mplsbiker

GravelGuy

A first generation Colnago Master. I ride a 53cm and the bike was too stiff. I still ride a 74 Colnago Super and it's one of my favs, but that Master, after about 30 miles was miserable to be on.

bocobiking

noglider 

Like @oddjob2, I also had a Team Fuji that left me feeling cold. It was competent, but it didn't put a smile on my face. I sold it quickly.

rideandgoseek 

^this

While I loved the aesthetic of my Waterford built '86 Paramount, it lacked the pop I am accustomed to experiencing with my other lightweights. My '74 Paramount is/was a lot more fun to ride than the '86 and floats in comparison to the heavy feeling ride of the '86

seypat

I'm guessing these bikes mentioned in this threads are dogs. They didn't wow. Instead, they bow wow like a dog.

I used to work with this girl a long time ago. She would say something she thought was funny. Then she would laugh and say, "sometimes I crack myself up!"

SJX426 

Bought a Peugeot in the late 60's while in Germany. Rode the bearings off it and sold it in 1973.

PBPeugeot, on Flickr

Bought a 1972 Motobecane Le Champion used. I was lusting after Campagnolo and 531 double butted. Never could get to the same level of pleasure riding it. Lost it in an accident in 2009.

2008-06-01 15.25.53 on Flickr.

The Colnago was a replacement and is a wonderful ride along with the Pinarello Montello.

1983 Colnago Superissimo, on Flickr

CConversion95, on Flickr

Deal4Fuji

You need one of these

horatio 

seypat

On a serious note, which one occurs more often? Is it the bike that totally stands out from the rest and puts a possum grin on your face? Or is it the one that does not wow? We have high expectations for every one we take for a ride.

Chombi1 

My Vitus Carbone did not impress me enough when I got it. Just never felt "alive" under me. It wasn't that bad, but it was hardly any different from the Peugeot PSV that I had since 84. Did not help when I got my ALAN Carbonio after it, which turned out to be the best handling bike I ever owned and rode so far........ So I turned the Vitus Carbone Into my weight weenie project mule just to see how light I can get it to keep it interesting. Fortunately, it did improve markedly when I installed my Roval aero wheelset on it, not too long ago, which kinda tells me, one cannot write off a bike right away as it could only be a few mods away from being much better than it initially is.

seypat

Deal, as I remember, you had some type of injury/illness earlier in the year. How's that progressing/healing?

seypat

Definitely some high end, championship level sideburns/hair in that photo. Those sideburns are sweet!

Deal4Fuji

I'm great, thanks. I was off the bike 6 weeks after a 2nd hernia surgery this summer. I didn't follow instructions very well in 2014 and it came back along with a new one, so I pretty much did as instructed this time. I gained 10 lbs during that time but I'm back to pre-surgery strength and have been riding almost every late afternoon with either my bike club or my usual looping route. I've met and ridden with Law @3speedslow in Jacksonville and we're talking about getting more eastern NC forum members together for a ride.

Trsnrtr

Even worse for me was the aluminum Treks from the 80s. My team had a Trek sponsorship and I never felt right on one. We had team issue 2000s and at first, Trek gave me a 52 which was too small. I complained and they gave me a 54 that was too big. Both rode like tanks. I had a chance to buy the frame for ~$125 at the end of the season and I declined.

Clyde1820

^ That's pretty much where I've been, with any bikes I've ridden over the years.

Can't recall ever having been on a truly astounding "classic" bike of any sort.

But, sure enough, as you describe it, I've been on a few that "wowed" me mightily ... but, based on the essentials: very good fit; very good ride quality; everything working well. Good, effective, "basic" utility and comfort counts for a lot, with me. If that can be had with a lighter, more-capable bike with better components, all the better.

RiddleOfSteel

Dagnabbit, guys, why are you saying what I'm saying! 62cm '85 Waterford Paramount here. Beautiful construction. Lovely front end geometry with the longer trail that keeps you going straight when your mind wanders, but man, half the time when out of the saddle, it feels like it resists your rocking back and forth (unless you're on top of the gear). I do get the "tank" feeling, but for me I would describe it as "glued to the ground" in that you could go over the crummiest pavement, especially when putting power down, and it would not become unsettled at all, tracking the ground perfectly like it had a magnet on the wheels. My frameset (frame, fork, and headset) is the second lightest I own at 6.77 lb. Only my '87 Prologue at 6.60 lb is lighter (and that this is perfection). My '74 P15 touring Paramount has always been more springy and playful than my '85. Which is why I'd like to own/ride a P13. I guess it's a logical trade-off: spring and pop for tank/magnet/glued-to-the-road stability.

bocobiking, I'm curious as to what a larger Paramount would feel like as I ride a 63.5cm/25" normally and the 62cm Paramount is just a little small. What's the serial number on it? I know Waterford made a 62cm CTT and a 63.5cm CTT etc, but a 63cm CTT is not known to me.

