Can A Vintage Bike Survive A Modern Race?

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What would happen if a 1960s bike entered a modern bike race? We know bikes have come a long way in the past half a century, but Si wanted to find out if a vintage bike could still hold its own in a modern race. He took a 1969 Eddy Merckx bike to his local crit to see how it would get on. Will he keep up? Can he challenge for the win? You’ll have to watch to find out!
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Опубликовано:

10 июн 2024

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Комментарии : 645

@gcn Год назад

Have you ever gone racing on a vintage bike? 🚴 Let us know in the comments below! 👇

@secretagent86 Год назад

Well i only ever raced on 1970 era downshifters, steel frame, five gear block, tubulars.

@secretagent86 Год назад

Do a track stand at the start

@secretagent86 Год назад

A classic bike would generally come with 52 tooth large chaining and 14 teeth rear for 100.3 inches. Now i have 52x11 which is about 27 percent higher. Eddie probably used 54?

@secretagent86 Год назад

Fifty year old new campy wow!

@bradford_shaun_murray Год назад

@biggertree7063 Год назад

As a vintage cyclist, I need a modern bike to keep up.

@JejjeP Год назад

A vintage cyclist is clearly a bigger problem than a vintage bike! :-D

@tomahoks Год назад

Well, lol

@haksaw123 Год назад

Definitely 👍 😂

@bradford_shaun_murray Год назад

love it lol

@budbud2509 Год назад

I need a 150cc one , but I do identify as a cyclists Stunning and Brave ........... 😂😂🤣🤣

@seattlegrrlie Год назад

Didn't crash, didn't get dropped, finished the race - that's a win

@gcn Год назад

Beers on Si 🍻

@nt2883 Год назад

Absolutely love the takeaway message at the end. I recently tried a couple of crits after exclusively racing track for a few years. Turned up on a $200 facebook marketplace special sporting 15 year old Tiagra. Did I win? No, no I did not. Did I have fun? WAY more than $200 worth. Turn up on whatever you've got and get stuck in! We aren't playing for rainbow jerseys or olympic medals. Just have a go

@gcn Год назад

Great! This is what we love to hear! Doesn't matter what you ride or where you come, the main thing is the enjoyment! And we think it's pretty hard not to enjoy riding a bike 😉

@foldupaudi7645 Год назад

Love it!

@jetsetsc Год назад

Turn up on whatever you've got, and hopefully that also includes 10 years of pro racing experience. :)

@lgarcia67 Год назад

I recently went to try gravel riding. I did not have a “gravel bike” so I rented one. As I was riding, I realized I was just riding a mountain bike without front suspension, and with drop bars. I took my rusting away, 2004, Trek MTB, cleaned it, changed all the drive train and the breaks, and changed the handle bar for drops. I ended up with a super fun, super comfortable (the suspension is awesome) gravel bike. I spent just $350 for the drive train’s cheap components and that was it. Save your money, lose some pounds and just ride. You will get better.

@foldupaudi7645 Год назад

Best comment of the week

@l.d.t.6327 Год назад

I'm a vintage racer in Belgium, and I absolutely loved this clip. I would like to invite you to try out racing in retro races over here. There is a full calendar and It's so much fun, especially because it's much more tactical, with the slower shifting, slower accelerations etc.

@Boopop1024 Год назад

I know sometimes people give GCN grief for being sponsor funded and often talking about flashy new bikes (and I don' t they overdo this anyway), so chapeux for putting up a video that essentially says "actually, just ride the bike you've got" :)

@gcn Год назад

Thanks a lot, Tom!

@jeremynorth Год назад

I'm one of those critics so I liked this one for its honesty. Si is a good bloke too

@Driver8takeabreak Год назад

They have a lot of videos like this (using cheap bikes or older bikes).

@rizzlerforthergyatt Год назад

aren't almost all content creators sponsor funded ?

@lordraiden5398 Год назад

Way back in the late 80's I bought a used Vitus 979 Aluminum frameset. It was polished with a clearcoat. I transfered the Shimano 105 groupset from the bike I was riding and had a perforated leather Selle Italia seat. I still think that was the best bike I have ever owned.

@gcn Год назад

Sounds lovely! Do you still have it?

@perpetualgrin5804 10 месяцев назад

Me too bought a 2nd hand Vitus in 86, did more miles than the space shuttle. Expensive but I go my $ out of it😅.

@robertmcfadyen9156 10 месяцев назад

Sounds very nice !

@angepicard7968 7 месяцев назад

979 and 992 are so fun to ride. So stiff and agressive.

