I bought my 1973 Holdsworth new in 73. It cost 125 us. It has been my only bicycle since. Twice rebuilt, never had a issue that I could not fix myself. The frame is Reynolds 531, a mag- moly tubing. It doesn't rust but oxidises. The BB was without paint for over 30 years. I toured in all weather. 2 more years and we'll be together for 50 years. Wish me luck.
Good luck, Kurt, but I don't think you'll need it! Sounds like you've got a great bike there. I'm a big fan of the 531. I've got a 1963 Frejus built with 531 and I know what you mean when you say it oxidizes but doesn't rust. It gets a really nice patina. May you have many more years on your Holdsworth!
@@bikestrikesrazors Thanks for the good wishes. The reason these old gems are so rare is that we rode the paint right off of them. Boys are hard on there bikes. The only decal on that bike was the Reynolds, all other graphics were painted by hand. Long gone.
Wow, this is the comment new bicycle manufactures definitely dont want people to know. but well, business is business, and they always had to find ways to make the market consume more
And most of what retailers call higher quality bikes are made in The PRC anyway. What's the point in spending a lot of money on something that's PRC made? Yet, idiots are doing it. I don't understand these people.
Great video! Got in trouble from my mom in 1972 for spending so much money on a new Gitane ($130). Twenty years ago, I put new rims (Araya) and tires on it. Hadn't really rode it since then. Took the wheels in last month to have them trued and bearings done ($65)....and splurged on new handle bar tape. My 50 year old bike is running better than new, and I'm loving every minute of it! As a Senior, I'm feeling like a kid again!
Well done! I have had a “top of the line” carbon 11 speed wonder bike. It was nice but I sold it after a few months and back to my 1987 Eddy Merckx - SLX super butted steel “Cadillac.” Dura Ace 7700 components. It has well over 100,000 miles on it and still looks great, works great, and handles like it’s on rails. It will go as fast as this 62 year old engine can pedal it!
Right, I bought a 1951 Fausto Coppi designed ‘Maino’ w/Campangolo non-indexed gears…for 100€!!! It’s in descent shape and I intend to polish it and bring it back to ‘like new’ condition. I also live here in N.E. Italy 🇮🇹 as an expat-my wife is an Italian who is also a singer~ Love these roads too!!!
Me too..I have a 1970's Legnano. I bought it for second hand and I still have it now. Previous owner used it for tour d'Australia according to him. Morden rider@young rider does not know that my bike is a legend bike
LOL.....I had a1985 Eddy Merckx Professional. Bought it new with Dura Ace 7400 ( 8 speed). Put around 100k on it like you before I sold it. Never one issue with the frameset. Went to lightweight carbon and went through 4 frames in 8 years. All the top names. No accidents, falling over, or over torquing on fasteners. Just normal use like I did on the Merckx. Currently riding Titanium for 5 years with no issues. Do the math. BTW, I'll be 62 early next year also.
I’m 64 and have worked my way “up” to a current TCR that I’ve had for a bit over a year. I just found a ‘87 Schwinn Prologue made by Panasonic for $75. It’s a bit tatty but all original. Rides like a dream and was surprised by the silence of its neglected 600 drivetrain.Lots of possibilities for a restore Thinking tricolor 8 spd. and as light a wheel I can find.
I’m 68 years old and raced on steal frames in the 70’s. These days I use a Carbon frame in my older years to stay competitive on fast group rides. When ever I go back to riding a double butted steal frame, it’s like riding on a cloud. Just a wonderful feeling, my carbon frame just beats me up, it’s so much stiffer. As for components, Shimano Ultegra shifters and caliper brakes are superior to 80’s Campagnolo components. Anyway I learned to work on bikes in the old days. I’m my own mechanic on my newer one. There are plenty of parts for either bike, new or old. Old is not necessary better, it comes down to what you want to ride. Every bike has a purpose. Overall, bike riding is fun. On a huffy, a full vintage, or Carbon race bike. Get out and ride. 😊
Thanks very much for your insights, Andre! Yep, I have a carbon bike also and I love the effectiveness of the newer brakes. I really love having different types of bikes to ride (steel, carbon, vintage, newer) and I can see the benefits to all of them. :)
3 decades ago I bought a lugged Japanese-made steel machine with Ultegra groupset for $500, brand new. That was as costly a bike as I could justify at the time...and now, about 50,000 miles later, I'm still riding it. And it still has the original groupset, except that I changed to clipless pedals and have replaced drivetrain components (such as cassette and chain) due to normal wear. Best $500 I've ever spent in my life. The fit and ride quality are so good that even now, with cost being no object whatsoever, I would never trade it for a new carbon-fiber "wonder bike". No one else has ever worked on the bike, nor does anyone need to...I own every tool I will ever need to maintain it. It is maintained in pristine condition, and performs exactly as it did when brand new. Incidentally, I ride 2x7 gearing, with 12-28 cassette, and I live in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I can't imagine why so many people are lusting for 12 speeds on the rear, only to end up with thinner drivetrain components that wear out more rapidly and are more temperamental to adjust. I have 2 wheelsets (one original/1990, and the other an aero set from around 2015), and I can swap them without touching any adjustments. My drivetrain is always quiet, shifts very crisply, and I don't have to ratchet through 4 sprockets just to adjust to a moderate change in road gradient.
I learned my lesson the hard way with super light and thin chain rings that wore out FAST! That's something I didn't address in the video; modern bikes make a lot of noise. The old steel bikes can be dead silent except for the sound of the cassette whirring.
It must be a Fuji they are so closely built like the bikes in the UK andFrance rip off the label and you can’t tell Fuji was the oldest bike builder at one time 1896 in Japan building all the frames for the others
Hey, Oleg! Your Look 585 is built like my Calfee Tetra Pro. They're both carbon fiber, but they're built using carbon lugs, so I think they're the best of old and new. :)
That video reminded me of something only semi related. A few years back I had an old dryer with a problem beyond my capabilities to fix. I had a discussion with the repair person on whether I should have replaced the unit. He told me not to - as the newer appliances are not built as well. A few months back I repaired my refrigerator after a lightning storm seemed to zap a relay. My fridge is a simple model. The man at the parts place discussed more complex models. He told me that even 5 years after the initial sale that parts will not be available. Yet I remember my parents running an old fridge from the depression era until maybe a decade ago. (It outlived them) So in watching the video about the quality, ease of use and longevity of the older bikes, I saw it fitting the pattern of modern manufacturing and planned obsolescence. Thanks for the video.
I think you’re correct, Daniel, in that quality of manufacturing has declined across the board on almost everything. Unfortunately, it looks like companies are more concerned these days with profit than pride in their products and, like you said, we can’t ignore the planned obsolescence motive. A shame we live in a time when the majority of companies care more about keeping share holders happy than producing a quality product.
I have a mint condition early 80’s Tomassini Sintisi that I bought new. Last week I took it off the wall and have been cleaning, lubing and getting it ready to ride. Such a work of art and the ride is so vibrant it’s amazing
I love your article. I just retired and decided to rehab my 40-year-old Raleigh Super Grand Prix road bike used in countless Triathlons. The frame size alone is not available these days, and as you pointed out, other than a bit of rust, it is as good as it's ever been. I think I paid a little over $500.00 for it back in 1980 and spent about $400.00 to rehab some parts off another Raleigh I had but hadn't ridden as much. It rides wonderfully well for a 66-year-old and is like being with an old friend when I ride.
Was in the biz 1984 - 2000. Witnessed the big bang from the commercial MTB, and the demise of the drop bar road bike. The birth of index shifting, and everything in between. My parts drawers are replete with 7 and 8 speed components, and my rigs are all steel, including my 1986 Moots. 👍😄
funny how you see many drop-bar bikes ridden on mountain highways. i have a roadie and a colorado mountain bike- depending on my terrain (and sometimes mood).
Dude, I agree 100%. I ride my 1981 schwinn traveler . Bought it new in 81 and is all original except for the tires. I love my bike , 10 speed and just a pleasure to ride. I tought my self how to tune it up , from chain to gears. I should add I am 68 years old. I took care of the bike from when it was new. Goes to show how long things can last. Happy riding !
Yes! Thank you very much! I have a 1981 Daccordi and a 1984 Benotto! I love them! Don’t get me wrong I do have a 2016 Kestrel! But I love my classics! Thank you for this video! 👍🚴🏼♂️💪🙏
The trouble here in the UK is these are now expensive to buy. I wonder how many of us can think back and say I really wish I hadn't sold that bike. Great video. Thanks
They seemed to have dried up a bit this side of the pond as well. I'm lucky in that I couldn't really afford a nice bike "back in the day", so I didn't have a nice bike to sell. :) Around here, if you're persistent, you can still turn up a deal.
@@2wheelsrbest327 I'm a Picker! I'm in California and it's what I do for a living. I've found lots of neat stuff over the years, but at least in this part of the country, old, nice bikes and parts are rare.
@@bikestrikesrazors Thank you that's interesting to read. Here in the UK our local refuge collection point have mountains of old bikes but sadly none of any value. Good hunting. 🤞
Nice video! I am 55 now and started cycling in 1983, my first bike was a simple Peugot featuring Simplex derailleurs + Weinmann brakes. It was heavy, the brakes were terrible, but I loved it. From time to time I bought/built a new bike: Raleigh with Shimano 600, Gios compact with DA 7400, some Principias (danish aluminum frames) with DA 7700 an DA 7800. The last years I use my Ridley Damocles (put more than 100.000 km in it, no issues) and a BMC tmr 01...and boy, these are so much better in many aspects. The old steelbikes are nice to look at, and it´s fun to use them once in a while...but for some serious cycling (long trips, riding cols in the alps and so on) I prefer my modern bikes. They just work better. But the good thing about cycling is: you can have so much fun on any bike, may it be old or new, cheap or expensive! It´s cycling what matters, feeling the sun and the wind, breathing fresh air, feeling your body work... enjoy your ride!
I like your philosophy, Ulrich! No matter which bike I'm riding, new or old (and I have both), after a couple of miles I forget about the bike and I'm just "cycling". Enjoy your ride as well!
So right about the value in the 80's machinery. I bought my teenager a Vitus with full first-gen Dura-Ace for $300 and he loves it. Only change we made on it was to switch out the crumbling hoods with some better-feeling modern Shimano levers that hides the cabling for an even better look.
how does 'cabling' not look good? i have really old shimano red-dots that pre-date my bike (1979) by a few years- and i love them. feather-weight, and they utilize built-up clamps, studs, and locknuts (not cheap slotted clamps/screws like weinmann and dia-compe) and i can hang on them as if they were monkey bars. i had to make a plexi scraper to get the sun-baked weinmann hood grips off of them and picked up a new pair of 'cane creek' hood grips- i don't care for routing cables underneath bar tape. first dura-ace stuff was in the mid-70's. i ran a toy store bike shop then and we used to upgrade ten-speed bikes for mom & dad with early 600 and dura-ace parts. of course we laced our own upgraded wheels, too.
@Jeff Hook I think you did pretty well to race juniors on a Vitus, in the 80's I envied the kids who had one. I was lucky to race the mid-80s on a first-gen Specialized Allez with Vittoria sewups but had before that a (much crappier than Vitus) Peugeot with stem shifters and that did not fare very well. I remember another company that could have been a manufacturing precursor to the Vitus called ALAN (ALuminum ANodized?) in the 70's that started this trend. Loved the look of those as well.
@@tommurphy4307 Besides being more aesthetically pleasing (IMO) routing the cabling under the tape helps with aero and practically speaking, provides more hand positioning as one can now rest the palms directly over the hoods without the cable housings obstructing. It can also lessen the risk of items getting caught up from items being passed from teammates at speed and when I need to service the bike by inverting it on the ground, there's no worry about crushing the cabling since it rests nicely as the hoods (sans cables) and the seat that forms a stable tripod from which to make adjustments.
In the 1970s and 80s lightweight steel bikes reached their apotheosis. Components were simple, interchangeable, owner serviceable and long-lasting. The only consumables were bearings, chains, sprockets, cables, pads and tyres, which were inexpensive and could be bought at any bike shop. Then manufacturers rapidly changed componentry standards and created life limited framesets, making bikes disposable and their accountants happy. My five steel bikes run as well as they ever did.
The funny thing is that steel bike frames are in no way obsolete. The advancements in AHS and SHSS Steels for the auto industry is that steel bikes can be made at UCI minimum weights and can be manufactured with modern automated processes like hydroforming. The main reason that you don’t see mass produced steel bikes on the scale of the past is that though capital cost for manufacturing a steel bike are lower than CF the skilled labor costs are far higher. So in the long run when the capital cost of manufacturing is amortized CF bikes are less costly to produce and since the don’t have the durability that steel bikes have you have planned obsolescence built into CF bikes which forces you to replace them after about three years of hard riding as the epoxy binders degrade. So much of what consumers are told about high end road bikes is just marketing hype.
It is impossible to keep what is great about a steel Schwinn in operation. You have to create/modify your own BB inner bearing cups, the stamped washers available as rebuilds simply blow out if you stand up and pedal hard. Replacing the BB ruins the entire point of having a steel Schwinn. That cast opc can't be beaten, it's the correct feel for a cruiser or knock-around bike. I will have to make my own inner races the next time I have to change it out which is about every 200 miles. It's a shame, that old tech was perfect for what I use the bike for, it felt better and was better in every way. At least my v-brake levers are heavy enough to not flex like an old iron Schwinn.
@@TheFogLakeshore you've got eBay- you can find just about anything for a post-war schwinn on there. if you have to replace an old HEAVY ashtabula crank/BB on your schwinn with a newer, retro, cotterless aluminum crank set you are performing a serious upgrade to your bike. schwinn definitely did not make their own brake levers on anything post-war. could you be referring to calipers? i see very few advantages to owning or riding an old schwinn unless its a paramount.
Respect steel as you describe but don’t miss 23mm tires, toe clips or down tube shifters. Not sure what Trek did with epoxy in the 1996 Trek 5200. Replaced the fork for safety but the frame is like a tank, light but keeps going. 🚂 I had a Centurion Comp TA back in the day. It was heavier.
I recently bought an early 90’s diamond back centurion interval road bike from facebook marketplace for $65. Put new brake cables, new shifter cables and housing, new tires and tubes , and a brooks saddle on it now it’s my favorite bike. Parts and labor costed me $80 so I paid $145 for my bike and I love it so much there’s just a different feel and a nice pleasant aesthetic vibe you get from vintage road bikes. It feels so nice to ride and feels extremely strong and reliable!
Beautiful! I'm always amazed when I rescue a vintage bike from a flea market or garage sale, put in the work to get it ride-ready, and find it's an incredible riding bike. Glad to hear you saved that Diamond Back! Enjoy it!
You had me at "are my derailleur batteries charged"! I had a suburban-kid Puch 10-speed that, 10 years on, my parents, as a holiday present, paid our local bike shop to upgrade. Guy was a friend as well as a businessperson reallly hooked us up with full Campy set-up. Dave removed all the old components. I had the frame sandblasted and repainted it myself (with many many light coats of a beautiful cordovan auto paint with clear finish on top). Dave installed all the new components. Damn this thing was beautiful. Rode it all over trails and roads in New York, Scotland, Boston, Philly, and Seattle before it gave its life saving me in a crash. RIP. Thanks for the video!
Sounds like a great bike! I've lost a bike like that as well. The new tech is crazy. SRAM has derailleurs that require software updates. Can't wrap my head around that.
Great video and I agree with you on every point. I have a 46 year old Paramount that I bought for $140 back in 2012 and I wouldn't trade it for anything else. Great bike and rides like a dream. I just love it and will never sell it. I did have to get new tires, tubes, and brake pads. Also I had the spokes replaced with stainless steel units. The bike shop owner had a hard time finding spokes that would fit the wide flange hubs, but eventually he found some in Oregon. He also trued the wheels, it has Araya wheels. It has a nice double-butted lugged frame in 4120 Chromoly steel. Anyway this bike is so nice and still looks nearly new with original paint and decals.
upmarket spokes are getting harder to find. i guess people return ordered spokes more often than any other bike part. when i finally found some dtswiss spokes for my roadie- they made sure to tell me they weren't returnable. i said 'understood'- i've laced many, many wheels and definitely won't be returning them. BTW, i found the spokes at 'the colorado cyclist'- good folks who offered to help me determine what i needed.
I still have my Raleigh Carleton i bought used in 1985! I recently replaced a few parts and was very pleased to see how easy they were to find. Thanks for this video.
@@bikestrikesrazors Thanks! My son (same size as me...) was given a beautiful Motobecane Grand Record this week which he has no interest in- so now I have new project- which is what had me searching vintage road bikes on youtube. Thanks again for your channel!
Unless you race, the latest and greatest is just spending more money. Now if you have free spending money then by all means go for it! But at the end of the day, it just doesn’t matter Cheers
Very right, Tom. It doesn't matter. Even as an old racer I had favourites which were the best. A Coble (Ojai, CA) steel custom, fully lugged and filed, for instance.