To those that say Cannondale, I...I feel ya. I'm a big fan of them, and they are extremely competent and composed bikes. Quite the performers as well, but so far my criterium framed bikes lack a standout feature. NONE have felt harsh to me. I keep trying though--just can't quit them! [the ST's have a bit more soul, IMO, and I think that's due to running larger tires and really being able to work the longer frame and larger tires to a 'spring-like' effect. I love the STs.]

machinist42

Oh, yeah, try an early Trek AL/CF 2120!

Because I lost a dust cap from a Campagnolo pedal off my LeMond, I pressed a '95 Trek 2120 into service as my beater bike. I had picked it up as corroded as an aluminum/CF mashup can be. I suspect it spent some time under salt water. It cleaned up nicely, and functions within normal parameters. The first generation brifters are why I bought it for $5, and they are easily serviceable and work as designed. (They might be an acceptable "touring" brifter? I'm thinking of putting a pair on my Lotus Odyssey, as I could repair one of these in the field.) The bike fits perfectly, carries a hefty load without complaint, and is absolutely entirely joyless. I don't ever have fun riding it. I can't pin down the source of its soul sucking, and continue to ride it, but after a mile or two, each and every time, I wish I was on another one of my bikes. <sigh emoji> It has a cro-mo stem, oddly, but the aluminum fork still manages to irritate my right shoulder. With an all aluminum bike, both my shoulders demonstrate symptoms of arthritis, which vanishes soon after I switch to a steel rider. The 2120 is a workhorse, I'll give it that, but it's mediocre.

I have no time for mediocrity.

(Unfortunately, with recent weather events, I also haven't had time to transform waiting candidates into "new" beater bikes, and so I dwell in "Mediocre Hell". <sigh emoji>)

Lascauxcaveman 

Funny, my Trek 2100 was a very snappy rider. When I got it, it had a couple of things I'd never had before: high-quality rims and tires, barcons, 3x7 shifting which was added by the PO. I'm almost positive it had a Cr-Mo, fork too. It was older than yours; maybe a '92? As it was two sizes too small for me, I eventually parted it out. The only bike I've owned that weighed under 20 lbs.

My only disappointment in the "Legendary Marques" category is my '81 Miata 1000. It's a good bike; as original, maybe even very good, but not great. Its direct competition in my fleet is my more modern '88 Schwinn Voyaguer. Somehow it's an all-around livelier ride which makes me was to just keep riding. In comparison, the Miata just feels a bit dead. I swapped the wheel sets between the two for back to back test riding - I've done this three times - and the Schwinn always comes out on top. They are as close in weight as can be: 26.94 lbs vs 26.98 lbs, on my scale. I'm guessing the more solid feeling Miata would be more stable as a loaded tourer, but the Voyageur wins in the sportier riding outings.

Poguemahone

I had a Cannondale Black Lightning. It rode like a 2 by 4.

Wileyone 

I've never owned a paramount but have ridden a few back in the late seventies. I was not impressed at all. Compared to the Trek I was riding at the time they felt sluggish and heavy. The TX 900 was just a better bike in every way.
I would like to try one again though.

obrentharris 

I had the same experience, but in my case it definitely wasn't the wheels, a pair of Campy Neutrinos that I have enjoyed on two subsequent bikes. It definitely put me off of carbon bikes for a while. In fact I still haven't ever bought one. On the other hand I'm thrilled with my (off-topic) aluminum Rock Lobster with carbon fork and carbon seat stays:


Brent

kunsunoke 

My first real road bike was a Schwinn Tempo made from Columbus Tenax. I never really got comfortable on that bike. Probably switching to tubular tires would have helped. I never could understand why people lose their lunches over the pre-Waterford Schwinn Paramounts - not like those things had spectacular build quality. They're chrome with Nervex lugs. So what? Is the ride more magical than what the Italians were building at the time?

As for traditional C&V - I have an '82 Trek 614 that feels a little too slack and a little too floppy. Its stable mate the 710 is better, but that may be due to switching out the stock 531 fork for a Tange CrMo fork.

I once had a PX-10 and wasn't thrilled with the handling (slow) or with the French idiosyncrasies.

I don't have the same negative experiences with the Cinelli Supercorsa that many of you have had. Mine was built (from Neuron tubing) by Losa in 2007. Probably helps that the bike has a Columbus carbon fork and threadless stem setup. It goes where you point it with a pretty decent degree of comfort, and it doesn't pound you to death during long rides.

Dfrost 

RobbieTunes 

(Taiwan) Raleigh Rapide