Ultron

Hey guys I posted a similar thread in the racers forum but soon realized I probably should have been posting it here.

I used to ride a 2014 aluminum/carbon bike but after it got stolen I didn't have the money to replace it and I picked up a vintage steel bike on Craigslist for 150$. I've been riding that on fast group rides for the past year and really want to get into racing this season.
I know there's modern steel frames that rival modern carbon that are capable and competitive race machines, just none around me.
I'm wondering if any of you race your vintage steel? I'll be rocking a 1987 Lugged Steel Specialized Allez with a full Suntour Sprint Gruppo and some Araya Gold wheels that badly need the bearings repacked!

Also I'm looking to maybe upgrade the wheelset as opposed to upgrading the bike as a whole like many have been suggesting. I've fallen in love with the 74-74 angles of the bike and the way it tracks high speed turns and corners like it's on rails.
The 87 Allez was designed by David Tesch and has an amazing geometry and is way stiffer than other steel bikes I've ridden that include an Infinity Bianchi, an SLX Pinarello, a Tange Champion #1 Nishiki and an Ishiwata 022 Diamond from Belgium.

So my fellow C&V riders,
How many of you race on your vintage steeds?
And what should I be looking for in terms of a 7spd compatible wheelset.
Also what upgrades are truly worthwhile? The Suntour Sprint gruppo works like a dream and I don't think I need to upgrade that. Maybe the crankset to something with outboard bearings? Idk...

merziac

Tesch may have built it, but he didn't design it. That would have probably been Merz or DiNucci.

Barrettscv 

My group rides are moderately paced, 17mph for 50 miles and 2000 vertical feet of climbing.

I'll use the De Rosa Professional and the Pinarello Gavia on these rides. Both bikes have Campagnolo Chorus Ergo shifters and I won't use downtube shifters when riding in a crowded paceline. I also use Look Keo pedals and Shimano road shoes.

Ergo shifters or STI brifters allow the cyclist to shift without removing the hands from the handlebar. This is required for safety reasons, I'm always ready to adjust my speed or line. Having both hands in control of the brakes is fundamental.

Modern shoes and pedals not only improve the transfer of power to the crankset, they are far more comfortable than the alternative.

.

Slightspeed

I get the old Super Course out for some of our club rides, which are 15-17 mph average, enough for me. I set a personal best 18.2 average down PCH to Malibu on my '64 Legnano. Mostly flat, but the Legnano runs like a locomotive once you get the pedals turning, not geared for hills, at least for these 68 year old legs. Most of our rides are under 40 miles, with 2000 ft of climbing. The picture is from a recent Santa Barbara ride, probably burned out area, now. The SC is a bit Frankenbike, with Sugino triple, 34t six speed Megarange freewheel, with Campy large flange hubs on Mavic MA40s. It's a sweet ride, but no racer, but neither am I any more.

El Chaba

I haven't raced since 2001, but I do the same group rides that I did back in the day. Having said that a fast group ride is just not the same as a race. In any event, I periodically like to show up at the ride with a vintage bike-especially if the ride is comprised of mostly younger riders. The only thing that most vintage bikes give up to modern bikes is a couple of pounds (no big deal ) aerodynamic wheels (also no big deal in a group) and a few gears....and maybe some convenience (integrated shifters) If somebody attacks on a short, sharp climb, it is a real advantage to have integrated shifters to catch a gear while standing. Unless it is an eroica event, I do like to use clipless pedals as the release mechanism is reflex. There have been product advances that have added to the convenience of riding, but very few that have improved upon the basic operation of converting leg wattage to forward motion. When you complete a fast group ride with the front group while younger riders on modern machinery have been dropped, it is a particularly satisfying feeling.

mstateglfr 

Is it Sprint or Sprint 9000 which was indexed?

If your drivetrain is indexed and you modernize the wheelset, you will need to modernize the entire drivetrain as SunTour and Shimano dont mix. Your Sprint components cant shift a Shimano spaced cassette.
If its friction, then you are fine and ignore thr previous comments.

