So, are my LeMond Versailles carbon bikes "racing bikes"?

As a new cyclist I bought the first Versailles because it was the cheapest bike that soaked up most of the vibration from chip coated roads. My-O-My, was that bike twitchy! Still is. Bought the second one in another city because I needed a bike and was tired of renting.

Both have been modified to be more comfortable and easier for my well used body. More upright, larger tires, and gears.

So, were these "racing bikes"? Are they still?

Just saying
 

This comment is the more narcissistic than anything else and doesn't fit well with your user tag...enjoy the ride and let people enjoy their own.

If it's a De Rosa and the same model ridden by Eddy Merckx in competition, it's a race bike;

1983ish De Rosa Professional. Updated with 2x9 Campagnola Chorus drivetrain, shifters and brakes. Chorus hubs with Velocity A23 rims. 700x28 Vittorio Corsa G+ tires. NOS S. Marco Concor genuine suede saddle.

http://i1356.photobucket.com/albums/...psflwa0ljn.jpg

http://i1356.photobucket.com/albums/...pso7s56uu4.jpg

http://i1356.photobucket.com/albums/...psxsnxcy3n.jpg


.

That's gorgeous.

This is one of my road racing bikes. Sometimes I ride it to work. It's a lot of fun, and it weighs 20 pounds. I have never raced it.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/LU...w1804-h1352-no

This is my 1971 track racing bike. I did race it on the track in the summer of 2014.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5R...w1798-h1352-no

Yes and no. I raced in the '70s. No bike then weighed 17 pounds. But I had a pure race bike, probably 20-21 pounds, very light wheels and light silk sewup tires. Steep frame angles, high bottom bracket, very short chainstays. I had to remember to watch my fingers, both under the downtube - front tire was close and it was DT shifting and when I brushed the rear tire clean. Fingers between the seat tube and tire - hospital time and it wouldn't be pretty! Put 9,000 miles on that bike. Loved it but it was just a race bike. It had no place my life when I stopped.

Ben

I've had a bunch:

'86 Gazelle Champion Mondial
'89 Trek 660
'00 Trek 5200
'08 Bianchi 928 T-Cube
'09 Cervelo Soloist
'13 Ridley Excalibur
'15 Specialized Tarmac

The Gazelle was my Sunday C&V bike, but I had to press it into race service once. I'd crashed my Cervelo during the Saturday race of an omnium and couldn't fix it in time. The Gazelle was older than three of my teammates in the race. It didn't hold me back.

https://68.media.tumblr.com/b11045b0...158mo1_540.jpg

Current race bike, with training wheels.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18...psbdhh5fd6.jpg

Former race bike, with race wheels.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18...psdwv5cwaw.jpg

I've ridden this Crit frame Mercian Pro since 1988. It's pretty much a body part by now. It's stiff, very responsive and fast, even if I'm not. I tried competing in the early '70s and I didn't like it. But I sure liked how the machines rode.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Js...w1640-h1230-no

It's your turn for your picture not to work. :(

Really? It's showing up on multiple platforms for me, but I'll check.

It's Google's photo hosting. Erratic and nobody can figure out why. I finally quit linking to photos on my Google account and went back to using Photobucket for hosting photos I planned to share on forums.

I find that as long as I include the photos in my "Public" album they show up reliably. I may have grabbed the url before I made that one public. Knowing Google, it's just a matter of time before they change something.

I tried everything I could think of to make Google photos work consistently here and on other forums. Sometimes my photos showed up, sometimes not. I'd double check using another browser without logging in and with the cache emptied. It was frustrating. And Google doesn't help -- many users have asked about this on Google forums, without getting any resolution.

Photobucket was easier. Some photo hosts are quicker, but I can't keep up with all those accounts so I just went back to photobucket.

Here's my first race bike, 1964 Legnano, 20something lbs. , and my newest, 2011 Culprit, 17lbs. I love them both, and ride them both. The carbon Culprit is faster, harsher than the real steel Legnano. Both are fun. I find that my hr runs about 10 beats faster on average with the Legnano, either it's heavier, or its just more exciting remembering the glory days on the old bike.

Since posting to this thread last October I've finally added a road racing bike to the stable -- an '89 Centurion Ironman. It was affordable enough that it didn't make sense to rent a comparable newer road bike for a few rides while deciding.

Not sure how long I'll keep it. Good bike but very uncomfortable for me due to the chronic neck pain I mentioned last year. I can always resell it and not lose anything.

I rode it five consecutive days last week, 10-30 miles each. I started out faster than usual, averaging 16-18 mph, but gradually got slower toward the end of the week as the neck and back pain worsened. And I don't usually ride consecutive days anyway, let alone in summer, so my legs felt dead. Took a day off Saturday, rode 10 miles Sunday and 35 miles Monday and was absolutely miserable Monday night and Tuesday with back and neck spasms.

I'll work on the bike fit a little at a time. I've already raised the stem to the safe limit mark. Still too low for comfort so I tilted the handlebar back toward me to ease the reach for riding the hoods.

Today I'll experiment with saddle stuff -- angle, fore/aft, etc.

I might try a handlebar with a more horizontal reach to the hoods. I see some good and affordable compact drop bars on various catalogs.

Anyway, I don't see myself ever racing again, not even crits for old folks. So if it isn't comfortable enough to enjoy the speed advantage over my hybrid I'll probably sell it. But I plan to give it until the end of the year before deciding. I need to work on my back and neck flexibility and strength too so it's premature to decide.

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/c...5.jpg~original

And after adjusting bar and stem a bit. Needs padded tape before another long ride -- my left hand is a bit numb after several rides, even with gloves.
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/c...5.jpg~original

Does a 57 year old racing bike count?

http://www.bikeforums.net/picture.ph...ctureid=528256

Great pics, the Legnano is sweet.