Fahrenheit531 

Excerpted from Ali: The Hypothetical Cyclist

hermanchauw

20grit

Yeah, modern shimano is the only thing that works for me. It doesn't ease my paranoia though. Someday, I'll pick up a bike with more vertical drops, and I'll beat the heck out of it. Until then... i'll just be paranoid.

Giacomo 1 

I try and ride hard every time out. Good for the lungs and legs, not to mention my weight. It feels good to. But I am pushing 60 now, so sadly, I don't think I can ride hard enough to break any of my vintage bikes or equipment anymore.

RiddleOfSteel

Well, it's a simple matter of clamping the dropout enough. The lever effort to clamp/close, using your palm, should be pretty stout. Not hulk stout, but enough to make at least somewhat of an impression on your palm. Internally cammed skewers have worked in millions of horizontal dropouts for many years, including being used by professional cyclists in races of all sorts. And pro cyclists put out plenty of power--more than you or I or any of us on this forum could ever--and the rear wheels on their bikes never slipped in their frame. Sure, some dropouts will try and slip the clamping of a skewer more than others. That happens on my '74 Paramount for whatever magical reason. So I know I have to diligently make sure my clamping force via lever is sufficient. When I do that I have no issue.

79pmooney

Do you ride your vintage bikes hard?

I would if I could trade my vintager body for an NOS one. My Peter Mooney just laughs when I try to push its limits.

Ben

vintagerando

Ridem' hard? Yes, that's what they were for.
They ain't Faberge eggs.

ExPatTyke

It's probably very rare for handlebars to snap like mine did - they're broke clean off with no cracking and no warning.

In quite a few years of cycling they're the only pair I've had break. That said though it was a thoroughly alarming few seconds, and I've since replaced the bars on all my older bikes.

Just for information, here's a photo of the broken ends.

ollo_ollo

In years past I've broken a stem and bent a crank arm, but at my age it's difficult to ride hard on anything. Don

Ironfish653

Gettin' after it on the 2016 Tour des Trees on my '76 Bridgestone. Originial equipment but for tires, tape and brakepads. Biggest issue on that ride was that the (new) tires were slipping on the rim under power. Now they've bedded in, and I keep 'winding up' the back wheel. It's been 'retired' as the townie / path bike.
5600

DSC_9703 by shutterjet, on Flickr

The 'modern' bike is a '97 Softride Nor'wester. Rode it on the '17 Tour in it's original 3x7 RSX setup. Just finished a Wheel / drive upgrade WH-500, 5600, and a new cockpit with a 44cm Cowchipper and 4500 shifters.

Manny66 

I spent some time in Japan in the 80's and I remember those Zunow frames, as well as the 3Rensho. Great looking quality bikes.

Salamandrine 

Ouch. That's not reassuring. No telltale dark spot showing there was any crack beforehand. Most of the cheap French bars had a tendency to bend instead of breaking like the above bars, if that makes anyone feel better.

I'd be pretty comfortable with old high quality sleeved bars. I've never heard of a Cinelli breaking during normal use. Not saying it can't happen, but that if it does, it's exceedingly rare. The unsleeved types feel noticeably flexy to me, at least in the traditional 26.0/26.4 sizes.

OldsCOOL

mstateglfr 

6'5 and 230#. I sure think i ride hard, but I dont mash. I think I'm already hard enough on the standard size tube road bikes frames as it is and have no interest in twisting the bottom bracket a bunch...it just isn't necessary for me to ride hard/fast.

I can climb out of the saddle while not mashing and there is no rub due to twisting.

not sure what the appeal is of mashing and twisting the frame, but to each their own.
I used to have to mash a bit on one of my frames, but then I adjusted the gearing to work for me and my riding.

crank_addict

Indeed. I would call this a modified approach to riding vintage vs. modern and where smoothing out the cadence, no pouncing and use a minimal upper body movement.

Interesting subject and especially for anyone who rides these older bikes. Unlike modern stiff bikes.

Most probably don't realize how easily they can snap a crank in static position right in their own shop. You can do a twisty on a stem and bars and snap off. I like to ride an old bike as designed for but not abuse.

I've learned to appreciate riding fixed gear, sort of a training and learn the benefits of smoothing out cadence. Also in some perverse mean way, rather than attack on a climb, I'm using more of a relaxed and methodical approach even with a low gear inch. Its weird but I enjoy a masochist climb.

