the main reason I need/want a second Kirk, an Ellis, a Hampsten, or a Waterford or..... But I'll have to see how much I like the road riding in Bend first. Something tells me I'm going to be more drawn to the dirt there and that will dictate how much time/effort/money I devote to road pursuits. Since I'm moving right before winter though, it may be a good 4+ months before I'm even asking the question!

I think you will be thrilled with both, often on the same ride. But there are plenty of long road loops - Cascade Lakes etc.- where the nice zing of a pure road bike might be really nice.

[mhespenheide]

I have to disagree with this. I get that most people aren't willing to take a pure road bike on to the dirt but they will survive it. I've done Cino twice on bikes that wouldn't fit anything larger than 26mm wide (Merckx and Pogliaghi) and they worked just fine. A lot of people have done Cino on 23s.


They'll survive it, but when has this forum been about surviving?

I'd also counter that Cino and Eroica are really looking back farther, to an era when most bikes would fit 27 x 1.25 or even 27 x 1.5 tires. Most bikes from the 60's and 70's (or even the 40's and 50's) for the re-enactment rides handle dirt with aplomb. But many riders already own a lugged steel bike from the mid-eighties or later (or those are what are easier to find on the used market) and while those are technically legal, they're not necessarily the aim of the events. (Not trying to gatekeep here; come out and ride whatever you've got!)

[Clean39T]

I think you will be thrilled with both, often on the same ride. But there are plenty of long road loops - Cascade Lakes etc.- where the nice zing of a pure road bike might be really nice.

You'll be welcome to bring a couple with you on your next trip down..

:beer:

[mhespenheide]

I think this is what I want as my first "real" road bike. Got any suggestions on frames/bikes that are affordable?

Here are some prior discussions/posts/threads:
Late 70's and early 80's semi-vintage steel frames with clearances. (https://forums.thepaceline.net/showpost.php?p=2700002&postcount=11)

Thread with plenty of suggestions. (https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=210386)

[galgal]

Interesting thread and my short answer to original question would simply be that yes, a classic road bike is always going to be central part of my stable. Question in return: is a C40 a classic road bike? It's not steel and has a carbon fork and yet...
My current stable has a C40 along with a C59, a Moots Vamoots RSL and Colnago Conic Spiral SLX w/Precisa fork. I rode the last one yesterday after a week of of riding the RSL, and it felt great, not a let down after the Moots at all. It's all good really, I feel fortunate to have these choices, and it's about enjoying the ride right?
So about the C40, to my mind it's a classic road bike, even though it's carbon and has a carbon fork. It has the classic Colnago lines, looks and rides the part, is super comfy and paired with Hyperons (and oh those horribly narrow Corsa 25s) is heaven to ride all day - on roads.
Reportedly is ok on cobbles too, though I haven't tried :)

[Kirk007]

\is a C40 a classic road bike?

one of the most classic in my mind.

[akelman]

I was able to get back to riding after a long health-related hiatus by buying a gravel bike. I mostly roll 35s and can keep up with my buddies on road rides. It's a wonderful bike, and I very rarely feel like I'm missing something when I'm riding it. That said, I did decide a couple of months ago that I wanted to see if I can make a more traditional racing bike work, so I bought something here. It needs a new stem and some other minor tweaks. Once I've got everything in place, I'll report back about my experience.

I anticipate feeling like an idiot for cheating on my gravel bike, crawling back and hoping it'll accept my apology, and then living happily ever after (until the next frame catches my wandering eye, and I make the same horrible mistake again).

[Clean39T]

Interesting thread and my short answer to original question would simply be that yes, a classic road bike is always going to be central part of my stable. Question in return: is a C40 a classic road bike? It's not steel and has a carbon fork and yet...
My current stable has a C40 along with a C59, a Moots Vamoots RSL and Colnago Conic Spiral SLX w/Precisa fork. I rode the last one yesterday after a week of of riding the RSL, and it felt great, not a let down after the Moots at all. It's all good really, I feel fortunate to have these choices, and it's about enjoying the ride right?
So about the C40, to my mind it's a classic road bike, even though it's carbon and has a carbon fork. It has the classic Colnago lines, looks and rides the part, is super comfy and paired with Hyperons (and oh those horribly narrow Corsa 25s) is heaven to ride all day - on roads.
Reportedly is ok on cobbles too, though I haven't tried :)

In my mind all of those are archetypical road bikes - geometry you'd see at the road races in the '90s-'10s, tire clearances from the later end of that era, meant to be ridden on good or better pavement, etc.

