John E

I am in the same situation as many of you -- my mountain bike is a suspensionless 1988 model, and my four road bikes essentially span 1960, 1970, and 1980. I normally take my fastest and newest road bike, the 34-year-old Bianchi, on group rides, but I have used the older Capo and even the lowly Peugeot numerous times, as well. I think I shocked the YMCA's Saturday morning group the first time I showed up on the Peugeot, with its barcons, cylindrical handlebar bag, Pletscher mousetrap rear rack, and half-step gearing ("Why are your chainings almost the same size?").

repechage

I have caught a group ride on my Rigid Ritchey Ascent. Ticks some off and bewilders others.
Ridden a 70's era road bike, but I do so keeping in mind that I can be out braked.
A Masi 3V with 8 speed ergo performance wise is no problem. More mass yes, tubulars help equalize that.
Lacking three cogs in back is rarely an issue. If I was racing, it would be.

nlerner

On my group rides, either everyone is one vintage or no one gives a cr@p. If I were riding with a group who felt some reason to give other's grief about what they're riding, I'd quickly find another group.

horatio 

Haven't been in a large group ride for several years, but I always got compliments on my "vintage" machines. I'd be leery of riding in a paceline now with DT shifters, just because I'm out of practice.

gioscinelli 

I always ride one of my Classic bikes!

85 Gios Professional



95 Cinelli SC



71 Peugeot PX10



Very favorable comments from riders on CF bikes and Classic aficionados!

CliffordK

My only "group ride" in years was a Classic and Vintage group ride in Portland (which I rode over 180 miles to get to).

No "negative" comments, but I imagine some people were rolling their eyes at how I had utterly destroyed a classic

If I can start holding my own at 20 MPH, then I may look to joining some of the local rides. Yet, I don't know how well I'll fit in. I don't wear the right clothes. I don't ride the right bikes, and I don't spin at the right cadence

Maybe there will be an "over the hill" group ride.

gaucho777 

Yes, I occasionally do a group rides. I only have C&V bikes and usually opt for my '86 Look. I'm often the only one on steel, and nearly always the only one with DT shifters. I don't get too many comments about the bike on group rides. I agree with others that, in my experience, most people on group rides are more into the ride itself rather than the equipment.

trailangel

I did a group ride on 85 Medici and somebody made a comment on the DT shifters.. they told me "those are suicide shifters" and my reply was 'you are mistaken, they are not'

Another person asked "what are those levers for?"

Another was intrigued with the Brooks saddle.

That is all!

rccardr 

Everything in the stable is vintage, and I have only one bike with STI's, so people are used to me showing up with something old, unusual, and able to maintain the pace. Only positive comments here.

horatio 

Forgot to mention that on one ride I was on the Bianchi, and my two friends were on a CF and AL bike, respectively. We stopped at a country store for drinks and a biker strode up, admiring our rides. He gestured towards my Bianchi and said, "These are all nice bikes, but I bet that one is more valuable." Brought a smile to my lips.

steelbikeguy

I do ride my vintage bikes on the local group rides, including the Tuesday night ride that I lead. Most folks know me and expect to see me on a steel bike with toe clips. A few are surprised, but usually stop to say how pretty the bikes are. I don't think the bikes slow me down much... certainly not enough to be an issue.

One interesting question is the fairly common "is that bike titanium?", when I'm riding my early 80's TI-Raleigh Team bike...



Steve

norskagent

After last weekends Gran Fondo ride in asheville, NC, my 7/11 merckx received several complements from the elite carbon bike racer guys, they knew their stuff! And they were pretty familiar with the period correct components.

Citoyen du Monde

I do most of my riding in group rides during the summer and most of it is on vintage bikes. More than the fact that my bikes are vintage, it is the fact that I have multiple bikes that leaves a bigger impression. One chrome framed bike gets special attention, as does one from the 50's with 32 mm wide tubulars and those with delta brakes...

Steve Whitlatch 

I tried the Saturday morning group ride at my LBS a few weeks back. I was told by the owner that he was going to be there to hang back with me. The group ride is more or less the training ride of the LBS race team. I showed up with my 84 Guerciotti with 8 speed brifters and nobody was impressed. I got looks like I was insulting them.

The owner did not show up. I tried to hang with the group and made it a couple miles until we reached the first good hill and I watched that perfect pace line roll away. I am still trying to figure out how they could climb a hill just as fast as they were going on the flat ground? They never slowed. I was told the ride averages 21 mph. The ride is a 35 mile ride through Barrington Hills. Oh well. I am 50 years old.