Bought my Raleigh International in 1976 for $520. This, when I was driving an old Ford F100 I paid $100 for. Still riding it today, although a few of the components have changed. Changed from sew-ups to clinchers but still use original Campy hubs. Lifetime warranty on the Reynolds 531 frame! I'm 67 years old now so it will probably be part of my estate when I die.
Those Raleigh Internationals are beautiful bikes! What happened to the Ford? My 2003 Ford E-350 is at 650,000 miles, but I'm guessing it may not last too much longer. My vintage bikes, however, will certainly outlive me! :)
My first " 10 speed " was a 74 Peugeot purchased at the " Stanyan Cyclery " in SF, Cali... I was 12 years old, it had the 24 " wheels. I put 6100 miles on it by 1978, bought a brand new Motobecane Mirage from the " Silverdale Bike Pedaler " - in Silverdale, Wa from a fellow named Mike Kalmbach, nice man that he was. I put 4400 miles on it by 1980, and then got out of cycling till a week ago, I bought a new Salsa Journeyer from the Sequim Bike Studio which is an awesome bike shop . I wish I had both those bikes today. I really do. That Motobecane was something else, I raced anyone who would race me and I am to this day unbeaten.... I love old bikes.... new bikes too ! Great vid
I still have my early 1970's era Peugeot.. It had been wrecked before I bought it for $15 in 1974 when I was 15 years old!! A good friend helped me fix it up and we rode them everywhere back in the day!! The bike went everywhere with me back when I was in the Navy and I have a lifetime of memories with it!! My old friend passed away a number of years ago, and he's always on my mind whenever I ride the old Peugeot. I have several lighter bikes now, but the old Peugeot is my hands down sentimental favorite bike to ride!! Over the years I've acquired several other old Peugeot's.... They just seem to follow me home.. plus an old Schwinn Paramount I picked up at a yard sale for $25!! They're all waiting for me to get around to bringing them back to life..... I almost wish I HADN'T seen this video!!! I was planning to sell off all the vintage bikes next Spring, keeping only my original Peugeot.... But after watching this video, I want to keep and ride them ALL!!! :)
@@bikestrikesrazors I'm so glad that I kept it over the last 47 years, and that I still ride it!! I plan to tear it down and overhaul it this Winter. I've thought about repainting it, but I kind of like the old scratches and scrapes on it!! My wife recently asked me if I thought I had too many bikes.... I didn't understand the question!! :)
I was fortunate enough to recieve a 1980s Bridgestone Radac 530. Beautiful piece of art even though it has some issues because it has been unused for a long time, but it still rides fine and goes real fast. Fortunately there are parts available online and in physical stores as well so fixing it would be a breeze. Happy to have something that has a history and will be talked and I will always take pride in my bike♥
@@bikestrikesrazors Hi from England ! Your right older bikes are better ! I have a few modern Carbon bikes but they feel " HOLLOW " ???? Strange ride and feel weird to me , a very hollow feeling I do not get from Alloy or even a 100 year old framed bikes they have a great feel to them and not a weird hollow feel ????
Hey, Curtis! Hello from California. :) Yep, the lighter they make the modern carbon bikes, the more "hollow" they feel. It's nice to feel a little something substantial under your legs while riding. I ride a 1920's bike and it does have a very nice feel to it!@@curtisducati
I have a 1993 Schwinn Paramount with original components. Lots of miles on it so I a few years back I replaced them with used Dura Ace 7800 and 32 Spoke DT Swiss Wheel set. I use it as my commuter/touring bike. I also have a modern 2011 Raleigh International Frame set constructed of Reynolds 853 steel with handcrafted chrome plated lugs and a chrome plated dual crown fork. I equipped it with Campy Athena with and polished aluminum cockpit components and topped it off with a Brooks B-17 saddle and Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheel set. Almost every time I ride either bike someone compliments them. Since I no longer race the advantages of a CF bike are very minimal and the disadvantages, including price, are substantial. The really weird thing about CF road bikes I learned from an Industry insider is that they sell more CF bikes if they charge crazy prices for them than if the charge moderate prices.
Great presentation. The only point to add is geometry. A vintage raked fork displaces much of the road shock (can't say that about a strait carbon fork). The longer vintage chain stays allows for the rider to float between the wheels. The current geometries are more like riding a unicycle with handlebars. I like updating vintage bikes with hollow-tech cranksets, freehubs, and V-brakes. Plus the tires now are greatly improved. All possible on a vintage steel frame. You won't get me to buy or ride disc brakes or carbon anything. I still like friction shifters better than indexing any day. It makes me feels more apart of the bike.
I had a Gitane, built on Reynolds 531 tubing with chrome touches. Sold it to a friend who totaled it in a major crash that destroyed EVERYTHING, from the handlebars to both wheel rims. But like something from out of space, the frame remained unscathed. Upon very close inspection, the fork showed the slightest sign of a bend, not even a 1/4 inch if that. I bought it back and rebuilt it, and took it on tour across Europe, covering about 2000 miles, through the French Alps and all kinds of terrain. I would never trust a new, carbon composite frame, no matter what the price. Vintage 531 is time (and crash) tested. And looks beautiful, double-butted tubing, breathtaking craftsmanship. Nice video!
Good points here. The most important is you can get a GREAT used bike at the same or less cost as a just “okay” new one. The point on craftsmanship is also very true. There is nothing wrong with the function of friction shifters. I greatly prefer disc brakes on mountain bikes. I have never had a mountain bike with rim brakes or a road bike, so I can’t comment on those situations.
All very cool and beautiful. I had Peugeot PX10 with fancy lugs. It was wonderful. I generally am put off by the “latest” thing in, well, I guess everything. However, I don’t miss friction shifters. Indexing could be considered “tried and true.” Moving the lever, hearing that snap and feeling your cadence change is always a satisfying tactile sensation.
Hey, Mark! Those PX10's were/are beautiful bikes. Every time I attend Eroica, California, there are a few riders on black and white PX10's sporting the original Peugeot checkered jerseys. Cool stuff. The best shifting bike I ever rode had indexed downtube shifters. Better than downtube friction shifting and better than indexed "brifter" shifting. Shockingly crisp! :)
@@bikestrikesrazors I have a vintage touring bike with friction bar end shifters. Indexed shifting is OK but friction is easier to maintain maintenance wise.
Ironically, the precision required for indexed shifting made friction shifts much easier. If anything breaks just de-click the derailleur and be on your way. Try that with integrated shifters.
i had a fuji with the early SLS? shifters. with a turn of a screw it could be changed from friction to index. i found myself preferring the friction-shift mode
I have a 1986 steel Nishiki and a 2021 carbon Orbea (both used), I love both for the purposes they serve and I have literally never had any of the problems with modern bikes you speak of. Both have their strengths and limitations. The best bike out there is the bike you're on and the bike you love. I have both because I love both, both are a joy to service and both have a place in my day to day use. Its easy enough to make a video shooting holes in investment one over the other, regardless of which you're partial to.
Hi Aram, Yes, for the sake of the video, I was pointing out the advantages of vintage bikes, mainly because they are dismissed by so many. I have a few "modern" bikes and enjoy riding them often!
Hi Aram, I still have my Nishiki Prestige I purchased in the 80s. Love it. I rode it in the Eroica California, a bike tour exclusively for vintage steel frame bikes.
I can't yet afford expensive Vintage European bikes, but my bike stable does take advantage of the mid-level Japanese & Taiwanese offerings from the mid 80s and early 90s. My Schwinn 86 Prelude (w/Columbus tubing) has to be my favorite bike of all time. I switched it from 27" rims to 700c and it has shimanos Tricolor Groupo! I wish big companies like Shimano and Columbus re-released older groupsets for those of us reusing these classic bikes!
Those sound like some nice bikes, Cajala! There should be enough new old stock parts to keep these bikes going for decades to come. Thanks for watching!
I appreciate this video. I am 56 years old & I love vintage. I have the very same beautiful vintage console record player that graced our living room when I was in grade-school. I have a lovely vintage 1962 Starcraft runabout boat & I have a beautiful vintage 1984 Fuji Del Rey that I've had since high-school & I still absolutely love it, in spite of the snobby attitudes I get from some of the younger bicyclists I see on the road or in bike shops. I prefer the Quality of craftsmanship and classic style.
I’m right there with you, Wooly! Just seems obvious to me how much better the vintage stuff is made and as for quality of design, there’s just no comparison.
My current bike is a Chicago Schwinn road bike, Campy/ Mavic. Down tube shifters. Just a dream to ride. City riding, cobblestone and street and occasionally a pothole. Fast and fun. Cost at a local used charity bike shop, $150.
I completely agree. I've had my 1989 Paramount OS (built in Waterford) since I bought it new with a custom blue smoke paint job, and outfitted it with mix of Suntour Superbe Pro, Mavic, and Specialized components. I'll never sell it.
I agree 100% with you... I not long ago set out a goal to ride 50 miles in a day, I rode 16 on my beach cruiser before it broke down, so I walked down the street to find a 1970's era Gitane Grand Sport Deluxe for sale for 60 dollars, plus it was a California bike so basically 0 rust... I ended up riding the last 34 miles on it without even touching a thing, it needs some TLC but either way I am keeping it forever.
I still have my red Suteki Japanese racing bike that I bought at Sears. I think I paid somewhere between $400 and $500 for it at the time. It may not be as well known as a Fuji but I bet it rides at least just as good with its super smooth Shimano shifters. I take great care of it and its still near mint condition. I started riding it again this past summer and I am looking forward to warmer weather again.
Bought an 80s Bianchi ten years ago and ride it a few times a week, usually on rides 10ish miles in length around the neighborhood area. She’s a beauty, so fun to ride, and I wouldn’t trade it for any new bike
You're preaching to the choir. I ride a '93 Bridgestone RB-1 and an '86 Schwinn Paramount. On group rides, I'm usually the only one on a steel bike and the only rider with down-tube shifters when riding the Schwinn. As you point out, old bikes are works of art. I'm a rebel, I think, with a good cause - a contrarian against electronic shifting, disc brakes, internal cabling and carbon everything. Not to mention that prices for modern road bikes are insane.
In 1975 I bought a Motobecane Grand Record, Reynolds 531 silver with black and gold pin striping and had a Campy Record groupset with pedals and bars put on it a few years later. Large frame so it's a bit flexy but that makes it comfortable. Going to be fifty years old in a couple of years. Cost $350 for the bike and just under $1000 for the Campy upgrade. It's been used as just a road bike. It has a Blackburn rack on it to carry shoes and beer.
I had the chance to buy a 70's Motobecane a few years back. It was a beautiful bike (but not a Grand Record) but the frame was way too big for me. Still think about that bike!
I just picked up one ‘grande record’ for free from my neighbour ‘cleaning up the basement’. Full campagnolo/shimano/ cinelli running gear . Tires were flat, that’s all. But I need new rubber, sort of deteriorated.
I have a custom hand built road bike, a trek MTB, and a Peugeot touring bike, all from the 80s. Remarkably, many of the components, such as the bottom bracket, hubs, rims, cassettes (all indexed 7 speed), stems, chain sets, seat posts, head sets, front mechs, rear mechs, chains, inner and outer cables, ferrules, rims, brake blocks, cantilevers, and all bearings, are interchangeable between these three bikes, even though those bikes were built for entirely different purposes. Needless to say, I decided to stock up with a few spare parts, which I think was a sensible strategy, and, apart from tires and tubes, I haven't actually needed to visit a bike shop for the last thirty years. The bike industry does everything it can to force people into buying replacement bikes as frequently as possible, but here's the point - my decision to "stick" with 80s bikes, has probably saved me at least 100,000 pounds real terms over the last 35 years.
I have no doubt, Neil! There are so many parts floating around for the older bikes, we should be good for our lifetime. :) I just tried to put a 10-speed compact crank on my 90's steel bike (with an 8-speed group) to make it a little easier on the hills and I'm running into issues. Should've just stuck with the older stuff! :)
Great video. Like others here, I also rode a Gitane back in the 1970s. Regrettably, long since gone. While I like the points made in the video, riders should not overlook that some carbon bikes are now also "vintage." A few days ago I picked up a 1995 Trek OCLV 5000 (the only year this model was painted green, as far as I know) for about $200. The previous owner had taken great care of it. This bike rides great and is a blast. Very simple components, relatively speaking. For my purposes, this purchase was money well spent over high-priced "modern" bikes. My next purchase will be a vintage steel bike. Everyone, please enjoy your riding, whatever your preferences.
@@Liofa73 If you don't overtighten the toe straps you won't get stuck - you'll get your feet off the pedals like greased lightning in an emergency, but there'll still be enough grip to stop them slipping off the pedals in normal use. I've been riding for about 65 years, and a young fellow in a bike shop told me that toe clips and straps were dangerous - but set up properly, they're not. Believe me, I know!
Still been riding my 2000 steel 853 Lemond Buenos Aires... just in 2007 I stripped it to the frame...and put a new carbon Easton EC90 fork and Dura Ace components... a titanium Colnago seat post...with a new seat...a carbon handle bar...a carbon stem .. left the original wheels Rolf Vector I love it.... Lemond frame is great 👍
Yep, those Lemond Buenos Aires are great bikes! Enjoy it! Watch the hubs on the Rolf Vector wheels- I had a hub crack on my while riding. Trek honored the warrantee on the wheel even though I had purchased it ten years earlier.
@@bikestrikesrazorsthose Rolf Vector wheels are still working good but I am planning to buy a carbon wheelset in springtime...Compy Bora 35 my one of the choices
I splurged and had new wheels built for my then $400 1984 Bertin track bike. I did have it geared down a sprocket size, my knees are older. And replaced the broken funky French pedals. I had the funky French chain ring replaced with Campi in the 90s. And it still rolls
I got a Bertin and it's magical!!literally it just pulls forward without me pedaling!!wicked fast 44mph when it help peddle also!!the original owner died and I think his spirit is inside it now!!!
it can't be denied that, while they are mechanically complex and expensive to replace, brifters just make sense. brake hoods have become more ergonomic, you can shift while you brake, while you're standing up to pedal, and of course it goes without saying that all of this can be done without having to take either of your hands off of the handlebars. you're right about downtube shifters, though. very simple, durable, not hard to use at all once you get used to them. i've got a pair of shimano 105 downtube shifters on my vitus 979. the right one is indexed and produces a satisfying *snap!* when you actuate the lever, the action is light and it shifts just as precisely as i imagine it did back in 1987; a real testament to the quality of the engineering. if i had to go friction though i'd want suntour power shifters. they were the first downtube shifters i ever used. the ratchet mechanism in them makes actuating them as smooth as spreading warm butter on toast. doesn't get much better than that!
Thanks very much for the comment, Femboy! There are a good number of Vitus fans in the local vintage bike group here in Sacramento! I do love brifters and have them on my more "modern" bikes (late 90's). It always takes me a few minutes to get used to the downtube shifters after not riding one of my older bikes for a while.
In 1985 I spent $1650 for a De Rosa with the best Campagnolo Record component group. At the time, it was hard to spend more on a steel frame bike. I still ride it among other bikes I have. Longer wheelbase and it's steel....steel is pretty sweet.
@@tommurphy4307 It used to be. I had a Honda Civic hatchback for 20 years. Got a newer car and it lasted 8 yrs before I concluded it was costing me too much in maintenance. Traded it for a 2015 Acura with 6MT and last year of the pull up emergency brake - the engine should last 300K. Hopefully my last car (I"m 66).
I bought a 20 year old racing bike last year during lockdown. I tried modern bikes with a similar fit out but they just didn't compare. That ultegra 6000 series is just so much better than the plastic replacements on bikes now. I thought it was a steel bike because the welds were so beautiful but it is a well made aluminum beauty.
Sounds like a beautiful bike, Amanda! Yep, a well designed aluminum bike can ride just as well and look just as beautiful as steel! Glad you found a keeper!
I still ride my 1980s Raleigh steel bike, I changed pedals for cleats though works great. I agree carbon bikes still use a chain and sprockets. Great video, thanks for making it.
Thanks for watching. Most of the folks I know that ride vintage bikes are using clipless pedals with cleats like you are. I’m one of the few nuts still using toe clips and slit cleats. :)
I just turned 36 but way back in middle school i had an old Peugeot road bike from the 80's. I didn't even know what a road bike was back then i think it was purchased from a thrift store. I didn't have anyone to tell me about the sport of competitive cycling(how i wish!) all i knew was that old Peugeot was FAST when i put the pedals down but wasn't "cool" like my chrome bmx bike. I still think about that old Peugeot bike to this day from time to time and wish i had held on to it. I ride a modern Bianchi now and have passed the love of cycling down to my son who cant get off his roadbike. I look at these vintage bikes now and want one now more than ever. They are getting expensive though
What a well done video. And correct on every count. I love my 1981 Miyata 1000, I've upgraded the components and gave it a new paint job and it's good to go for a long time.