@bimblingalong Год назад

sure you had the wrong cassette in, the toe-clips were too small, & down tube shifters, but you also had the best looking bike there... so that's a win!

@stevemawer848 Год назад

He didn't have a cassette, he had a "freewheel block".

@cptjeff1 Год назад

@@stevemawer848 Also a bit of a corncob. He does know that you could have a wider range within those 5 gears installed even then, right? The pros didn't for the sake of macho, but you can get a much wider range than shown here, just depends on how authentic you want to be to Merckx and his ilk versus how you want to ride.

@stevemawer848 Год назад

@@cptjeff1 Ah yes, the Regina board with all those lovely sprockets waiting to be mixed and matched! Are things really better nowadays? 🙂

@swites Год назад

Drafting makes an incredible difference that no wheelset, frame or skinsuit can compete with. So if you have none of those don't ride on, or go off the front! It actually forces you to ride smart and not waste energy or otherwise you get dropped.

@jason200912 Год назад

That's not true, it took 5 gcn drafters to beat a single tt bike guy

@paulmcknight4137 Год назад

No kidding! That could be why you "faced a wall" off the front! :)

@davidf2281 Год назад

@@jason200912 If you don't think drafting makes an enormous difference you haven't done much cycling

@swites Год назад

@@jason200912 First of all in a road race everyone is on the same road bikes. TT bikes are not allowed in road races. 2nd of all it is an undisputed fact that drafting saves one ~30% of ones energy. Anyone can see this if one has a power meter. In a recent race I was averaging ~300watts for a minute on the front and ~200 watts in the wheels at 40kph in my small group of 8 on the flat. Unless you're on a Boris bike you won't be dropped in the wheels of similar level cyclists.

@jason200912 Год назад

@@davidf2281 sure it makes a huge difference but you still need 5 road bikers to beat 1 tt biker

@brianf.nastali6827 Год назад

I've won many of modern races on a vintage bike...as have my kids. We all have modern bikes, but enjoy our "fun" vintage bikes. My daughter's first national track race 10ish years back, was on a borrowed 70's track bike...she beat competition riding $10k modern aero track bikes. There are definitely advantages to the modern bikes and components, but at the end of the day, in mass start races, especially crits, it's about the rider.

@gcn Год назад

It's all about the engine 🙌 Does your daughter still race?

@jonathanscott7372 Год назад

I agree, the rider makes a bigger difference than the bike.

@cariocakev Год назад

We (mostly vintage) riders of vintage bikes are really enjoying these videos with the Merckx! It’s been great watching your learning curve, from quick release torque to gear choice, pacing, and clear position. It shows how complex all the factors of cycling are and that no one thing - weight, aero, efficiency, and tactics are all powerful pieces of the puzzle. No silver bullets.

@SkyhawkSteve Год назад

One pleasure of riding a vintage bike is that the mere act of keeping up with the group is a victory! You also get to demoralize the riders behind you, when they realize that a 40 year old bike is ahead of them. 🙂

@gcn Год назад

Glad you enjoyed it! Have you seen our 'Following Merckx film on GCN+? 👉 gcn.eu/1969

@secretagent86 Год назад

@@SkyhawkSteve not to mention a 40 year plus rider lol. i am 66 and would love to get back into "racing" condition... well, call it "not embarrassing myself to death" condition

@SkyhawkSteve Год назад

@@secretagent86 I'm a few years younger, and am happy to stay in decent shape, keep up with my fast peers, and just enjoy my bikes.

@slawomirb1984 Год назад

@@SkyhawkSteve "You also get to demoralize the riders behind you, when they realize that a 40 year old bike is ahead of them." Thats a hell of a fun! Something similar I did on ultra. Old XC bike with cheapest mods into gravel like bike, just for a little better speed as I always wanted. At first some laughs, then many on 29ers left behind..

@michaelatkinson7577 10 месяцев назад

My son is currently racing a 1953 Flying Scot (around 8Kg) at Scottish Highland Games Grasstrack races (fixie racing - quite exciting.....). The bike (frame) has been competing for nearly 70 years on the Grasstrack scene and he moved up to Adult racing from the juniors this year. First meeting out - he managed to win the 800m race....he did win the Scottish Grasstrack championship last year. We also have my 14 year old racing on a late 1940s Excel(sior) cycles steel fixie - leading the junior Grasstrack champs this year.

@lazlo2511 Год назад

You just made a whole generation subscribe to the channel with that awesomely crafted comment about getting stuck in no matter what you on! This day out was actually a breathe of fresh from GcN. Bravo.

@gcn Год назад

Thanks so much! We always look to inspire people to get out and ride!

