gaucho777 

Or the other rider's lack of fitness is probably a better way to put it.

But, to my point: it is surprising to many how fast some of the past generations of cyclists were, and how favorably they compare to today's riders. As case in point, when Jacques Anquetil won the 50th Tour de France, his average speed was 37.092 km/hr. Total race distance was 4,137 km with 130 entrants. It took 36 years for the winner of the 1999 Tour de France to have an average speed in excess of 40 km/h, and that was Lance Armstrong who cheated to do it. Compare Anquetil's win in the 50th Tour to Chris Froome's win in the 100th edition last year. This was one of the fastest Tours on records, with an average winning speed of 40.545 km/hr. It was a long tour, by today's standards, at 4,403 km total distance, but the field of 198 riders was over 50% the size of the 1963 field, so more manpower to share the load. In the 50 years since Anquetil, the average speed only increased by less than 3.5 km/hr, or just slightly over 2 mph. And when Alberto Contador won the 2007 Tour (38.98 km/hr), his pace was basically the same as when Hinault won in 1981 (38.96 km/hr) despite the fact the 1981 Tour was longer and had a smaller starting field. Once you strip away better nutrition, training regimes, advances in race support, road conditions, etc. (and not even getting at PEDs) you see that technology has not made the riders all that much faster compared to decades prior.

So, yes, I realize that rider fitness is a much greater factor than age of the bike (but don't tell the kids).

jeirvine 

Great stuff. Thanks for the stats.

gaucho777 

@jeirvine: Thanks. More stats here: Tour de France Statistics


(Btw, I corrected a typo in my previous post. I typed "1973" when I meant to say "50% the size of the 1963 field.")

crank_addict

^^That's quite a neat comparison. Although, riders on the juice goes waaaaay back in time it wasn't or as easily discovered, most riders never caught. Hundreds of participants! Realizing its impossible but with the LA debacle, they should create a new category who were clean or cheaters.

Wildwood 

I ride 'modern' and vintage, though my youngest bike is 10 years old.
Depends on how I feel that day, lately the classics have been getting more miles, by a lot.

edit - Oh yeah, friction shifting almost never requires adjustment.

upthywazzoo 

Agree. The Tour has been full of doping for a very long time. Riders used to ride with an alcohol buzz to help dull the pain of riding. My personal opinion is that--if a rider was competing before 2010--if he finished in the top 10, he was very likely doping. Except Lemond, I guess.

One thing I like about vintage bikes is that their branding seems to be more subtle. With modern aerodynamic shapes, frames have gained a lot of space for manufacturers to put their names or sponsors. The modern bike has become a bit like an Indy car.

oldbikenewbike

For me, it's being able to purchase bikes I could never have afforded new, or didn't know certain models even existed. This is why I have 30 bicycles...

gomango

Neither do my Ergo equipped bicycles.

When it does, I toss it up on the stand and all is right with the world in less than two minutes.

Not difficult.

Chris Chicago

You think what he likes about friction is a criticism of ergo?

gomango

No, do you?

Chris Chicago

No, but I have no experience with ergo.

And to be honest, In my experience friction drive trains haven't been significantly less problematic. Small sample size however.

gomango

Friction is easy to maintain.

Ergo is also easy to maintain.

.....and I have a little experience with both.

dyander

Hard to believe it took seven pages to get to the correct answer!
Building, modifying, maintaining, upgrading and staying on the road with a very simple toolset, priceless.

RobbieTunes

Succinctly describing the state of politics in these here United States.

Succinctly describing what it would be nice to have.

iab

Speaking of irony, I fail to see how pointing to something that is insulting is silencing it.

How exactly is calling attention of someone's words silencing? By repeating them, I am highlighting them, not deleting them. I am doing exactly as you describe. Unless of course you think debating is remaining silent by plucking out my eyes.

Also, other than my snarky comment agreeing with Steve that he is slow, show me my negativity. Did I call him names?

Wildwood 

I like Ergo. Have had Campy8,9 & 10 in doubles, compact doubles and 'racing triple'.
I stand by my statement that friction almost never needs adjustment. Even with a pro level assembly my 10 spd drivetrains require tuning every couple of years. Yeah I could probably do it, YouTube makes everything possible, but not like a good shop pro.


If you really want something to thrash on - my vintage experience was initially friction 5/6 Suntour drivetrain, and later made the switched to Ergo8 - never liked ShimaNo STI with a swiveling brake lever and cable sticking (menacingly) in the front, can you say 'back-to-non-aero-hoods-but-butt-uglier', or maybe it was just the cannondale, too. Thankfully they got the cable thingie right eventually, and Di2 - but do brake levers still pivot on mechanical groups? Sometimes first to market is not the best strategy, but who's to argue with the industry sales giant - esp when it works well - thank you very much.

Michael Angelo 

+1

Michael Angelo 

I've been taking mechanical things apart since I was a kid. Some where there is a picture of me getting one of those space robot toys, I was 3.(1957) My mom said it lasted less than a week I had taken it all apart(broke) it to see how and what made it work.
When I was 14 years I got this for my birthday, I can't tell you how many times it's been taken apart and put back together.



Well, I've always had a love affair with bicycles , nice ones, steel ones, with bright chrome bits. Somehow Carbon doesn't do for me, looks wise. To me they all seem the same look in a bland sort of way. Don't get me wrong I've ridden plenty of them, they seem ok , fast and light, but lacking ....soul.....oh well.

embankmentlb

The hobby is just plain old fun. Lately I have been equipping my 80's fleet of bikes with old Time pedals. They go for next to nothing on ebay & I have purchased 5 sets over the summer. Having a blast collecting exotic models that I could not begin to afford back in the day.

The Golden Boy 

Yes. Fun describes it.

The little puzzles to put together. Making a pretty bike prettier.

Right now I'm in the process of re-doing my 1986 Trek 400 Elance. Replacing the 39cm bars for the 41s that were on my 620. Also putting the brown Avocet Touring II saddle back on and replacing the derailleurs with Suntour Superbe Pro.

browngw 

Exactly!
See latest project.

embankmentlb

Back in 88 I had an all white painted Superbe Pro group that originally came from a C'dale White Lightning. It was very very nice. Someone made me an offer on it shortly after that and it was sold forever.

rootboy 

Now you're getting into an esoteric and nebulous territory. Undefinable at best. But, I get it. Yup.

Sixty Fiver

Yesterday I dipped into my tickle trunk and found some 105 7 speed (clamp on) DT shifters I had forgotten I had... took all of ten minutes to swap from the Campy shifters on the Ron Cooper and they work brilliantly with the Suntour Ultra 7 and that Ultegra rear derailleur.

Sometimes one is never done.

upthywazzoo 

What about the Look KG96?