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"I love vintage bikes except for _______"

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"I love vintage bikes except for _______"

Old 01-08-20, 01:58 PM
  #26  
mdcoram
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Originally Posted by Hajo
... except stuck seatposts. I have had to deal with two of them the past year and I will never ever buy another bike with a stuck seatposts.
Agreed! I've only had one but it took a week of soaking in WD40 and a broken vise to finally get it out.
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Old 01-08-20, 01:58 PM
  #27  
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CPSC reflectors.
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Old 01-08-20, 02:01 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by cb400bill
Cottered cranks. I hate working on them so much I gave my tool to the LBS. I won't buy a bike that has them. Nope.
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Old 01-08-20, 02:02 PM
  #29  
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...the shortness of my remaining life to enjoy them.
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Old 01-08-20, 02:08 PM
  #30  
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DT shifters (and the associated brake levers). Can't do em.
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Old 01-08-20, 02:13 PM
  #31  
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Not enough gears
Tubular tires (love/hate)
Downtube shifters (ok, it's stem shifters I despise)
heavy 27" wheels (especially steel)
Gas pipe frames
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Old 01-08-20, 02:17 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by gugie
The original "cut out seat to protect my er#$*@$" was first made in 1890
That may be true, but 1980's era racing (ish) seats are not friendly. I keep riding it, thinking i used to "get used" to the rub points. I tell my self "RULE #5 ". BUT, I did order a black Selle Anatomica saddle to use!
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Old 01-08-20, 02:18 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by thinktubes
One set of water bottle mounts.
Your bikes have water bottle mounts?!!
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Old 01-08-20, 02:52 PM
  #34  
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Turkey levers!! Extension levers, Safety levers. Whatever you call them, I usually change then to normal levers then add hoods. I ride on the hoods most of the time. I can deal with most of the other stuff. I don't mind cottered cranks, but haven't had to deal with them lately.

When I was racing, as soon as the aero levers came out, I got them. Not to be more aerodynamic, but to eliminate these loops above the handlebar. It just seemed so much nicer without them.

Now, Aero levers are vintage.
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Old 01-08-20, 02:56 PM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by Velo Mule
Turkey levers!! Extension levers, Safety levers. Whatever you call them...
Anti-stop brakes...
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Old 01-08-20, 02:57 PM
  #36  
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...sticky brake lever hoods. Everything else is cooler than $#'!
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Old 01-08-20, 03:04 PM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by mdcoram
For me it's all the cables dangling out of the hoods
And I wouldn't touch a bike with aero levers/cables/hoods, unless it can be "undone". Fortunately, I'm discovering that C&V is a big tent.
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Old 01-08-20, 03:21 PM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by mdcoram
For me it's all the cables dangling out of the hoods
I had this problem when I first started out. Then I bought some Park cable cutters. Show us your setup, and we can help with routing, etc. There's no reason this should be an issue.
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Old 01-08-20, 03:24 PM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by USAZorro
Having to put good tires on a bunch of bikes can add up.
Yes!

By the time you throw tires tubes brake pads and a few cables and housings at an old bike its easy to spend more than the purchase price...
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Old 01-08-20, 03:35 PM
  #40  
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Originally Posted by mgopack42
That may be true, but 1980's era racing (ish) seats are not friendly.
Ah, I see your issue, it's merely a typo.

You've transposed the 8 and the 9.
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Old 01-08-20, 03:43 PM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by tyrion
gearing not low enough.
^^^^this^^^^
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Old 01-08-20, 03:53 PM
  #42  
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Funny, some of these peeves don't bother me a bit. I was a bike shop mechanic, so I mastered MAFAC and Weinmann brakes. They don't bother me at all. Some single-pivot side-pull brakes work just fine, though a few don't. Turkey levers are usually fine if set up properly. I DO NOT LIKE cottered cranks, and I have enough experience with them to be set in that view. Freewheels aren't my favorites, either, and I usually end up converting my bikes to cassette hubs.