@alaintallier1956 Год назад

Eddy Merckx has actually said in interviews what he would chose from the modern era it would be clipless pedals. Everything else is marginal, that he says was a game changer.

@jetsetsc Год назад

All of my bikes are from the 70's and 80's. They all have clipless pedals. :)

@bradjohnson169 10 месяцев назад

Yes, true re the pedals. The only other thing I would add would be 9 to 11 cogs in the back wheel + handlebar shifters. All else, frame wheelsets and tires need not be changed. Current bikes being carbon fiber are a real scam, far too expensive for what it gives in performance. They are also much too brittle.

@wildmano1965 10 месяцев назад

Nobody had clippless until around '86. Prolly started arriving on to the pro scene by '85...Look. Seems like they could have figured it out way sooner tho...funny how that worked.

@lunam7249 8 месяцев назад

clips are great in reality, grocery getter.....when you hit a large bump you can pull out of them naturaly , AND YOU CAN USE WORK SHOES OR SNEAKERS!

@Ronnymikkonen2686 8 месяцев назад

Maybe it's not really marginal? Perhaps. But the parts doesn't need to cost a fortune. There are great modern parts novadays. For example saddle, saddle post, rims, and so on.

@MissCaraMint 7 месяцев назад

I just fixed up my dad told road bike from the early 80s. It was such a joy to ride it. The downtube shifters are actually really nice, and I feel more in tune with the bike using them. It’s probably slower than a modern setup, but the feel is outstanding.

@anthonyhatter196 11 месяцев назад

Not a racer but welcome to my childhood and teenage years. Steel frames and toe clips. Those shifters bring a tear to my eye. Loved my early bikes, a Peugeot and a Dawes.❤

@tomrachellesfirstdance7843 Год назад

Good luck in 50 years getting a moden day dura ace to work 😂 Si as always a beast on the bike

@andrewmcalister3462 Год назад

At that stage, the di2 battery would hold about enough charge for the neutralised 1st lap.

@milosstoiljkovic Год назад

Mechanics say those old friction shifters are practically indestructable.

@jameslee-pevenhull5087 Год назад

My oldest bike with derailleur gears is a 1953 James that has Cyclo Benelux Standard THREE speed for 1/8" track chain. 27 x 1 1/8" High Pressure.

@brianrainey2739 Год назад

Would love to see the whole GCN crew go on a tour, each with a ‘70’s bike they chose and with vintage wool kit and leather shoes w toeclips. You could still stop for coffee and cake but absolutely no gels allowed! 😄 Any chance any of the group knows how to do a roadside tubular repair?

@gcn Год назад

Hahahah that could be a lot of fun! We've done some epic retro challenges 👉 gcn.eu/1903

@mistagregory Год назад

When I compare my rides on Strava between my Pegoretti Luigino and my OPEN U.P. with 50mm aero wheels, the Pegoretti is just as fast if not faster on a lot of segments. Some of that might be due to the larger chainrings but still, that lugged steel bike is so fast and more comfortable than the carbon one.

@equusasinus Год назад

In 2003, together with two other oldies from Canterbury Cycle Club, I decided to get a veteran's licence and go racing again. We entered a road race in Tenterden in Kent and I was riding a twenty year old classic De Rosa steel-frame bike. Unlike Si's 1969 bike with down-tube shifters and foot clips, I had upgraded the De Rosa with 21st century Campagnolo Record groupset and clipless pedals. To be honest, I don't think the classic steel bike was any handicap whatsoever. What failed was my nerve. After so many years since I last raced, I was terrified going flat-out downhill on narrow Kent country lanes, shoulder to shoulder in the peloton, watching the wheel in front as if it was a grenade with the pin out... After 15 miles I was dropped, but I kept a respectable distance from the broom wagon for the rest of the race. I never raced again but I just enjoy riding my bike.

@johndef5075 Год назад

I tried racing a couple times. After hearing the sound of snapping carbon frames in the cat 5 class I decided it wasnt my cup of tea😅

@russstarke6004 Год назад

Raced similar setup many times (cause I'm old). Of all the advances clipless pedals hold a special place in my heart. BTW I trained on my Merckx and raced a cheaper frame. Much more likely to mess up a bike in a race.

@secretagent86 Год назад

i totally agree about the clipless pedals. fabulous i raced in the 1970s and my poor Cinelli hit the deck too often. sigh

@gcn Год назад

Great point! Crashing a 10k super bike is never a good thing 👀

@AlexChklar Год назад

I think the biggest takeaway is racecraft. Learning how to ride in a bunch, hold a wheel etc, will get you a long way. Not riding safely or considerately in a bunch will get you spat out. Loved racing these kinds of events and launching ill fated attacks... Thanks for the memories!