Deal4Fuji

I get more kidding over my bells than my C&V bikes. The only real peer pressure I've felt from our club is over clipless pedals. I argued here on BF and to my group that I have good balance and didn't feel like I would gain anything from being clipped in, since I'm not a racer and Eastern NC is basically flat. But I really can't make a argument if I've never tried it, so when I saw a deal on some size 50 shoes I took the plunge, and after 4 group rides I'm starting to realize that I am doing better in the wind and on hills than before on the rat-traps, so I guess I'm converted.

I have a great club with mostly older members and no snobbery. I'm the only one riding steel, but I'm right there with everyone but our fastest 2 guys. I've made good friends and we ride 3 weeknights and some longer ride Sat morning or a charity ride somewhere. I've learned here just how lucky I am to have this group and such good country roads. My only wish is that I could get more of the group to ride the Raleigh Greenways just for a scenic change of pace and more shady and hilly ride. I have family there (hence the bells) and ride with them, but I can't get much response from my club for a outing there. The posted 10 MPH is their comeback, but that's pretty much ignored when the trail is clear of walkers and pets. Also several of the group are "packing" in their bags, so that's probably part of it.

randyjawa 

I have done a group ride, or two, and I do not like riding in a group. In fact, I prefer to ride alone. That said, I can't honestly say that no stranger has ever come up to me and complimented one of my bicycles. Perhaps it is because I go for a ride, and then I ride and then I ride home. Not much time for socializing. On another note...

Anytime I stop by one of the local bicycle shops, most of the bicycle related employees are interested to see what I have brought back to life, so to speak. I kinda like to be the one who explains this and that to those who showed up long after this and that did...

iab

Is that the Harper ride? If so, tough ride. Lots of ex cat1 and 2 guys. I've "done" it a couple of times, always get dropped. But I thought the speed was more like a 25 average.

Steve Whitlatch 

I am not sure? This one is not really advertised. It leaves from Main Street Bicycles early on Saturday morning. I am not sure just how fast they are? I may have my speed numbers wrong. We will be parked right across the street from that shop on the Saturday morning ride. They have used parts bins to go through and 1/2 price bins as well. The owner has some very nice vintage wall hangers and some extremely old bike building tools displayed in the shop. That will be another stop everyone will enjoy on Saturday.

RobbieTunes

Almost never talk bikes on a ride. We do talk wheels, tires, rip-off bike shops, and jerseys that are on sale somewhere. I never argue about the route, but that comes up nearly every ride. I never argue about the pace, but that comes up nearly every ride. It's universal that the group will say 18mph, no drop, and then take off at 21 without a look back. I see that here, there, and everywhere.

At rest stops during large events, yes. At the end of large events, yes. At swap meets, yes. A guy engaged me yesterday, but his niche bikes are late 1800's to 1920 or so. I was super impressed, and he had a Palo Alto for sale, and a DeRosa. The DeRosa was nice, decent shape, 7-sp Syncro II Athena, rear wheel was a substitute, probably a Miche. $500 and he sold it right away, and it sat for $600 the rest of the day by the buyer, no offers, sitting across from a Jamis carbon, also for $600, no takers. The two Terry bikes did go; a full Terry and a Giant model with lower end components.

There was definitely a pro-steel bias evident at the swap meet, and no one mentioned it.
A guy and I talked about 1x10 for longer than almost any conversation I had about any kind of bike.
Girls really like the Bianchi's in celeste. It was like a chick magnet, right next to my tables.

iab

Probably different. Harper ride leaves out of Harper College. Wicked fast. No talking as I need oxygen at all times on that ride. When they go up Braeburn Rd, they are just gone. The rest of us just looking at each other, stupid like.

RobbieTunes

I see an opening.....

hairnet

I do but my bike is very simple and doesn't stand out screaming vintage bicycle. Maybe if I had non-aero brake levers, bit I won't go out of my to do that.

Steve Whitlatch 

Do they weight weenie it with plastic, or do they pack steel?

Deal4Fuji

I've never seen what they have, and it isn't really discussed. I have a plastic LCP, probably as small and light as you can get, but I don't bring it unless I'm by myself.

kickstart

I only do event group rides that don't involve pacelines so its never been an issue.

One time I had a couple of fully kitted roadies on high end CF bikes gushing over my pristine 74 Schwinn continental, both older guys like myself taking a trip down memory lane.
Just the other day I almost caused a roadie to crash in a MUT crossing, hearing me clip in, he thought another bike had snuck up on him and almost bit it looking for it........It totally took him by surprise that someone wearing normal clothes riding a Dutch bike would be using clipless pedals.