Am I a retrogrouch?
#51
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And pedals with toeclips, and shoes with slotted cleats.
#52
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One of my co-workers at Trek back in the early 80s built himself a steel frame (Columbus KL) bike fitted out with all the weight-weenie exotica of the time: Huret Jubilee derailleurs, Zeus 2000 crank, aluminum freewheel, and titanium bottom bracket, Regina titanium chain, Hi-E wheels (ok, not 36 spoke), Clément #1 silk track tubulars, etc. that tipped the scales at a shade under 13lbs, so, yeah, it can be done.
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#53
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I'm 85-90% retro grouch. I'm slightly open minded to some new stuff.
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I always thought the whole point of retrogrouchiness was not that YOU don't need The Latest New Thing, but rather to loudly declare that NOBODY needs it. Hence the "grouch" part.
For me, I think it'll be when they're no longer affordable. 105 Di2 may be a bridge too far for yours truly. OTOH, I have no current need for more bikes.
For me, I think it'll be when they're no longer affordable. 105 Di2 may be a bridge too far for yours truly. OTOH, I have no current need for more bikes.
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Where is beng? Thread was made just for him!
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#57
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My sidepulls stopped well. (Not Campy NRs.) 36 spokes but 15-17 gauge and 290 gram rims with 220 gm tires (Tubulars so that weight is tire and inner tube. Rim strip and glue are probably a toss weight-wise.) So not very heavy wheels.
My recently acquired race bike is 7 years newer than my old race bike, better, stiffer, probalby the same weight. Now running old race tubular rims the weight I used to train and club race. Tires are now race quality, my old training weight. Bike is 7-speed FW, Chorus triple and otherwise just blue collar '80s race. Yes, probably 1 to 1.5 mph slower than a $5000 CF bike but feel, the ride is all there. So is my grin.
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#59
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(Raises hand) I think I qualify. Same as OP except w/23 y.o. bike. As far I can tell, modern offerings are inferior. Yeah, my bike is 3 lbs overweight in comparison, but I'm about 15 lbs. over perfect and can easily lose 3 in two weeks + save money on groceries. Grouchy enough?
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I think the stereotypical retrogrouch take on any new cycling tech is, "I never had a problem with [insert obsolete tech name here]" and then declaring that the new technology - which they generally haven't tried - to be useless frippery.
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#61
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Nah, the great thing about being a retrogrouch is that your equipment really is better, which includes being more easily modifiable as one ages. It was easy and cheap for me to get down to 23 g.i. For studies, just look at the age breakdown for popular endurance events.
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Nah, the great thing about being a retrogrouch is that your equipment really is better, which includes being more easily modifiable as one ages. It was easy and cheap for me to get down to 23 g.i. For studies, just look at the age breakdown for popular endurance events.
1973 - 23"
1979 - 41" (fix gear; something the new bikes cannot even do
[1983 - 71" (workhorse fix gear; it has no other life)]
1983 - 31"
2008 - 23"
2011 - 47" (fix gear; no modern bike can do remotely what this bike does so well)
A 110-74 BCD triple set up with a 24, 28 tooth in back - any FW or cassette ever (or at least since the dinosaurs died off) was offered with that 28 - and any SunTour GT derailleur with a vast assortment of friction , retro-friction (gotta slip that into this thread!) or ratchet and that old steed is good to go to that 23" low (and 122" high if you can find a 54 and 12). If you go out searching with a $100 bill, you might be able to buy yourself a latte with the change.
And the questioning retro (grouch?) - just why didn't every modern cranket manufacture get on board with 110-74 BCD? (OK, pure race can be bigger but the penalty for 110 cannot be measured. And not everyone needs that 74 drilling. But once 110 was here, why did anyone mess with 113? 105? ... And along those lines - thank you Sugino! Thank you SR! (And, going back to the tail end of the Jurassic era - thank you TA for making anything and everything possible. I rode the Mt. Washington TT on a 28t TA 1X. 1978)
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This... exactly.
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Sometimes it is hard to be a retrogrouch, but we try.
I'm a bi-cyclist. Retro + modern. Maybe a tri-cyclist as there are some in between with mechanical Ergo.
I'm a bi-cyclist. Retro + modern. Maybe a tri-cyclist as there are some in between with mechanical Ergo.
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Vintage, modern, e-road. It is a big cycling universe.
Vintage, modern, e-road. It is a big cycling universe.
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I have enjoyed riding bikes since the 1970s, and they continue to be a big part of my life. Whether I'm going to a happy hour with friends or embarking on a solo adventure in Southeast Asia, I always prioritize finding the best bike for my purpose. I'm not sentimental about specific bikes or traditions, as I've held this attitude for decades, which I suppose makes me an anti-retrogrouch.
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You have my dream collection, except for the Orbea BSO. And I'd probably swap out the Zeus for a Colnago.
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You said that like it's a bad thing.
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#69
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My primary road bike is a Trek 5200 that I bought new in 2001. It has the combination brake shifters and a 9-speed cluster and rim brakes and weighs in at 17.1 lbs. The combo brake shifters are great and I shift more frequently than I would with downtube shifters. These are also much more comfortable for my wife to use than having to lean down to reach downtube shifter.
Disc brakes were a good improvement for mountain bikes with their 2-inch wide tires and of course on a tandem bike but not on a road bike. Electronic shifters are in some ways a step backwards with the need to carry a spare battery when riding.
Disc brakes were a good improvement for mountain bikes with their 2-inch wide tires and of course on a tandem bike but not on a road bike. Electronic shifters are in some ways a step backwards with the need to carry a spare battery when riding.
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The Orbea is my un-grouchiness - to the reality of 7+ decades in the books. And hills that must be ridden.
Call me Wildwood Harding…..
(1972 Holdsworth Pro badged Irish Harding)
(quick mock-up = wrong bar, stem, shifter, hoods)
….but say it with an Italian accent
Last edited by Wildwood; 06-06-23 at 07:48 PM.
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RetroGrough is hard to resist. If the retro is all your needs met.
52/42 fast, narrow bars, easy to drops
Or touring gears and room for fenders
or just as much styling as an older man can handle
….with apologies for aero hoods.
52/42 fast, narrow bars, easy to drops
Or touring gears and room for fenders
or just as much styling as an older man can handle
….with apologies for aero hoods.
Last edited by Wildwood; 06-06-23 at 07:24 PM.
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#75
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