Alex, as someone who is 74 and watching this video, my version of tech innovation is going from friction downtube shifters to index shiftting downtube levers. 🙂
I still maintain that SIS was the pinnacle of bike technology. Everything since Dura-Ace 7400 and 7700 has been unnecessary fluff for anyone not actually racing.
Mine is a Miele Gara 88 that I bought new and recently restored to ride; original Shimano 600 tri-color groupset with down tube shift, Ambrosio 19 Extra wheels with 23 mm tires, Cinelli quill stem and bars. Still has the original Shimano Biopace chainrings. Only real change from the original is a set of SPD-SL pedals. Not the quite the 1920 tech that Alex seemed to think for someone who's 70.
My Colnago C40 is my forever bike! Amazingly light frame, right amount of stiffness to comfort ratio. Any mechanical gruppo, love the Campy 11. It is always a revelation going from my race bike(Dogma) to my C40. I have put out some of the best watts on the 40, won races, always admired by someone. And it is really nice to have a frame that was built with care in Italy when some companies were not just trying to push absolute profit margins and cutting corners.
BTW, as an architect I can tell you why the pointing on that historic brick masonry wall looked the way it did. The wall was build against another pre-existing brick masonry wall where the masons could not point the brick. So, the lack of proper mortar pointing is an index of history, a look I love. And just as an FYI, that historic brick is VERY absorbent of moisture, (read rain). So a proper pointing job would make little difference. Also, the brick used at interior wythes of the wall was always of lesser quality, meaning not as highly fired and even more absorbent, back in the 19th century when that wall was likely build. 🙂
Ollie needs to move that circular light sign from behind him. It’s at precisely the right height and angle to make him look like an apostle, or even the foreman himself at the last supper. I can’t unsee it now.
I used a unknown Flandrian brand bike for a long time the bike is from the late 60s, it was my commuter bike, it did a lot of long journeys with trailers up Italian mountains, I was also part of a triathlon club, and I used the bike for road training and in winter I put 33mm tyres on it and used it as an MTB, people were amazed, it never had any problems during training. Now I've got it in the garage, one of these days I'm going to ride it, and it cost me 40 euros at the flea market in Brussels.
My Performance Vitesse I’m riding and recently chatted about! From 1992, bought it used almost 10 years ago, and this steel beast is so fast and will last FOREVER. plus all mechanical, no electronic nonsense, simple to work on and finally ACTUALLY AFFORDABLE to maintain!
I'd keep one of my beautiful Mercians. I have one frame from the late 70s, one from the early 90s and one from the early 2000s. All different, all immaculate and all with modern components.
Nice. I lurve the barber pole seat tube decoration that Mercian uses on some of their bikes. I think I might get something like that if I even get one of my two Peter Mooneys resprayed.
I absolutely love my 1994 Colnago Master Olympic with Campagnolo Record 10 ti componentry. My dream bike would be the same thing without the paint chips and better chrome and 90's Shamals
Funny. I have a set of HPW 12 Shamals that I need to find a home for. It's unlikely I'll ride them again. For the sort of thing I do these days, the tub wheelsets with normal box section Mavic Reflex rims I built over twenty years ago are doing fine.
@a1white You've just described my girlfriend's bike (Carrera bought at Halfords). Well, former bike as it was nicked on Bayswater high street a little over a year ago. Thieves were nice enough to leave one of their unused grinder blades at the scene.
My bike originally belonged to an uncle who is no longer with us. It's a steel hybrid from the late 90s' and it's perfect for my needs. I'll upgrade and maintain that thing until the cheap heavy chromoly frame rusts in half.
If I had to have one bike for the rest of my life it would have to be something in the mold of Surly Straggler. Something that I can use day to day to commute, tour or at least stay in the petaton if I were racing.
I'm a lot older than you two, so "retro" to me would be the bike I raced on back in the early '90s - a Scapin with the Columbus EL-OS tubeset. Back when I was racing (at a VERY amateur level, mind you) I had an 8 speed Campagnolo Chorus groupset on it. I still ride this bike to this day and absolutely love it. I've since upgraded to a full Campagnolo Centaur 11 speed group and the new-ish Zonda C17 wheelset and can easily fit 28mm tires on it. I've shopped for newer bikes but so far nothing has pulled me away from this little beauty. At 65 years old I'm not racing any more, but I'm staying fit by putting in roughly 400 miles/month split between this and my mountain bike which, contrary to the road bike, is a brand new ride.
If we’re now saying 10 years ago is “vintage” then I’m going with my current daily rider. A 2012 Genesis Equilibrium 725 Reynolds steel frame, rim brakes for ease of maintenance, hand-built wheels with Mavic open pro rims, a slim pannier rack and mudguards for practicality for commuting and touring. 10 speed tiagra (with an old silver polished Ultegra derailleur) for simplicity and cheapness of parts Such a comfortable versatile ride.
My Miyata 1000 is my forever bike. I bought it brand new in 1981 and it has served me quite well for 43 years. It’s been upgraded to SIS and SPD, new bottom bracket and a tandem rear hub. Still going strong, all these years.
Counterpoint, I also am a dinosaur ex-road racer but love downtube shifters. I can shift them in my sleep, it is so etched in muscle memory. I can also change a downtube shift cable faster than a flat tire.
As someone who went from Campag friction that would occasionaly slip at just the wrong time to Campag Ergo 10, I agree wholeheartedly. Precise shifting and being able to keep your hands where they need to be if standing or riding in dicey conditions is just not something I want to do without if I have a choice. That's not to say I don't have skills to ride with DT levers, but even then, I'd probably mount barcons if using parts from an old enough period.
After destroying steel and aluminum frames over the years, I was thrilled to finally purchase a titanium frame - a lightspeed. For me my 2007 Lightspeed with full mechanical Dura Ace was the boss. Also won the state 50+ master's road race in Ohio on that bike. Great memories of when I was strong on a "lifetime" frame.