@joules531 Год назад

One of the best GCN videos ever! Really inspirational. And I write this as someone who used to race in the 80s, but gave up due to the bike tech arms race. If there was some opportunity to race with other riders, on basic bikes like we used to see (at least up until the mid 80s) then I'd get back into racing, even though I'm now in my 60s and obviously a lot slower than I was.

@RNest11 10 месяцев назад

Loved the message, and the spirit. Biking is so universal. Greetings from France !

@andrewjohnson9896 Год назад

Would love to see a follow-up on this, a series of videos showing this same race and going through the ages of bikes, up to a modern super bike. Would love to see this!!

@gcn Год назад

Great idea Andrew! In the meantime you could watch our 'Retro vs Modern' film on GCN+ 👉 gcn.eu/rvm

@Kendoji1 Год назад

Amazing stuff. Si is a beast! As someone who rides a modern but vintage inspired steel bike (Temple) I’d love to see one of these videos with a traditional-ish steel frame but modern wheels, gears and other bits.

@gcn Год назад

You should check out our 'Retro vs Modern' doc on GCN+! 👉 gcn.eu/rvm

@nuttycommuter3718 10 месяцев назад

I’ve got a 1995 Mercian in Reynolds 531, but with modern 105 groupset and new wheels. The gears made the biggest positive difference - my smallest gear when I had Suntour was 42/21 and now it’s 34/28 so hills are much easier! However my pedals aren’t as good (IMO) - I had Time Equipe and they were absolutely stunning and had more float and were more comfortable than the new Ultegra I’ve got now.

@patrickwalsh279 Год назад

Lovely video: fun and articulate, especially that uplifting morale of the story at the end. As to the bike, didn't Merckx himself say "less upgrades, more riding up grades"? Being smart about your bike and while you're on it goes a long way, but then so does fitness. Cyclists obsess over the weight of their components and the "aero" qualities of their gear, but if you're not in shape, all the money in the world wasted on expensive gear won't save you from being dropped.

@nerigarcia7116 Год назад

What I love about the Met Trenta is that it looks like the old hairnet helmets of that time, from the front. I had a modern custom steel frame bike built with modern gearing and it can keep up in my group rides but it does take a little extra effort. Rides so smooth though. Now, if I took my '82 Olmo on my group ride, I think I'd struggle more to keep up mainly because of the gearing and the steel was a bit heavier. It feels more sluggish than my modern one. Once it's up to speed, it's up to speed. It's a like a truck and a sports car can both go 60 mph, one can just get there faster. I do feel the difference though when I get back on my carbon bike in the responsiveness on acceleration and handling. It takes less effort.

@e3dave744 9 месяцев назад

It might of not been the quickest bike there but what a cool looking retro machine

@jakelanoux8173 Год назад

Absolutely love these vintage bike vids

@timmysalazar9695 11 месяцев назад

Im glad you always feature vintage roadbikes, and this one is the best si far, racing vintage roadbikes!😊

@1966jamesM Год назад

Super vid! I take it you never had to nail your cleats on to your (leather soled and highly polished) shoes then? It's very amusing watching younger riders make sense of the stuff we just took for granted.... Yes, toe clips had to be the right length, akin to having clipless cleats in the wrong place. Gear changing? Just pedaled quicker or slower - it was simply terrifying to do that in a race... and the noise!! I remember my bike wasn't particularly light by todays standards, but I had lighter wheels for TTing and RR;'ing, so we did take weight into account for the discipline, the thing, is looking at today's results, it's only the really fast guys who are really showing what new technology can do, the average club rider aren't really doing any different times to what we did on steel and ali. More riding up grades and less upgrades, said one very famous cyclist. Ride your bike, ride your bike, ride your bike, said another...

@pts95er 11 месяцев назад

I grew up on old bikes with down tube shifters (I’m only 27) because all I could afford was older bikes. Didn’t stop me wiping the floor with all the others in the junior time trials and some crits. That said, 10 years on I can afford a newer bike, but am 1000 times slower 😂

@lunam7249 8 месяцев назад

27 to 37, shouldnt be that dramatic, ride a little more often but lil less intense, aerobic drop is higher now 37 to 42....42+ you mentally adjust that the olympics wont happen anymore...

@theniceoyster Год назад

Great video!! You crushed it Si!!