I have comically wide feet, so quill pedals never made sense to me. The quill comes up into the middle of my foot. Ouch! I wish I could use them. The steel Campagnolo Nuovo Record was the most indestructible pedal ever made, and it was beautiful. Toe clips aren't so bad, but I now prefer SPDs. Only my street fixie has toe clips now.

Sure, steel rims suck, but I'm keeping them on my Rudge, as they're working fine. The chrome has come off on parts of them, and the result is that braking has become quite good.
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Old 01-08-20, 03:59 PM
  #43  
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I love vintage bikes except for:
  • Weird threading standards! M5x1, M5x0.9, M5x0.75, French BB/HS, Campy axles, and ANYTHING 26tpi. WHYYY?
  • Weird cable ends. Resilion, Huret, Le Cyclo, MAFAC, and even Dia Compe!
  • Unknowable seatpost sizes. Trial, meet error. You may go back to square one and pick up your adjustable reamer now.
    • Corollary: smushed seatpost binder ears. Le sigh.
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Old 01-08-20, 04:11 PM
  #44  
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Originally Posted by OldsCOOL
... and the disk on the outside of the big chainring.
That's the OS guard, for "Over Shift" guard, or in some circles "Oh Sh-t" guard.
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Old 01-08-20, 04:13 PM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by base2
...Except for center-pull brakes. Especially the long reach ones. Compressionless Kevlar® reinforced brake cable housing such as Jagwire KEB SL does help a lot though.

Center-pull pads on steel rims just plain suck. Period.
Nonsense. All my centerpull bikes brake better than sidepull bikes I've had.

Also, what is a "center-pull pad"? The pads are not centerpull-specific...
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Old 01-08-20, 05:38 PM
  #46  
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Giving this topic more thought ... I’ll add another one to the list. French bikes ... yes I said it so let the those of you upset with me start forming your diatribes . I love the aesthetics and the geometry , and most important I have owned 4 French bikes (3 Motobecanes & 1 Peugeot PX10). All had a wonderfully sublime and supple ride.

I just can’t stand the non standard components which aren’t getting easier to find even though I was able to purchase a NOS Motobecane fork still in the original packaging for my Grand Jubile when I did the overhaul.

Ultimately what I want is a bike with the looks , geometry and ride of a French bike , but with all standard dimensions so there is no sanding stems or spending hours looking for parts like an new french bottom bracket or paying a premium for a IRD unit and buying French or Swiss cups , etc and etc..
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Old 01-08-20, 05:41 PM
  #47  
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Originally Posted by TenGrainBread
Nonsense. All my centerpull bikes brake better than sidepull bikes I've had.

Also, what is a "center-pull pad"? The pads are not centerpull-specific...
This has been my experience .. center pulls are only second to cantilevers for me . That ranking order has everything to do with tire clearance and nothing to do with effectiveness as my bike with center pulls stops every bit as good as my bikes with cantis
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Old 01-08-20, 05:41 PM
  #48  
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Originally Posted by cb400bill
Cottered cranks. I hate working on them so much I gave my tool to the LBS. I won't buy a bike that has them. Nope.
Just the opposite for me. Cottered cranks are why I love vintage bikes. So elegant. Unmatched aesthetics compare with clumsy aluminum.

FB Cranks 1 by iabisdb, on Flickr

Siamt Crank 01 by iabisdb, on Flickr

FB BB 03 by iabisdb, on Flickr
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Old 01-08-20, 05:52 PM
  #49  
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SunTour Accushi*t
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Old 01-08-20, 05:52 PM
  #50  
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That's enough being off topic. What I don't like. I can say all of the stock brakes on my vintage bikes suck. To brake is not a verb, but a suggestion. Or an abstract concept. Either way, not good in an emergency. Also, the stock gears were built for a grimpeur. If an older person like myself wants not to overexert themselves in SW WI, modern gearing is nice. Oh, I do also enjoy modern flexible chains for the option to cross chain.
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