Midlifecyclist

I’ve had hundreds of bikes. I’ve had 10’s of really nice vintage bikes, but here’s the thing…

Long Sunday rides on a vintage bike, while nostalgic, are painful and not as fun as I remember. So I took a ‘84 Colnago Super and swapped the drivetrain for a SRAM Axs, the wheels for DT Swiss p1400 oxic, the brakes for Ultegra R8000, carbon fork, carbon bars.

The owner of the local vintage shop won’t even talk to me anymore, and the purests in my social circles have shunned me.

Im lonely, but I love riding it and I suppose that’s all that matters.

Bianchi84

Jiminy Cricket said: "Always let your conscience be your guide".

mhespenheide 

Do you still have another "fully vintage" bike? If so, and as long as you didn't cut off the derailleur hanger, you're all good. Ride what you like.

bikingshearer 

+1. My favorite bikes are the ones with old lugged steel frames and Campy 10sp triple drivetrains, complete with Ergo levers, SPDs and dual-pivot brakes (Tektros because of reach requirements). I also have a couple Eroica/Cino compliant bikes and I agree with you - they are fun to ride, but not as much fun as the ones with more modern. components.

Where I personally draw the line is at four-arm cranksets. I started off thinking they were ugly as sin. I thought I might get used to them over time. Hasn't happened and I don't think it will. But that's just me.

Also, I will never ride a wheel with fewer than 32 spokes, both because of my (large) size and because of the aesthetics. And if I break a spoke on a ride (which happens waaaaay less often than it did BITD), I don't want the rim deforming so much that I can't ride home. Again, that's just me.

So ride what you like and don't worry about whether I am judging you. I probably am, but I'll keep my mouth shut - mostly.

roadcrankr

Maybe just swapping the saddle, using clipless, and installing cushy bar tape could increase comfort.
Still slightly sacrilegious, but possibly less noticeable. Or keep the ride short, like I do with a 25-mile "limit."
Feel free to mail me the unused components. I will pay shipping. lol

RiddleOfSteel

Electronic shifting on vintage steel frames--that's my style as well. Cooking one up as we speak.

genejockey 

Like this?



BTW, that's NOT a 4-arm crankset. Just so you know.

bboy314

Ignore the snobs and have fun riding your bike, which should be easy as it’s been lovingly customized by you.

bikingshearer 

Very nice. I'd like it better if it had a dinky third chainwheel to accommodate my (lack of) climbing prowess, with which you are familiar.

I suppose if one is being hyper-technical, that crank only has four crank arms, but since it takes chainrings with five - count 'em, five - chainring bolts, and it is silver, and it is sleek instead of clunky, it qualifies.

genejockey 

I rode this for one of the C&V rides, but I don't know if you were on that one. I figured since the frame was from ~1990, it still counts. Of course, the groupset is getting close to 20 years old now, anyway!

Kabuki12

I ride old school bikes but I ride with some guys that mostly have modern bikes . It's fine with me what ever you ride. I have been the focus of some friendly teasing ..."you must be doing Yoga to able able to shift that thing!" I don't care , I just ride the bloody bike. Joe

squirtdad

I am fan of modern gear on good vintage frames..... but the carbon fork and bars may have gone to far.....

Kontact 

I'm glad you found more comfortable derailleurs.

79pmooney

My bikes have aero brake levers, Shimano 600/D-A track pedals or Delta compatibles (black cleats), triples and Terry Flys or equiv. regardless of age or type. They gotta work for this body to be owned and ridden by me. If it were law that I could not make those changes, well, you'd have the bike, not my money.

Those aero levers - I wanted them when I was racing; 1977. I fantasized bout having my hand slit surgically between my fingers so I could drop my palms over the hoods like so many pros do now on my long rides where I could have ridden that position for hours; if only it was possible. Saw the aero levers and never went back. NR stye quill pedals are just too hard to pick up when there are far easier options. Triples, Flys - my body isn't 20 something any more.

merziac

No, not a bad person, we here go all in on this, retro fit, vibe , whatever, etc.

I have especially been flogged for my approach as I have no sense of humor about it.

I have many convoluted builds as that is what it takes to get me on the bike and down the road all the while adhering to a pretty strict aesthetic that I am all in on.

Here's the latest, full custom, lugged steel 2022 Strawberry with all hand picked components, parts and pieces assembled by me.

Rides like a dream and flies down the road even with my lazy azz.

jdawginsc 

Ride with pride.

Chr0m0ly 

I agree with the above statement, if you aren’t drewing it, it’s cool by me. Cutting things off frames is a no go, and if you can stash the original stuff to one side I have even warmer fuzzier feelings about it.
Whatever gets you riding, and isn’t damaging the old frame.
And think about this, the hard men riding old tech weren’t being retro, they were riding the bleeding edge of bicycle technology for their time.
Resto mod to your hearts content!
(I’ll just quietly judge you behind your back )

iab

I don't believe you. No one gives a crap what you do to your bike.

repechage

to paraphrase Richard Feynman, what do you care what other people think?

79pmooney

But I still use DT shift levers because - they work! And I'll still know how to use them when I am reduced to a walker or wheelchair. Didn't lose the ability after my head injury when I had to re-learn walking and buttoning my shirt.

mackgoo

Let him ride then see what he says.

AdventureManCO 

Literally, or just for dramatic emphasis?

I would think any bike dealer that specializes in vintage bikes, especially now, would be positively ecstatic about anyone showing any interest in anything vintage, regardless of what they decide to do with it or hang off of it.

Classtime 

The carbon bars are a bit much. And the fork? A Wound Up would be fine. I think what everyone has been posting in a nice way is this: “We are all sinners. It is never too late to ask for forgiveness.”

edit: oh, and we need a picture of this Colnago so we can post nice things about it😉

spclark 

Tough road. I say 'screw em', ride what works for you & get on with it!

I have a 1972 Motobecane Grand Record I bought on Easter Sunday 1972 (52nd anniversary this weekend!) I just started riding once again last summer.

Today I finished 'adapting' it for trainer use (before the outdoor riding season shows its face here) by learning how to lace then true a 'donor' clincher rim onto an eBay vintage Campy NT hub (same as what it came with back then) so I could mount a proper trainer tire for an attempt at a pre-season "get into shape".

Local LBS staffer said last year I'm prolly the only tubular rider in the whole county... which is just fine by me thanks.

It's your bike, it's your 'pursuit of happiness', it's your life. Ignore the naysayers despite the temporary pain you might feel. You'll get over it.

(PS - if it helps anyone understand my position, I'll be 75 in two weeks....)

bikingshearer 

If your bike is bloody when you ride it, you're doing it wrong.