Originally Posted by davester

Why? A vintage bike can be set up with vintage gearing that is fine for hilly routes. I have two vintage bikes set up with triples and low gears in the 20s (typically 30x32 or 30x28). I rode one of these on the Markleeville Deathride last year (135 miles and 16,000' of climbing). Sure, it'll be a tiny bit slower than a new carbon bike because it's about two water bottles heavier, but that is not discernible to most riders unless they're racing.