Originally Posted by
Andy_K
Beautiful ride!!!!
Since then vintage bikes have become a bit of an addiction, and N+1 can really escalate quickly when really nice bikes are available for a fraction of what new bikes cost.
So true. You can buy a nice vintage bike for very cheap, if you keep your eyes open. As long as you're somewhat handy, you can have it up and running for far less money than any new bicycle would ever cost.
A year later the Ridley was gathering dust because I liked the ride of the LeMond better,
I'm at that same point now. My modern bikes are gathering dust, because my vintage bike rides soooooooo much better. It's as if the bicycle industry has forgotten how to build truly nice riding bicycles.
You read about all sorts of features that are supposed to make modern bikes so light and shift so perfectly and brake so responsively and..... on and on and on and on. But in the end, they're still just bicycles, and not that much more advanced than vintage bikes. If you find a good quality vintage bike, the frame and fork are likely designed with a level of understanding and craftsmanship that far surpasses the majority of modern bikes. And in the end, it's that frame that serves as the foundation for your ride. You can throw all sorts of whiz-bang components onto a bicycle, but if the frame isn't great, you'll never have a truly great ride.