Its extremely helpful to buy a vintage ENGLISH bicycle, since the english / UK standards ALL became the ISO standards : 27.2 seatposts, ISO headsets, ISO bottom brackets, ISO freewheels, it's why I collect Raleigh/Carlton bikes, to a great extent ... The only thing that is NOT fully compatible is the modorn Shimano SIS (1984+) derailleur hanger, they are FARTHER from the rear axle than traditional campagnolo derailleur hangers. This means that if you mount a modern Shimano Indexing derailleur on a vintage campagnolo (or Huret or Simplex or Suntour) derailleur hanger, you may encounter cases where the jockey wheels hit the freewheel in the lowest gear.
27.2 is a seatpost standard, however the reaming process after allowing for slight distortion from brazing heat, could vary slightly. A good custom builder would supply an exact seat post without pinching or stretching the seat clamp, and lots of post sizes were available.
Great video! I've got a 1986 Basso Gap frame outfitted with a mishmash of Shimano 105, Ultegra and Dura-Ace. My one nod to modernity was to cold set the rear triangle to 130mm and fit an 8 speed cassette and brifters. It's probably a good six pounds heavier than even a low end carbon bike but, man, is it beautiful! I'll never give it up....I get too many compliments at charity rides and centuries!
Those Bassos are beautiful bikes, Dana! I have a super-light 16 pound BMC and several vintage bikes that weight in the 19-25 pound range, and once I’m riding, I really don’t notice a difference. Heck, two full water bottles add ten pounds. Thanks for watching!
My 1967 Raleigh Grand Prix went into semi-retirement in 1987 when I bought my Raleigh Rocky III Mountain bike. This bike just recently received a “ Tune up” new brake pads & cables, gear cables, new chain & foam hand grips … & Tires with tubes. LOL Rides like a dream. Maybe I’ll do a restoration on the 1967 ???
I was in the bike business from the fall of '72 to the early 1980s and agree 100%. To me, the main artistic attraction of bicycles is the fact that the entire structure and all mechanical components are exposed to view, and the classic builders like Colnago, Masi, Frejus, Holdsworth, Jack Taylor and others took full advantage of this fact. Comparing classic machines to modern CF CAD designed bikes is like comparing steam locomotives to diesels. EDIT: Life in Black and White is the perfect music for this video.
Great minds think alike! :) Wow, the 70's to early eighties was a great time to be working in a bike shop. Some beautiful stuff must have come through there!
The Yellow Jersey, in Madison, Wisconsin, had an 56cm Albert Eisentrout with a white pearlescent paint and a Campy Super Record gruppo in 1984. I had just bought my Bianchi Specialissima when the Trout arrived. To this day, I wish I would've waited a month before I made my purchase. 😂
One other pro for the friction team I don't hear too many people bring up, is ease of groupset replacing and mixing and matching. Since friction doesn't care about cable pull ratio's or having perfect alignment you can upgrade components or swap brands without much trouble other than just putting on the new parts. You don't even need to undo your cockpit depending on location of shifters. Even the argument against downtube/stem shifters can be fixed with Gevenalle "Frifter" Friction Brifters. Brake levers that let you relocate your DT shifters to the hoods. While I can't say how they ride, they do offer the same simplicity and reliability of friction without removing your hands.
@@bikestrikesrazors Yep, fell in love when I got bored and threw a Shimano 10-spd 11-36t cassette on an 8sp freehub, and managed to use the original 7 speed rear derailleur with it. All it took was a thumbshifter or a Microshift Sram 11 speed bar end in friction mode
@@ShortGuac well ya gotta remember the cog-spacing drops to 4mm with the 10-11 speed cassettes. the width of a 10-speed cassette is 36mm and the width on the 7 speed freewheels is 30mm- so not that much of a difference. sometimes you can get away with the old shifter- only way to know for sure is to try it.
That Frejus is beautiful! you make a lot of very good points, I am still riding my 1987 BH Campagnolo (bought new by me), built in Spain, modest Columbus Aelle frame but given a very decent paint job, and equipped with a Triomphe groupset, sure shes developed some minor Patina over the years and have changed minor parts here and there, but she still looks well -- "sexy" shes still all Vintage Campagnolo with some Zues here & there, we have done lots of miles and grown old together , touch wood never dropped her, and you can always refurb / overhaul , whatever ,vintage Campanolo one last time.
Thanks for watching, jezztech! I always tell people I'll change the components on my bikes when they wear out. So far, I've just had to replace chains, cassettes and a few chainrings! I think the mid to late 80's was a golden age for bikes.
campy stuff never impressed me- i had a campy seat clamp bolt on one of my nissan lightweight bikes just so i could say it had campy stuff on it. now- nothing campy- who cares?
My two favorite bikes ever: 80's Miyata Professional. Suntour Surberbe Pro components / hubs. Mavic MA2 / MA3 rims. I rode as a messenger ( '98 - 2001`). Doorings, accidents and put around 60,000 miles on it. Smooth and tough as nails. Continued as a touring bike until it broke in 2011 from water getting into down tube lug. 1989 Bridgestone RB-1. 105 hubs/components. Later on found an Ultegra Crank. 23 x 13 6 speed. Friction bar end shifters. Campagnolo Moskova Rims ( that still have to go out of true ). Did the Lifecycle/AIDS ride a few years back from SF to LA. Didn't miss a beat. Still have this one and its still the most comfortable/responsive bike I've been on.
Those are both beautiful bikes, Meow! Shame about the Miyata, but you can't complain too much after it put in a hard 60,000 miles! You don't hear too much about Suntour Superbe components, but I have them on a bike and they perform every bit as well as anything from that time period. Cudos on the Lifecycle/AIDS Ride! I have a friend that does it every year. No way I could do that kind of distance, sleep in a tent and then do it again the next day, and the next day! :) Thanks for watching!
One of my five rides is a Ron Kitching frame cs 1972 with all Campy parts except for the crankset, which I couldn't afford 45 years ago. When I rebuilt the bike as a hybrid/ city bike 5 years ago I installed a city bar, my Brooks B17 which I never liked on my Surly LHT, but also the original Universal Super 68 short drop calipers that were the pros' choice before Campy introduced their game changing side pull in the early 70s. Having lots of parts around from the era when I was racing (late '70s) usually makes repair straightforward. Here is my 50+ years experience distilled to an aphorism: a vintage bike is a simple, precision machine, that anybody can understand. A modern bike is a complicated, precision machine that only specialists can understand.
My steel 1984 Schwinn Le Tour Luxe has been upgraded in a few ways, but it is still a vintage steel bike. And it is the best bike I've ever owned! I can attest to this after riding the last four RAGBRAIs on it.
I kind like the three pound frame Cannonade’s that were made in 1994 road bike and the three pound hard tail mountain bike frames of 1994&1995 still a beautiful frame and very smooth ride.😊
Great video, thanks! The biggest downside to vintage bikes for me are the rim brakes, since I've become spoiled with disc brakes. Otherwise I couldn't agree more.
Thanks for watching, Richard! I still haven't gone over to disc brakes on the road bikes, but I never ride in the rain (except today, when I got caught in the rain!).
O, yes I do love disc brakes. When you come down a twisty mountain road on a fully loaded touring bike and it is snowing and raining ,that is when you wish for disc brakes and not the Campy Record side pull brakes!
Thanks, Pat! I've had that jersey for almost twenty years now, but it looks like Vintage Velos is still selling it (although they're out of stock right now): www.vintagevelos.com/en/team-wool-jerseys/11-2808-cinzano-wool-jersey.html
I miss my 1961 Rotrax. When I got bar-end shifters, changing gear was almost as easy as with modern shifters. I only had 2x5 gears, whereas now I have 2x11, but I only use 7 of them. That old steel bike felt like it was a part of my body.
@Paul Whitcomb They're like hens' teeth, this side of the pond. I've just built a new road bike; the CF frame and parts were all sourced from AliExpress, (except the cassette), and it's a 1x. The cassette is 14 to 32, which is quite workable on a 50T chainring. It's a pleasure to ride. But I'm gonna get a narrow/wide 52T chainring and a chain retainer to (hopefully) stop from dropping the chain. The gear range will be 44" to 100, which should be fine for me.
As an old guy age 69 I wish I still had in my possession the bikes I owned in the 60’s-80’s instead of discarding them for either a pittance or just tossed them aside. Also I miss the great cars( didn’t know it at the time) like the old classy Pontiacs , Oldsmobiles, Buicks and Chevys that my dad traded in for a few hundred bucks when he bought a new car. The ‘65 Bonneville convertible, Olds 442, fishtail Buick Riviera. Man would I love to own those now!
Hey, Mark! I know just how you feel. It’s hard to believe that design has gone so backwards. Everything from bicycles to automobiles (which now all look the same) to motorcycles (Oh man, those beautiful old motorcycles) to architecture. It seems that beauty has taken a back seat to efficiency. Makes for a rather boring world. :)
Wow, what goes around comes back! Starting to hear fond remembrances of friction down tube shifters and lugged steel frames. I got into cycle in mid life crisis 40 years ago. The best could be had for around $1500. In '83 or '84, Gita started importing DeRosa, one frame model, the Professional, to address the booming criterium market in the US. It was the last bike Eddy Merckx rode and copied with his own brand, so, yeah, good enough for me! It's Columbus SL, SLX seat tube on mine, chromed flat fork crown, chromed right chain stay and dropouts, steep angles, 74-75 degrees. Riding it is Italian opera. It does everything you ask faithfully, so well, I've crashed it several times, fortunately at slow speeds under 10 mph! I think they call it over steer, or in Italian operas, "flighty." It was geared 53-42, 13-21, meant to ride hard. The harder you rode the more solid it felt. I'll never forget how stabile it was descending Mt. Wilson, CA, at 48 mph, despite the steep head angle. Its full Campy Super Record, maintainable with simple tools in a home work stand. Sprayed some lube inside the frame tubes when overhauling the threaded cup and cone BB, and no rust over 70.000 miles. Threaded BBs are coming back after press fits too often came loose. There's nothing stronger than a copper brazed investment cast steel lug, so in a crash steel bends along the tubes away from the joints. Most of the time, a steel frame builder can bend chromium molybdenum tubing back into shape. Crashed the commuter once, bent the fork, and dimpled the top tube and down tube. The frame builder bent it all back into proper geometry and I'm still depending on it 30 years later. The tubing is extremely dense and amazingly strong. Has anyone tried to bend a CRMO tube? You'll see how strong! Reynolds 531 used manganese molybdenum. Manganese was touted to be more "resilient" and more comfortable for long distance "touring" bikes. I've worked in 4 bikes shops in the last 30 years and had many opportunities to snag the latest tech, but declined every time. What I had was better in every way riding in the real world. It was "overbuilt," worked superbly well, and lasted forever. Have been riding the commuter bike with investment cast lugs, Columbus SLX seat and down tube, SP chain stays, SP being a little stouter than SL, and SL seat stays. I put fenders and rack on it, ridden it at least 75,000 miles over 35 years, and the Campy Record chromed steel headset and BB and "butter knife" Campy down tube shifters might last another 75,000 miles. Re-spoked aluminum rims a couple of times onto the tried and true Campy cup and cone hubs on both bikes and wheels are good for another 40,000 miles. Well tensioned 36 spoke wheels climb like bandits, survive the occasional spill and stay true forever. DT stainless steel spokes are still available but haven't had to replace any of them. Italian shoe maker Marresi makes an old fashioned leather shoe that fits neatly into toe clips and doesn't rub the right chain stay, but on the commuter I can ride on errands with narrow walking shoes. Slotted cleats now available with Look drillings, are simple to clean up: just take a key and scrape the dirt out of the slot. When Look introduced their clipless system, racers balked at how it took away the feeling of being firmly connected to the cranks, especially sprinting. So makers stiffened up the shoes and put velcro straps around the uppers, but they still felt "soft," so makers then widened the platform back to the width of the old gossamer "rat trap" cages. Some Keirin racers still use toe clips and straps. Toe straps don't come loose. The shoes don't have to be especially stiff because the feet push down on the expansive pedal cage centered over the axle. The clip and strap hold the foot on the pedal when unweighting the upstroke. So if you ride outside of highly competitive club rides or racing, steel is real. The old stuff works great. Simplicity has its rewards. To me, that's what cycling is all about. Finally, these latest tech gravel bikes weigh a pound or two more than the old 22 and 24 pound steel bikes above, and clearance for 28 mm tires is where its at on paved roads. Keep it up, man! Fascinating subject! Disk brakes, anyone? Electronic shifting on 12 cog clusters and one chain ring? Gimme a break.
I agree completely with everything you said, Paul! I suspect that most of what passes for innovations in the cycling world are just ways to try and convince riders to dump their old bikes and buy a new one. It works for the bike shops and manufacturers, but when you step back from it, it just looks silly, and even worse, if riders are actually giving up objectively better bikes to buy the next new thing, it's actually kind of tragic. Man, I always wanted a vintage DeRosa! Some day! :)
@@bikestrikesrazors You're so right about bike marketing! Great steel bikes don't wear out like cars. Good ones last forever. Steel still maintains market share through all the aluminum and carbon transformations. DeRosa didn't catch on all that well in the '80s in the US. I never saw them on group rides or crits around DC, TX, or LA. Riders would half wheel on their Colnago, Ciocc, Pinarello, Bianchi, and they'd always ask, "DeRosa? Wuzzat?" They looked down on naming a bike after a flower, the only thing I figured. As the years passed, club riders would mock, "Steel is real!" The Ford mechanic, a tall, lanky guy who always rode up front, sure enough bought a Masi. Geometries vary, but I'd guess you're riding a superb example of the art of Italian frame builders. Thanks for the history!
@@paulmcknight4137 DeRosa had/has such huge palmares in the European racing community but I'm guessing there just wasn't that much of an effort on their part to export/market to America back in the day. I have a 1981 Olmo that constantly gets the comment "What's an Olmo"? They only imported to the American market for a few years then gave up on it, so very few folks in these parts know what an Olmo is.
@@bikestrikesrazors Olmo was up there with the best! I guess in the early '80s, most small "boutique" Italian builders hadn't tapped into the American market yet. Bianchi was a big deal with the snobs before Colnago took the mantle, deservedly so, I might add! Knew a guy who rode an Olmo. He was deeply in love! There just aren't all that many bikes that inspire such love! Tommasini used to appear frequently. Masi is another brand that grabbed a US following. From under the bleachers at Vigorelli race track to LA, California! Don't know how long it lasted, a few years anyway. A friend inherited a Masi from his dad. It's a beaut. 3Rensho I read originally built bikes for famous keirin racers, the toughest riders in the sport. They had legendary handling heard tell. The one pictured is a beaut! Appreciate the pictures! Nice stuff.
@@paulmcknight4137 Thanks, Paul! Here in the Sacramento suburbs in the early 1980's you never saw anything close to a nice bike in the local shops. I distinctly remember when a local bike shop got in a single lower line Bianchi, but it was still Celeste and had a Campy drive train. They placed it up on top of a counter like it was on an alter and everyone would stand around and "ooh" and "aww". No one around these parts ever would've bought it, but it sure was inspiring to look at. :)
I have both a Colnago Super and a Trek 5500 OCLV 120 and both are beautiful bikes with great handling. The Trek is made of carbon, but it looks really beautiful with its very unusual shape and a mix of 9-speed DA 7700 with 7400 brakes at only 7.3 kg, it is also incredibly fast.
Nice Colnago! I always wanted one but still haven't scratched that itch. :) My all time favorite bike was an OCLV. It was a rebranded Lemond with the same great 9 speed DA you have. That thing was a rocket on the hills! I'd still have it but a car "left hooked" me. The bike took a hard hit and I faired only a little better :)
Nice video. I ride both carbon and steel. I’ll admit that I am faster on my carbon bike. But I’d rather go for distance on my resto-mod 85 Schwinn Tempo. It’s much more supple than my Felt. I went resto-mod because I like modern compact gearing, and parts are readily available. The bike uses friction shifters, long cage derailleur, an 11-32 10 speed cassette, and a 50-34 crankset.
Thank you for a great video. I'm in the middle of performing a major cleanup of my 1983 Fuji Opus 3. I was remarking to my wife about the simplicity, quality and ease of maintenance of the Suntour groupset. Especially compared to the over engineered hydraulic disk brake system on my newest bike. I bought the Fuji new in 1982 and still take it out for ride every year. Don't think I'll take it on any long distance tours but its nice ride down memory lane a few time a year. Thanks again and all the best, Steve
Thanks, Steve! Don’t discount that Fuji for long tours- I rode a century not too long ago on a 1986 3Rensho and I felt just as good afterwards as I would’ve if I would’ve been riding one of my more modern bikes.