@@peterconnors5259 my sweat is very caustic. Steel rusts very badly when exposed to my sweat. I raced on these frames and put in lots of training miles. I'd get 1 1/2 years out of both a steel and aluminum frame while racing.
I got my new to me 2002 Litespeed Tuscany last year. I'm happy. Got back into cycling 11 years ago. I'm 60 now and enjoying chasing my PBs. Hopefully an updated Litespeed next to keep both forever.
I so agree, Ollie, about not wanting to reach down to shift ever again. And it is bewildering to think that friction bar-end shifters were available in the '70s, yet the old way of shifting prevailed into the '90s.
I already have vintage bike I want to keep and ride for rest of my life. It's Time VXS translink from 2006 built with Campagnolo 11 speed mix of components. It's fast (especially on rough roads), lightweight (6,6kg) and very comfortable even on 25c tires.
I bought the frame second hand, I have no idea how many miles it have. But I'm riding it not so often, maybe once a week. But every time I jump on it, I'm enjoying its comfort and responsiveness.
My 1980 custom built Harry Quinn 531. With a 25" frame there is no other bike like it. For over 15 years this was my only bike. Mudguards and clinchers during the winter then a major strip down and clean usually about Easter when the mudguards come off and the sprints and tubs go on. With a spare set of wheels I even used it in winter on my rollers.
Shimano 600, friction shifters, Reynolds tubing, Brookes sadle, BUT MOST OF ALL.... vintage traffic, empty roads, regularly resurfaced tarmac, friendly smiles from the public.
If pre 2014 defines vintage bikes, I’m already riding one, Masi Evoluzione 2011. It still looks absolutely beautiful to my eyes, and that’s the most important factor in falling in love with one’s bike.
Red Colnago Columbus SL (not even SLX!) with Campagnolo Croce d'Aune groupset. It would have to have toe clips and strap .... to go with the down tube shifters.
Really go me thinking, reckon I would go for the Jan Ulrich Giant TCR, the frame was revolutionary at the time and the Telekom colour scheme was cool as!
I know! On my long ride with friends I'll 1) carry a shadow stand in my giant shadow stand shaped bag, and 2) take absolutely everything off the bike while my friends wait and take a picture to Ollie's standard honed over years of competition with Alex to keep each other's bikes out of the vault. I can't wait till next week - this is great comedy
Mid 1990’s Trek entry level mountain bike. Hard tail, ridged front fork, steel frame, 2x gear in front, middling wide tires. Use it for everything especially gravel riding.
I love my retro Gary Fisher Cronus Ultimate 2010. Bought the frame and fork second hand, built with first generation Sram Rival DoubleTap in the silver finish, and some white Mavic Ksyrium Equipe wheels wrapped in Crosa Next 28mm tires, tan sidewalls.
My current #1 bike is a 2000 Litespeed Vortex with Campag Chorus 12sp mechanical and Zonda wheels - it remains *awesome*. Apart from that, a blue Colnago Master with Campag Record mechanical and Shamals ❤
Recently got into road riding and my dad gave me his old road bike, it's been sitting in his workshop for years and still runs smooth as it did in his glory days. So id say Corima viper running campagnolo Daytona front to back
For the past 20+ years, I have owned, ridden and enjoyed a recumbent: Vision R40 LWB USS. Although I ride infrequently, me and my R40 seem to be made for each other. ‘Nuff said.
A 1988 or 89 Miyata 1000 - whichever was the first year it featured bar-end shifters. Great steel, Diore groupset, comfortable ride. A true classic touring bike.
I have it. My steel kona roadhouse from 2016 .. in two years it will be 10 years old .. but, at 61, I will be keeping it forever at this point. It’s fast enough. Super comfortable. And I already bought a couple extra sets of my favourite tires … it’s getting harder to find the 32s …. to keep it going literally for years to come.
I’ll one up the desire for a polished groupset. Retro or not, I want a polished aluminum bike. Every part must sparkle in the sunlight (when not covered in dirt because I’m a bigger fan of riding than washing).
I am still riding my 1974 Raleigh Super Course, shifters on the down tube, triple crank 28/42/54 with as 12/28 cassette. Hasn't let me down yet. Love keeping up with people 40 years younger riding $5,000 bikes.
At 68 years of age, I'm still riding my near ideal bike now. It's a 2008 Olmo Aerolite carbon frame (last of the Italian hand-mades I believe for that series). I equipped it with an all Campi gruppo. Though not Super Record 11 rear derailleur (which had just just come out in 2009, when I bought my bike, which was literally almost impossible to get and with a steep price tag attached); nor Chorus (one step down), it has Centaur. An Italian bike builder (Cramerotti) assured me that Centaur was the same as Campi Record two years before. But I did not scrimp on the pedals, which are top of the line Campi titanium (imagine paying $350 just for pedals in 2009, nuts right?); with Cinelli handle bar stem and bars, adorned with red Cinelli bar tape, and a pricey ($300) SMP Italian racing saddle. Then a modest set of Campi Khamsin wheels and Vittoria Rubino tires, so the bike kept its all Italian look. And yes, I've been riding it since 2009, and have only had to change the drive train once so far. After I had bought my first Criterium bike back in 1981, when I was still a young 25 year-old adult, I used to salivate over the then expensive steel Olmo and Colnago $2,000 racing bike frames hanging up in the bike shop where I bought my Crit bike. There was many a day when I thought to myself, perhaps one day, I'm going to get either an Olmo or a Colnago. And I got my wish. Sure. There are lighter bikes out there now, and lighter wheels, and more aerodynamic bars... but there is nothing like a classic Italian road bike!
The one bike I would pick is the 2002 Trek USPS bike Lance Armstrong won his Tour de France. So iconic and I've been looking for one of a few years now.
I have a 2016 Emonda ALR that fits me like a glove and I have bought and sold many bikes, but I continue to keep this bike and continue to upgrade as I can. I updated with SRAM AXS, with power and got some new carbon wheels for it. It is fantastic and rides so comfortably. I run 28's on the front, and 30mm tires on the rear, so what's not to love.
