oldmuthariley

hi all,
i have a 1979 Gazelle Champion Mondial with 14 speeds - down tube shifters and made out of trusty reynolds 531 (see pics)
i'm currently training for a 100km race but will be up against lots of carbon, aluminium , brifters and compact cranks!
i'm hoping to do a time of about 3 1/2 hours - but what sort of disadvantage will i be at, riding a vintage bike? will the weight, gear ratios etc add a few minutes to my time compared to riding a light carbon bike.?

the race is in mid october - look back for updates to see how i get on (if your'e interested!)

cheers
Justin

yellowjeep

Whats the course like? Hilly? You are at a slight disadvantage, maybe. Pretty flat? I don't really think you are at much of a disadvantage at that point.

Oh and its not about the bike (yours looks great by the way).

mkeller234

I am sure that most will agree, it's the man not the machine. There is little doubt that modern bikes offer advantages in a race but they still can't win the race for you.

I used to play a crummy old squire guitar, I was convinced that a nice Gibson was what I needed. My guitar instructor picked up my cheap old squire and made it sing!!

deanp

The only disadvantage I could foresee from the bike is if the course is hilly rolling terrain requiring frequent gear changes. The downtube shifters aren't as handy as brifters and your shifting won't be as quick. It looks like a nice bike that is in very good shape, I don't think it will be major handicap. I like the purple.

sekaijin

Each time you and your Gazelle pass someone on their modern bike that cost them thousands of NZ$, the satisfaction you'll feel - and the corresponding dejection they will feel - will give you an unfair advantage.

cyclotoine

is the bike a 1989 or did you redo it (paint and all) around that time? Just curious... but of course you would be a couple minutes faster on an aero carbon bike if this is a TT.

pacificaslim

I read an article in the August issue of Procycling magazine, describing a comparison test of a 1983 Pinarello (early Assos lightweight rims and all Super Record equipped, but with SRM crank for the testing) and a 2009 Lampierre. They had several French national team riders ride each bike and measured the differences. The Pinarello weighed about 2.5kg more, was much flexier, and cost the riders about 10 watts which amounted to about 20 seconds on the 9 min test course that featured a 3k climb. (cadence and heart rate stayed the same so that power number is accurate).

Of course the Pinarello was much flexier and heavier but the interesting thing was that it wasn't the extra weight and lack of power to the road that riders seemed most effected by: they reported that descending on the Pinarello was much sketchier and therefore slower than on the modern carbon bike and braking was scary.

This finding was surprising to Fred Grappe, the physiologist who did the research. He said based on the testing, he estimates the difference between both bikes in the Tour de France would be at least 3-5kph: which is precisely what the average speed differences between Fignon's win in 1983 and Sastre in 2008. He had thought that difference had mainly come from doping but now thinks the bike is a lot of it, especially when he saw how much faster the riders descended on the new bike.

darkmagus

I'm curious too. The paint and graphics are definitely not '79. Nor is the pump peg, seat tube bottle bosses, & under top tube cable routing. Nice bike though and I say go for it!

gomango

Go for it! Riding your Bob Jackson as a single/fixed should have helped your conditioning, so nothing lost in a run with the Gazelle. I have been riding my Casati single speed as a daily rider since school started, and I have picked up a little extra endurance/reserve as well. I also must say you have a keen eye for attractive bikes!

oldmuthariley

i won't blame my machine if i get passed by everyone..
the course is supposed to have a number of rolling hills so gear selection will be quite important - just need to make sure i don't look down when changing gear and cause a big crash!

when i bought the frame i was sure it was from the 80s due to paint , decals etc - the bike has a Roto cutout BB with the serial # 3214556 that evidently puts it around 1979. It looks like it had a factory repaint/decals/brazeons - the rear spacing is 126mm too and 7 speed.

here's a couple more pics in it's winter clothes

oldmuthariley

like wise gomango - you've got some beauties in your collection!

CV-6 

Put some modern dual pivot brakes on it and rerun the test.

rhm

+1.

Great looking bike, by the way. But you knew that.