@larryvaught3053 Год назад

Fabulous video Si ! I was impressed with how well you did. I must admit you did look like a dork, but man that dork can ride! Great job mate, keep up the good work! 🚵‍♂️😎

@zsigmondfoldessy8785 Год назад

For about twenty years from the eighties, I went to amateur competitions with a slightly modified three-speed picnic bike. :-) I was usually there in the first third of the field. I still use it sometimes.

@Aphidman1 Год назад

When a college student in the early 90s, my mid-80s very inexpensive bike frame broke. I got a hand-me-down racing frame from the 1970s and built it up with a mix of parts from the 1970s and 1980s. I confess to having clipless pedals by that time, though. I was able to hang in my local races, although the bike got its share of finger pointing and comments, especially the black rustoleum paint covering up its serious blemishes. I used the same bike for time trials in the early 2000s, albeit with a new paint job. It was called "Frankenbike." Tight finances drive innovation!

@gcn Год назад

Whatever works for you! Ignore the haters!

@edwardp5748 Год назад

that is sick. great job!

@lbowsk 7 часов назад

I used to ride a very similar bike. 80s vintage Peugeot frame (531) with Campy components. Brooks leather saddle. Toe clips. It's upstairs in a closet. I'm 65, Sniff. I sure miss being a young buck!

@jonathanscott7372 Год назад

I raced in the early 70's, but my bike had ten gears. (Later 12 gears) You could also buy toe clips of different lengths to make that comfortable. The shoes were much lighter and cooler with a metal plate with a slot, that slotted onto the pedal, meaning you could pull as well as push on the pedals, especially uphill. I only ever once had a problem getting my foot in the toe clip, and that was a criterium that started on cobbles. The straps were usually fairly tight to start with, you could pull them tighter when you got a chance, or needed too. I never started with them loose. I was frequently placed, but was a better track rider, than road rider, although I enjoyed the road more.

@kurre_kallkvist Год назад

Up until this spring, my only roadbike was a circa 1976 Bianchi. I did a benchmark run on that one vs. my new carbon bike, and at my puny 210W average, the difference between the bikes was about 45s over a reasonably flat 7km course... With comparable tyres on both and without mudguards and luggage rack on the Bianchi, the difference would have been much smaller though...

@jonathanscott7372 Год назад

I first road a time trial on a fairly normal bike, but just took the mudguards and rack off. The first time I rode on a proper racing bike, I improved my time by 4 minutes over 10 miles, despite crashing. (You can't corner on a racing bike, like on a normal bike with fatter tyres.)

@roadcyclist1 8 месяцев назад

What carbon bike did you use? A Chinese branded one?

@kurre_kallkvist 8 месяцев назад

@@roadcyclist1 Yes, Chinese branded, BXT 135 Gravel. Built up with Shimano Ultegra and 105 components, Chinese carbon bar and stem and some DT Swiss r470db wheels from a Specialuzed Roubaix.

@bubblesezblonde Год назад

Excellent vid Siborg!! The upgrade part of the end sort od tied in with Felix' s budget bike upgrade in my mind. It woud be fun to see a race betwixt the two.

@andyamos8594 Год назад

I did the Eroica Hispania last weekend. All bikes are vintage and much of the course is off road. A real test of endurance for old tech and rider!

@DrSomhairle Год назад

Love it, nice to see you can race on an old bike, you could even upgrade the gears to more modern ones if you want!. And the pedals for that matter. Great one.

@aquilonianace4791 Год назад

Try again with clipless pedals, proper gears and some lycra. Also, you need teally stiff soled shoes and plates for clips. That's why your calves hurt. Wrong shoes, wrong gear. You are a beast though! 🦁

@tyronebrown9936 Год назад

I ride a ‘96 Merlin Road w DA8, a ‘98 Litespeed Vortex w DA9 and a ‘00 Serotta Legend Ti w DA10 and I’m still fine on group rides on courses of about 55’ vertical per mile @ 18mph at age 63. Ride on folks.

@karlbates7271 10 месяцев назад

As the great Eddy himself said ... " If you want to improve .. just ride up grades... Don't buy upgrades."

@mitchpaliga4851 Год назад

My first road bike in my teen years was a 1970's Raleigh Grand Prix I bought from a friend. It had toe clips and was the wrong size for me. What did I know? Nothing but it was a gas. I had been riding BMX bikes before that, all this in the 1970's. Went to college and didn't buy another road bike until 2020 (mountain bikes up to that point). I discovered GCN at that time which has been great as I got back into road biking in my late '50's. Thanks GCN!

@gcn Год назад

That's so great to hear, Mitch! We're glad to have inspired your re-visit to road cycling!