I hear Ollie on not going with downtube shifters. One of the first "nice" road bikes I ever had was an old, used Specialized Allez. It had a steel frame and downtube shifters. My next bike after that was a Cannondale CAAD3 aluminum bike with Campy shifting on the handlebars. The transformation in my riding was AMAZING! I felt so much quicker, and the change in shifting was awesome!
Agree. Being able to shift while standing on the cranks as well as being able to keep both hands on the bars if the situation's just a bit dicey is a game changer. I went from Campag friction which would occasionally slip dumping me into a smaller sprocket on the back at just the wrong time to Campag Ergo Record and Chorus 10. I loved the change.
@@crbondur Absolutely wild, my first road bike was an ‘85 Allez and after I got my hands on some nice components I built up a CAAD3 frame from scratch, with a few parts from the Allez. Both are such quality bikes and the CAAD3 is my daily driver, but I find myself yearning at times to relive the sensation of steel, maybe without the downtube shifters though 😬
@@christopheroliver148 the change from downtube shifters to integrated shifters is definitely nice for the sake of gears not slipping, after I got my hands on a vintage Campagnolo indexing downtube shifter, it solved the problem of slipping out of gears while maintaining the classic aesthetic-to each their own!
Colnago Extreme C50, PR00, traditional geometry, Shimano Dura Ace 11 Speed, Shimano Dura Ace C24 wheelset, white saddle and bartape, tires with tan sidewalls.
My 1980s Wilier Cromovelato Ramata, oversized Columbus tubing, down tube shifters, Colnago Super Record. My only concession to modern tech would be clipless pedals in place of the old toe clips.
Funny story Alex, I literally just picked one of those up off FB Marketplace today on my lunch break! Dream come true! I also have a 1998 Madone USPS Team bike, love the retro!
I already love my bike that was made for a team whose captain took 3rd in TDF. I use wider tires than the bike was designed for but the risk is low riding in nice weather only. I am fairly set :-)
The first 1/3 of this show is basically a group ride chat! 😂😂 I'm waiting for the "what would you prefer to ride in?" 😂😂 Don't know if it's my dream bike but it's what I believe is a classic bike! 1984 Raleigh Panasonic Team Bike with Campi. In the white and blue with yellow and red bands. I was 14 at the time and it was the dream bike. 😊
My main ride is a 1984 Raleigh Prestige. Yes, with down tube shifters. And I would 100% pick it as my forever (road) bike. Everything on it is dead simple to service. Nothing proprietary. It all just works
Ollie is bang on. Vintage rules the cafe. 1951 Moorson. No-one Knows what it is, except old Brummies. Cyclo Benelux 5 spd. Gear lever pulls into small sprocket. 🙂
Fun video ! My forever road bike is the one I bought in 2012 and still riding now . Ti Moots w/Campy Record 12 speed and Bora wheels ( they brake great in the dry and fair in the wet).
I've been riding my forever road bike for 35 years. And yes, it has downtube shifters. Much more enjoyable than the brifters on my gravel bike. Think manual gearbox over flappy paddles
I think calling a ten-year-old bike “vintage” is a bit rich. I’d say a vintage bike is one with 27 1/4” wheels, downtube shifting, and MAYBE built with Reynolds 531 at best. This by the way is what I’m still riding - a 1982 Mercian. I’d keep riding it except I want to use modern tires and get a lower gear.
Please Alex you gotta try that Ram Air fairing, i nearly peed myself laughing at the promotional pictures. I'm positve you'd gain at least 30+ watts even looking like the Hunchback of Notre Dame!😂😂😂😂😂😂
I'm all with Ollie here.. Had a Supersix Evo (sold unfortunately) and a 1995 Colnago Master with Campy Record 9s is hanging on the wall next to me. Rides and shifts like a dream, you just need very strong legs going uphill 52-39/12-23. It even fits 28mm tires easily, you just need to mount the wheel before inflating, so it can pass through the brake pads.
My heavily modified Cannondale R800 from 1998, with Ksyrium wheels and rim brakes she's my bestie! 😁😁😁 When's the Brompton G-Spot coming out,??? Now that would be a ride!! 😂😂😂😂
I don't know enough about bikes yet but my 97 specialized crossroads is versatile enough for almost everything I throw at it. Also it's quite cheap so I don't have to worry too much about it getting stolen. It could do with a little more clearance since it can only take 38c tires.
My bike is vintage, as per your age parameters, a 2012 Trek Madone 4.5. Over the years I have upgraded to 105 mechanical 11speed 50-34/ 11-34, DT Swiss RR411 alloy rims with Chris King hubs, I can fit 28mm Conti 5000 tires and have Ritchey alloy 38mm bars. It is still a dream to ride, weighs in around 7.9kg and originally costs just under $3,000 US. Not looking for a new bike, as the upgrades over the years have increased the bikes feel and performance.
Mine is a late 90s Giant TCR Team ONCE edition. I've always liked that bike. If I'm going vintage steel then I'm going for an Eddy Merckx Corsa 7-Eleven edition. As I've gotten older, I've gravitated to more classic bikes. I got rid of my modern race bikes because no matter how much I try, there comes a point where you just can't push that hard anymore. So, like Ollie said, riding a classic bike is like cruising in a classic car. That's what I do these days.
My forever bike is exactly the one Ollie picked - 2012 Cannondale SuperSix HiMod EVO. I switched out the wheels (came with Mavic Cosmic Carbonnes) for the lightweight (1250g) Stan's NoTubes alu wheels. The frame is painted in the Liquigas team colors from the Peter Sagan era (blue and green), and the SRAM Red mechanical components have green highlights instead of red. It's super light (14.5 lbs), very comfortable, and climbs really well, certainly stiff enough for me. Every time I think about getting a new bike I realize I already have the ideal bike. Disc brakes would be nice, and being able to fit a wider tire than 25mm would be nice, but neither are that important to me.