T-Mar

I think the biggest disadvantge compared to current bicycles will be due primarily to the wheel technology. Most current rims have much deeper sections and use 1/2 to 2/3 the amount of spokes, which are often aero profiled. This will come into play regardless of the terrain and will be a far bigger factor than the weight differnce, brifters, etc.

In the end, the only true comparison is to yourself and how how you did in previous editions, taking into account the varying weather conditions.

BeeYoung

You're toast, don't have a chance...

Unless you're super talented you will probably get dropped on the first surge.
Reason I'm saying this is anyone who has done mass start racing knows average
speed means nothing, it's all about being able to respond to the surges and redline stuff.
3.5 hours for 100k equals about 28.5 kph, which is very slow for a race.

The bike, and it is a nice one, will probably not hold you back unless there are a lot of hills.

Often in a races guys with old bikes get two re-actions, some think old clunker not a threat,
or, must be a ex-pro riding his old sled, it's how you ride it which makes the difference.

RatedZeroHero

purple Reynolds 531?

they are at a disadvantage sir.

pacificaslim

I doubt Mr. Grappe is reading this thread, so you'd best email him directly with your suggestions! But you know, I think the problem wasn't braking power so much as what braking did to the handling feeling of the bike and the fact that they had to brake a lot more before turning in because the bike didn't handle as well as a modern bike. Stiffness matters, I guess.

bane

(The following is meant to be sarcastic)

You'll obviously be slower since your bike is not a combination of red/white/black.

caloso

Unless it's very hilly, I think you'll be only at a very slight disadvantage. I have a modern carbon bike and an '86 Gazelle. The carbon bike is noticeably lighter, handles quicker, and accelerates better, so that's my race bike. Especially for crits.

But I've often ridden the Gazelle on the weekly race training ride, which is flat, usually very windy, and over crappy asphalt. In those conditions, the Gazelle is superior. The 531c frame is springy and seems to reduce fatigue. The handling is very predictable and the 32 spoke box section rims (Open Pros on Centaur hubs) roll right through any bumps and cross winds.

daveinduluth

i think the true answer is, who cares? Everyone will be waiting for you to come in on that beauty anyway.

oldmuthariley

it's the first "race" that i've done so i'll be happy to finish in a reasonable time.
i used to ride a scandium RIBBLE road bike with campag brifters / carbon forks etc - that was really light and felt a lot more positive with the gear changing, however if the road surface was rough i could definately feel it.
i went on a training ride on the gazelle last weekend up some draggy, windy hills and it wasn't much fun going up the hills (but that was probably due to my fitness level) but every other aspect was great - looking down at the forks soaking up the rough road surface was a sight to see!

there was a test in a uk mag where the tester rode a road bike from 1980 or do - reynolds 531c over about 25km and then did exactly the same route on a 2009 top of the line road bike (carbon everything) from the same company (PEARSON)
the difference was around 5 minutes which he put down to having less choice of gears and being heavier up the hills.

but like you say - my time won't be that quick but i'm looking forward to crossing the line!

anomaly

You will be at quite a large disadvantage due to, in order of importance, not having aero/light weight wheels, frame flex and ease of gear selection. Anyone who says differently is blowing smoke up your ass. That being said if you've put in a very solid training schedule (work on those intervals) hopefully you are able to stick with the pack and ride it out.

umpire54

I want to do the same thing next year! Kick some "new technolog butt" DUDE!!

Can't wait to see those "young guys on all that carbon" faces when a 48 year old with a 37 year old bike blows them away!! Ok...ok...a guys gotta have dreams doesn't he?

I will be rooting for you...and yes...let me know how you did and what you learn. You can always learn from it and tweak for next year. Like they said above...just finishing is the real deal.

I love the way RatedZeroHero thinks!!! What he said.

SoreFeet

Add A Brooks professional or B17 narrow and you'll have a comfortable advantage...100KM on a plastic saddle is asking for butt beating.

oldmuthariley

the saddle is actually quite comfortable - original san marco rolls - smoooth black leather(but yeah plastic body i think)
just did 50km on it this morning and my rear end is still intact