And yes, it's about enjoying the ride - my question was simply how and why and who is choosing to enjoy the ride on a classic road bike these days, vs. choosing gravel, endurance, or aero options..

[B4_Ford]

Interesting question. I’m sure I’ll always have a “classic” road bike, or two, or three, in my collection. I appreciate each of my bikes for what they are and the experience I have with them. My CIII is the bike that feels like it’s always ready to go faster than I am and is supremely stable and smooth at any speed. The craftsmanship that went into it is on par with the hand built Italian bikes that I’ve ridden. My Litespeed Tuscany is, well, a Litespeed. When new, it was the bike I always wanted but could never afford. When I had the chance to buy it used, I didn’t ask permission. I appreciate my LeMond Ti because of the history and uniqueness of that specific bike, even though it rides like 25 year old retired race bike. All my classics are instantly familiar. They’re essentially what I learned to love cycling on. They’re mechanically simple and I’m comfortable doing almost all required maintenance on them. Having said all that, I love my Giant XTC Composite mountain bike because it’s the first mountain bike I’ve owned in nearly 30 years. It’s got me fooled into thinking that I can do the same dumb stuff on a bike that I used to do on my old Rockhopper, only this time with better health insurance. I love my Specialized Diverge for the fact that I can easily ride across terrain that I previously would have found alternate routes around. I’m still not comfortable turning the screws on it, but it’s forcing me to learn the finer points of modern components. It might be the bike that keeps me evolving.

Simply put, my classic bikes keep me grounded in why I love riding, and the modern ones show me more reasons to love riding.

Edit: I just reread what I wrote. I realize that I probably sound like grandpa reminiscing about days long past.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[choke]

There's a difference between "I can ride that" or "It's a fun challenge to ride gravel/dirt on 23s/25s" and being able to truly enjoy it in a sustainable and less risk-prone way. The margin for error is very slim when you're riding narrow tires off road and the toll it takes on your body can be large. One wrong line choice or some unseen sand or a hidden square-edge rock and it's game over, where's the life-flight gonna land time. I'm not saying you can't do an Eroica/Cino ride on narrow tires, obviously you can - but that doesn't mean those tires or the bikes they're on are a good day-in day-out substitute for modern gravel wheels/tires/frames. I can't say that I have ever felt unsafe riding on dirt/gravel with skinny tires. They do feel less capable though, as well as less comfortable. But I do prefer wider tires and usually pick a bike with them.

And yes, it's about enjoying the ride - my question was simply how and why and who is choosing to enjoy the ride on a classic road bike these days, vs. choosing gravel, endurance, or aero options.. I'm not sure if the Strada Bianca qualifies as a gravel or endurance bike but its certainly the closest thing that I have to one. Most of the time I'm on it or the Losa, which will fit 30mm tires, and probably 85% of my riding time is on dirt/gravel.

[Clean39T]

I was able to get back to riding after a long health-related hiatus by buying a gravel bike. I mostly roll 35s and can keep up with my buddies on road rides. It's a wonderful bike, and I very rarely feel like I'm missing something when I'm riding it. That said, I did decide a couple of months ago that I wanted to see if I can make a more traditional racing bike work, so I bought something here. It needs a new stem and some other minor tweaks. Once I've got everything in place, I'll report back about my experience.

I anticipate feeling like an idiot for cheating on my gravel bike, crawling back and hoping it'll accept my apology, and then living happily ever after (until the next frame catches my wandering eye, and I make the same horrible mistake again).

Looking forward to seeing your new ride!

[ridethecliche]

Is this classic enough?

https://i.imgur.com/PgE39dL.jpg

[Mike V]

Is this classic enough

It's big enough :banana:

[robt57]

Classic Tarmac getting maiden tire voyage tomorrow. Glued rear up this morning. Oldpotatoe method...

Looking forward to these 25mm LGG tubeless toobies on some Rolf CX58s I got recently.

http://coupekiss.host-ed.me//images/pics/SL3-Tarmac-Rolfs_LGG-tubulars-Med.jpg

[robt57]

Nm

[reuben]

Where does a classic road bike fit in your cycling life?

