theblackbullet

So for some reason I have a really strong urge to enter a race, possibly a criterium, on a vintage bike this upcoming season. I raced my 88 nishiki last season, but I had upgraded it to 9spd ultegra. This year I want to do it completely old school, downtube shifters and all.

Am I crazy? Are there any other racers in this forum with this urge? Have any of you done it before? haha

Snydermann

I think it would be totally cool.

marley mission

dooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo it

fietsbob

Maybe you can get together more people to run old bikes, they do that with classic race cars, in UK.
https://www.goodwood.co.uk/revival/welcome.aspx

repechage

Same limitations as you would have in a competitive group training ride.
Biggest shortcoming I see in a criterium would be that you have gear fewer choices to sprint in and there is no second chance.
Maybe brakes, if there is a mishap ahead and guys screech to a halt, you may not be able to panic stop as fast.

None of this would stop me...

rhm

I have had that urge. In fact I have it periodically. When this happens, I lie down wait for the urge to go away.

Seriously, I haven't really wanted to enter a race in thirty years. From what I remember, it was a lot of skill and daring, a good strategy, and just enough athleticism to pull off the strategy when the opportunity presents. If you're thinking a vintage bike wouldn't hold you back, why not go for it? I don't think it would hold you back much. And it might be more fun.

cyclotoine

it sure would hold me back, I'd have to train like crazy on the vintage bike to know the drive train and braking enough under hard braking and acceleration, and I don't think I could shift as quickly either, no matter how much I practiced. But that may not be of much concern to the OP, if you want to just do it for a fun time, then do it!

caloso

Don't just stop with DT shifters. Go with clips and straps too.

Although the shifters will be a handicap in a crit, they may be less so in a RR, particularly a flat one. Something to think about.

gaucho777 

Do it! I haven't raced since the early 90s, but I occasionally have the urge to get back in the game. (Being out of shape and having little time to train gets in the way, though. Give us a post-race report so I can live vicariously. ) If I were to race again, I'd almost rather do it on a vintage steel frame, especially if it were a crit. I just remember there being so many accidents and squirrel-y riders, especially in the juniors and lower category races. I wouldn't want to risk having my expen$ive carbon frame shatter because some newb touched a wheel in front of me or smacked a pedal in a corner. And racing cautiously is no way to race!

scozim 

Hill climb races are great with a vintage bike. The one I like to do has a pack of about 45-50 riders in the front in the 11 mile run up to the 2100 ft climb. Almost completely flat for that distance. The last two times I did it I was the only one with downtube shifters and the run up to the hill wasn't a big deal. It would have been nice to have a couple of extra gears at times. I ran in the middle and at the front of the pack. Not sure I would do it in a crit format though. Up the hill it didn't matter what you had for shifters - by then it was mostly a motor issue.

cyclotoine

Some vintage crit bike were set up with bar ends:

1971 Made in New York where the crit scene was big.

gomango

I see people at the Tuesday races riding all sorts of oddities.

This wouldn't go unnoticed, that's for sure.

Btw Have you done any group rides?

Any basic paceline etiquette sessions?

Any strategy sessions with your "team"?

Is your bicycle properly tuned by an excellent local racing shop?

Have you watched Breaking Away over and over?

If you have answered no to the above questions, you are undoubtedly ready for some cat4 fun.

Very few have a clue and I certainly fit in when I started out.

Ps Make sure your brakes work. Your gonna need them.

gaucho777 

roadrunner2012

^^^+1000

If I saw a guy with DT shifters show up for a race, he'd better be a 60 YO+ CAT3 or better.

PeregrineA1 

I did Boone Roubaix this Spring on a 74 Paramout. Certainly the oldest bike and
likely the only DT shifters. Race was about 50 miles and 5k climbing, with about 20% on gravel. Finished mid-pack age group (my age, not the bike) and bottom third OA. Got some looks and comments, passed a lot of folks, had a blast. I will do it again for sure.

SvenMN 

Go for it! Club Time Trials are a blast too. Or for a little less "up close and personal" event look for a duathlon or triathlon with a team competition and get to recruiting...

gomango

Old, chubby racers like myself really shouldn't mess with this cat.

He will eat you alive.

Actually this is great info.

These are the kind of events my wife prefers and she is still pretty quick.

I can barely keep up with two of her groups.

bradtx

theblackbullet, I'd pick my battles. No parking lot crits, for example. Have fun.

Brad

Homebrew01

I raced my vintage bike in a few criteriums about 5 years ago until I bought a modern bike. I'd do it again, except I prefer to have modern shifters for the sprint. Flat criteriums are fine for downtube shifters. You only do a couple of shifts per lap, and you generally know what & where each lap.

thirdgenbird

I've debated it in the past and I still am

i don't see myself entering a crit with downtubes, but some ergos on a frame older than myself isn't out if the question.

I've also debated doing a tt or two on my ofmega mistral equipped bike. It already has 52/42 12-21 gearing, clip ons, aggressive setback, and crappy brakes. That's what tt bikes are all about right?

caloso

I've raced my Gazelle a few times in actual races but it has a modern 10speed drivetrain.

Italuminium

Never tried to race myself, but if I would, I'd rather be on my modern bike since I'm rather a Fred at heart. Also, dual pivot brakes. Mainly those. Unofficial time trials (Strava) suggest that it doesn't really matter for my times if I'm my old bike or on my new one, even on hill courses

Captain Blight

I really, really wish that the Tour or Giro organisers would include a stage that mandated:

• Lugged steel frame (perhaps mandated Columbus SL)
• Cup-and-cone bearings
• No more than 6 cogs
• Freewheel, not cassette
• Friction shifting
• 54/13 top gear, 42/26 low gear
• Single-pivot sidepulls or centerpulls
• Included mandatory rear-wheel tubular "flat" fix

I think that would be loads of fun for competitors (HA!) and spectators alike.

Italuminium

That, plus ravenous lions, tridents, naval battles in inundated soccer stadiums and/or burning Christians. Boy those Italians could stage a show back in the (Julian calendar) day!

austy37

I think I come off my line a bit when downtube shifting, I just started racing in the last year or so. Maybe if I get better at bike handling I might give vintage racing a go. I have raced a vintage xc bike with bar ends and that was fine.