D.C.M.D.V.A.

do you guys actually ride your 60s-80s road bikes alot??

i'mn asking because i'm considering buying a road racing bike from the 70s in perfect condition and plan on riding it everyday.

sorry for the dumb question but i need to know

redneckwes

They ride just as well as they did when they were new, after all, people are pretty much made the same way, even if Bike styles have changed.

ThinLine

I have a vintage bike (1991 Basso Lotto, Full Campy Record) and while it is a work of art and hangs on wall, I do not ride it. Technology and evolution in design has really made these obsolete for serious road cycling. Downtube shifters? Who in the name of God, wants to use these! Heavy too.

My suggestion would be to get yourself a good entry level road bike with at least Shim 105 group. You will not be disappointed.

barba

I bet that Lotto cries a little every night.

ollo_ollo

I ride all of mine but parts do eventually wear out & some will be hard or impossible to replace. This isn't a big deal on a bike that was not high end to begin with as there are usually substitute parts that work just as well. If the bike is truly rare & of historical significance, maybe not such a good idea to ride it a lot. I just feel bikes were made to be ridden though.

"When I took my latest find, a 60s to early 70s Zeus, in to a local builder to see if the damaged frame was possible to repair he had good advice: "Just about anything can be repaired, but just because I can do something doesn't mean I should!"

He mentioned a damaged Pinarello he had seen & recommended against repair because it would be much less expensive to find another frame. My Zeus was fortunate to need a simple fix of straightening & realignment. It didn't require a repaint, so for $50 & my labor, it will soon be overhauled & ridden again.
(edit: at 67, race level performance isn't required or desired so why not enjoy riding my vintage bikes?) Don

Old Fat Guy

1984 Cinelli & 1984 Guerciotti, ridden constantly. Both 6 speed downtube, one index, one friction shifting. I guess I don't ride seriously

wahoonc

I guess it depends on your situation. I ride my vintage Raleigh Superbe every chance I get, but other than tires and brake pads (am I am not too sure about those) there are basically no wear out parts. I think if I had a high end road bike from that era I would ride it but it would probably be my once a week on a Sunday afternoon type of ride, because of the hard to find OEM parts. Some people are more prone to keeping a nice older bike all original and yet others don't mind upgrades.

Aaron

ThinLine

Yes, it does, but I comfort it daily. I actually want to ride it again. Need some Time cleats for my shoes.
It has Time Criterium pedals on it and my Time shoes over 11 years in the basement just disintegrated.

jjvw

I have more fun riding my two vintage bikes over my 2004 Felt which sits in a corner.

Hugo Drax

My Peugeot PKN-10 is has seen the majority of mileage this year compared to my alp d'huez.

le brad

I don't have a vintage road bike, but I ride my Hercules 3-speed 75 miles a week.

Scooper

Yes. I ride mine every day it isn't raining.

vpiuva

My Gitane is improving the atmosphere at my LBS right now hanging over the mechanics desk (gotta break up all that carbon), so it's a little lonely. I do ride my Trek (and my old SS conversion) often, and enjoy the comments from my fellow bikers when I do.

To keep up on my fastest rides, I succumb to the new technology. And the Trek's [original] 42/21 low gear just won't get me up some of the hills around here.

East Hill

I think my bikes (ranging from 1979-1987) would be most annoyed with me if I did not ride them . Naturally I do not ride them all daily, but I do try to visit with all of them at least once every two weeks.

By the way, Welcome to BF!

East Hill

Bikedued

I don't have any newer bikes, aside from an 04/05 Schwinn cruiser. The rest are 70's or 80's vintage, and I ride them when I get a spare hour or two. New bikes seem to have no soul, and no sense of style in my book. Most of the vintage lightweights I've found were hardly ridden at all, and only need minimal work to be in top notch condition. Well, top notch for 80's technology I don't have a garage full of super light Italian rides, but they fill my needs.,,,,BD

80's Peugeot PH10.
80's Peugeot P8
83 Trek 560
74 Schwinn SS
86? Maruishi RX-4
81 Chrome Schwinn Voyageur 11.8 (Next bike on the work stand)
87 Schwinn Prelude (Will be done by next weekend)
71 Schwinn Continental (Heavy but glides like a Cadillac)

Antipodes

I ride all my vintage road bikes regularly - A 1981 Miyata 1000, a 1981 Apollo Gran Sport and a 1982 Nishiki International. I don't own any other newer bikes, apart from my mountain bike, which is a 1997 Kona Lava Dome. I love old roadies, and honestly don't care for new bikes too much. I don't race and the bikes I have perform well enough for me. Why buy new (which may be technologically advanced, but perhaps not as long lasting) and use precious resources when you can resurrect things that would otherwise be thrown out? If I was into racing, maybe I'd have a newer bike, but for now my recycled Japanese lugged steeds suit me just fine...

Rabid Koala

+1 to that!

I have 5 classics in my regular rotation, so none get an excessive amount of miles in the course of a year. I get out and ride 15-20 miles a couple of times a week on a good week, so my old bikes will stay young for a long time.

Oh, and horde consumable items where you can, at least those that won't deteriorate from age. You never know......

cyclotoine

My vintage super record bike is an occasional thing only same with "my girlfriends" nuovo record GIOS, and corky will definitely be a once a month thing in the dry season. I have a 1992 lugged steel frame with modern components for the most of my ridding. My other riders are vintage frames (1984 international, 1975 jeunet) with expendable and/or modern parts.

ricohman

I totally agree with the three posts above this one.
I ride my 70's and early 80's bikes every chance I get. The only new bike I own is a Kona Caldera and I use that in the dirt.
And I don't consider anything from the 90's as "classic" yet. Maybe someday but not now.
I have always thought that people in my age group, 35-45, considered the golden age of road bikes to be late sixties to early 80's.

Kommisar89

I ride mine as often as I can, sometimes daily, but if I'm going to a real hammerfest then I take my modern Bianchi. Of course I special ordered the Bianchi in 2002 as one of the last traditional Reparto Corse made diamond frame, Italian steel, all Campy equipped, all celeste bikes so I get the best of both worlds. It's kinda like a new Mustang with the retro look.

Mariner Fan

I ride mine all the time. In fact, it's my normal bike to ride.

tolfan

every ride is on a classic. I just picked up a miyata nine 16 for the early 90's so I may have to change that statment depending on how flexible a person is about the terms classic/vintage. The nine 16 fits perfict and is all shimano 600 and looks like a classic.

old and new

Of course, if we ride,we ride the bikes we have. Most don't "save" them for special outings. More importantly , what bike do YOU have in your sights Mister, let's get the paticulars, shall we ?:

OldsCOOL

I love to ride my Trek 460 (1985). The first ride of the season is the best. My serious season begins in august when softball season closes. I am no expert in bikes but this trek really grabs my heart when I ride it. The fit, the feel, the smoothness of power translation.....and yes, the downtube shifters for the suntour cyclone group.

Wayyyy Coooool.

pastorbobnlnh 

Please, the OP didn't ask "Why would you fools ride vintage bikes?" We ride them because we enjoy doing so. I'll only mention one of my vitage rides, a 40 or so pound '66 Collegiate (with a top tube shifter ) It's a blast to ride and only five gears to think about. Besides, the exercise factor goes up at least 25%. And that's a good thing!