Not high enough.

[KJMUNC]

It's funny, I go through cycles with this same question and have for 15yrs. When I own old steel or something that most would call classic, I ride it and like it, but if I have a modern bike on the hook next to it, I often wind up choosing it more often, so I sell the steel bike.....and then eventually start thinking about how great they are again. I've done this with my 1st MXL, Primato, 3 Team SCs, 3 C50's, a C40, Dogma FP, 2nd MXL, Z-team Lemond, etc.

At this point I have a fully modern gravel bike (3T Exploro), fully modern road bike (Factor O2 disc), and a bit of a modern throwback with the Trek Domane Classics from Roubaix. To me, I have all my bases covered and don't really hanker for an old steel classic. Like many, I've come to prefer 28c tires, wider gearing (without having to invest in new cranksets), etc.

That said, if (big IF) I go down that road again, I'll build up a classic steel with modern components. I think ultimately that has been the deal killer for me every time....it was fun to source and build bikes with DT shifters, skinny rims, clunky 1st gen handlebar shifters, etc.....but at the end of the day I didn't ride them as often as the newer tech. I appreciate them, but I don't choose them.

So I guess for me it comes down to why you want to ride them: if you really want to feel nostalgic and experience older tech - that's one choice. Or you just like collecting cool old bikes....whatever works for you I suppose.

[tuscanyswe]

It's funny, I go through cycles with this same question and have for 15yrs. When I own old steel or something that most would call classic, I ride it and like it, but if I have a modern bike on the hook next to it, I often wind up choosing it more often, so I sell the steel bike.....and then eventually start thinking about how great they are again. I've done this with my 1st MXL, Primato, 3 Team SCs, 3 C50's, a C40, Dogma FP, 2nd MXL, Z-team Lemond, etc.

At this point I have a fully modern gravel bike (3T Exploro), fully modern road bike (Factor O2 disc), and a bit of a modern throwback with the Trek Domane Classics from Roubaix. To me, I have all my bases covered and don't really hanker for an old steel classic. Like many, I've come to prefer 28c tires, wider gearing (without having to invest in new cranksets), etc.

That said, if (big IF) I go down that road again, I'll build up a classic steel with modern components. I think ultimately that has been the deal killer for me every time....it was fun to source and build bikes with DT shifters, skinny rims, clunky 1st gen handlebar shifters, etc.....but at the end of the day I didn't ride them as often as the newer tech. I appreciate them, but I don't choose them.

So I guess for me it comes down to why you want to ride them: if you really want to feel nostalgic and experience older tech - that's one choice. Or you just like collecting cool old bikes....whatever works for you I suppose.


Im very much the same. But steel frames new or old with modern and the best components is a blast. Try it i think u may end up picking it a lot!

[teleguy57]

Classic Tarmac getting maiden tire voyage tomorrow. Glued rear up this morning. Oldpotatoe method...

Looking forward to these 25mm LGG tubeless toobies on some Rolf CX58s I got recently.

http://coupekiss.host-ed.me//images/pics/SL3-Tarmac-Rolfs_LGG-tubulars-Med.jpg

Please don't make me want to buy some of those as well as the Challenge tubeless tubulars that you have written about so fondly.... I do have one more spare Vlaanderen hanging in the shop.

And +100 on Peter's gluing method. It's not scary rocket science or old-world voodoo, folks:)

[robt57]

It's funny, I go through cycles

Your don't say? :rolleyes: A few here do that literally of course.

I go down that road again, I'll build up a classic steel with modern components. I think ultimately that has been the deal killer for me every time....it was fun to source and build bikes with DT shifters, skinny rims, clunky 1st gen handlebar shifters, etc.....but at the end of the day I didn't ride them as often as the newer tech. I appreciate them, but I don't choose them.

I sold my 85 Nago in 2015, it came home as frame/fork 3 years later. Chorus 11s and light fast wheels... Superb. I was not riding it much and let it go when the 8 Speed Ergo Mirage was pretty long in the tooth. Never do that again...

It is as ride-able as anything else I have with modern bits/wheels etc. It just has a bit of pork VS that Tarmac for example. Not enough it matters for my old ars.