@@bikestrikesrazors Even though I would love to take my Fuji on a long tour. It's truly a race bike with 20mm sew ups, a 13x22 cassette with a 42x53 crank (very old school). The bike is in great condition except for a few scratches. Replacement tires are hard to come by these days. You inspired me to spend hours this week completely cleaning the drive train back to showroom condition. Waiting for perfect weather to take her out of a spin. It still has the original SunTour chain which only recently is showing signs of needing replacement. It makes me wonder what the bicycle industry is doing to us since I only get about 1500 miles on new chains these days. Take care, Steve
@@steveretiredandcycling Yep, that authentic gearing makes things tough if you live in any kind of hilly area. I put a 28T on the back of most of my vintage bikes so I can handle the hills around here. :)
One thing we have lost is those beautiful steel forks. With disc brakes the fork has to be beefy because of the torque exerted across the length of the fork leg. This is the secret of the steel ride feel; it's not compliance in the frame, it's the fork. On the flip side, tires were impractically narrow because in the days before power meters people thought that was actually faster. So what you really want is a vintage *touring* bike, which unlike its racing sibling is completely suitable for its original purpose today and has clearance for 35mm tires.
@@bikestrikesrazors Well, not everyone, but certainly people who just had to have the latest thing. The problem with the latest thing is often you're turning from a mature technology to one that is in its infancy. Remember how harsh those early aluminum bike frames were? These days a designer can make a great frame out of any of the common materials -- steel, aluminum, carbon, titanium, they each have their merits. Steel is a good choice for custom builders and smaller scale manufacturers, but aluminum makes more sense for huge operations like Giant, and carbon makes sense if you're building a bike to win a Grand Tour. One thing that steel clearly wins on is durability. If a steel frame is not abused or allowed to rust, it's pretty close to immortal. Today you can have a hobby of restoring and riding vintage 80s bikes. But in the 2060s the supply of 2020s bikes isn't going to be anything like our supply of 1980s bikes. Aside from the odd aluminium or carbon bike that survived because it never got much use, most of what will be left will be steel bikes from boutique-y brands like Ritchey.
22-23mm/25mm tires are just fine. You need not go wider. With carbon, you lose more than just the classic steel fork. With good steel that is properly designed - balanced, brazed, you HAVE compliance throughout the ENTIRE frame. A great and still superior set of 32x3x-2.0/1.8 with brass nipples wheels make it right. Today's carbon bikes have no aesthetic, ride like crap and are no faster.
@@grumpynerd Pretty close to immortal is right! I just finished squaring away a steel bike from 1915 and while it's a heavy beast, it's still perfectly ridable!
I have a friend that loves those Dave Scott Centurions above all others! I'm still looking for a "modern" bike that feels as good as some of my older ones. :)
I am looking for vintage steel touring bikes . Basically, the frame geometry needs to have longer chain stays, room for wider tires and fenders and a kick stand. A built in hub dynamo can be easily done. The lug frames are not easy to find except by Rivendell. Maybe there are other mfg. I bike commute and need Schwalbe marathon touring tires because they are extremely reliable and puncture resistant. I bought a new bike, a floor room model for a discount with XT everything including hub dynamo and Magura hydraulic brakes. I didn't know I didn't need all of the high end stuff and just a reliable comfortable ride. Replacement parts are expensive for xt but luckily I can swap out slowly. The weight savings doesn't mean a lot to me. I am not a racer. I sold my 1983 Trek 531 and sort of regret it. But I couldn't fit the tires that I wanted and I am lucky enough to be living in Germany now and see a lot of vintage steel frames, with good components for around 150 Euro. A lot of people want ebikes which I don't care for unless you have health problems and want to ride long distances and not get tired. But I am happy with my retro looking steel trekking/tourer, brooks, Panniers , Wald basket. And I ride strong 💪.
Great job, agree on so many points. I have ridden for 45years and have latest technology equipment but still end up enjoying a late 80s colnago for its incredible ride quality.
Hey, Howard! I recently picked up a BMC SLC01 with Zipp Firecrest wheels, expecting to see big gains in speed on the flats. Over a sixty mile ride, the BMC was barely any faster than my 1972 Allegro- Really surprised me. And the Allegro has that amazing ride quality you speak of. :)
This maybe works for special collector's items, but my ordinary old steel bike is no work of art. The frame might be from 1984, but it's rusted, the paint is chipped and was probably ugly even when new. The components are from all over, the saddle is new from China, the derailleurs are 1989 Tourney. I don't care about components being era-appropriate, or company-specific. If it works, or especially if it's cheaper, modern tech isn't inherently worse. The bike rides very well, and despite having put no thought into weight when building it, it's "only" 12 kg. It's a good bike. Great for around the city and showing off for vintage street cred. But on long tours? I'll take my carbon frame and Shimano 105 any day. For what it's worth though, I completely agree with your closing thoughts. The 1984 frame I mentioned was literally thrown away by the previous owner. I pulled it out of the bin and many components, dollars and, man-hours later, I built myself perhaps one of the slickest city bikes out there. One that I wouldn't be afraid of taking on a gran fondo -- Just, I'd prefer to take my carbon frame while I have the choice ;)
It's true, not every old bike is a beauty. :) I go back and forth between my carbon frames and steel, and while one of my carbon bikes is slightly lighter than all the others, I don't really notice a performance and comfort difference on long rides with the similar aged steel. I do start feeling the drag of all the extra weight once I get back to 1960's bikes. Thanks for watching and commenting, Jari!
Agreed totally. I'd add that even a badly damaged alloy steel frame can have new tubes brazed in by a skilled framebuilder, and repainted with reproduction decals to be as good as new. Stripped bottom bracket threads? These can be reamed out, new steel brazed in, and the threads recut. I've owned a carbon fibre frame bike, but my road bikes built from Reynolds 531 butted tubing are in another league - they feel much livelier on the road. No contest, steel is real - support the craftsmen who build these wonderful frames!
Oh, yeah! I think that if more riders would try a quality steel frame, even with a modern group, you’d have a lot more “steel is real” converts. Thanks for watching!
@@tommurphy4307 Hi Tom! I suppose it all depends on how you view a bike. I'm a petrolhead as well as a cyclist. Let's say I have a choice of a 1930s Bugatti versus say, a modern Porsche. The Bugatti represents the pinnacle of fine old-world craftsmanship, it's simpler than a modern car but was advanced for its time. It's the car I'd go to look at first at a car show. Regarding bikes, I see where you're coming from - it's a bike, a machine to do a job - but I see a fine traditional steel frame as rideable art, and I enjoy seeing a machine like this twinkling in the sun as I ride it: www.hetchins.com/mo3-01.htm Yes, in engineering terms the fancy lugs are unnecessary - but they're hand cut, and I like this sort of 'bling'! Ultimately, you pay you money and make your choice - as long as we all ride to enjoy cycling, that's what really counts I think.
I'm in love with vintage road bike.. Eventho downtube shifters is quite uncomfortable and i often losing momentum while changing gears, the romantic feeling is still unbeatable. FTW!
I agree, Robby! You know, bar end shifters are just as authentic to a vintage bike, so if you're finding downtube shifters uncomfortable, you may want to look into installing some vintage bar end shifters. Thanks much for watching!
@@bikestrikesrazors I personally found bar end shifters awkward. Downtube shifters actually uses a similar motion to grabbing a water bottle out of the downtube cage. Also, depending on how you have your bike set up, it’s possible to accidentally shift with your knee. Cheers
@@tomdavis3038 I've never shifted with my knees, but I have noticed that the shift levers on the downtube shifters can be prone to loosening up and then the gears can shift under a hard load by themselves. I always check to make sure the shifters are tight before hitting a big hill.
@@bikestrikesrazors that’s true of any “friction” type shifter. As far as shifting with your knees, I was referring to situations where the rider prefers a short reach to the bars and rides out of the saddle while using bar and shifters. On most bike setups I’ve seen, the bars are far enough away that this will not happen. Cheers
I got my used 1984 Pinarello Treviso from TrIeviso, Italy while traveling in Europe in my Vanagon Westy. I met the late Giovanni and his daughter Carla at their small store in Treviso. Giovanni also gave me personal tour of his factory and gave me a wool Pinarello jersey too, a very nice and kind man My bike was equipped with Campy Super Record with Mavic MA 40 rims.
Hello I really enjoyed your video. I have a Bertoni road bike built with Columbus SLX steel tubing, Campagnolo dropouts, and a mix of Shimano Ultegra and Campagnolo components with dual control brake shift levers. The bottom bracket is a sealed bearing Philwood that spins so smoothly. My cassette is a 9 speed and I don't feel the need for any more cassette cogs. I used to race competitively as a cat. 3 rider but then in 1994 I got sick and have not returned to competitive cycling. OCD really screwed up my life! Anyway thank you for your video, I really appreciate it.
I got an old schwinn Le Tour off of Craigslist a couple years ago because it looked like the varsity I rode to school. Seems like every time I take it for a ride someone tries to buy it.
I also went back to a steel frame, after my aluminum frame rear derilleur hanger snapped off while riding. The aluminum frame I found to be a harsh ride ; whereas the steel frame gives a very smooth and comfortable on 23 mil tires. Not only am I into Italian frames but also Italian DE razors. Great video and continued success.
I paid 600 for my Bianchi with Campagnolo Victory components back in the early 80s, but I ended up bolting on upgrades for years afterwards. I made the mistake of leaving it behind at an ex GF's house and she got rid of it. Man, I still wish I had that bike.
That bike's still out there somewhere, Robert! Maybe you'll find it again someday! I found a nice Serotta at a flea market. Woman selling it said she had just gotten divorced and it belonged to her husband so she just wanted to get rid of it. Poor guy. :)
women absolutely adore throwing away our treasures. chalk it up to their unending jealousies!!! I feel your pain but encourage you to get dirty fixing up another wonderful Bianchi! 👍
I was looking at getting a new road bike and thought better of it. I went to a few yard sales and I found Centurion Accordo super cheap and all original I didn't hesitate to buy it. I'm going to restore it right away and get in on the road.
My two favorite bikes are steel, but one was built with old school steel, and the other a more modern steel. My old classic is a 1995 Bianchi TSX, made in their Racing Department, while the newer one is only 6 years newer, is a world of difference. It's made from True temper air hardened steel, and because the frame is so much stronger, it can be made two pounds lighter than the classic, celeste Bianchi. The Bianchi is set up with Shimano 7700, and the bike from Waterford is set up with Shimano 7800. Both ride on hand built wheels. I've ridden bikes with 5,6,7,8,9, and 10 cogs in back, and would never go back to even a 6 speed freewheel. I'm older now, so I need more gears. Back with I was younger, I could ride anywhere (except the mountains) with a 7 speed 13-21 freewheel. Now I need a 25.
Hi Bill! Sounds like you've got some nice bikes! I've got a "modern"? steel bike from around 1999 (a Serotta CSI) and I just put a compact crank on the front to help me on the hills around here.
@@bikestrikesrazors I live in the second flattest State in the US, so I'm lucky to see hills with 40 feet of elevation gain. It's so flat, that I could ride all day in the big ring, when I was in racing shape, 5 years ago.
@@billkallas1762 My vintage bikes would get more riding time if I lived in an area like that! I'm in the foothills, so if I want to ride from my house, it's nothing but riding up or riding down. :) I have 28 rear cassettes on all my bikes. :)
I bought my 1973 Holdsworth new in 73. It cost 125 us. It has been my only bicycle since. Twice rebuilt, never had a issue that I could not fix myself. The frame is Reynolds 531, a mag- moly tubing. It doesn't rust but oxidises. The BB was without paint for over 30 years. I toured in all weather. 2 more years and we'll be together for 50 years. Wish me luck.
Good luck, Kurt, but I don't think you'll need it! Sounds like you've got a great bike there. I'm a big fan of the 531. I've got a 1963 Frejus built with 531 and I know what you mean when you say it oxidizes but doesn't rust. It gets a really nice patina. May you have many more years on your Holdsworth!
@@bikestrikesrazors Thanks for the good wishes. The reason these old gems are so rare is that we rode the paint right off of them. Boys are hard on there bikes. The only decal on that bike was the Reynolds, all other graphics were painted by hand. Long gone.
Wow, this is the comment new bicycle manufactures definitely dont want people to know.
but well, business is business, and they always had to find ways to make the market consume more
I used to ride in a group with a guy that had a Holdsworth I don't suppose you're from Bloomington Illinois.
@@allwinds3786 north east Ohio solo touring
Modern bikes have owners....
Vintage and classic bikes have custodians....
I like that!
And most of what retailers call higher quality bikes are made in The PRC anyway. What's the point in spending a lot of money on something that's PRC made? Yet, idiots are doing it. I don't understand these people.
We tend to pamper and spoil them , are we not ? 😄😄😄
@DUCKSAREEVILLLLLLLL while it's true, there are bikes made not in China. You should just investigate harder lol😅
Great video! Got in trouble from my mom in 1972 for spending so much money on a new Gitane ($130). Twenty years ago, I put new rims (Araya) and tires on it. Hadn't really rode it since then. Took the wheels in last month to have them trued and bearings done ($65)....and splurged on new handle bar tape. My 50 year old bike is running better than new, and I'm loving every minute of it! As a Senior, I'm feeling like a kid again!
See! You made the right decision all those years ago, Frank! This is why I never listen to my mother. :)
Hi Tom. I guess the wheels had gone out of true standing around since 1972. :)
@@bikestrikesrazors now i get it- sorry
Such a great thing! I'm happy for you.
@franksodonis470 I would take an old school steel frame bicycle any day. Modern bicycles suck!
Well done! I have had a “top of the line” carbon 11 speed wonder bike. It was nice but I sold it after a few months and back to my 1987 Eddy Merckx - SLX super butted steel “Cadillac.” Dura Ace 7700 components. It has well over 100,000 miles on it and still looks great, works great, and handles like it’s on rails. It will go as fast as this 62 year old engine can pedal it!
Wow, an '87 Merckx! Sweet bike! Yep, I can see how it would be difficult to give that up for a modern bike. :)
Right, I bought a 1951 Fausto Coppi designed ‘Maino’ w/Campangolo non-indexed gears…for 100€!!! It’s in descent shape and I intend to polish it and bring it back to ‘like new’ condition. I also live here in N.E. Italy 🇮🇹 as an expat-my wife is an Italian who is also a singer~ Love these roads too!!!
Me too..I have a 1970's Legnano. I bought it for second hand and I still have it now. Previous owner used it for tour d'Australia according to him. Morden rider@young rider does not know that my bike is a legend bike
LOL.....I had a1985 Eddy Merckx Professional. Bought it new with Dura Ace 7400 ( 8 speed). Put around 100k on it like you before I sold it. Never one issue with the frameset. Went to lightweight carbon and went through 4 frames in 8 years. All the top names. No accidents, falling over, or over torquing on fasteners. Just normal use like I did on the Merckx. Currently riding Titanium for 5 years with no issues. Do the math. BTW, I'll be 62 early next year also.
I’m 64 and have worked my way “up” to a current TCR that I’ve had for a bit over a year. I just found a ‘87 Schwinn Prologue made by Panasonic for $75. It’s a bit tatty but all original. Rides like a dream and was surprised by the silence of its neglected 600 drivetrain.Lots of possibilities for a restore
Thinking tricolor 8 spd. and as light a wheel I can find.
I’m 68 years old and raced on steal frames in the 70’s. These days I use a Carbon frame in my older years to stay competitive on fast group rides. When ever I go back to riding a double butted steal frame, it’s like riding on a cloud. Just a wonderful feeling, my carbon frame just beats me up, it’s so much stiffer. As for components, Shimano Ultegra shifters and caliper brakes are superior to 80’s Campagnolo components. Anyway I learned to work on bikes in the old days. I’m my own mechanic on my newer one. There are plenty of parts for either bike, new or old. Old is not necessary better, it comes down to what you want to ride. Every bike has a purpose. Overall, bike riding is fun. On a huffy, a full vintage, or Carbon race bike. Get out and ride. 😊
Thanks very much for your insights, Andre! Yep, I have a carbon bike also and I love the effectiveness of the newer brakes. I really love having different types of bikes to ride (steel, carbon, vintage, newer) and I can see the benefits to all of them. :)
3 decades ago I bought a lugged Japanese-made steel machine with Ultegra groupset for $500, brand new. That was as costly a bike as I could justify at the time...and now, about 50,000 miles later, I'm still riding it. And it still has the original groupset, except that I changed to clipless pedals and have replaced drivetrain components (such as cassette and chain) due to normal wear. Best $500 I've ever spent in my life. The fit and ride quality are so good that even now, with cost being no object whatsoever, I would never trade it for a new carbon-fiber "wonder bike". No one else has ever worked on the bike, nor does anyone need to...I own every tool I will ever need to maintain it. It is maintained in pristine condition, and performs exactly as it did when brand new.
Incidentally, I ride 2x7 gearing, with 12-28 cassette, and I live in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I can't imagine why so many people are lusting for 12 speeds on the rear, only to end up with thinner drivetrain components that wear out more rapidly and are more temperamental to adjust. I have 2 wheelsets (one original/1990, and the other an aero set from around 2015), and I can swap them without touching any adjustments. My drivetrain is always quiet, shifts very crisply, and I don't have to ratchet through 4 sprockets just to adjust to a moderate change in road gradient.
I learned my lesson the hard way with super light and thin chain rings that wore out FAST! That's something I didn't address in the video; modern bikes make a lot of noise. The old steel bikes can be dead silent except for the sound of the cassette whirring.