Another discipline I've been trying to improve is more float over rougher terrain. Essentially using four points of the body and less of the 5th (butt on saddle). Virtual a requirement for off-road but like to do the same on a road bike, get light and floaty ;")

I've been riding more off road with a few younger guys, both also are very experienced MX racers. Small suggestions have been a big help for me.

Salamandrine 

Light and floaty is exactly what you want. It used to be taught to new riders. I've noticed that modern cyclists are pretty bad at this, and struggle on descents over rough ground. Yeah, your butt should be off the saddle slightly. Weight on the pedals. Let the bike rock beneath you. Legs are your suspension. Shift your weight back when going into corners in rough or off road terrain.

Modern riders tend to grip their brifters hard, like their life depends on it. Butts are firmly in the saddle, and they go frankly really slowly, with poor control. De-evolution.

FWIW BITD we simply rode our bikes as hard as we could.

RiddleOfSteel

Looks like we're in the same boat with regard to height and weight (ok, I'm a touch less, but percentage-wise it's pretty small). Mashing hurts the knees, but I like to 'diesel' on the flats and milder long hills--just laying into the cranks, in the saddle, at a decent cadence (but still not 80-90 rpm), smoothly, engaging the quads, and slowly dropping gears as needed until the summit. This is naturally dependent on how I feel (like today). If the legs aren't rarin' to go, then it's spin time to the top. I prefer to not murder my frames, rather working with them in shared 'enthusiasm.' Even thin steel like my Prologue holds up. Anything thicker and stronger feeling, bring the torque--it's a fun time.

Gary Fountain

"Blood oath!" - or I used to when I was younger.

tatelabianca666

At 6 foot 3 and 148 pounds I am one svelte SOB but still ride hard when it is appropriate. Unfortunately snapped my Huret Svelto RD a couple of weeks ago after drunkenly ham-fisting my shift. Not sure if thats a great example of riding hard, though.

ivesjd

I have a '72 Raleigh Competition that I ride as hard as I can. It does have a new wheel set (and, much to the chagrin of folks around here) with a fixed/free hub. So cranking up hills with 42/16, yeah, I ride it pretty hard.

bbrave

Just be careful on that Peugeot UO-8! I know that model well. My dad ran a bike shop in the NYC area for many years and we replaced many of the defective original forks with the lethal seam down the back side of the blades.. The seam acted as a stress point that caused many of the forks to collapse under load, resulting in some cases in serious injury to the unfortunate rider. The PX-10 of the period used a much sturdier and safer seamless fork constructed of 531 tubing.

IAmSam

Yes!!! I am down to my last 2 vintage(ish?) bikes and ride them both as hard as I am capable of riding a bike nowadays

I always thought that's what they're for, amirite? My bikes ain't no beaters and I'm careful to try not to scar them up, but I came to terms long ago with sometimes unavoidably adding some patina to them, myself. Maybe it makes me love them even more? But I do my utmost to keep them in top-notch mechanical trim 'cos it makes them ride sooo noice.

I belong to some Vintage Bike facebook discussion groups that also have lots of selling going on, & besides the "just nice" stuff, there is too much which is not only NOS, but even as as good museum quality. So the original question of this thread does drag me back to the dilemma that I feel as a believer in riding my bikes, whenever there is a super-beautiful something in my unusual size for sale there, that thank god I could afford, but it would be downright criminal to put the 1st miles on it. What to do, what to do...

Cycle Tourist

The absolute best touring bike I've ever owned was an old '85 entry level touring bike made by Univega, the Grand Touring. Older bikes are often pretty sturdy and trustworthy. It's pretty tough to beak them. I don't know if I'd go back much beyond that to antique bikes especially as you'd not want to change components on them. I added some friction bar end shifters and some lower gearing to that stiff old Univega and loaded the crap out of it and never had any problem. It wore 27" wheels and I could find tires at any Walmart. In the old days that was an advantage. (not so much, now). The point is I couldn't break that old friend no matter what I did to it. Newer steeds are generally too flexible and more finicky and not as dependable for tough use. Obviously a $2K touring bike would stand up pretty well but I don't think that's the conversation we're having right now.

billnuke1 

grayEZrider

While I did bend a handlebar last year, at 68 and only 160lbs I can't mash without limping afterwards for a week. But the one thing I still seem to do hard is crash. But I only restore them to ride, not for their eye candy or value. But now that I've found an Ironman, which completes each of the types and variety I need I can stop (MIS?using) them for gravel work and everything will go easier.