Classic & Vintage - tell me im not crazy, please..

so i tried an aluminnum/carbon road bike.. and i just didnt like it.. i have a ciocc columbus spx track bike and i love the feel.. i sold the road bike but im building another.. how different is a mid 80s steel ciocc frame then something modern? is it just retro and goofy? (i know its not goofy.. but i mean to be going on long rides with other people on modern rides..)....can it be built as a serious ride? Im just looking for some opinions.. its getting harder and harder to stick with my favorite steel frames.. thanks..

Serious? I guess it depends on your definition.

I think that the differences you'll find between that ciocc and today's bikes are maybe 8 - 16 oz. in frame weight, and quite likely the rear dropout spacing, and the the steerer diameter. If you wish to, you could fit out the ciocc with a modern drivetrain, brakes, bars, seatpost and saddle. I don't have a real clear idea of what's important to you, so I think it largely comes down to what you want, and what you can afford.

thanks.. thats the kind of answer i was looking for... i just wanted to make sure that 20 year old nice steel bikes arent so different from todays bikes that its stupid to try and ride one with people on carbon 5200s.. i hope that makes sense

A good italian Columbus steel frame, or a good quality 531 steel frame made anywhere in the world by experienced hands can be built to be machines that any Trek 5200 (Madone, 2200, 1500, etc etc etc) owner could be envious of. Some guys love the Carbon, others the Aluminum/Carbon, others just can't find any other true love but steel. If you want a ciocc with a vintage setup, modern setup, or some carefully picked mix of the two - doubt you'll find anyone around here that'll call you crazy.

I own only steel road bikes. That admitted, I think the modern trend with many production bikes is too few frame sizes, some try to cover the human size range with 3 variations. Today top tubes are shorter as well for whatever reason, so some of it is getting the bike set up to fit correctly.

I have one bike with "modern" Ergo 8 components, cannot justify the upgrade cost beyond that. If I was riding with a competitive club again, state of the art shifting is necessary, but not an alloy or Carbon fitted bike.

so i tried an aluminnum/carbon road bike.. and i just didnt like it.. i have a ciocc columbus spx track bike and i love the feel.. i sold the road bike but im building another.. how different is a mid 80s steel ciocc frame then something modern? is it just retro and goofy? (i know its not goofy.. but i mean to be going on long rides with other people on modern rides..)....can it be built as a serious ride? Im just looking for some opinions.. its getting harder and harder to stick with my favorite steel frames.. thanks..

honestly, my 80 Colnago would not be the reason I couldn't keep up with any other rider... either the legs have it or don't...
that said, there have been some improvements - I added Suntour COmmand Index shifting (the OLD suntour index stuff, but still newer than friction) a couple years back and that really makes a difference on a fast group/training ride. Now having Shimano Ultegra STI on the right side of the 'new' Titan, I gotta say STI is great for the rear (I still use DT friction on the left side)
Cassette wheels have made gearing a bit easier to manipulate. Putting a 'racing' triple on made a huge difference for me this past year. Prior cranks were old Campy, Superbe & Sugino 144 BCD and 53/44. Even getting new 52/42 would have been more expensive than getting a complete new crankset. Now I have 52/42/30 Truvativ with 13-21 and the 30-17,19,21 is a v-nice thing for the very long, hard climbs out here; and a 13-24 cassette is in reserve if I'm heading into the 'unknown'.
80 Colnago, 80's CIOCC - can be as serious as you want to be.

I've found that if you're used to and like steel, you're probably not going to go for an alloy bike. They're comparatively lively and harsh, even with carbon stays.

The good news is that there are good quality bikes still being made out of steel that incorporate newer technologies and ride very well. Other than that, though, if you want something that "rides like steel" you going to have to turn to carbon.