staehpj1

A little outside the age range of the original thread, but...

I have to say that this thread has made me miss my 1990 Canondale to the point I have considered trying to get it back from my daughter who has used it as a commuter, but isn't currently. I don't want to on the chance that she might use again.

I have actually been looking at eBay and lusting after 1990 105SC 7 speed components. To me that was a real sweet spot in the development of bike tech. Great looking, but still supremely functional stuff. I'd probably be a sucker for someone selling a new old stock group set like what was on my 1990 Crit bike and might over pay for one. I really loved that bike and those components. I may start collecting parts to build up another one (I have a similar vintage Canondale road race frame in the shed collecting dust that I think would suit my UL touring style ok).

WGD

I have never bent an axle. Most of my mileage has been on freewheel-equipped bikes and my weight was well over 200 lbs for a lot of years. Could riding style be a factor?

mike_c

Sort of. Here is a 1982 Trek 720, mostly original. Upgraded with the latest trends from the early 80's! Ultra 6 freewheel, centerpull brakes, non-indexed shifting, 40 spoke, 14 ga, wheels with Phil Wood hubs. Period correct, still rolling strong :-)

1982 Trek 720, near Daytona Beach, 2019.

TiHabanero

"Could riding style be a factor?"

On the old mountain bikes, no question it was a matter of beating the heck out of the thing. Cassettes were not a thing quite yet. On the touring bike, the bent axles came from 40 pounds of gear and 200 lbs of rider all on the back wheel. No big deal to replace, however should the axle fail completely out in the middle of the pan handle of TX, that will be a problem.

Having a thing for old bike stuff is becoming less practical every day I think about this, and I don't want to give it up! Looks like the smart thing to do is go cassette.

chrisx

I bought 2 old bikes this summer. A CCM echo 15 speed, that I plan to leave in Managua, or Cuba¿ or? And a Hard Rock, that I find comfortable and want to keep, so I put modern, only 7 or 10 year old parts on it.

The CCM Cost $15 and nearly $100 to make it roll. Tossed the wheels into the recycle bin.

Old frames are cool, sometimes. Old parts may not be reliable, are you a good mechanic?
Many a left over 8 or 9 speed part can be had at bargin basement prices. = A $200 xtr derailleur is about $60 now, if you like 9 speed stuff. With 12 speeds on the market now, 10speed stuff can be had for 50% or 63% off

I like to fly Interjet to central america, they like to pile bags on top of my bike, the lbs in Chajul dont have a lot of modern parts. Thus my interest in old 26ers.

Modern bikes have improved considerable in the last 10 years.

WGD

I'm not sure this is the case. I keep a stock of spares on hand from ebay, Craigslist, etc. Most of it is much easier to source than it was when these bikes were new anyway. I keep my eyes open and if a part I can use pops up (especially NOS), I'll snap it up if the price is right. Spare freewheels are a piece of cake! I do my own repair work so I really don't have worry about whether the local bike shop can accommodate the "special needs" of my vintage bikes. Of course, not everyone wants to be their own mechanic but for me, that's half the fun.

I don't typically stray too far from my home base at this point so if a critical part gives up the ghost, my wife can generally get a replacement to me. Even if I were to get farther from home, just about anything can be overnighted. And a lot of things (e.g., wheels, tires, brake shoes) can still be gotten from a bike shop on the road.

I just really enjoy riding vintage bikes and for the most part, I like to keep them as original as possible. It's worth it to me to do what I have to in order to make that practical. I probably only have about another 10-15 years of riding left in me anyway and my supply of stuff should hold out that long...

WGD

I agree with this. I run 40-spoke rear wheels. They were stock on the '84 Miyata and Univega. The hubs are a bit of a pain to find but worth the effort. I have broken spokes in the past but never with a 40-spoke wheel.

Chr0m0ly 

My wife on her '85 ST400



Just the bike



My '83 Trek 720



Our tent and make shift bike garage.

We both daily ride and tour on our old bikes. The tourers are great for shopping and errands in addition to longer trips. I have an embarrassing number of vintage touring bikes from Trek, Cannondale, and Miyata. I like the companies that make their own bikes. Cannondale ST's and the later 80's Miyata's are hella Stout and great for heavier loads. The touring Treks from '83 and '4 have the classic touring geometry with gourmet tubing feel. A little more particular on total load weight and distribution but very rewarding to get right. A classic caddy ride.