It must be a Fuji they are so closely built like the bikes in the UK andFrance rip off the label and you can’t tell Fuji was the oldest bike builder at one time 1896 in Japan building all the frames for the others
@@sheddski2942The Japanese bike manufactures were doing some amazing stuff in the 80's. My friend had an "SR" which he dearly loved.
Great old bikes, but I love my Tarmac with 30,000 miles on it. Still in great shape and rides so much better than my old Campy bikes.
@@flyoverstateresident2890 My SWorks Tarmac SL4 is still a road eating beast 8 years in, but I wish I still owned my '87 DeRosa SLX with Campy Chorus.
You are exactly right on how beautiful an older lugged steel frame can be.
Thanks for watching, Mark!
These bikes were made, like cars of that era, with a soul, there is a record on my Look, a titanium, I'm glad to see you guys!
Hey, Oleg! Your Look 585 is built like my Calfee Tetra Pro. They're both carbon fiber, but they're built using carbon lugs, so I think they're the best of old and new. :)
@@bikestrikesrazors That's so Joe...
That video reminded me of something only semi related. A few years back I had an old dryer with a problem beyond my capabilities to fix. I had a discussion with the repair person on whether I should have replaced the unit. He told me not to - as the newer appliances are not built as well. A few months back I repaired my refrigerator after a lightning storm seemed to zap a relay. My fridge is a simple model. The man at the parts place discussed more complex models. He told me that even 5 years after the initial sale that parts will not be available. Yet I remember my parents running an old fridge from the depression era until maybe a decade ago. (It outlived them) So in watching the video about the quality, ease of use and longevity of the older bikes, I saw it fitting the pattern of modern manufacturing and planned obsolescence. Thanks for the video.
I think you’re correct, Daniel, in that quality of manufacturing has declined across the board on almost everything. Unfortunately, it looks like companies are more concerned these days with profit than pride in their products and, like you said, we can’t ignore the planned obsolescence motive. A shame we live in a time when the majority of companies care more about keeping share holders happy than producing a quality product.
@@bikestrikesrazors Thanks for responding and agreeing. Just examples of Reaganomics in action, I guess. Have a good one.
I have a mint condition early 80’s Tomassini Sintisi that I bought new. Last week I took it off the wall and have been cleaning, lubing and getting it ready to ride. Such a work of art and the ride is so vibrant it’s amazing
Nice! I think the 80's was a high-water mark for the high-end frames like your Tomassini. That bike has the coolest lugs!
I love your article. I just retired and decided to rehab my 40-year-old Raleigh Super Grand Prix road bike used in countless Triathlons. The frame size alone is not available these days, and as you pointed out, other than a bit of rust, it is as good as it's ever been. I think I paid a little over $500.00 for it back in 1980 and spent about $400.00 to rehab some parts off another Raleigh I had but hadn't ridden as much. It rides wonderfully well for a 66-year-old and is like being with an old friend when I ride.
Sounds like a great bike, Michael, and it's great that you've kept it, and kept it going all these years! These vintage bikes will outlast us all. :)
philips and somebody else had 26" frames- is that what you have?
Was in the biz 1984 - 2000. Witnessed the big bang from the commercial MTB, and the demise of the drop bar road bike. The birth of index shifting, and everything in between.
My parts drawers are replete with 7 and 8 speed components, and my rigs are all steel, including my 1986 Moots. 👍😄
That Moots sounds like a beautiful bike! One of the comments I keep getting about my Serotta is that Moots has better welds. :)
funny how you see many drop-bar bikes ridden on mountain highways. i have a roadie and a colorado mountain bike- depending on my terrain (and sometimes mood).
Dude, I agree 100%. I ride my 1981 schwinn traveler . Bought it new in 81 and is all original except for the tires. I love my bike , 10 speed and just a pleasure to ride. I tought my self how to tune it up , from chain to gears. I should add I am 68 years old. I took care of the bike from when it was new. Goes to show how long things can last. Happy riding !
1981 was a great year for bikes! Glad to hear the Traveler is still going strong!
Just bought red traveler 20 bucks 100 complete lucky find
Need new tires
Finally, someone who says the truth and sets the record straight! Great video.
Thanks, Amboro! Modern bikes do have some advantages, but to me, the advantages of vintage bikes far surpass the advantages of the modern.
Yes! Thank you very much! I have a 1981 Daccordi and a 1984 Benotto! I love them! Don’t get me wrong I do have a 2016 Kestrel! But I love my classics! Thank you for this video! 👍🚴🏼♂️💪🙏
Bikes are better now than they have ever been
Bikes are better now than they have ever been
@@johnlewsey4458 False. "Better" is completely subjective.
The trouble here in the UK is these are now expensive to buy. I wonder how many of us can think back and say I really wish I hadn't sold that bike. Great video. Thanks
They seemed to have dried up a bit this side of the pond as well. I'm lucky in that I couldn't really afford a nice bike "back in the day", so I didn't have a nice bike to sell. :) Around here, if you're persistent, you can still turn up a deal.
@@bikestrikesrazors I,m a fan of American Pickers & I just wish I could find the bikes & parts they find.
@@2wheelsrbest327 I'm a Picker! I'm in California and it's what I do for a living. I've found lots of neat stuff over the years, but at least in this part of the country, old, nice bikes and parts are rare.
@@bikestrikesrazors Thank you that's interesting to read. Here in the UK our local refuge collection point have mountains of old bikes but sadly none of any value. Good hunting. 🤞
@@2wheelsrbest327 And to you!
Nice video! I am 55 now and started cycling in 1983, my first bike was a simple Peugot featuring Simplex derailleurs + Weinmann brakes. It was heavy, the brakes were terrible, but I loved it. From time to time I bought/built a new bike: Raleigh with Shimano 600, Gios compact with DA 7400, some Principias (danish aluminum frames) with DA 7700 an DA 7800. The last years I use my Ridley Damocles (put more than 100.000 km in it, no issues) and a BMC tmr 01...and boy, these are so much better in many aspects. The old steelbikes are nice to look at, and it´s fun to use them once in a while...but for some serious cycling (long trips, riding cols in the alps and so on) I prefer my modern bikes. They just work better. But the good thing about cycling is: you can have so much fun on any bike, may it be old or new, cheap or expensive! It´s cycling what matters, feeling the sun and the wind, breathing fresh air, feeling your body work... enjoy your ride!
I like your philosophy, Ulrich! No matter which bike I'm riding, new or old (and I have both), after a couple of miles I forget about the bike and I'm just "cycling". Enjoy your ride as well!
Truths
well put, sir
1988 peugeot with 501, and a 1984 fuji sagres with 414,
I've fell in love with restoring vintage bicycles
Very nice! Thanks for watching!
So right about the value in the 80's machinery. I bought my teenager a Vitus with full first-gen Dura-Ace for $300 and he loves it. Only change we made on it was to switch out the crumbling hoods with some better-feeling modern Shimano levers that hides the cabling for an even better look.
That early DA stuff will go forever, but hoods never last. :)
how does 'cabling' not look good? i have really old shimano red-dots that pre-date my bike (1979) by a few years- and i love them. feather-weight, and they utilize built-up clamps, studs, and locknuts (not cheap slotted clamps/screws like weinmann and dia-compe) and i can hang on them as if they were monkey bars. i had to make a plexi scraper to get the sun-baked weinmann hood grips off of them and picked up a new pair of 'cane creek' hood grips- i don't care for routing cables underneath bar tape. first dura-ace stuff was in the mid-70's. i ran a toy store bike shop then and we used to upgrade ten-speed bikes for mom & dad with early 600 and dura-ace parts. of course we laced our own upgraded wheels, too.
@@bikestrikesrazors the newer polyurethane hoods do.
@Jeff Hook I think you did pretty well to race juniors on a Vitus, in the 80's I envied the kids who had one. I was lucky to race the mid-80s on a first-gen Specialized Allez with Vittoria sewups but had before that a (much crappier than Vitus) Peugeot with stem shifters and that did not fare very well. I remember another company that could have been a manufacturing precursor to the Vitus called ALAN (ALuminum ANodized?) in the 70's that started this trend. Loved the look of those as well.
@@tommurphy4307 Besides being more aesthetically pleasing (IMO) routing the cabling under the tape helps with aero and practically speaking, provides more hand positioning as one can now rest the palms directly over the hoods without the cable housings obstructing. It can also lessen the risk of items getting caught up from items being passed from teammates at speed and when I need to service the bike by inverting it on the ground, there's no worry about crushing the cabling since it rests nicely as the hoods (sans cables) and the seat that forms a stable tripod from which to make adjustments.
In the 1970s and 80s lightweight steel bikes reached their apotheosis. Components were simple, interchangeable, owner serviceable and long-lasting. The only consumables were bearings, chains, sprockets, cables, pads and tyres, which were inexpensive and could be bought at any bike shop. Then manufacturers rapidly changed componentry standards and created life limited framesets, making bikes disposable and their accountants happy. My five steel bikes run as well as they ever did.
I agree completely, Borderlands! .
The funny thing is that steel bike frames are in no way obsolete. The advancements in AHS and SHSS Steels for the auto industry is that steel bikes can be made at UCI minimum weights and can be manufactured with modern automated processes like hydroforming.
The main reason that you don’t see mass produced steel bikes on the scale of the past is that though capital cost for manufacturing a steel bike are lower than CF the skilled labor costs are far higher. So in the long run when the capital cost of manufacturing is amortized CF bikes are less costly to produce and since the don’t have the durability that steel bikes have you have planned obsolescence built into CF bikes which forces you to replace them after about three years of hard riding as the epoxy binders degrade.
So much of what consumers are told about high end road bikes is just marketing hype.
It is impossible to keep what is great about a steel Schwinn in operation. You have to create/modify your own BB inner bearing cups, the stamped washers available as rebuilds simply blow out if you stand up and pedal hard. Replacing the BB ruins the entire point of having a steel Schwinn. That cast opc can't be beaten, it's the correct feel for a cruiser or knock-around bike. I will have to make my own inner races the next time I have to change it out which is about every 200 miles. It's a shame, that old tech was perfect for what I use the bike for, it felt better and was better in every way. At least my v-brake levers are heavy enough to not flex like an old iron Schwinn.
@@TheFogLakeshore you've got eBay- you can find just about anything for a post-war schwinn on there. if you have to replace an old HEAVY ashtabula crank/BB on your schwinn with a newer, retro, cotterless aluminum crank set you are performing a serious upgrade to your bike. schwinn definitely did not make their own brake levers on anything post-war. could you be referring to calipers? i see very few advantages to owning or riding an old schwinn unless its a paramount.
Respect steel as you describe but don’t miss 23mm tires, toe clips or down tube shifters. Not sure what Trek did with epoxy in the 1996 Trek 5200. Replaced the fork for safety but the frame is like a tank, light but keeps going. 🚂 I had a Centurion Comp TA back in the day. It was heavier.
I recently bought an early 90’s diamond back centurion interval road bike from facebook marketplace for $65. Put new brake cables, new shifter cables and housing, new tires and tubes , and a brooks saddle on it now it’s my favorite bike. Parts and labor costed me $80 so I paid $145 for my bike and I love it so much there’s just a different feel and a nice pleasant aesthetic vibe you get from vintage road bikes. It feels so nice to ride and feels extremely strong and reliable!
Beautiful! I'm always amazed when I rescue a vintage bike from a flea market or garage sale, put in the work to get it ride-ready, and find it's an incredible riding bike. Glad to hear you saved that Diamond Back! Enjoy it!
You had me at "are my derailleur batteries charged"! I had a suburban-kid Puch 10-speed that, 10 years on, my parents, as a holiday present, paid our local bike shop to upgrade. Guy was a friend as well as a businessperson reallly hooked us up with full Campy set-up. Dave removed all the old components. I had the frame sandblasted and repainted it myself (with many many light coats of a beautiful cordovan auto paint with clear finish on top). Dave installed all the new components. Damn this thing was beautiful. Rode it all over trails and roads in New York, Scotland, Boston, Philly, and Seattle before it gave its life saving me in a crash. RIP. Thanks for the video!
Sounds like a great bike! I've lost a bike like that as well. The new tech is crazy. SRAM has derailleurs that require software updates. Can't wrap my head around that.
$40 horse; $100 saddle
@@bikestrikesrazors SERIOUSLY? GTFOOH! I'll take my old Suntour ARX groupset and downtube shifters any day of the week, TYVM.
Great video and I agree with you on every point. I have a 46 year old Paramount that I bought for $140 back in 2012 and I wouldn't trade it for anything else. Great bike and rides like a dream. I just love it and will never sell it. I did have to get new tires, tubes, and brake pads. Also I had the spokes replaced with stainless steel units. The bike shop owner had a hard time finding spokes that would fit the wide flange hubs, but eventually he found some in Oregon. He also trued the wheels, it has Araya wheels. It has a nice double-butted lugged frame in 4120 Chromoly steel. Anyway this bike is so nice and still looks nearly new with original paint and decals.
You have a beautiful bike there, Trevor! Enjoy it! Thanks for watching!
upmarket spokes are getting harder to find. i guess people return ordered spokes more often than any other bike part. when i finally found some dtswiss spokes for my roadie- they made sure to tell me they weren't returnable. i said 'understood'- i've laced many, many wheels and definitely won't be returning them. BTW, i found the spokes at 'the colorado cyclist'- good folks who offered to help me determine what i needed.
How much rhis bike in 2023
I still have my Raleigh Carleton i bought used in 1985! I recently replaced a few parts and was very pleased to see how easy they were to find. Thanks for this video.
Good on you for taking care of that bike all these years, Doug! Enjoy it!
@@bikestrikesrazors Thanks! My son (same size as me...) was given a beautiful Motobecane Grand Record this week which he has no interest in- so now I have new project- which is what had me searching vintage road bikes on youtube. Thanks again for your channel!
I bought a Centurion Super LaMans new in ‘82. Everything still works as new. She turns 40 next year. Thanks for your video!!!
Thanks for watching, Quanah! I've got two 1986 Centurion posters hanging in my office!
Unless you race, the latest and greatest is just spending more money. Now if you have free spending money then by all means go for it! But at the end of the day, it just doesn’t matter
Cheers
Absolutely, Tom! Thanks very much for watching!
Very right, Tom. It doesn't matter. Even as an old racer I had favourites which were the best. A Coble (Ojai, CA) steel custom, fully lugged and filed, for instance.
I'd rather spend the money on tools to do repairs
Latest is the WORST not greatest ....made in America was great NOT made by ChiCommunists who are RUINING the world !!!!!!!!!
Steel is real! Quality never goes out of style.........Thanks for posting.
Thanks for watching, London!
Steel is real, real heavy that is!
Bought my Raleigh International in 1976 for $520. This, when I was driving an old Ford F100 I paid $100 for. Still riding it today, although a few of the components have changed. Changed from sew-ups to clinchers but still use original Campy hubs. Lifetime warranty on the Reynolds 531 frame! I'm 67 years old now so it will probably be part of my estate when I die.
Those Raleigh Internationals are beautiful bikes! What happened to the Ford? My 2003 Ford E-350 is at 650,000 miles, but I'm guessing it may not last too much longer. My vintage bikes, however, will certainly outlive me! :)
@@bikestrikesrazors Rusted away. Darn northeast salt. It was a 1957. Ran like a top.
I also ride a international. Sent it to Cycle art back in the 80`s for a face lift. Fine ride along with the Jack Taylor criteria bike I have.
@@bikestrikesrazors how can you afford to feed that E-350??
My first " 10 speed " was a 74 Peugeot purchased at the " Stanyan Cyclery " in SF, Cali... I was 12 years old, it had the 24 " wheels. I put 6100 miles on it by 1978, bought a brand new Motobecane Mirage from the " Silverdale Bike Pedaler " - in Silverdale, Wa from a fellow named Mike Kalmbach, nice man that he was. I put 4400 miles on it by 1980, and then got out of cycling till a week ago, I bought a new Salsa Journeyer from the Sequim Bike Studio which is an awesome bike shop . I wish I had both those bikes today. I really do. That Motobecane was something else, I raced anyone who would race me and I am to this day unbeaten.... I love old bikes.... new bikes too ! Great vid
Welcome back to cycling! It sounds like you could’ve had a promising career as a professional racer! Who knows! Thanks for watching!
I still have my early 1970's era Peugeot.. It had been wrecked before I bought it for $15 in 1974 when I was 15 years old!! A good friend helped me fix it up and we rode them everywhere back in the day!! The bike went everywhere with me back when I was in the Navy and I have a lifetime of memories with it!! My old friend passed away a number of years ago, and he's always on my mind whenever I ride the old Peugeot. I have several lighter bikes now, but the old Peugeot is my hands down sentimental favorite bike to ride!!
Over the years I've acquired several other old Peugeot's.... They just seem to follow me home.. plus an old Schwinn Paramount I picked up at a yard sale for $25!! They're all waiting for me to get around to bringing them back to life.....
I almost wish I HADN'T seen this video!!! I was planning to sell off all the vintage bikes next Spring, keeping only my original Peugeot.... But after watching this video, I want to keep and ride them ALL!!! :)
LOL! Sorry about that, Bill! :) Hang on to that Peugeot! Relationships like that don't come around every day!