I find a mix of period correct and new to be a sweet spot. 600 indexed drivetrain with modern 8 or 9 sp STIs?...best of both worlds. Modern rims and spokes laced to 600 tricolor hubs?...best of both worlds.
I dont feel like a partially modern road bike holds me back at all. Lack of talent and body shape holds me back.

texaspandj

I race triathlons, essentially time trials. I can't see myself riding on anything else. I rarely ride club rides but when I do I make sure to ride with the fast group.
You can use modern wheels with a 7 speed cassette just use a a spacer.
Nothing wrong with using Down tube shifters, however you could miss a break in a road race reaching for your gear. With small frames and slanted top tube and most racer copying pros, means they're going to be riding hoods 95% of the time. Which is why shimano sti group would be a good upgrade for you.

Chrome Molly

If you can swing the upgrades below you'll be able to roll along with the group no problem...

https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/shima...uble-groupset/
or
https://www.merlincycles.com/shimano...ack-72462.html

and
Vuelta Corsa Lite 700c 11-Speed Wheelset - Nashbar

I use brifter setups since I've lost too many town sign sprints due to ghost shifting of DT's. Have done many big rides on "old" steel bikes. Unless you're really going for the fractions of seconds and inches that you need at the front, you'll really enjoy the ride and feel of your Specialized Allez steel frame.

Chrome Molly

And feast your eyes here...

Retro roadies- old frames with STI's or Ergos

RiddleOfSteel

Vuelta Corsa Lites, STI conversion, and '80s steel equaling considerable performance, you say?

Sit ya right at 20 lbs.

Looking fast is good for a few mph.

RobbieTunes

I ride vintage steel, (and vintage carbon lately) on everything. I've ridden a ton of bikes, from older steel to modern carbon. I've never picked the bike based on what type of riding I planned to do; it was more about what bike is ready to go hard.

I've only done two triathlons on modern bikes, both sprint distances. I was fast those days, but I'm not sure it was the bike choice. The only Ironman distance I've ever done was on a Centurion Ironman. I doubt I'd have been any faster. 112 miles is simply a long ride, surely not a race for me.

nesteel 

I occasionally take my '85 Portage out for the local Saturday no drop fat bike gravel ride. They tolerate me, and my poky pace.
During the late spring/summer/early fall, we have a Thursday evening no drop road ride that I like to frequent, on one of my "modernized" steel rides.

iab

Technically, I do a race. I consider it more of a 50-mile ride with no rest stops. I got me a 50s/60s pink Umberto Dei with 32mm tires for that race. I typically end with the second or third group in about 2:10-2:15. I sit in. I also sit it at the end when I could easily pass the person in front of me who has been doing work. Seems uncool to move up at that time, and I just don't care.

And btw, Peter Sagan on a Schwinn Varsity too big for him would drop every candy-ass on this forum. just sayin.

-holiday76

Oh, I race. No one else knows I'm doing it. I usually still lose.

Colnago Mixte

Imagine an entire pro race done on old dept store bikes bought from thrift stores. The bike company sponsors would hate it, but it would be entertaining as hell. It would show you who the true athletes of the sport were.

Probably, it would come down to whose old 1979 Sears Free Spirit 10 speed with stem friction shifters or 40 lb Walmart MTB choked on a derailleur, or had a rear wheel taco'ed. Or who crashed on 60 mph descents because of old crusty brake pads and gummy cables, or cheap tires blowing out.

I would definitely watch that if nothing else was on.

dddd

I had the very same bike, in white, with the full Sprint 6s indexed gruppo.
Gearing was limited by the rear derailer not wanting anything to do with a cog larger than 26t, but that seemed like plenty even in the foothills here just a short ten years ago.
Your 6s freewheel uses identical cog spacing to any Shimano 6s cassette or freewheel, so a modern and high-performing wheelset is a viable option that you could later transfer to any "better" modern bike.

