Originally Posted by
jsidney
I wonder if I am taking some of the posts the wrong way?
The quality of the ride can be better on a gas piper? The weight is often in the components.
I wonder what components are the most reliable then.
For short trips I am starting to wonder if the gas piper with the right components is actually superior or at least just as good?
I think I will want my touring bikes for long trips but maybe I need to completely rethink what is good for short trips.
Components is another topic, but the gas-pipe frames, as I said tend to offer more-relaxed angles and thus a very stable ride with perhaps less "go-fast body contortion" (not that getting aero is a bad thing).
The gas-pipe frame's thicker tubing also should further increase stability, but at some cost to ride smoothness.
For shorter rides, perhaps without the need for any "hill attacks", these more-relaxed frames are thus superior in some ways, with the added benefit of usually being more theft-deterrent and also being more dent-resistent.
So I think you could say that vintage gas-pipe frames generally fit the intended purpose and price point perfectly, while being more available and, *gulp*, disposable.
And as the rider's intentions become more sporting, then moving up to a Viscount, an Ironman or a PX10 will offer lower weight and likely provide a performance advantage.