This off course is the indisputable truth. Years of R&D gives us faster, lighter and in nearly all cases better bikes today than in the heyday of lugged steel. But..with that as the governing MO for us here on Classic & Vintage what would be the point of Classic & Vintage?

I believe that with experience, and the occasional help from fellow forum members, we can ride our period correct bikes thousands of miles per year, and get immense satisfaction from it. We need to do more diligent maintenance and constantly be on the outlook for both the known and the uncharted weaknesses of our old alloys and steels, but that is certainly part of the game.

That said, I will most definitely agree that an old charismatic frame upgraded to a full modern suit of components is a wonderful thing too. I just prefer the look and feel of the downtube shifter era.

Best, Jan