1 bike: Any frame similar to the Richey Outback (comfy position for long rides on pavement or forest road, my Trek FX 7.0 seems close), any 30/46T crankset (FSA/GRX/Tourney even) an 11-40T 8 or 9 speed cassette, a wheelset with some road tires and a wheelset with some gravel tires. The kicker though, is the Gevenalle Audax shifters. This may change to Growtac Equal Control levers when they come out.
Well done Ollie!! Great taste! Exactly what I would have picked ! Though I admit that there are just too many choices out there. Sachs, Pegoretti, a Panasonic team bike, a De Rosa , something from the US legends like Serotta? And how about a Litespeed Titanium ? Ah if life weren’t that short and pockets not as deep as we would have liked😢
Easy one for me. I will go with the bike I already ride, which I guess is considered 'vintage' by the standards of the GCN guys in this conversation. It's a 2013/14 DeRosa R838 - all carbon frame, admittedly aero shaped rather than round tubes (well the seat tube is) but mainly sculptured frame with a flat sloping top tube. It's got Di2, all Ultegra with rim brakes, HED Ardennes SL wheels, Zipp carbon area bars and seat post, mostly internally routed cables except at the head unit. The cool thing is I got this bike in 2021 with only 50 claimed miles on it, and in mint condition. At that time it was 7 years old. It rides velvety smooth, extremely comfortable, accelerates quickly, handles tight in turns, climbs lightly. Hands down a machine I will always love to ride.
Not vintage but Fairlight Secan. Steel, modular dropouts, fork mounting points, etc. Next best thing after custom and I've been coveting one since forever lol. The only thing stopping me is the price after shipping and importing.
One bike for the rest of my life? Discounting the vintage part. Probably a custom Framework gravel bike with space for 50mm tires, 1x mullet drivetrain, two sets of wheels (slicks and gravel), and disc brakes. It would nearly thread the needle between racing your local crits, towing a kiddy trailer to the grocery store, and finding some peace on a backroad.
I have a 2012 cannondale synapse. It equipped with sora and a triple with a wolf tooth 11-42 upgrade rear cassette. I found Mavic ksyrium wheels. I did upgrade the shifters to modern sora and slicked things up. The frame will allow 30mm tires just fine with lots of clearance. Could actually run 32 mm just fine but it’s rim brake and the 30 mm just fit through the brake pads. This would be my forever bike.
I try to keep bikes like that Synapse in mind. That and Trek had the Pilot that also could take 32mm tires. Those kind of bikes came and went so fast from the product lines. They are a best option for forever bikes.
I'd keep my 2002-ish Lightspeed Tuscany, but I would have to change the components because I only got the used frame-set 2 years ago and built it up with modern mid-tear components, so I'd probably try to re-build with 10-year-old top-tear stuff to get as close as possible to the performance/ride feel. As long as I NEVER have to put the awful period correct yellow decals back on it, that would be a dealbreaker, LOL.
Got it already, modern non 4130 steel frame, Columbus CF forks, Chorus n' Zonda's. Nice cockpit, ultegra spd pedals. Only goes where I can see it visually.
I'm old to enough to appreciate old bikes, but I could never go back to 25 mm tires and 11-23 cassettes. Big tires, compact chain rings, and big cassettes for the win.
Thanks!
thank you so much for the Super Thanks! 🫶
Alex, as someone who is 74 and watching this video, my version of tech innovation is going from friction downtube shifters to index shiftting downtube levers. 🙂
I still maintain that SIS was the pinnacle of bike technology. Everything since Dura-Ace 7400 and 7700 has been unnecessary fluff for anyone not actually racing.
Friction shifters are better, less fiddling with setup.
59 here and my first proper road bike was a gift for my birthday in 1976. It too had friction shifters however they were on the quill stem.
Downtube shifter crew in da house🦾
Mine is a Miele Gara 88 that I bought new and recently restored to ride; original Shimano 600 tri-color groupset with down tube shift, Ambrosio 19 Extra wheels with 23 mm tires, Cinelli quill stem and bars. Still has the original Shimano Biopace chainrings. Only real change from the original is a set of SPD-SL pedals. Not the quite the 1920 tech that Alex seemed to think for someone who's 70.
Great job showing that ram air fairing.
My Colnago C40 is my forever bike! Amazingly light frame, right amount of stiffness to comfort ratio. Any mechanical gruppo, love the Campy 11. It is always a revelation going from my race bike(Dogma) to my C40. I have put out some of the best watts on the 40, won races, always admired by someone. And it is really nice to have a frame that was built with care in Italy when some companies were not just trying to push absolute profit margins and cutting corners.
A very decent bike for sure! I have an Olmo from a slightly earlier generation, but Colnago has also been one of my top Italian frame makers as well.
BTW, as an architect I can tell you why the pointing on that historic brick masonry wall looked the way it did. The wall was build against another pre-existing brick masonry wall where the masons could not point the brick. So, the lack of proper mortar pointing is an index of history, a look I love. And just as an FYI, that historic brick is VERY absorbent of moisture, (read rain). So a proper pointing job would make little difference. Also, the brick used at interior wythes of the wall was always of lesser quality, meaning not as highly fired and even more absorbent, back in the 19th century when that wall was likely build. 🙂
This guy. 👍🏼
Ollie needs to move that circular light sign from behind him. It’s at precisely the right height and angle to make him look like an apostle, or even the foreman himself at the last supper. I can’t unsee it now.
He’s not the messiah, he’s a very naughty boy !
Titanium Moots. Whatever durable and repairable light-ish wheels that will fit. Mechanical Shimano ultegra. It’ll last forever and fixable.
When you get older, Titanium will be kind to your body.
Yup thats my answer too.
Murcia!
Yup. amen.