@keithjenkins7919 2 месяца назад

Suggest you next try an approx 1980-2000 "vintage" that included bar mounted indexed shifters and clipless pedals, and maybe the Campagnolo Racing Triple. Most of the problems you mention had been overcome by then, but still "vintage." That will give the modern stuff a run for its money at a quarter of the price!

@havefunandbikestuff Год назад

Heck yeeaaahhh Si! That was fantastic 👏 I was riveted the whole vid. More like this please 🙏

@larryt.atcycleitalia5786 10 месяцев назад

Thanks! Bikes don't win races - racers win races. BTW, if you'd offer me my choice of any bike in that race I would go home with the one you rode. Eternal value and class.

@lukewalker1051 Год назад

A wonderful video...especially for us oldsters who remember and raced on these old bikes. Takeaway is...like Lance said, its not about the bike....which of course is only partially true. Your talent as a rider and of course great genetics sure saved the day. Most of us trying to compete with the old equipment would be overwhelmed....downtube shifters which I remember back in the day, in this race format in particular, are a huge handicap. Toe clips that aren't custom made for proper length of foot...what you reported. Look at you go against these studly riders Si. Hats off. No doubt you are beaming with pride. They were all on the latest $10K wundersleds. Yes, Eddie would be proud and would be great if someone sent him this video. Great content and congrats. Just the mental tenacity to deal with the old tech among this sea of latest tech is impressive. I didn't expect this to be particularly pretty going in...thought it may end up being a homage video to how tech has changed the sport, and man was I wrong.

@gcn Год назад

Thanks very much, Luke! Glad you found it interesting.

@icrinson67 9 месяцев назад

Really enjoyed this video, and Simon’s other with the Merckx replica. I think the ‘pedalling with toes’ issue would be resolved by larger toe-clips; they do come in at least three sizes! Having ridden plenty of Eroica-style rides ( not races), I can testify to the absolute joy of riding on a high quality vintage bike. Well done GCN - I have a subscription and I would strongly recommend the app.

@Frandaman84 Год назад

I would love to see these but the frame being the only factor, great fun video, love Si, but it’s not the first time they accidentally come unprepepared. Keep up the good work

@gcn Год назад

Glad you enjoyed it!

@hilaltagor 11 месяцев назад

You're so good! And nice ride!

@veloman59 Год назад

Well done Si great film footage - takes me back a bit to the good old days of Eastway 😂

@gcn Год назад

Cheers Simon!

@willjones7132 Год назад

Would be cool to see more with this bike doing more period refinements like larger toe clips and changing the gearing to suit the event, find out how good it could be.

@PaulJakma Год назад

+1 from me on that. I think the bike would do quite well. Clearly this kind of racing is about tactics in the bunch, not marginal aero gains. Any smooth rolling bike will work. And those old Campy Record hubs are still incredibly smooth spinning things to this day - better than a lot of modern hubs on that score.

@norton750commando Год назад

Yep, toe clips come in different sizes, but can be a bit tricky to find if you want to be period correct. I made the mistake of buying some smaller size toe clips to fit my Campy pedals on my early '80s Grandis as they were half the price of larger ones, and soon found out why. The balls of my feet were just a couple of cm's back where they should have been, and the ensuing discomfort was horrendous.

@MrJob91 Год назад

What an incredible video. It shows what cycling is really about. Its about you riding the bike. Racing to have fun, to have a challenge and grow as a person. Ty gcn

@gcn Год назад

That's the idea! We love showing grassroots races like this, this is the backbone of bike racing 🙌

@BikeronaTrek Год назад

Wow, what a beautiful bike. I have a vintage Eddy Merckx Motorola that I do still ride once in awhile. I'm in my sixties so I'm slow. I can ride my new Trek Emonda though with no problem in the "b" group rides. I never was a pro unfortunately. What I find is drafting is the deal breaker in any ride. It's just with the new bike, aero wheels, clipless pedals, and aero suit and helmet just makes it less painful. But the beauty and ride of the old bikes! You've got me thinking I should ride the Merckx sometimes on the group rides, instead of just solo rides. Great video!

@liamwalton5249 4 месяца назад

Fantastic achievement mate 🚴👍👌

@youtellme18 Год назад

Great episode perhaps an episode racing vintage bikes from the past.

@leedorney Год назад

What a classic of a production ✌️

@neilparnell5712 Год назад

My vintage De Bernardi Columbus SL steel frame with modern shimano 10 speed groupset and Mavic ES wheels weighs just under 9kg yet is just as quick and comfortable as my 7kg carbon bike with carbon C50 wheels on the same routes in the Peak District. It even descends quicker and more assuredly. I love both but it just shows that a good steel frame is still relevant. I only have modern groupset on it as I am 63 and vintage gearing would now kill me ! Everyone should own an old steel bike, it helps to appreciate the new stuff.