[Waldo62]

Unless I am on a TIGged Rock Lobster or Rob English, all my riding is on classic lugged steel bikes. The 23-25 tire size limitation is BS to me. My 1978 Ron Cooper racing frame accommodates 30s and that's what that bike has and it rides great. My 1990s Glenn Erickson only allows for 26s and that's what I use. Ditto for my 1982 Brian Baylis -- 26s. My early '90s Nagasawa Road barely fits 25s, so that's what it has. If it had more room, it would get bigger tires. My 1984 Richie Sachs, 2019 Spectrum "Tom Kellogg," and late '80s Greg Diamond, etc. let me run 28s, which is what I do. I haven't used 23s in over 15 years. Sacrificing comfort and contact patch size makes no sense to me. I wouldn't use a tire smaller than the frame allows.

[galgal]

It's funny, I go through cycles with this same question and have for 15yrs. When I own old steel or something that most would call classic, I ride it and like it, but if I have a modern bike on the hook next to it, I often wind up choosing it more often, so I sell the steel bike.....and then eventually start thinking about how great they are again. I've done this with my 1st MXL, Primato, 3 Team SCs, 3 C50's, a C40, Dogma FP, 2nd MXL, Z-team Lemond, etc.

At this point I have a fully modern gravel bike (3T Exploro), fully modern road bike (Factor O2 disc), and a bit of a modern throwback with the Trek Domane Classics from Roubaix. To me, I have all my bases covered and don't really hanker for an old steel classic. Like many, I've come to prefer 28c tires, wider gearing (without having to invest in new cranksets), etc.

That said, if (big IF) I go down that road again, I'll build up a classic steel with modern components. I think ultimately that has been the deal killer for me every time....it was fun to source and build bikes with DT shifters, skinny rims, clunky 1st gen handlebar shifters, etc.....but at the end of the day I didn't ride them as often as the newer tech. I appreciate them, but I don't choose them.

So I guess for me it comes down to why you want to ride them: if you really want to feel nostalgic and experience older tech - that's one choice. Or you just like collecting cool old bikes....whatever works for you I suppose.

I've been away from the PL for quite a while but do remember some of the pics of your bike builds - great stuff. And yes, I agree with you and Tuscanyswe that a "classic" bike with modern components can be a blast. I used to to have my bikes with period silver shiny Campy which was very pretty but going to relatively new (haven't gotten to 12 sp yet!) was quite a revelation. Now the C40 has 2015 + mix of Record/SR 11/Hyperons, C59 has SR11/Hyperon Ultra 2, Colnago SLX has mix of Record/Chorus 11/Shamal Mille C17. Yes, I know, I should get a "modern" carbon wheelset one of these days but the Hyperons are quite stellar, so loathe to change.
I ride road exclusively and racing days are long gone so these bikes are way enough to put a smile on my face while cycling. Don't need the latest lightest aero frame but do want bikes that weave into my own personal (hi)story and that of cycling (as far as I know either...).
I most certainly don't have the bike knowledge and experience of many here, so I can only appreciate and learn from some of the shared knowledge regarding nuances and details. That being said, whether one chooses to have a "classic" bike seems to depend on personal preferences, needs and aims, terrain one rides, and such. Tire width for road tires is something others can speak of more expertly. I don't look down on my tires while riding and think, damn I wish I had 30mm tires, gotta get rid of this bike.

[Kirk007]

While not classic as in old, and not classic as in level top tube, I just finished up a ride this afternoon on a 2019 Spectrum lugged steel bike, steel fork, rim brakes, alloy wheels, 25 (well they measure out at 27) tires. It weighs more than all my other road bikes including a Spectrum ti "all road" disc bike.

It also has me thinking that I could sell all the rest - a Sachs, a carbon Hampsten, the ti Spectrum, the Dogma F10 disk - and rarely miss them. The ride is that good.

[ridethecliche]

Unless I am on a TIGged Rock Lobster or Rob English, all my riding is on classic lugged steel bikes. The 23-25 tire size limitation is BS to me. My 1978 Ron Cooper racing frame accommodates 30s and that's what that bike has and it rides great. My 1990s Glenn Erickson only allows for 26s and that's what I use. Ditto for my 1982 Brian Baylis -- 26s. My early '90s Nagasawa Road barely fits 25s, so that's what it has. If it had more room, it would get bigger tires. My 1984 Richie Sachs, 2019 Spectrum "Tom Kellogg," and late '80s Greg Diamond, etc. let me run 28s, which is what I do. I haven't used 23s in over 15 years. Sacrificing comfort and contact patch size makes no sense to me. I wouldn't use a tire smaller than the frame allows.
Such a shame my 84 trek 760 won't readily accept 28s
😭

While not classic as in old, and not classic as in level top tube, I just finished up a ride this afternoon on a 2019 Spectrum lugged steel bike, steel fork, rim brakes, alloy wheels, 25 (well they measure out at 27) tires. It weighs more than all my other road bikes including a Spectrum ti "all road" disc bike.