Based on a Trek '83 720, '84 620, and '84 520, an '84 Miyata 610, and '91 1000LT, And an '84 Cannondale ST500 and a '90 ST600.

Cougrrcj

Back in '80, my only 1000+ mile 'tour' was very minimal in forms of gear. Just two changes of clothes and a nylon windbreaker in a canvas drawstring duffle bag, bungied to my Pletscher rear rack. No tent, pad or sleeping bag. No cooking gear, and just a couple pouches of instant oatmeal. Other food was sourced on the way.

Bike? 1975 Fuji S-10S with stock 39/51 chainrings, and a 14-24 five-speed freewheel. Yes, my wheelset was custom-built by me, using Phil Wood 36/36 freewheel hubs, narrow clincher rims, and butted stainless spokes. Tires were Schwinn Super Record 27x1-1/8 inflated to 95/105.

Back then I only weighed about 140, and was carrying less than ten pounds on the rack. My seat-mounted toolbag, however, weighed almost as much! Two spare tubes, patch kit, tire gauge, 6mm hex key, two each flat and Phillips screwdrivers (one regular, one small of each), a cut-down 10" adjustable wrench, freewheel tool, spoke wrench, chain breaker...and of course my Flippy Flyer (cloth 'Frisbee' sort of thing).

acantor

If something were to happen to my "new" touring bike (which I bought 15 years ago), I would hesitate to substitute my "vintage" 1985 Miyata. My new bike is a better fit. I don't find the Miyata as comfortable for all-day riding, loaded or unloaded. I still take out the Miyata for local rides and grocery shopping. But when I go out longer, the Miyata stays in the shed.

During my 34 years of riding the Miyata, many components have worn out, but I have never made an issue of replacing them with original parts. Some components are the originals, including the handlebars, brakes, brake levers, and seat post. The hubs are Campagnolo from 1989, the stem is Look from 1990, the wheels are Mavic from 1992 or 1993, the headset is Shimano from 1998, the drive train is Shimano from around 2001, the seat is Brooks from around 2010, and so on. I haven't repainted the frame, so it's still the original steely blue.

Wilfred Laurier

I have a few old frames that I have considered building up as period-correct-ish road/sport or touring bikes, but I am concerned that the freewheel axles will bend or break. When I was a teenager and svelt and fast, I bent many an axle on a lightweight racing bike. I can read arguments about steel vs. carbon, or 26" vs 650B vs 700C for days, but anyone saying freewheels are superior to freehubs is ignorant and will be blocked.

If my aluminum touring frame or fork gives up before we start our tour next summer then I may just swap the parts over to one of those old frames.

mstateglfr 

Up till now all my touring has been on a 1980 schwinn voyageur that was not purpose built for touring until later model years, or a 1990 fuji made touring bike.
here is an old pic of the fuji.



Moving forward I am now using a modern steel frame i used to use for gravel that has great geometry and brazeons for how I tour.

Cougrrcj

Nope, not in 60k+ miles. Even for years as a heavier rider and more recently as a 'near Clyde', I've NEVER had an axle break on a freewheel hub. I don't even own a freehub road bike... although I think the 90/91 Woodlands that I use exclusively as a 'pit bike' at the drags is...

WGD

Give me a break. I've gone through this entire thread and I don't remember anyone saying anything like that. I pointed out that I have never bent an axle while riding a freewheel-equipped bike. I like freewheels. I like cassettes. Advocating that I (or anyone) be blocked for expressing a valid opinion is way out of hand, especially when you're arguing against a strawman. Maybe I missed the humor or something. Yeesh!

Wilfred Laurier

Update!

I will block anyone who claims freewheels are superior to freehubs, and anyone who can't understand that was a joke.

Miele Man

You've been most fortunate. I was riding up a hill out of the Don Valley in Toronto Canada when I felt like my rear wheel cones had come loose on my MTB. Got to the top of that hill and then rode home. When i took the wheel off to tighten the cones the two broken sections of the rear axle fell off. That was an unloaded bike. I've never bent or broken an axle on a freehub.

Physics alone will show that any axle is stronger in a freehub than the same axle would be in a freewheel. That's because of the greater leverage of the longer protruding section of freewheel axle. Plus, the more cogs on a freewheel the longer the unsupported portion of the axle there is.

Cheers