@@bikestrikesrazors I'm so glad that I kept it over the last 47 years, and that I still ride it!! I plan to tear it down and overhaul it this Winter. I've thought about repainting it, but I kind of like the old scratches and scrapes on it!! My wife recently asked me if I thought I had too many bikes.... I didn't understand the question!! :)
@@billspach4893 Some people don't seem to understand- It's simply not possible to have too many bikes. :)
I was fortunate enough to recieve a 1980s Bridgestone Radac 530. Beautiful piece of art even though it has some issues because it has been unused for a long time, but it still rides fine and goes real fast. Fortunately there are parts available online and in physical stores as well so fixing it would be a breeze. Happy to have something that has a history and will be talked and I will always take pride in my bike♥
Those vintage Bridgestones are beautiful bikes! Enjoy it!
@@bikestrikesrazors Hi from England ! Your right older bikes are better ! I have a few modern Carbon bikes but they feel " HOLLOW " ???? Strange ride and feel weird to me , a very hollow feeling I do not get from Alloy or even a 100 year old framed bikes they have a great feel to them and not a weird hollow feel ????
Hey, Curtis! Hello from California. :) Yep, the lighter they make the modern carbon bikes, the more "hollow" they feel. It's nice to feel a little something substantial under your legs while riding. I ride a 1920's bike and it does have a very nice feel to it!@@curtisducati
I have a 1993 Schwinn Paramount with original components. Lots of miles on it so I a few years back I replaced them with used Dura Ace 7800 and 32 Spoke DT Swiss Wheel set. I use it as my commuter/touring bike.
I also have a modern 2011 Raleigh International Frame set constructed of Reynolds 853 steel with handcrafted chrome plated lugs and a chrome plated dual crown fork. I equipped it with Campy Athena with and polished aluminum cockpit components and topped it off with a Brooks B-17 saddle and Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheel set.
Almost every time I ride either bike someone compliments them.
Since I no longer race the advantages of a CF bike are very minimal and the disadvantages, including price, are substantial.
The really weird thing about CF road bikes I learned from an Industry insider is that they sell more CF bikes if they charge crazy prices for them than if the charge moderate prices.
Those are some beautiful bikes you have there, Mott! Thanks for watching!
Great presentation. The only point to add is geometry. A vintage raked fork displaces much of the road shock (can't say that about a strait carbon fork). The longer vintage chain stays allows for the rider to float between the wheels. The current geometries are more like riding a unicycle with handlebars.
I like updating vintage bikes with hollow-tech cranksets, freehubs, and V-brakes. Plus the tires now are greatly improved.
All possible on a vintage steel frame. You won't get me to buy or ride disc brakes or carbon anything.
I still like friction shifters better than indexing any day. It makes me feels more apart of the bike.
I'm right there with ya, Steve!
trying to envision a uni with handlebars- too funny!
yea nothing more comfortable then hoping you dont lose all your teeth trying to shift a down tube shifter. Performance geometry!
I had a Gitane, built on Reynolds 531 tubing with chrome touches. Sold it to a friend who totaled it in a major crash that destroyed EVERYTHING, from the handlebars to both wheel rims. But like something from out of space, the frame remained unscathed.
Upon very close inspection, the fork showed the slightest sign of a bend, not even a 1/4 inch if that. I bought it back and rebuilt it, and took it on tour across Europe, covering about 2000 miles, through the French Alps and all kinds of terrain. I would never trust a new, carbon composite frame, no matter what the price.
Vintage 531 is time (and crash) tested. And looks beautiful, double-butted tubing, breathtaking craftsmanship. Nice video!
Hard to beat 531! I have a 1972 Allegro in 531 and absolutely love the ride! Thanks for watching!
Good points here. The most important is you can get a GREAT used bike at the same or less cost as a just “okay” new one. The point on craftsmanship is also very true. There is nothing wrong with the function of friction shifters. I greatly prefer disc brakes on mountain bikes. I have never had a mountain bike with rim brakes or a road bike, so I can’t comment on those situations.
All very cool and beautiful. I had Peugeot PX10 with fancy lugs. It was wonderful. I generally am put off by the “latest” thing in, well, I guess everything. However, I don’t miss friction shifters. Indexing could be considered “tried and true.” Moving the lever, hearing that snap and feeling your cadence change is always a satisfying tactile sensation.
Hey, Mark! Those PX10's were/are beautiful bikes. Every time I attend Eroica, California, there are a few riders on black and white PX10's sporting the original Peugeot checkered jerseys. Cool stuff. The best shifting bike I ever rode had indexed downtube shifters. Better than downtube friction shifting and better than indexed "brifter" shifting. Shockingly crisp! :)
@@bikestrikesrazors I have a vintage touring bike with friction bar end shifters. Indexed shifting is OK but friction is easier to maintain maintenance wise.
@@spywriter007 Very true!
Ironically, the precision required for indexed shifting made friction shifts much easier. If anything breaks just de-click the derailleur and be on your way. Try that with integrated shifters.
i had a fuji with the early SLS? shifters. with a turn of a screw it could be changed from friction to index. i found myself preferring the friction-shift mode
I have a 1986 steel Nishiki and a 2021 carbon Orbea (both used), I love both for the purposes they serve and I have literally never had any of the problems with modern bikes you speak of. Both have their strengths and limitations. The best bike out there is the bike you're on and the bike you love. I have both because I love both, both are a joy to service and both have a place in my day to day use.
Its easy enough to make a video shooting holes in investment one over the other, regardless of which you're partial to.
Hi Aram,
Yes, for the sake of the video, I was pointing out the advantages of vintage bikes, mainly because they are dismissed by so many. I have a few "modern" bikes and enjoy riding them often!
@@bikestrikesrazors both are great! those dismissing the vintage must be some loaded weight weenies! lol cheers.
Hi Aram, I still have my Nishiki Prestige I purchased in the 80s. Love it. I rode it in the Eroica California, a bike tour exclusively for vintage steel frame bikes.
well said
one year on Orbea?? Thats not much time to discuss its longevity is it?
I can't yet afford expensive Vintage European bikes, but my bike stable does take advantage of the mid-level Japanese & Taiwanese offerings from the mid 80s and early 90s. My Schwinn 86 Prelude (w/Columbus tubing) has to be my favorite bike of all time. I switched it from 27" rims to 700c and it has shimanos Tricolor Groupo! I wish big companies like Shimano and Columbus re-released older groupsets for those of us reusing these classic bikes!
Those sound like some nice bikes, Cajala! There should be enough new old stock parts to keep these bikes going for decades to come. Thanks for watching!
schwinn preludes were aluminum- columbus tubes were drawn from chromoly steel. sorry to burst your bubble.
I appreciate this video. I am 56 years old & I love vintage. I have the very same beautiful vintage console record player that graced our living room when I was in grade-school. I have a lovely vintage 1962 Starcraft runabout boat & I have a beautiful vintage 1984 Fuji Del Rey that I've had since high-school & I still absolutely love it, in spite of the snobby attitudes I get from some of the younger bicyclists I see on the road or in bike shops. I prefer the Quality of craftsmanship and classic style.
I’m right there with you, Wooly! Just seems obvious to me how much better the vintage stuff is made and as for quality of design, there’s just no comparison.
My current bike is a Chicago Schwinn road bike, Campy/ Mavic. Down tube shifters. Just a dream to ride. City riding, cobblestone and street and occasionally a pothole. Fast and fun. Cost at a local used charity bike shop, $150.
I completely agree. I've had my 1989 Paramount OS (built in Waterford) since I bought it new with a custom blue smoke paint job, and outfitted it with mix of Suntour Superbe Pro, Mavic, and Specialized components. I'll never sell it.
Beautiful bike, Don! I actually found a period Wheaties/Schwinn jersey that I wear all the time. Now I just have to find the Paramount to match it! :)
I agree 100% with you... I not long ago set out a goal to ride 50 miles in a day, I rode 16 on my beach cruiser before it broke down, so I walked down the street to find a 1970's era Gitane Grand Sport Deluxe for sale for 60 dollars, plus it was a California bike so basically 0 rust... I ended up riding the last 34 miles on it without even touching a thing, it needs some TLC but either way I am keeping it forever.
Great story! Those 70's Gitane bikes were some of the first "real" race bike that came over to the U.S. during the bike boom.
I still have my red Suteki Japanese racing bike that I bought at Sears. I think I paid somewhere between $400 and $500 for it at the time. It may not be as well known as a Fuji but I bet it rides at least just as good with its super smooth Shimano shifters. I take great care of it and its still near mint condition. I started riding it again this past summer and I am looking forward to warmer weather again.
Good on you for taking care of that cool bike, Joe! Spring will be here before we know it, and we'll be enjoying nice rides in nice weather!
Bought an 80s Bianchi ten years ago and ride it a few times a week, usually on rides 10ish miles in length around the neighborhood area. She’s a beauty, so fun to ride, and I wouldn’t trade it for any new bike
I had a nice Bianchi in the 90's which I regret selling!
You're preaching to the choir. I ride a '93 Bridgestone RB-1 and an '86 Schwinn Paramount. On group rides, I'm usually the only one on a steel bike and the only rider with down-tube shifters when riding the Schwinn. As you point out, old bikes are works of art. I'm a rebel, I think, with a good cause - a contrarian against electronic shifting, disc brakes, internal cabling and carbon everything. Not to mention that prices for modern road bikes are insane.
Those are both beautiful bikes! Good on you for exposing your group ride buddies to a little culture and education! :)
In 1975 I bought a Motobecane Grand Record, Reynolds 531 silver with black and gold pin striping and had a
Campy Record groupset with pedals and bars put on it a few years later. Large frame so it's a bit flexy but
that makes it comfortable. Going to be fifty years old in a couple of years. Cost $350 for the bike and just
under $1000 for the Campy upgrade. It's been used as just a road bike. It has a Blackburn rack on it to carry
shoes and beer.
I had the chance to buy a 70's Motobecane a few years back. It was a beautiful bike (but not a Grand Record) but the frame was way too big for me. Still think about that bike!
i find blackburn accessories to be overrated and overpriced. back in the day they had little competition.
I just picked up one ‘grande record’ for free from my neighbour ‘cleaning up the basement’. Full campagnolo/shimano/ cinelli running gear . Tires were flat, that’s all. But I need new rubber, sort of deteriorated.
I bought my Motobecane 12 speed, full Campy, Reynolds 521, in ‘72 and it remains, safe in my garage, a thing of beauty in yellow, black & gold.
You can't get a better bike than that, William! Enjoy it and thanks for watching!
Niiiice video and voice work. Very convincing. Im giving up the couch and getting back on a vintage racer.
Sounds like a plan! :) Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching!
I have a custom hand built road bike, a trek MTB, and a Peugeot touring bike, all from the 80s. Remarkably, many of the components, such as the bottom bracket, hubs, rims, cassettes (all indexed 7 speed), stems, chain sets, seat posts, head sets, front mechs, rear mechs, chains, inner and outer cables, ferrules, rims, brake blocks, cantilevers, and all bearings, are interchangeable between these three bikes, even though those bikes were built for entirely different purposes.
Needless to say, I decided to stock up with a few spare parts, which I think was a sensible strategy, and, apart from tires and tubes, I haven't actually needed to visit a bike shop for the last thirty years.
The bike industry does everything it can to force people into buying replacement bikes as frequently as possible, but here's the point - my decision to "stick" with 80s bikes, has probably saved me at least 100,000 pounds real terms over the last 35 years.
I have no doubt, Neil! There are so many parts floating around for the older bikes, we should be good for our lifetime. :) I just tried to put a 10-speed compact crank on my 90's steel bike (with an 8-speed group) to make it a little easier on the hills and I'm running into issues. Should've just stuck with the older stuff! :)
Just picked up a 76 paramount. Super excited to take it to the shop tomorrow for them to check out.
Very nice! Should make a great rider, Alex!
Great video. Like others here, I also rode a Gitane back in the 1970s. Regrettably, long since gone. While I like the points made in the video, riders should not overlook that some carbon bikes are now also "vintage." A few days ago I picked up a 1995 Trek OCLV 5000 (the only year this model was painted green, as far as I know) for about $200. The previous owner had taken great care of it. This bike rides great and is a blast. Very simple components, relatively speaking. For my purposes, this purchase was money well spent over high-priced "modern" bikes. My next purchase will be a vintage steel bike. Everyone, please enjoy your riding, whatever your preferences.
I still have my circa 1990’s OCLV and it’s one of the best riding bikes I’ve ever ridden, Alejandro! Trek did something right with those!
I second that.
Every point well made and much needed in contemporary thinking. Love toe-clips too. Yay!
Great minds think alike, Stan! :)
Except when you’re a in crash and you’re stuck in them. That where modern cleats help you out.
@@Liofa73 If you don't overtighten the toe straps you won't get stuck - you'll get your feet off the pedals like greased lightning in an emergency, but there'll still be enough grip to stop them slipping off the pedals in normal use. I've been riding for about 65 years, and a young fellow in a bike shop told me that toe clips and straps were dangerous - but set up properly, they're not. Believe me, I know!
Still been riding my 2000 steel 853 Lemond Buenos Aires...
just in 2007 I stripped it to the frame...and put a new carbon Easton EC90 fork and Dura Ace components... a titanium Colnago seat post...with a new seat...a carbon handle bar...a carbon stem ..
left the original wheels Rolf Vector
I love it.... Lemond frame is great 👍
Yep, those Lemond Buenos Aires are great bikes! Enjoy it! Watch the hubs on the Rolf Vector wheels- I had a hub crack on my while riding. Trek honored the warrantee on the wheel even though I had purchased it ten years earlier.
@@bikestrikesrazorsthose Rolf Vector wheels are still working good but I am planning to buy a carbon wheelset in springtime...Compy Bora 35
my one of the choices
I splurged and had new wheels built for my then $400 1984 Bertin track bike.
I did have it geared down a sprocket size, my knees are older. And replaced the broken funky French pedals. I had the funky French chain ring replaced with Campi in the 90s.
And it still rolls
Sounds like a cool bike, David! Enjoy it!
I got a Bertin and it's magical!!literally it just pulls forward without me pedaling!!wicked fast 44mph when it help peddle also!!the original owner died and I think his spirit is inside it now!!!
it can't be denied that, while they are mechanically complex and expensive to replace, brifters just make sense. brake hoods have become more ergonomic, you can shift while you brake, while you're standing up to pedal, and of course it goes without saying that all of this can be done without having to take either of your hands off of the handlebars. you're right about downtube shifters, though. very simple, durable, not hard to use at all once you get used to them. i've got a pair of shimano 105 downtube shifters on my vitus 979. the right one is indexed and produces a satisfying *snap!* when you actuate the lever, the action is light and it shifts just as precisely as i imagine it did back in 1987; a real testament to the quality of the engineering. if i had to go friction though i'd want suntour power shifters. they were the first downtube shifters i ever used. the ratchet mechanism in them makes actuating them as smooth as spreading warm butter on toast. doesn't get much better than that!
Thanks very much for the comment, Femboy! There are a good number of Vitus fans in the local vintage bike group here in Sacramento! I do love brifters and have them on my more "modern" bikes (late 90's). It always takes me a few minutes to get used to the downtube shifters after not riding one of my older bikes for a while.
In 1985 I spent $1650 for a De Rosa with the best Campagnolo Record component group. At the time, it was hard to spend more on a steel frame bike. I still ride it among other bikes I have. Longer wheelbase and it's steel....steel is pretty sweet.
Gotta love De Rosa's, James! I'd love to add one to my (meager) collection some day!
And those were '85 dollars...today 1650 buy decent aluminium bicycle but nowhere top of the line. Practical yes, but not beautiful.
This is why I love my '92 Bridgestone RB-1 and MB-2. I bought them new and have never thought about getting a newer bike.
Hi Maggie! I had an RB-2 for a while! Great bikes!
don't you wish it was like that with CARS?
@@tommurphy4307 It used to be. I had a Honda Civic hatchback for 20 years. Got a newer car and it lasted 8 yrs before I concluded it was costing me too much in maintenance. Traded it for a 2015 Acura with 6MT and last year of the pull up emergency brake - the engine should last 300K. Hopefully my last car (I"m 66).
I bought a 20 year old racing bike last year during lockdown. I tried modern bikes with a similar fit out but they just didn't compare. That ultegra 6000 series is just so much better than the plastic replacements on bikes now. I thought it was a steel bike because the welds were so beautiful but it is a well made aluminum beauty.
Sounds like a beautiful bike, Amanda! Yep, a well designed aluminum bike can ride just as well and look just as beautiful as steel! Glad you found a keeper!
ultegra is the intellectual property of shimano, LTD japan, and is a family of components- not a bicycle- take another look at it.
steel welds are usually ugly, aluminum uses tig which has to look good to even get done
I still ride my 1980s Raleigh steel bike, I changed pedals for cleats though works great. I agree carbon bikes still use a chain and sprockets. Great video, thanks for making it.