It also has me thinking that I could sell all the rest - a Sachs, a carbon Hampsten, the ti Spectrum, the Dogma F10 disk - and rarely miss them. The ride is that good.

Dibs?

[Ralph]

When you say "Classic" road bike.....I tend to think that means frames with 73/73 angles on frames with top tubes in my length (55-56 CM). 55-56 square. Not so much about frame and fork materials, older parts, or tire widths. With tall head tube and higher bars. Where riding position on the "drops" about same as riding on the hoods on a "modern" bike.

[Bob Ross]

Count me in the Road Bike Forever! crowd. I love road cycling; it's what allowed [edit: or caused] me to transition from Casual Utility Cyclist to Obsessive Recreational Cyclist ~15 years ago, and I have yet to do a ride on mixed surfaces and/or on a heavier, fatter-tired, squishy (or not), disc brake equipped bike that rivals the experience of flying down a smoothly paved road on a light, skinny tubed/skinny tired race bike.

Plus I own at least one "classic road bike" that you can't pry from my cold dead hands, so that'll always be in my garage.

[texbike]

All of my bikes fit into the "classic" category (rim brakes, skinnier tires/higher pressures, cable-actuated shifting, etc). The format has served me well for over 25 years. Since I rarely ride on gravel (it's a LONG ride or a drive to find any gravel around here), my current bikes are just fine and there isn't any real desire to move to a "modern" bike.

Texbike

[NHAero]

It's been revealing to me, over the past several months in which, due to COVID, my mileage has increased compared to past years, that my average speeds (slow - 14 to 17 mph depending on route, length, and especially wind conditions) are virtually the same on my 1989 Casati and more modern 2013 Firefly. The FF is 4 pounds lighter and has a light and slightly aero alloy wheelset. Maybe I'd be marginally faster on a 15 pound aero superbike like an SL7, but my point is that for many of us an older steel road bike set up with a modern drivetrain is more than adequate, and indeed delightful.

Having owned the Casati for a 4-1/2 months and over 750 miles, I've been wondering if this had been my bike since new I'd have had so many bikes along the way. My original custom has a 57.2 cm TT, and the Casati is 54.6, which is just right. My odyssey through various bikes began when I experienced neck issues from the too-big bike.

[Kirk007]

Dan, this classic bike is, as Dave Thomson says, just our size - for sale at Classic Cycles on the Island. Next time I go in I'll grab better photos.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200925/2ee643402542f125286e51dc06d7ab31.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200925/a79c7cb98c5e6cfd3089b014600f137c.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200925/f6ee0024a69b17a184b0d8b40619ab50.jpg

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

[Clean39T]

Dan, this classic bike is, as Dave Thomson says, just our size - for sale at Classic Cycles on the Island. Next time I go in I'll grab better photos.


That is classic - and classy..

http://classiccycleus.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/1985-Guerciotti.jpg

How bout the DeBernardi a little further down?

http://classiccycleus.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Used-De-Bernardi-61cm-road-bike.jpg

Quite a deal there at $849..

http://classiccycleus.com/home/specials/used-bikes/

[Elefantino]

I had that DeBernardi. Amazing ride. It's been for sale there for a while and was thisclose to getting it (the shop will ship to lower 48) when the Merckx came up for sale and I got that instead.

[robt57]

Finally got a real ride on the 25mm LGG toobies. Of course fanboying on them after one ride is premature, but initial impression is Very Very Good IMO.

And the braking performance on the Rolfs is VG as well. Well pleased there, even though I cheat. [By using old pull shifters with new pull calipers for ze clamp-age]


Please don't make me want to buy some of those as well as the Challenge tubeless tubulars that you have written about so fondly.... I do have one more spare Vlaanderen hanging in the shop.

And +100 on Peter's gluing method. It's not scary rocket science or old-world voodoo, folks:)