@guards1656 8 месяцев назад

Best looking jersey in the race

@gm9559 Год назад

Super video!

@johnnyt7067 Год назад

I think you're a bit harsh on your bike at the start of the video. It looks amazing to me. I would love to own it!

@Dreamweaver94 Год назад

I've got an 86 Cannondale and an 09 Cervelo P2-SL. The biggest change I feel is the down tube shifters, those are fun, but suck in terms of shift speed, usability, and practicality. The Cervelo is also easier to hold at higher speeds.

@gilbertayala1069 Год назад

Great video...

@TheHandThatBites Год назад

Great video as always

@gcn Год назад

Thank you!

@iamthedalilama 10 месяцев назад

The tow clip saga at the beginning of a race still gives me nightmares. I’ve been spat out the back in the first 100metres back in the day, then lapped. 😂

@lostisleminstrel 7 месяцев назад

I only road raced on the exact same type of bike you are using. These are very good racing hardware. The old style shoes and cleats take some getting used to. Because of all the wind breaking going on you won't have trouble keeping up with the group. This era of bike was excellent and I doubt that the modern bikes would have much of an advantage on the type of course you were on as long as you stayed in the crowd and let someone else break the wind. I really enjoyed this video as it bought back so many good memories. By the way if you fall in an old set of pedals with the strap and the cleat on the shoe you won't be able to get your foot out of the pedal and you go down with the bike strapped to you. This is always awkward but it also leads to broken collar bones fairly easily though that is always an issue when falling off a bicycle. Don't ask, I just know.

@markbooth6745 Год назад

Brilliant video Simon. So steel or rim brakes are not dead.🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥😃👍

@gcn Год назад

Cheers Mark!

@richcrompton6891 Год назад

Like racing a Lotus 72 in a modern F1 race! Cool!! You did well time traveller!

@nickdavis9280 Год назад

I reckon you would have done even better if you had it geared right. Great video!

@gcn Год назад

That sprint power 💥

@beaterbikechannel2538 Год назад

One I used to ride to work on couldn't, it had drop bars. Long reach brakes. Spd pedals and a Sturmey Archer 3 speed rear hub. A gear for flat, uphill and down. It had charm. The freewheel backlash was diabolical. The cranks turned 22° of a turn between ratchet gaps. Nasty.

@golfdog33 Год назад

Enjoyed that one.

@gcn Год назад

Thanks! You might enjoy our 'Following Merckx' film on GCN+ then! 👉 gcn.eu/1969

@slawomirb1984 Год назад

Nice one! I have similar retro steel bike and plan to take it up on Sveti Jure in Croatia this year. Toe clips are great for amateur, romantic bike ride yet it still gives you waaaay better performance than platforms. And you can ride in ordinary shoes.. to work for example :)

@terbennett Год назад

Great vid! I wonder how much better you could've done with clipless pedals and more aggressive gearing.

@Chimy1423 Год назад

Nice job Simon. Like one famous💉cyclist said...It's not about the bike.

@BuffsVintageBikes Год назад

I stuck a 10 speed groupset on my steel Tommasini Prestige and never looked back. Ended up selling my carbon frame because I was having too much fun on vintage steel to go back to the harsh ride of carbon. Link to the bike build is here: Building a Neo-Retro Tommasini Prestige ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JNBkLmyn8cA.html

@lesliereissner4711 Год назад

I ride a lugged steel Tommasini Tecno that Irio Tommasini measured me for in 2014, Campagnolo 11-speed, magnificent! Put clipless pedals on a fine steel bike with a modern groupset and it is just superb.

@BuffsVintageBikes Год назад

@@lesliereissner4711 Those Techno’s are very classy bikes 👌🏼I’ve been keep an eye out for one for a while now but they sadly don’t come up for sale in the classifieds too often 😞

@poly_hexamethyl Год назад

An equally (maybe even more) interesting question would be: "Can a Modern Bike Survive a Vintage Race?" Some of those early Giros/Tours/Vueltas were really nasty and might eat carbon fiber like it was carbohydrate... 🙂

@Alex-kr7zr 9 месяцев назад

Yes, see Paris-Roibax

@Fugitive_8 9 месяцев назад

The Vintage bikes were king in their era however, its close to impossible for an old bicycle to beat a modern bicycle with everything they have, carbon aero frames, 12 speed dura aces, carbon deep lip rims, faster and more accurate groupsets, all that cannot compare but it sure is a glory to ride one of these

@boriss.861 Год назад

Si a great video. Well done chap!