My Routt 45 - Wouldnt trade it for any bike
I used a unknown Flandrian brand bike for a long time the bike is from the late 60s, it was my commuter bike, it did a lot of long journeys with trailers up Italian mountains, I was also part of a triathlon club, and I used the bike for road training and in winter I put 33mm tyres on it and used it as an MTB, people were amazed, it never had any problems during training. Now I've got it in the garage, one of these days I'm going to ride it, and it cost me 40 euros at the flea market in Brussels.
My Performance Vitesse I’m riding and recently chatted about! From 1992, bought it used almost 10 years ago, and this steel beast is so fast and will last FOREVER. plus all mechanical, no electronic nonsense, simple to work on and finally ACTUALLY AFFORDABLE to maintain!
Any Campy vintage components were beautiful.
I'd keep one of my beautiful Mercians. I have one frame from the late 70s, one from the early 90s and one from the early 2000s. All different, all immaculate and all with modern components.
Nice. I lurve the barber pole seat tube decoration that Mercian uses on some of their bikes. I think I might get something like that if I even get one of my two Peter Mooneys resprayed.
I still ride a Mercian I bought in 1982. Still rides great.
I absolutely love my 1994 Colnago Master Olympic with Campagnolo Record 10 ti componentry. My dream bike would be the same thing without the paint chips and better chrome and 90's Shamals
Funny. I have a set of HPW 12 Shamals that I need to find a home for. It's unlikely I'll ride them again. For the sort of thing I do these days, the tub wheelsets with normal box section Mavic Reflex rims I built over twenty years ago are doing fine.
.
*I live in London, so any bike that wouldn't get nicked would be a massive improvement.*
Get a slightly nerdy looking hybrid with mudguards and a pannier rack
Stop buying expensive bikes
Hence me 2 speed Brompton.
@a1white
You've just described my girlfriend's bike (Carrera bought at Halfords).
Well, former bike as it was nicked on Bayswater high street a little over a year ago.
Thieves were nice enough to leave one of their unused grinder blades at the scene.
@@TenFalconsMusic their so thoughtful that way,cud have got dna.But all that effort for a Halfords? At least they had the common touch
My bike originally belonged to an uncle who is no longer with us. It's a steel hybrid from the late 90s' and it's perfect for my needs. I'll upgrade and maintain that thing until the cheap heavy chromoly frame rusts in half.
I have a Trek 720 hybrid from the early 90s. It's an amazing bike. The gears work just fine. The brakes are not the best but good enough.
I'd go back to my 1986 trek 560 rigged fix. I rode that in college and commuting until ~2010. Bombproof.
That's your dream Bike?
@@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe it is if it's the only bike I ever get to ride again, yes
@@marklamourine3130 Yes Absolutely.
If I had to have one bike for the rest of my life it would have to be something in the mold of Surly Straggler. Something that I can use day to day to commute, tour or at least stay in the petaton if I were racing.
That Peter Sagan Supersix!😍 My favourite too 😎🤘
It's easy to choose it with how good it looks.
I have the bike in the Liquigas team colors :) Love it!
I'm a lot older than you two, so "retro" to me would be the bike I raced on back in the early '90s - a Scapin with the Columbus EL-OS tubeset. Back when I was racing (at a VERY amateur level, mind you) I had an 8 speed Campagnolo Chorus groupset on it. I still ride this bike to this day and absolutely love it. I've since upgraded to a full Campagnolo Centaur 11 speed group and the new-ish Zonda C17 wheelset and can easily fit 28mm tires on it. I've shopped for newer bikes but so far nothing has pulled me away from this little beauty. At 65 years old I'm not racing any more, but I'm staying fit by putting in roughly 400 miles/month split between this and my mountain bike which, contrary to the road bike, is a brand new ride.
If we’re now saying 10 years ago is “vintage” then I’m going with my current daily rider. A 2012 Genesis Equilibrium 725 Reynolds steel frame, rim brakes for ease of maintenance, hand-built wheels with Mavic open pro rims, a slim pannier rack and mudguards for practicality for commuting and touring. 10 speed tiagra (with an old silver polished Ultegra derailleur) for simplicity and cheapness of parts Such a comfortable versatile ride.
Colnago Master in Saronni Red . Campag 10 speed Record Groupset.
PETITION TO HAVE GCN DO L'EROICA!! PLEASE!!
Yeah Hank on that Peugeot.
My Miyata 1000 is my forever bike. I bought it brand new in 1981 and it has served me quite well for 43 years. It’s been upgraded to SIS and SPD, new bottom bracket and a tandem rear hub. Still going strong, all these years.
I still ride my 2011 Cervelo R3 with DA 7900, plus it's the only bike I have and it still looks new
Have to agree on Sagan's Supersix EVO!
Amen! I have that bike :)
Having started racing in the early 80's I can say that downtube shifting was awful, in retrospect, and was so happy when all that changed.
but the looks it is great in the bikes from that era
Counterpoint, I also am a dinosaur ex-road racer but love downtube shifters. I can shift them in my sleep, it is so etched in muscle memory. I can also change a downtube shift cable faster than a flat tire.
Same here, i don't have to look down to shift and i love how reliable and easy to maintain it is. @dtshifter
As someone who went from Campag friction that would occasionaly slip at just the wrong time to Campag Ergo 10, I agree wholeheartedly. Precise shifting and being able to keep your hands where they need to be if standing or riding in dicey conditions is just not something I want to do without if I have a choice. That's not to say I don't have skills to ride with DT levers, but even then, I'd probably mount barcons if using parts from an old enough period.
After destroying steel and aluminum frames over the years, I was thrilled to finally purchase a titanium frame - a lightspeed. For me my 2007 Lightspeed with full mechanical Dura Ace was the boss. Also won the state 50+ master's road race in Ohio on that bike. Great memories of when I was strong on a "lifetime" frame.
Out of curiosity, how did you destroy the steel frames that you had?
@@peterconnors5259 my sweat is very caustic. Steel rusts very badly when exposed to my sweat. I raced on these frames and put in lots of training miles. I'd get 1 1/2 years out of both a steel and aluminum frame while racing.