Thanks for watching. Most of the folks I know that ride vintage bikes are using clipless pedals with cleats like you are. I’m one of the few nuts still using toe clips and slit cleats. :)
I just turned 36 but way back in middle school i had an old Peugeot road bike from the 80's. I didn't even know what a road bike was back then i think it was purchased from a thrift store. I didn't have anyone to tell me about the sport of competitive cycling(how i wish!) all i knew was that old Peugeot was FAST when i put the pedals down but wasn't "cool" like my chrome bmx bike. I still think about that old Peugeot bike to this day from time to time and wish i had held on to it. I ride a modern Bianchi now and have passed the love of cycling down to my son who cant get off his roadbike. I look at these vintage bikes now and want one now more than ever. They are getting expensive though
Great story! That Peugeot is still out there, somewhere. Maybe It’ll turn up again! Thanks for watching and keep on riding!
What a well done video. And correct on every count. I love my 1981 Miyata 1000, I've upgraded the components and gave it a new paint job and it's good to go for a long time.
Thanks, Johnny! These beautiful vintage bikes will outlast us all, and do it in style!
@@bikestrikesrazors FOR REAL!
Its extremely helpful to buy a vintage ENGLISH bicycle, since the english / UK standards ALL became the ISO standards : 27.2 seatposts, ISO headsets, ISO bottom brackets, ISO freewheels, it's why I collect Raleigh/Carlton bikes, to a great extent ... The only thing that is NOT fully compatible is the modorn Shimano SIS (1984+) derailleur hanger, they are FARTHER from the rear axle than traditional campagnolo derailleur hangers. This means that if you mount a modern Shimano Indexing derailleur on a vintage campagnolo (or Huret or Simplex or Suntour) derailleur hanger, you may encounter cases where the jockey wheels hit the freewheel in the lowest gear.
Thanks for the information, D! I didn't know that about the SIS stuff.
27.2 is a seatpost standard, however the reaming process after allowing for slight distortion from brazing heat, could vary slightly. A good custom builder would supply an exact seat post without pinching or stretching the seat clamp, and lots of post sizes were available.
Great video! I've got a 1986 Basso Gap frame outfitted with a mishmash of Shimano 105, Ultegra and Dura-Ace. My one nod to modernity was to cold set the rear triangle to 130mm and fit an 8 speed cassette and brifters. It's probably a good six pounds heavier than even a low end carbon bike but, man, is it beautiful! I'll never give it up....I get too many compliments at charity rides and centuries!
Those Bassos are beautiful bikes, Dana! I have a super-light 16 pound BMC and several vintage bikes that weight in the 19-25 pound range, and once I’m riding, I really don’t notice a difference. Heck, two full water bottles add ten pounds. Thanks for watching!
My 1967 Raleigh Grand Prix went into semi-retirement in 1987 when I bought my Raleigh Rocky III Mountain bike. This bike just recently received a “ Tune up” new brake pads & cables, gear cables, new chain & foam hand grips … & Tires with tubes. LOL Rides like a dream. Maybe I’ll do a restoration on the 1967 ???
I'll bet the '67 will ride like a dream, too, Brian!
I was in the bike business from the fall of '72 to the early 1980s and agree 100%. To me, the main artistic attraction of bicycles is the fact that the entire structure and all mechanical components are exposed to view, and the classic builders like Colnago, Masi, Frejus, Holdsworth, Jack Taylor and others took full advantage of this fact. Comparing classic machines to modern CF CAD designed bikes is like comparing steam locomotives to diesels. EDIT: Life in Black and White is the perfect music for this video.
Great minds think alike! :) Wow, the 70's to early eighties was a great time to be working in a bike shop. Some beautiful stuff must have come through there!
My 2001 DeVinci is superior to this old junk and cost 300 bucks. So way more comfort and better components than the vintage garbage
@@joerenner8334 My sweet, little, Swiss oma always said: "Be nice or be quiet." Clearly advice you never received as a child.
The Yellow Jersey, in Madison, Wisconsin, had an 56cm Albert Eisentrout with a white pearlescent paint and a Campy Super Record gruppo in 1984. I had just bought my Bianchi Specialissima when the Trout arrived. To this day, I wish I would've waited a month before I made my purchase. 😂
@@keithhunter3910 the guy is entitled to his opinion
One other pro for the friction team I don't hear too many people bring up, is ease of groupset replacing and mixing and matching. Since friction doesn't care about cable pull ratio's or having perfect alignment you can upgrade components or swap brands without much trouble other than just putting on the new parts. You don't even need to undo your cockpit depending on location of shifters.
Even the argument against downtube/stem shifters can be fixed with Gevenalle "Frifter" Friction Brifters. Brake levers that let you relocate your DT shifters to the hoods. While I can't say how they ride, they do offer the same simplicity and reliability of friction without removing your hands.
Good point, Thumbly! I just went through a compatibility nightmare trying to change the rear mech on a modern bike. Yeesh!
@@bikestrikesrazors Yep, fell in love when I got bored and threw a Shimano 10-spd 11-36t cassette on an 8sp freehub, and managed to use the original 7 speed rear derailleur with it. All it took was a thumbshifter or a Microshift Sram 11 speed bar end in friction mode
@@ShortGuac well ya gotta remember the cog-spacing drops to 4mm with the 10-11 speed cassettes. the width of a 10-speed cassette is 36mm and the width on the 7 speed freewheels is 30mm- so not that much of a difference. sometimes you can get away with the old shifter- only way to know for sure is to try it.
That Frejus is beautiful! you make a lot of very good points, I am still riding my 1987 BH Campagnolo (bought new by me), built in Spain, modest Columbus Aelle frame but given a very decent paint job, and equipped with a Triomphe groupset, sure shes developed some minor Patina over the years and have changed minor parts here and there, but she still looks well -- "sexy" shes still all Vintage Campagnolo with some Zues here & there, we have done lots of miles and grown old together , touch wood never dropped her, and you can always refurb / overhaul , whatever ,vintage Campanolo one last time.
Thanks for watching, jezztech! I always tell people I'll change the components on my bikes when they wear out. So far, I've just had to replace chains, cassettes and a few chainrings! I think the mid to late 80's was a golden age for bikes.
campy stuff never impressed me- i had a campy seat clamp bolt on one of my nissan lightweight bikes just so i could say it had campy stuff on it. now- nothing campy- who cares?
@@tommurphy4307 no one s asking you to care.
My two favorite bikes ever:
80's Miyata Professional. Suntour Surberbe Pro components / hubs. Mavic MA2 / MA3 rims. I rode as a messenger ( '98 - 2001`). Doorings, accidents and put around 60,000 miles on it. Smooth and tough as nails. Continued as a touring bike until it broke in 2011 from water getting into down tube lug.
1989 Bridgestone RB-1. 105 hubs/components. Later on found an Ultegra Crank. 23 x 13 6 speed. Friction bar end shifters. Campagnolo Moskova Rims ( that still have to go out of true ). Did the Lifecycle/AIDS ride a few years back from SF to LA. Didn't miss a beat. Still have this one and its still the most comfortable/responsive bike I've been on.
Those are both beautiful bikes, Meow! Shame about the Miyata, but you can't complain too much after it put in a hard 60,000 miles! You don't hear too much about Suntour Superbe components, but I have them on a bike and they perform every bit as well as anything from that time period. Cudos on the Lifecycle/AIDS Ride! I have a friend that does it every year. No way I could do that kind of distance, sleep in a tent and then do it again the next day, and the next day! :) Thanks for watching!
@@bikestrikesrazors Cheers!
One of my five rides is a Ron Kitching frame cs 1972 with all Campy parts except for the crankset, which I couldn't afford 45 years ago. When I rebuilt the bike as a hybrid/ city bike 5 years ago I installed a city bar, my Brooks B17 which I never liked on my Surly LHT, but also the original Universal Super 68 short drop calipers that were the pros' choice before Campy introduced their game changing side pull in the early 70s. Having lots of parts around from the era when I was racing (late '70s) usually makes repair straightforward.
Here is my 50+ years experience distilled to an aphorism: a vintage bike is a simple, precision machine, that anybody can understand. A modern bike is a complicated, precision machine that only specialists can understand.
A concise and correct conclusion, Phil!
I'm more of a runner than a cyclist but I can appreciate the beauty. Plus I'm old so of course everything was better back in the day.
Funny how that happens when you get older! :)
A good steel bike will still be on the road long after the latest wundercarbon bike is a wallhanger decoration in a hipster coffee bar.😀
LOL! Hipster coffee bars need decorations, too, Phillip. :)
I have a mid 80s Bridgestone racing bike and let me tell you…I LOVE IT. The only other bike that compared was my trek 1000
Those ‘80’s Bridgestones are beautiful bikes, Dan! Thanks for watching and enjoy that bike!
@@bikestrikesrazors yes sir! Thx 4 the reminder these older bikes are FANTASTIC
Bridgestone Were triathlon bikes in the early 80's great geometry!!
My steel 1984 Schwinn Le Tour Luxe has been upgraded in a few ways, but it is still a vintage steel bike. And it is the best bike I've ever owned! I can attest to this after riding the last four RAGBRAIs on it.
Wow, Four RAGBRAIs! That looks like a great event and a cool bike!
@@bikestrikesrazors I've done about 10 RAGBRAIs on an aluminum Trek. Much more painful! Steel is a luxury!
I kind like the three pound frame Cannonade’s that were made in 1994 road bike and the three pound hard tail mountain bike frames of 1994&1995 still a beautiful frame and very smooth ride.😊
Great video, thanks! The biggest downside to vintage bikes for me are the rim brakes, since I've become spoiled with disc brakes. Otherwise I couldn't agree more.
Thanks for watching, Richard! I still haven't gone over to disc brakes on the road bikes, but I never ride in the rain (except today, when I got caught in the rain!).
Hate disc on road. And I'm a bike tech that builds top end Pinnarello. Hate carbon also! Souless.
O, yes I do love disc brakes. When you come down a twisty mountain road on a fully loaded touring bike and it is snowing and raining ,that is when you wish for disc brakes and not the Campy Record side pull brakes!
2:23 wow that’s a bad ass classic Jersey! CINZANO cycling team! Whew! Awesome 👍
Thanks, Pat! I've had that jersey for almost twenty years now, but it looks like Vintage Velos is still selling it (although they're out of stock right now):
www.vintagevelos.com/en/team-wool-jerseys/11-2808-cinzano-wool-jersey.html
I miss my 1961 Rotrax. When I got bar-end shifters, changing gear was almost as easy as with modern shifters. I only had 2x5 gears, whereas now I have 2x11, but I only use 7 of them. That old steel bike felt like it was a part of my body.
Those Rotrax bikes were/are beautiful, Richard! I’d love to turn one up someday. :)
@Paul Whitcomb They're like hens' teeth, this side of the pond.
I've just built a new road bike; the CF frame and parts were all sourced from AliExpress, (except the cassette), and it's a 1x. The cassette is 14 to 32, which is quite workable on a 50T chainring. It's a pleasure to ride. But I'm gonna get a narrow/wide 52T chainring and a chain retainer to (hopefully) stop from dropping the chain. The gear range will be 44" to 100, which should be fine for me.
The steel frame ride is luxurious on the road, especially on big 27" wheels. Alloys are hard and brittle on the road.
Thanks very much for watching, FMphoto!
I have a 12 speed 1988 steel racer bike,it wasnt expensive in the day but its in excellent condition and rides smooth
Sounds like a great bike, Ashley! Enjoy it!
As an old guy age 69 I wish I still had in my possession the bikes I owned in the 60’s-80’s instead of discarding them for either a pittance or just tossed them aside. Also I miss the great cars( didn’t know it at the time) like the old classy Pontiacs , Oldsmobiles, Buicks and Chevys that my dad traded in for a few hundred bucks when he bought a new car. The ‘65 Bonneville convertible, Olds 442, fishtail Buick Riviera. Man would I love to own those now!
Hey, Mark! I know just how you feel. It’s hard to believe that design has gone so backwards. Everything from bicycles to automobiles (which now all look the same) to motorcycles (Oh man, those beautiful old motorcycles) to architecture. It seems that beauty has taken a back seat to efficiency. Makes for a rather boring world. :)
Oh, as I understand you....
@@bikestrikesrazors Joe, 100%
@@bikestrikesrazors Now the price is determined by the nameplate...
i just wish i still had my '72 datsun 510
Wow, what goes around comes back! Starting to hear fond remembrances of friction down tube shifters and lugged steel frames. I got into cycle in mid life crisis 40 years ago. The best could be had for around $1500. In '83 or '84, Gita started importing DeRosa, one frame model, the Professional, to address the booming criterium market in the US. It was the last bike Eddy Merckx rode and copied with his own brand, so, yeah, good enough for me! It's Columbus SL, SLX seat tube on mine, chromed flat fork crown, chromed right chain stay and dropouts, steep angles, 74-75 degrees.
Riding it is Italian opera. It does everything you ask faithfully, so well, I've crashed it several times, fortunately at slow speeds under 10 mph! I think they call it over steer, or in Italian operas, "flighty." It was geared 53-42, 13-21, meant to ride hard. The harder you rode the more solid it felt. I'll never forget how stabile it was descending Mt. Wilson, CA, at 48 mph, despite the steep head angle. Its full Campy Super Record, maintainable with simple tools in a home work stand. Sprayed some lube inside the frame tubes when overhauling the threaded cup and cone BB, and no rust over 70.000 miles. Threaded BBs are coming back after press fits too often came loose.
There's nothing stronger than a copper brazed investment cast steel lug, so in a crash steel bends along the tubes away from the joints. Most of the time, a steel frame builder can bend chromium molybdenum tubing back into shape. Crashed the commuter once, bent the fork, and dimpled the top tube and down tube. The frame builder bent it all back into proper geometry and I'm still depending on it 30 years later. The tubing is extremely dense and amazingly strong. Has anyone tried to bend a CRMO tube? You'll see how strong! Reynolds 531 used manganese molybdenum. Manganese was touted to be more "resilient" and more comfortable for long distance "touring" bikes.
I've worked in 4 bikes shops in the last 30 years and had many opportunities to snag the latest tech, but declined every time. What I had was better in every way riding in the real world. It was "overbuilt," worked superbly well, and lasted forever. Have been riding the commuter bike with investment cast lugs, Columbus SLX seat and down tube, SP chain stays, SP being a little stouter than SL, and SL seat stays. I put fenders and rack on it, ridden it at least 75,000 miles over 35 years, and the Campy Record chromed steel headset and BB and "butter knife" Campy down tube shifters might last another 75,000 miles.
Re-spoked aluminum rims a couple of times onto the tried and true Campy cup and cone hubs on both bikes and wheels are good for another 40,000 miles. Well tensioned 36 spoke wheels climb like bandits, survive the occasional spill and stay true forever. DT stainless steel spokes are still available but haven't had to replace any of them.
Italian shoe maker Marresi makes an old fashioned leather shoe that fits neatly into toe clips and doesn't rub the right chain stay, but on the commuter I can ride on errands with narrow walking shoes. Slotted cleats now available with Look drillings, are simple to clean up: just take a key and scrape the dirt out of the slot. When Look introduced their clipless system, racers balked at how it took away the feeling of being firmly connected to the cranks, especially sprinting. So makers stiffened up the shoes and put velcro straps around the uppers, but they still felt "soft," so makers then widened the platform back to the width of the old gossamer "rat trap" cages. Some Keirin racers still use toe clips and straps. Toe straps don't come loose. The shoes don't have to be especially stiff because the feet push down on the expansive pedal cage centered over the axle. The clip and strap hold the foot on the pedal when unweighting the upstroke.
So if you ride outside of highly competitive club rides or racing, steel is real. The old stuff works great. Simplicity has its rewards. To me, that's what cycling is all about. Finally, these latest tech gravel bikes weigh a pound or two more than the old 22 and 24 pound steel bikes above, and clearance for 28 mm tires is where its at on paved roads.
Keep it up, man! Fascinating subject! Disk brakes, anyone? Electronic shifting on 12 cog clusters and one chain ring? Gimme a break.
I agree completely with everything you said, Paul! I suspect that most of what passes for innovations in the cycling world are just ways to try and convince riders to dump their old bikes and buy a new one. It works for the bike shops and manufacturers, but when you step back from it, it just looks silly, and even worse, if riders are actually giving up objectively better bikes to buy the next new thing, it's actually kind of tragic. Man, I always wanted a vintage DeRosa! Some day! :)
@@bikestrikesrazors You're so right about bike marketing! Great steel bikes don't wear out like cars. Good ones last forever. Steel still maintains market share through all the aluminum and carbon transformations. DeRosa didn't catch on all that well in the '80s in the US. I never saw them on group rides or crits around DC, TX, or LA. Riders would half wheel on their Colnago, Ciocc, Pinarello, Bianchi, and they'd always ask, "DeRosa? Wuzzat?" They looked down on naming a bike after a flower, the only thing I figured. As the years passed, club riders would mock, "Steel is real!" The Ford mechanic, a tall, lanky guy who always rode up front, sure enough bought a Masi. Geometries vary, but I'd guess you're riding a superb example of the art of Italian frame builders. Thanks for the history!