This bike is pretty heavy for a modern racing application if you will be wanting to move up from the Cat-5 level, but can be a great bike for all kinds of spirited riding including training rides. The Allez frames were Asian-sourced but quite well-sorted by that time in terms of geometry!
I had a bit of an issue with my fingers getting too close for comfort to the front tire and fork crown gap, seems the shift levers on these bikes are mounted rather high up there! I sure wouldn't want a finger getting pulled in, that's for sure.

I use a mere 6s freewheel on this 1985 friction-shift bike that I have been doing all of my club rides on lately, it's almost entirely stock and weighs 22.5lbs with good tires. I wouldn't mind doing twilight training criteriums on it during the pre-season, but I would use a newer bike at such point that I was having to travel far and pay good entry fees to race. Like you, I didn't pay too much for this one (just $100 and some ten hours of sweat equity) and really like it's handling/ride qualities.

texaspandj

However I think froome could take Him on a Schwinn collegiate.... well provided there's no drug test.

Classtime 

Ultron,
I don't know if you raced on your old (newer) bike, but if you want to race crits, you will often be in the wrong gear with downtube friction shifting. I did my CAT 5 races with 6 speed Campy when everybody else had brifters. When I started racing in the 45s, I got a second hand 9 speed brifter bike and I felt more comfortable. You can run a 7 speed cassette on a modern wheelset and then if you decide to go 10-11 speed you will be ok. See if you can get some indexed bar ends to work with whatever rear cogset you decide on. I'm not racing now but my go-fast group rode bike has 9 speed bar ends.

big chainring 

I havent raced in 35 years. Last racing I did was at the Kenosha track. They ended the night with a team/madison race and allowed mixed male/female teams. It was a lot of fun. I teamed with the Illinois state champ who was really cute. Now days if I get any fitness going in the summer I ride my highly modified 1971 Schwinn Super Sport on group rides. Mainly just hang onto wheels at 20 mph. When they crank it up to 25 its rough to stay attached. Its not the bike, its my lack of fitness.

canklecat

Asthma holds me back so the local 16 mph B group is fast for me -- they're usually closer to 17-18 mph. On good days I can hang on. Not so good days, I get dropped on the hills and take off to ride my own pace.

The Centurion Ironman I got last June is good enough for me. I'm not strong enough to justify a more expensive bike. I did invest in better tires, Schwalbe One V-Guards.

I might finally go clipless this year -- I'm still using platforms. Although I'm tempted to get toe clips and straps again, since I used those years ago. Finding affordable cleated shoes or Avocet touring shoes is the hard part. I can tell that foot retention would help with climbing, and spinning downhills, when I'm having to concentrate to maintain consistent contact with the pedals. Might make just enough difference to help me hang on with the B group folks.

Spaghetti Legs 

When I raced, my bike choice was really based on the best bike I had that wouldn’t bother me as much to crash. By that criteriion I wouldn’t race any of my vintage steel, but take out that and I would race any of mine that have Ergos. I ride mostly solo now but last time I was in a spirited group county line sprint, I won it on the friction shift Tommasini. I can also go downhill as fast if not faster on my old steel compared to fancy carbon.

speedevil 

On the fast group rides, I'm definitely racing. No one else can tell, but in my head I'm racing. Isn't that the fun part of it anyway?

BTW, I don't win, but since the rest of the group isn't racing, they don't think I lost either.

Pompiere

If I am able to keep up with the group, I count it as a win.

I ride my new and old bikes interchangeably on fast (for me) group rides, but it is not the bike holding me back.

tyler_fred

Wow! I don't think that I've seen your Peloton in this configuration. You are correct, that thing looks FAST!!

RiddleOfSteel

Thanks! That was a previous build ago as she is now resting as just a frameset. I need to do some cleaning as even dry-riding-only bikes seem to magically collect dirt! I had briefly flirted with the idea of selling the frameset, but that red is RED, and it's been a constant and the longest-kept frameset to date. I would feel pretty traitorous. With STIs and light wheels, it's a fantastic bike and is a great hill climber. Light wheels with DT shifters and she's a little flighty in the front over not-smooth pavement. The 7700 BB is still installed, and all the other parts are either on bikes or lying in wait for future use.