My American Comp Lite is my bike for life. I'm now 72, and my bike is 36, so we're already a matched set.
Keep it fun folks!
Thanks
Thank you for the support!
thank you so much! 🫶
There was no Super Record in the 90s , Super Record was deleted in the early 80s and didn't re-appear until around 2010/2011.
True , Record Titanium was the top Campag groupset in the 90s. Not sure why Super Record was dropped for over 2 decades.
Yes , Croce'Duane took over from Super Record around 1984.
@@0-60.tests.with.Passengersyou’ve got to be kidding lol
I got my new to me 2002 Litespeed Tuscany last year. I'm happy. Got back into cycling 11 years ago. I'm 60 now and enjoying chasing my PBs. Hopefully an updated Litespeed next to keep both forever.
I so agree, Ollie, about not wanting to reach down to shift ever again. And it is bewildering to think that friction bar-end shifters were available in the '70s, yet the old way of shifting prevailed into the '90s.
The Colnago Master Olympic with Campagnolo Super Record dual control levers from the 90s were the best. Regretted selling mine.
I already have vintage bike I want to keep and ride for rest of my life. It's Time VXS translink from 2006 built with Campagnolo 11 speed mix of components. It's fast (especially on rough roads), lightweight (6,6kg) and very comfortable even on 25c tires.
Any idea of how many miles on the frame?
I bought the frame second hand, I have no idea how many miles it have. But I'm riding it not so often, maybe once a week. But every time I jump on it, I'm enjoying its comfort and responsiveness.
My 1980 custom built Harry Quinn 531. With a 25" frame there is no other bike like it. For over 15 years this was my only bike. Mudguards and clinchers during the winter then a major strip down and clean usually about Easter when the mudguards come off and the sprints and tubs go on. With a spare set of wheels I even used it in winter on my rollers.
Shimano 600, friction shifters, Reynolds tubing, Brookes sadle, BUT MOST OF ALL.... vintage traffic, empty roads, regularly resurfaced tarmac, friendly smiles from the public.
My Vintage Peugeot Perthus Pro
Reynolds 753r
1987 Rim Brakes, DownTube Shifters
tubular wheels 8.3KG🤙🤙
If pre 2014 defines vintage bikes, I’m already riding one, Masi Evoluzione 2011. It still looks absolutely beautiful to my eyes, and that’s the most important factor in falling in love with one’s bike.
Vintage is pre-90, pre-80's for us old folks.
My 30 year old Cannnondale T800 touring bike. It’s been all over Europe, America and New Zealand. Never let me down.
Red Colnago Columbus SL (not even SLX!) with Campagnolo Croce d'Aune groupset. It would have to have toe clips and strap .... to go with the down tube shifters.
Really go me thinking, reckon I would go for the Jan Ulrich Giant TCR, the frame was revolutionary at the time and the Telekom colour scheme was cool as!
If someone was 70, their favourite bike is the 1920's? Alex. Math Check. Not 104 ish. Geez.
I know! On my long ride with friends I'll 1) carry a shadow stand in my giant shadow stand shaped bag, and 2) take absolutely everything off the bike while my friends wait and take a picture to Ollie's standard honed over years of competition with Alex to keep each other's bikes out of the vault. I can't wait till next week - this is great comedy
Congrats on the VW collab, great to get some non industry sponsorships 👌🎉🥳
Ollie is looking like an angel with the neon light behind his head.
Mid 1990’s Trek entry level mountain bike. Hard tail, ridged front fork, steel frame, 2x gear in front, middling wide tires. Use it for everything especially gravel riding.
I love my retro Gary Fisher Cronus Ultimate 2010. Bought the frame and fork second hand, built with first generation Sram Rival DoubleTap in the silver finish, and some white Mavic Ksyrium Equipe wheels wrapped in Crosa Next 28mm tires, tan sidewalls.
My favorite vintage bike is a 1984 Panasonic Touring Deluxe. A steel bike that weighs similar to an aluminum one. It rides blooming smooth!
My current #1 bike is a 2000 Litespeed Vortex with Campag Chorus 12sp mechanical and Zonda wheels - it remains *awesome*. Apart from that, a blue Colnago Master with Campag Record mechanical and Shamals ❤
Recently got into road riding and my dad gave me his old road bike, it's been sitting in his workshop for years and still runs smooth as it did in his glory days. So id say Corima viper running campagnolo Daytona front to back
Everything last year is retro!
For the past 20+ years, I have owned, ridden and enjoyed a recumbent: Vision R40 LWB USS. Although I ride infrequently, me and my R40 seem to be made for each other. ‘Nuff said.
A 1988 or 89 Miyata 1000 - whichever was the first year it featured bar-end shifters. Great steel, Diore groupset, comfortable ride. A true classic touring bike.
I have it. My steel kona roadhouse from 2016 .. in two years it will be 10 years old .. but, at 61, I will be keeping it forever at this point. It’s fast enough. Super comfortable. And I already bought a couple extra sets of my favourite tires … it’s getting harder to find the 32s …. to keep it going literally for years to come.
I’ll one up the desire for a polished groupset. Retro or not, I want a polished aluminum bike. Every part must sparkle in the sunlight (when not covered in dirt because I’m a bigger fan of riding than washing).
I am still riding my 1974 Raleigh Super Course, shifters on the down tube, triple crank 28/42/54 with as 12/28 cassette. Hasn't let me down yet. Love keeping up with people 40 years younger riding $5,000 bikes.
