jamesdak 

Alright after 5 rides on the 1999 Schwinn Circuit I bought Saturday to backup my 2010 Trek Madone 4.5 I must admit the Schwinn is faster for me. I've made one 10 mile and 4 20 mile rides on the Schwinn. The 20 mile loop is my normal daily ride. Three of the four 20 mile rides have been faster than my best ever ride of that loop on my Trek. The only one that isn't faster is the first 20 miler I did more as a shakedown and took it easy checking out how the bike rode. This morning's ride was 3 minutes and 17 seconds faster than my fastest ever ride of the loop on the CF Trek! For this old man, that's moving as I averaged 18.6 mph on the course. Now the Schwinn is certainly heavier but I guess other factors are coming into play here. Tonight, if the storms hold off, I'm going to tackle the climb to the local ski resort. I suck at climbing and have yet to make it to the top. I've got a feeling with the triple crank on this bike I just might get there. It does seem to cruise up the small hills that I've ridden already better for some reason as I have been tackling them in a taller gear than normal. Anyway, I'm on a bit of a high and just wanted to get credit to a really nice old steel bike.

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

Next week try that 20 miler first on your Schwinn and the next day on your CF machine. A few back to back comparisons will help you figure out what it is between the two thats different...it could easily be just as much a case of a better Fit, or Tires or frame geometry as it is a difference in construction material.

And Congrats on the personal best!

David Newton

Great report!
I love "experience reports" like this, the local color, mentioning the ski resort hill climb, adds tons to the interest.

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

Utah? Which Ski resort?

jamesdak 

I don't think I'll be able to. THe derailleur on the Trek snapped last week, swung around and fractured the seat stay. I'm waiting on word from Trek on the warranty. Hence why I bought this old back up steel bike. I've just been surprised how well it moves for me. I agree with what your saying though on fit and geometry. I think this goes to show how its a sum of all the factors in terms of speed and not just weight.

due ruote 

I think the difference is due to the exhilaration that only comes with vintage steel, but to be perfectly honest it's all I've ever ridden. So what vintage beauty are you going to buy with the money you make off that Madone?

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

oof bummer! Just tell Trek to replace that Madone with an old TX900

thenomad

BINGO!
Steel is real.

khatfull

You have gained much enlightenment. Now get the Trek back with the warrantied frame, sell it, and join the asylum here.

RLRider

No doubt, if the derailleur snapped on my Raleigh I would not think to worry about it toasting the whole frame. Heck if it was the front derailleur I would think I could even still ride and use a strong stick to switch gears on the front cogs on the way home.

jamesdak 

Wolf Mountain, once I get that it's on to Snowbasin and then one day I'll conquer the crazy steep ride up Powder Mountain.

RobbieTunes

When you get your Madone back, take the dimensions of the Scwhinn and try to duplicate them on the Madone. Perhaps you'l find renewed joy in that, to match your newfound satisfaction with real steel.

My local group seems to be all Trek, with an occasional bikesdirect.com ride and a Cannondal Slice to drool over. However, we've added another Ironman guy, a Peugeot Triathlon, a Lemond Alps de Huez, a Mercier, and one of the bikesdirect guys has decided to go get his old Ironman for a go at a second life. We're adding a lady on an Ironman soon. A friend in Raleigh just went and got an Ironman to supplant his aluminum EM, aluminum Ridley, and Ti Lynskey. A CF riding friend in CA (two classic CF bikes) is looking into a Paramount....

Steel is catching on.

I have no idea why all the Ironman bikes, though.....

crazyb

My carbon fiber Lemond is way faster than my steel 78 Paramount. Just sayin.

longbeachgary

That's FAST. Congratulations.

auchencrow

khatfull

Okay time for some chest puffing

How's 20.5mph over 17.2 miles? https://connect.garmin.com/activity/33680139 That's a loop I run after dinner and when I want to hammer short distance.
How's 18.9mph over 69 miles? https://connect.garmin.com/activity/35279567 That's my north wind out and back route. This ride was solo.
How's 13.2mph over 60 miles on New Years Day in Minnesota? https://connect.garmin.com/activity/21651212 That was on my old Giant ATB.

RobbieTunes is faster yet...I genuflect to him.

And sorry, fast is relative, we all suck compared to the pro peleton

jamesdak 

LOL, show off!! I totally agree though. My fast is relative to me only. Heck I've only been at this about 4 months now and the main goal is weight loss still. Once I get into the 170's I'll start working on being a "proper" biker and my pace. Oh and I only averaged 15.5 mph on my last 70 mile ride, I hold my head in shame.

rccardr 

Khatful, I think you need to find some hills.
Come out to VA and we'll show you what a nutbuster a 17mph average can be.
On vintage.
Just sayin'...

khatfull

Oh agreed, those are pretty flat rides. I have some (short but steep) hills around here when that mood strikes

rat fink

Yeah, Keith I'd have to say that the average speed talk is hardly fair, when you have to seek hills to climb.

khatfull

^^^ You still owe me a response

rat fink

Oh, you're right! let me see if I can find that Word document...

jamesdak 

That's actually my plan, sort of. I've already downloaded a chart that will let me record all the present dimensions on the Schwinn. But, 20 miles is one thing, 50 to hundred is another. I need to see how things go on Sundays long ride to make sure I can ride this position for longer distances because there's a fairly radical drop (for me) of about 4 inches betweeen the seat the the top of the bars. A few months ago I probably could not even ride this but with all the weight loss comes some increased flexibility. Funny thing is my hands always went numb on the CF but I'm not seeing that now even with the lower bars where you'd think I'd be putting more weight on the hands.

unprintable

Well I am a denizen of C&V forum (I prefer to call it the CaVe) ... naturally I prefer the steel ride to a CF ride. And damn do I love my '87 Circuit. Schwinn knew what they were doing with lightweight tubes at least as much as all the other famous road-bike brands of the '80s.

thenomad

Ride the steel bike with no water bottles and the CF bike with two full large bottles and they'll be the same weight. Then its just fit.