@gcn Год назад

Thanks!

@keithevans5667 Год назад

Nice, I have been round the track on my Brompton 😂

@ZENmud 10 месяцев назад

I rode only amateur, briefly: a neighbor/friend in New Hampshire (1995-97) introduced me to the Thursday night training races held at the NH International Speedway, using the motorcycle course and oval; they were points races and I actually won once 🏆 🥇 But the track you ran at resembles a track my Amsterdam friend took me to; it had an outer loop, then three or four shorter straightaways in-between something like this: "WV" (close the top). It was a half-hour drive out of town. He's been a top-10 Masters over-45 for the Netherlands(!) 🇳🇱 I think it was a 10 or 15 lap race, and I happily abandoned after maybe 8 laps, to watch Bert try to win. About 2004?

@alecosavvas3361 10 дней назад

Would love to see Si racing with a modern aero bike to see the true difference and feel. Flip the script.

@walterstoops2671 Год назад

Of course I raced a Vintage Bike. I’m 71 and raced in the Chicago area on a custom made “Crit” bike. Courses were 4 corners in industrial parks and we used 13-18 straight blocks 52-49 up front. I still have the bike. I ride a Trek Emonda SLR now.

@user-so5rb9xt6j Год назад

Ah, the straight block...I remember those days fondly. Everybody had the same equipment, more or less, so marginal gains were ever so marginal.

@seanlee7670 25 дней назад

A very nice bike. Man over machine. You are faster than a lot others that are on the modern bike!

@simonsepic Год назад

Looking at how he is clocking all the other bikes, I know that feeling all too well

@moobaz8675 Год назад

Good effort and nice bike. I have expensive carbon, titanium and steel bikes. However, my favourite is a 1987 Revelle Romany tourer. Its not a racer but it makes me smile every-time I'm out on it and I don't need to rush anywhere with it, I just take the slow road. Anyway, I've never thought of racing, but might just have a go. What's the worst that can happen?

@CC-zm9fw 9 месяцев назад

Totally agree -“it’s what makes the pedals go round that really counts” as Mr Bishton said (a racing cyclist of the 1960s). Ive just done the HELL OF THE NORTH COTSWOLDS 100km mountain bike event on a ‘98 Marin Alpine Trail (26” wheels, 25yrs old) that cost £150 from a charity shop. Had a great ride, put in a decent time and beat lots of trick modern bikes

@roadcyclist1 8 месяцев назад

It still would have been easier on a modern bike, regardless.

@lucakieft2671 3 месяца назад

i train with a vintage bike and got the toestraps as well. at first it gave me calve sores, but after 3 or 4 rides i got used to it and i like them more that clip pedals

@woodsdavid2887 Год назад

Despite the aero penalty, that's a good looking jersey.

@gcn Год назад

Si's quite the model 😉

@johnnyt7067 Год назад

Your comments on the drive train and other "performance" component of the bike not making a huge difference but the pedals and other "ergonomic" components do seems spot on. I've seen comparison of £300 and £3000 groupsets and the conclusion was that it doesn't really make a huge amount of difference to your performance. What does make a difference is how comfortable are you on the bike. "comfort=fast" is a phrase I have heard. Makes sense to me.

@newoldsteel Год назад

This was my daydream doing this with my own vintage steel bikes! (Late 80s/early 90d with indexing downtube shifters) maybe I’ll try this myself some day soon cuz it made racing look even cooler being the black sheep of the group 😄

@gcn Год назад

Racing can't get any cooler... oh wait! It just did 😎

@dorydiavelone3531 Год назад

I’m loving all y’all racing so much more interesting then just re-eating the banal how to oil your chain etc…… All of you have raced so well it gives anyone the excitement to want to ride!!!

@gcn Год назад

Glad you enjoyed it and found it inspiring!

@israelakowe9304 Год назад

Love that "kot kot koto" race music 😁♥️

@draconianTL Год назад

I did my first sportive this year, on a 95 Dawes Super Galaxy Tour. Definitely the oldest bike out tgere but still did it. I love how steel feels but think I'll buy my first road bike soon.

@sgfelectrical734 Год назад

Ok this was great. I’m please do it again only changing to ur own pedals and clothes. Would be very interested

@ArthurShedsJackson 8 месяцев назад

This was awesome!...Always wondered what a vintage could do against modern tech. I've often said it would be amazing to see a stage race with today's riders like Jonas, Tadje, Sepp, Remco, etc race on (going back even further) 1930s bikes. That would be interesting. I was an endurance racer, just finishing was winning for me, LOL...Never DNF...