Lets all talk about the aero fairing we didn't see in the comments 🙃
Team sky blue colourway pinarello dogma for the memories of getting into cycling. Iconic
At 68 years of age, I'm still riding my near ideal bike now. It's a 2008 Olmo Aerolite carbon frame (last of the Italian hand-mades I believe for that series). I equipped it with an all Campi gruppo. Though not Super Record 11 rear derailleur (which had just just come out in 2009, when I bought my bike, which was literally almost impossible to get and with a steep price tag attached); nor Chorus (one step down), it has Centaur. An Italian bike builder (Cramerotti) assured me that Centaur was the same as Campi Record two years before. But I did not scrimp on the pedals, which are top of the line Campi titanium (imagine paying $350 just for pedals in 2009, nuts right?); with Cinelli handle bar stem and bars, adorned with red Cinelli bar tape, and a pricey ($300) SMP Italian racing saddle. Then a modest set of Campi Khamsin wheels and Vittoria Rubino tires, so the bike kept its all Italian look. And yes, I've been riding it since 2009, and have only had to change the drive train once so far. After I had bought my first Criterium bike back in 1981, when I was still a young 25 year-old adult, I used to salivate over the then expensive steel Olmo and Colnago $2,000 racing bike frames hanging up in the bike shop where I bought my Crit bike. There was many a day when I thought to myself, perhaps one day, I'm going to get either an Olmo or a Colnago. And I got my wish. Sure. There are lighter bikes out there now, and lighter wheels, and more aerodynamic bars... but there is nothing like a classic Italian road bike!
3:55 Alex - please close the quick release on that rear brake!
The one bike I would pick is the 2002 Trek USPS bike Lance Armstrong won his Tour de France. So iconic and I've been looking for one of a few years now.
I have a 2016 Emonda ALR that fits me like a glove and I have bought and sold many bikes, but I continue to keep this bike and continue to upgrade as I can. I updated with SRAM AXS, with power and got some new carbon wheels for it. It is fantastic and rides so comfortably. I run 28's on the front, and 30mm tires on the rear, so what's not to love.
I hear Ollie on not going with downtube shifters. One of the first "nice" road bikes I ever had was an old, used Specialized Allez. It had a steel frame and downtube shifters. My next bike after that was a Cannondale CAAD3 aluminum bike with Campy shifting on the handlebars. The transformation in my riding was AMAZING! I felt so much quicker, and the change in shifting was awesome!
Agree. Being able to shift while standing on the cranks as well as being able to keep both hands on the bars if the situation's just a bit dicey is a game changer. I went from Campag friction which would occasionally slip dumping me into a smaller sprocket on the back at just the wrong time to Campag Ergo Record and Chorus 10. I loved the change.
@@crbondur Absolutely wild, my first road bike was an ‘85 Allez and after I got my hands on some nice components I built up a CAAD3 frame from scratch, with a few parts from the Allez. Both are such quality bikes and the CAAD3 is my daily driver, but I find myself yearning at times to relive the sensation of steel, maybe without the downtube shifters though 😬
@@christopheroliver148 the change from downtube shifters to integrated shifters is definitely nice for the sake of gears not slipping, after I got my hands on a vintage Campagnolo indexing downtube shifter, it solved the problem of slipping out of gears while maintaining the classic aesthetic-to each their own!
I've been riding my Caad9 for a while now and never thought of it as vintage. Cool...
Colnago Extreme C50, PR00, traditional geometry, Shimano Dura Ace 11 Speed, Shimano Dura Ace C24 wheelset, white saddle and bartape, tires with tan sidewalls.
My 1980s Wilier Cromovelato Ramata, oversized Columbus tubing, down tube shifters, Colnago Super Record. My only concession to modern tech would be clipless pedals in place of the old toe clips.
Funny story Alex, I literally just picked one of those up off FB Marketplace today on my lunch break! Dream come true! I also have a 1998 Madone USPS Team bike, love the retro!
Mountain bike, Wicked Fat Chance . Road bike, early 90s litespeed ultimate
I already love my bike that was made for a team whose captain took 3rd in TDF. I use wider tires than the bike was designed for but the risk is low riding in nice weather only. I am fairly set :-)
The first 1/3 of this show is basically a group ride chat! 😂😂 I'm waiting for the "what would you prefer to ride in?" 😂😂 Don't know if it's my dream bike but it's what I believe is a classic bike! 1984 Raleigh Panasonic Team Bike with Campi. In the white and blue with yellow and red bands. I was 14 at the time and it was the dream bike. 😊
lol. I have a 2014 Roubaix, with the exact wheels described here. I have put DI2 on it though. It’s gorgeous
My main ride is a 1984 Raleigh Prestige. Yes, with down tube shifters. And I would 100% pick it as my forever (road) bike. Everything on it is dead simple to service. Nothing proprietary. It all just works
Ollie is bang on. Vintage rules the cafe. 1951 Moorson. No-one Knows what it is, except old Brummies. Cyclo Benelux 5 spd. Gear lever pulls into small sprocket. 🙂
Fun video !
My forever road bike is the one I bought in 2012 and still riding now . Ti Moots w/Campy Record 12 speed and Bora wheels ( they brake great in the dry and fair in the wet).
I've been riding my forever road bike for 35 years. And yes, it has downtube shifters. Much more enjoyable than the brifters on my gravel bike. Think manual gearbox over flappy paddles
I think calling a ten-year-old bike “vintage” is a bit rich. I’d say a vintage bike is one with 27 1/4” wheels, downtube shifting, and MAYBE built with Reynolds 531 at best. This by the way is what I’m still riding - a 1982 Mercian. I’d keep riding it except I want to use modern tires and get a lower gear.
Yea I’m of the opinion that vintage is 30+ years old
Please Alex you gotta try that Ram Air fairing, i nearly peed myself laughing at the promotional pictures. I'm positve you'd gain at least 30+ watts even looking like the Hunchback of Notre Dame!😂😂😂😂😂😂
I'm all with Ollie here.. Had a Supersix Evo (sold unfortunately) and a 1995 Colnago Master with Campy Record 9s is hanging on the wall next to me. Rides and shifts like a dream, you just need very strong legs going uphill 52-39/12-23. It even fits 28mm tires easily, you just need to mount the wheel before inflating, so it can pass through the brake pads.