@@paulmcknight4137 DeRosa had/has such huge palmares in the European racing community but I'm guessing there just wasn't that much of an effort on their part to export/market to America back in the day. I have a 1981 Olmo that constantly gets the comment "What's an Olmo"? They only imported to the American market for a few years then gave up on it, so very few folks in these parts know what an Olmo is.
@@bikestrikesrazors Olmo was up there with the best! I guess in the early '80s, most small "boutique" Italian builders hadn't tapped into the American market yet. Bianchi was a big deal with the snobs before Colnago took the mantle, deservedly so, I might add! Knew a guy who rode an Olmo. He was deeply in love! There just aren't all that many bikes that inspire such love! Tommasini used to appear frequently. Masi is another brand that grabbed a US following. From under the bleachers at Vigorelli race track to LA, California! Don't know how long it lasted, a few years anyway. A friend inherited a Masi from his dad. It's a beaut. 3Rensho I read originally built bikes for famous keirin racers, the toughest riders in the sport. They had legendary handling heard tell. The one pictured is a beaut! Appreciate the pictures! Nice stuff.
@@paulmcknight4137 Thanks, Paul! Here in the Sacramento suburbs in the early 1980's you never saw anything close to a nice bike in the local shops. I distinctly remember when a local bike shop got in a single lower line Bianchi, but it was still Celeste and had a Campy drive train. They placed it up on top of a counter like it was on an alter and everyone would stand around and "ooh" and "aww". No one around these parts ever would've bought it, but it sure was inspiring to look at. :)
I have both a Colnago Super and a Trek 5500 OCLV 120 and both are beautiful bikes with great handling. The Trek is made of carbon, but it looks really beautiful with its very unusual shape and a mix of 9-speed DA 7700 with 7400 brakes at only 7.3 kg, it is also incredibly fast.
Nice Colnago! I always wanted one but still haven't scratched that itch. :) My all time favorite bike was an OCLV. It was a rebranded Lemond with the same great 9 speed DA you have. That thing was a rocket on the hills! I'd still have it but a car "left hooked" me. The bike took a hard hit and I faired only a little better :)
@@bikestrikesrazors sorry to hear that- hope you have completely recovered
Nice video. I ride both carbon and steel. I’ll admit that I am faster on my carbon bike. But I’d rather go for distance on my resto-mod 85 Schwinn Tempo. It’s much more supple than my Felt. I went resto-mod because I like modern compact gearing, and parts are readily available. The bike uses friction shifters, long cage derailleur, an 11-32 10 speed cassette, and a 50-34 crankset.
I'm with you on that, Dennis. I find I'm more likely to ride whatever has the best gearing these days.
that IS a lot of wrap! the derailleur cage must be quite long.
Try 20second top speed your vintage will be faster ❤
Thank you for a great video. I'm in the middle of performing a major cleanup of my 1983 Fuji Opus 3. I was remarking to my wife about the simplicity, quality and ease of maintenance of the Suntour groupset. Especially compared to the over engineered hydraulic disk brake system on my newest bike. I bought the Fuji new in 1982 and still take it out for ride every year. Don't think I'll take it on any long distance tours but its nice ride down memory lane a few time a year. Thanks again and all the best, Steve
Thanks, Steve! Don’t discount that Fuji for long tours- I rode a century not too long ago on a 1986 3Rensho and I felt just as good afterwards as I would’ve if I would’ve been riding one of my more modern bikes.
@@bikestrikesrazors Even though I would love to take my Fuji on a long tour. It's truly a race bike with 20mm sew ups, a 13x22 cassette with a 42x53 crank (very old school). The bike is in great condition except for a few scratches. Replacement tires are hard to come by these days. You inspired me to spend hours this week completely cleaning the drive train back to showroom condition. Waiting for perfect weather to take her out of a spin. It still has the original SunTour chain which only recently is showing signs of needing replacement. It makes me wonder what the bicycle industry is doing to us since I only get about 1500 miles on new chains these days. Take care, Steve
@@steveretiredandcycling Yep, that authentic gearing makes things tough if you live in any kind of hilly area. I put a 28T on the back of most of my vintage bikes so I can handle the hills around here. :)
suntour made some great stuff- even their entry-level steel suntour 'honor' was a great-shifting derailleur...
My Dad had a Nishiki International when He was 20. We still have it and I'm going to get it up and running again.
Nishiki made some great bikes! Glad to hear your dad's bike will be put back in service!
@Bikes, Trikes & Razors! The Japanese in general make really great stuff. ESPECIALLY vintage stuff.
One thing we have lost is those beautiful steel forks. With disc brakes the fork has to be beefy because of the torque exerted across the length of the fork leg. This is the secret of the steel ride feel; it's not compliance in the frame, it's the fork. On the flip side, tires were impractically narrow because in the days before power meters people thought that was actually faster. So what you really want is a vintage *touring* bike, which unlike its racing sibling is completely suitable for its original purpose today and has clearance for 35mm tires.
Hi Matthew. I remember in the late 90's when everyone had to ditch their steel forks for carbon forks on their steel road bikes!
@@bikestrikesrazors Well, not everyone, but certainly people who just had to have the latest thing. The problem with the latest thing is often you're turning from a mature technology to one that is in its infancy. Remember how harsh those early aluminum bike frames were?
These days a designer can make a great frame out of any of the common materials -- steel, aluminum, carbon, titanium, they each have their merits. Steel is a good choice for custom builders and smaller scale manufacturers, but aluminum makes more sense for huge operations like Giant, and carbon makes sense if you're building a bike to win a Grand Tour.
One thing that steel clearly wins on is durability. If a steel frame is not abused or allowed to rust, it's pretty close to immortal. Today you can have a hobby of restoring and riding vintage 80s bikes. But in the 2060s the supply of 2020s bikes isn't going to be anything like our supply of 1980s bikes. Aside from the odd aluminium or carbon bike that survived because it never got much use, most of what will be left will be steel bikes from boutique-y brands like Ritchey.
@@bikestrikesrazors The idiots did. Others did not.
22-23mm/25mm tires are just fine. You need not go wider. With carbon, you lose more than just the classic steel fork. With good steel that is properly designed - balanced, brazed, you HAVE compliance throughout the ENTIRE frame. A great and still superior set of 32x3x-2.0/1.8 with brass nipples wheels make it right. Today's carbon bikes have no aesthetic, ride like crap and are no faster.
@@grumpynerd Pretty close to immortal is right! I just finished squaring away a steel bike from 1915 and while it's a heavy beast, it's still perfectly ridable!
Modern bicycles are too expensive. Would love to have one, but content with my completely restored Dave Scott centurion. Great perspectives, Thanks
I have a friend that loves those Dave Scott Centurions above all others! I'm still looking for a "modern" bike that feels as good as some of my older ones. :)
@@bikestrikesrazors I ride this road bike 7 or 10miles a day. New paint,decals,bottom bracket with ceramic bearings.
@@davidbraxton1725 Excellent! Happy riding!
That's true but salaries are much higher too.
Love my "Miami Vice"
I am looking for vintage steel touring bikes . Basically, the frame geometry needs to have longer chain stays, room for wider tires and fenders and a kick stand. A built in hub dynamo can be easily done. The lug frames are not easy to find except by Rivendell. Maybe there are other mfg.
I bike commute and need Schwalbe marathon touring tires because they are extremely reliable and puncture resistant.
I bought a new bike, a floor room model for a discount with XT everything including hub dynamo and Magura hydraulic brakes. I didn't know I didn't need all of the high end stuff and just a reliable comfortable ride. Replacement parts are expensive for xt but luckily I can swap out slowly. The weight savings doesn't mean a lot to me. I am not a racer. I sold my 1983 Trek 531 and sort of regret it. But I couldn't fit the tires that I wanted and I am lucky enough to be living in Germany now and see a lot of vintage steel frames, with good components for around 150 Euro.
A lot of people want ebikes which I don't care for unless you have health problems and want to ride long distances and not get tired.
But I am happy with my retro looking steel trekking/tourer, brooks, Panniers , Wald basket.
And I ride strong 💪.
Sounds like you've got a great bike! I have some XT stuff on a few bikes and it's good and long lasting so it should serve you well!
Saw a Lemond racing bike with An all Campag groupset last week at the LBS… beautiful. 600 bucks. I just might buy that beauty.
I used to have a Lemond! I'd still have it, but it was run over (with me on it!) by a driver that wasn't paying attention. :)
Great job, agree on so many points. I have ridden for 45years and have latest technology equipment but still end up enjoying a late 80s colnago for its incredible ride quality.
Hey, Howard! I recently picked up a BMC SLC01 with Zipp Firecrest wheels, expecting to see big gains in speed on the flats. Over a sixty mile ride, the BMC was barely any faster than my 1972 Allegro- Really surprised me. And the Allegro has that amazing ride quality you speak of. :)
those are wonderfully springy frames
This maybe works for special collector's items, but my ordinary old steel bike is no work of art. The frame might be from 1984, but it's rusted, the paint is chipped and was probably ugly even when new. The components are from all over, the saddle is new from China, the derailleurs are 1989 Tourney. I don't care about components being era-appropriate, or company-specific. If it works, or especially if it's cheaper, modern tech isn't inherently worse.
The bike rides very well, and despite having put no thought into weight when building it, it's "only" 12 kg. It's a good bike. Great for around the city and showing off for vintage street cred. But on long tours? I'll take my carbon frame and Shimano 105 any day.
For what it's worth though, I completely agree with your closing thoughts. The 1984 frame I mentioned was literally thrown away by the previous owner. I pulled it out of the bin and many components, dollars and, man-hours later, I built myself perhaps one of the slickest city bikes out there. One that I wouldn't be afraid of taking on a gran fondo -- Just, I'd prefer to take my carbon frame while I have the choice ;)
It's true, not every old bike is a beauty. :) I go back and forth between my carbon frames and steel, and while one of my carbon bikes is slightly lighter than all the others, I don't really notice a performance and comfort difference on long rides with the similar aged steel. I do start feeling the drag of all the extra weight once I get back to 1960's bikes. Thanks for watching and commenting, Jari!
Agreed totally. I'd add that even a badly damaged alloy steel frame can have new tubes brazed in by a skilled framebuilder, and repainted with reproduction decals to be as good as new. Stripped bottom bracket threads? These can be reamed out, new steel brazed in, and the threads recut. I've owned a carbon fibre frame bike, but my road bikes built from Reynolds 531 butted tubing are in another league - they feel much livelier on the road. No contest, steel is real - support the craftsmen who build these wonderful frames!
Oh, yeah! I think that if more riders would try a quality steel frame, even with a modern group, you’d have a lot more “steel is real” converts. Thanks for watching!
NO steel frame is worth that kind investment- even if it was an old MKM it would be cheaper to replace the frame.
@@tommurphy4307 Hi Tom! I suppose it all depends on how you view a bike. I'm a petrolhead as well as a cyclist. Let's say I have a choice of a 1930s Bugatti versus say, a modern Porsche. The Bugatti represents the pinnacle of fine old-world craftsmanship, it's simpler than a modern car but was advanced for its time. It's the car I'd go to look at first at a car show.
Regarding bikes, I see where you're coming from - it's a bike, a machine to do a job - but I see a fine traditional steel frame as rideable art, and I enjoy seeing a machine like this twinkling in the sun as I ride it: www.hetchins.com/mo3-01.htm
Yes, in engineering terms the fancy lugs are unnecessary - but they're hand cut, and I like this sort of 'bling'!
Ultimately, you pay you money and make your choice - as long as we all ride to enjoy cycling, that's what really counts I think.
I'm in love with vintage road bike.. Eventho downtube shifters is quite uncomfortable and i often losing momentum while changing gears, the romantic feeling is still unbeatable.
FTW!
I agree, Robby! You know, bar end shifters are just as authentic to a vintage bike, so if you're finding downtube shifters uncomfortable, you may want to look into installing some vintage bar end shifters. Thanks much for watching!
@@bikestrikesrazors I personally found bar end shifters awkward. Downtube shifters actually uses a similar motion to grabbing a water bottle out of the downtube cage. Also, depending on how you have your bike set up, it’s possible to accidentally shift with your knee.
Cheers
@@tomdavis3038 I've never shifted with my knees, but I have noticed that the shift levers on the downtube shifters can be prone to loosening up and then the gears can shift under a hard load by themselves. I always check to make sure the shifters are tight before hitting a big hill.
@@bikestrikesrazors that’s true of any “friction” type shifter. As far as shifting with your knees, I was referring to situations where the rider prefers a short reach to the bars and rides out of the saddle while using bar and shifters. On most bike setups I’ve seen, the bars are far enough away that this will not happen.
Cheers
@@tomdavis3038 I see, Tom. Yes, I guess that could be a problem! Thanks again.
I got my used 1984 Pinarello Treviso from TrIeviso, Italy while traveling in Europe in my Vanagon Westy. I met the late Giovanni and his daughter Carla at their small store in Treviso. Giovanni also gave me personal tour of his factory and gave me a wool Pinarello jersey too, a very nice and kind man My bike was equipped with Campy Super Record with Mavic MA 40 rims.
How cool is that?! That right there is one fantastic bike buying experience, Tony! Sounds like Giovanni really appreciated his customers!
Hello I really enjoyed your video. I have a Bertoni road bike built with Columbus SLX steel tubing, Campagnolo dropouts, and a mix of Shimano Ultegra and Campagnolo components with dual control brake shift levers. The bottom bracket is a sealed bearing Philwood that spins so smoothly. My cassette is a 9 speed and I don't feel the need for any more cassette cogs. I used to race competitively as a cat. 3 rider but then in 1994 I got sick and have not returned to competitive cycling. OCD really screwed up my life! Anyway thank you for your video, I really appreciate it.
Thanks very much for watching, Anthony! That sounds like a beautiful bike!
I got an old schwinn Le Tour off of Craigslist a couple years ago because it looked like the varsity I rode to school. Seems like every time I take it for a ride someone tries to buy it.
Those old Schwinns are getting rarer all the time! Maybe the collectors are finally realizing that. They’re dang cool bikes!
i have a 57cm up for grabs if you need a spare.
I also went back to a steel frame, after my aluminum frame rear derilleur hanger snapped off while riding.
The aluminum frame I found to be a harsh ride ; whereas the steel frame gives a very smooth and comfortable on 23 mil tires.
Not only am I into Italian frames but
also Italian DE razors.
Great video and continued success.
Thanks for watching, Dino! What kind of Italian DE razors do you use?
OUCH! did your chain get wrapped up behind first gear?
I paid 600 for my Bianchi with Campagnolo Victory components back in the early 80s, but I ended up bolting on upgrades for years afterwards. I made the mistake of leaving it behind at an ex GF's house and she got rid of it. Man, I still wish I had that bike.
That bike's still out there somewhere, Robert! Maybe you'll find it again someday! I found a nice Serotta at a flea market. Woman selling it said she had just gotten divorced and it belonged to her husband so she just wanted to get rid of it. Poor guy. :)
women absolutely adore throwing away our treasures. chalk it up to their unending jealousies!!! I feel your pain but encourage you to get dirty fixing up another wonderful Bianchi! 👍
I was looking at getting a new road bike and thought better of it. I went to a few yard sales and I found Centurion Accordo super cheap and all original I didn't hesitate to buy it. I'm going to restore it right away and get in on the road.
I think you’ll enjoy that bike, Derek! Those Centurions are very nice bikes! Just make sure it’s properly set up for you and you’ll be in great shape!
@@bikestrikesrazors What upgrades would you recommend?
@@Derekforeal If the components are in good shape, I don't think you need to look to upgrade anything. :)
My two favorite bikes are steel, but one was built with old school steel, and the other a more modern steel. My old classic is a 1995 Bianchi TSX, made in their Racing Department, while the newer one is only 6 years newer, is a world of difference. It's made from True temper air hardened steel, and because the frame is so much stronger, it can be made two pounds lighter than the classic, celeste Bianchi. The Bianchi is set up with Shimano 7700, and the bike from Waterford is set up with Shimano 7800. Both ride on hand built wheels. I've ridden bikes with 5,6,7,8,9, and 10 cogs in back, and would never go back to even a 6 speed freewheel. I'm older now, so I need more gears. Back with I was younger, I could ride anywhere (except the mountains) with a 7 speed 13-21 freewheel. Now I need a 25.
Hi Bill! Sounds like you've got some nice bikes! I've got a "modern"? steel bike from around 1999 (a Serotta CSI) and I just put a compact crank on the front to help me on the hills around here.
@@bikestrikesrazors I live in the second flattest State in the US, so I'm lucky to see hills with 40 feet of elevation gain. It's so flat, that I could ride all day in the big ring, when I was in racing shape, 5 years ago.
@@billkallas1762 My vintage bikes would get more riding time if I lived in an area like that! I'm in the foothills, so if I want to ride from my house, it's nothing but riding up or riding down. :) I have 28 rear cassettes on all my bikes. :)