My heavily modified Cannondale R800 from 1998, with Ksyrium wheels and rim brakes she's my bestie! 😁😁😁
When's the Brompton G-Spot coming out,??? Now that would be a ride!! 😂😂😂😂
I don't know enough about bikes yet but my 97 specialized crossroads is versatile enough for almost everything I throw at it.
Also it's quite cheap so I don't have to worry too much about it getting stolen. It could do with a little more clearance since it can only take 38c tires.
Just found out my daily rider is vintage. A 2014 specialized Roubaix.
The Colnago Master Equilateral is the one you need, from back around '86 or so.
My bike is vintage, as per your age parameters, a 2012 Trek Madone 4.5. Over the years I have upgraded to 105 mechanical 11speed 50-34/ 11-34, DT Swiss RR411 alloy rims with Chris King hubs, I can fit 28mm Conti 5000 tires and have Ritchey alloy 38mm bars. It is still a dream to ride, weighs in around 7.9kg and originally costs just under $3,000 US. Not looking for a new bike, as the upgrades over the years have increased the bikes feel and performance.
Mine is a late 90s Giant TCR Team ONCE edition. I've always liked that bike. If I'm going vintage steel then I'm going for an Eddy Merckx Corsa 7-Eleven edition. As I've gotten older, I've gravitated to more classic bikes. I got rid of my modern race bikes because no matter how much I try, there comes a point where you just can't push that hard anymore. So, like Ollie said, riding a classic bike is like cruising in a classic car. That's what I do these days.
My forever bike is exactly the one Ollie picked - 2012 Cannondale SuperSix HiMod EVO. I switched out the wheels (came with Mavic Cosmic Carbonnes) for the lightweight (1250g) Stan's NoTubes alu wheels. The frame is painted in the Liquigas team colors from the Peter Sagan era (blue and green), and the SRAM Red mechanical components have green highlights instead of red. It's super light (14.5 lbs), very comfortable, and climbs really well, certainly stiff enough for me. Every time I think about getting a new bike I realize I already have the ideal bike. Disc brakes would be nice, and being able to fit a wider tire than 25mm would be nice, but neither are that important to me.
Without a doubt, Andy Hampsten's 92 Team Motorola Eddy Merckx. I got to test ride it and it was exactly my size. I was a huge Andy fan.
1 bike: Any frame similar to the Richey Outback (comfy position for long rides on pavement or forest road, my Trek FX 7.0 seems close), any 30/46T crankset (FSA/GRX/Tourney even) an 11-40T 8 or 9 speed cassette, a wheelset with some road tires and a wheelset with some gravel tires. The kicker though, is the Gevenalle Audax shifters. This may change to Growtac Equal Control levers when they come out.
Master Olympic!!! 💯
Well done Ollie!! Great taste! Exactly what I would have picked ! Though I admit that there are just too many choices out there. Sachs, Pegoretti, a Panasonic team bike, a De Rosa , something from the US legends like Serotta? And how about a Litespeed
Titanium ? Ah if life weren’t that short and pockets not as deep as we would have liked😢
Came for the bikes, stayed for the brick and masonry critique…
Easy one for me. I will go with the bike I already ride, which I guess is considered 'vintage' by the standards of the GCN guys in this conversation. It's a 2013/14 DeRosa R838 - all carbon frame, admittedly aero shaped rather than round tubes (well the seat tube is) but mainly sculptured frame with a flat sloping top tube. It's got Di2, all Ultegra with rim brakes, HED Ardennes SL wheels, Zipp carbon area bars and seat post, mostly internally routed cables except at the head unit. The cool thing is I got this bike in 2021 with only 50 claimed miles on it, and in mint condition. At that time it was 7 years old. It rides velvety smooth, extremely comfortable, accelerates quickly, handles tight in turns, climbs lightly. Hands down a machine I will always love to ride.
Not vintage but Fairlight Secan. Steel, modular dropouts, fork mounting points, etc. Next best thing after custom and I've been coveting one since forever lol. The only thing stopping me is the price after shipping and importing.
One bike for the rest of my life? Discounting the vintage part. Probably a custom Framework gravel bike with space for 50mm tires, 1x mullet drivetrain, two sets of wheels (slicks and gravel), and disc brakes. It would nearly thread the needle between racing your local crits, towing a kiddy trailer to the grocery store, and finding some peace on a backroad.
I have a 2012 cannondale synapse. It equipped with sora and a triple with a wolf tooth 11-42 upgrade rear cassette. I found Mavic ksyrium wheels. I did upgrade the shifters to modern sora and slicked things up. The frame will allow 30mm tires just fine with lots of clearance. Could actually run 32 mm just fine but it’s rim brake and the 30 mm just fit through the brake pads. This would be my forever bike.
I try to keep bikes like that Synapse in mind. That and Trek had the Pilot that also could take 32mm tires.
Those kind of bikes came and went so fast from the product lines. They are a best option for forever bikes.
I'd keep my 2002-ish Lightspeed Tuscany, but I would have to change the components because I only got the used frame-set 2 years ago and built it up with modern mid-tear components, so I'd probably try to re-build with 10-year-old top-tear stuff to get as close as possible to the performance/ride feel. As long as I NEVER have to put the awful period correct yellow decals back on it, that would be a dealbreaker, LOL.
Litespeed Ghisallo, mechanical Dura-Ace, Zipp 303, 28 mm Vittoria Cross. (for bombproof wheels, Velocity rims with Chris King hubs)
Got it already, modern non 4130 steel frame, Columbus CF forks, Chorus n' Zonda's. Nice cockpit, ultegra spd pedals. Only goes where I can see it visually.
12:14 leyend 😂. Go for it Dexter!!
I'm old to enough to appreciate old bikes, but I could never go back to 25 mm tires and 11-23 cassettes. Big tires, compact chain rings, and big cassettes for the win.
GCN Tech: "You Can Have One Bike For The Rest Of Your Life.... WHAT Would It Be? "
Me: 🤔🤨 Ah yes! A Pinarello F, rim brakes version!
Man just imagine riding in a crosswind with that fairing sticking out of the back.