# Limitations of an old bike?



## Ducati998 (May 15, 2021)

All,

Ive been riding for a year now, but I am still very much a beginner. My bike is an early 80s Club Fuji. I have ridden the bike for 100s of miles over the last year and I am in need of doing some repairs on the bike. I am wondering how much an old bike limits someone like me. I try to average 100 miles per week and the longest Ive gone in one day is 56 miles. So, I'm still a beginner, but I wonder how much better I would be with a newer, better bike. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


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## Peter P. (Dec 30, 2006)

As long as the bike fits, the seat is comfortable, and all the parts work as they should, you'll be fine. People will wax poetic and spooge all over the new technology that's come about in the 30 years since your bike was purchased, but in the end, it's just a bike. Most of the improvements over the last decades are conveniences or refinements of what worked fine before.

When the cost of repairing your bike isn't financially justifiable and/or parts are no longer available, then it will be time to upgrade.


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## Opus51569 (Jul 21, 2009)

Ducati998 said:


> All,
> 
> Ive been riding for a year now, but I am still very much a beginner. My bike is an early 80s Club Fuji. I have ridden the bike for 100s of miles over the last year and I am in need of doing some repairs on the bike. I am wondering how much an old bike limits someone like me. I try to average 100 miles per week and the longest Ive gone in one day is 56 miles. So, I'm still a beginner, but I wonder how much better I would be with a newer, better bike. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


If you're putting in 100 miles a week, I think you've gone from "beginner" to enthusiast. As for the bike, I think it depends on what repairs need to be done and how well its holding up to the miles you're putting on it. That said, the basic philosophy around here is "n+1" when it comes to bikes so why not treat yourself to a new ride now that you've caught the cycling bug? It may not make you any faster, but the fact that you're asking the question at all suggests it might make you happier...


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## Ducati998 (May 15, 2021)

Thanks Peter and Opus. Im currently wrapping the handlebars, and more significantly, the freewheel needs replaced as there are some broken teeth. Id also like to put a new chain on it. I thought about installing a cassette instead of a freewheel, but I think this would entail a new rear hub and/or rear wheel. Im not sure I want to invest the amount of money required for a different rear wheel.


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## hfc (Jan 24, 2003)

Yes you will need a new rear hub/wheel if you want to use a cassette. it’s easy enough to find new 7 speed free wheels. Do not be tempted to get an 8 speed freewheel. If your chain is old and worn, definitely get a new one. I use KMC and SRAM 8 speed chains on my 6,7,8 speed bikes. You might be able to ride a little faster on a newer bike but if you enjoy your current bike, stick with it. I find modern caliper brakes easier to set up and adjust, but otherwise older bikes are easier to work on and repair. I have a lot of bikes and I enjoy my 40 year old riders every bit as much as my “new” 10 year old carbon fiber fancy bike (Colnago EPS).


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

Get a new bike, aluminum, disk brakes, 105 mech gears if you can find one in your size. Most bikes are sold out, but just browsing the comments, that bike is not worth messing with unless you can't find a new one.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

Go test ride a new bike and see what you think.
Very few people, if any, would go from an 80's bike to a modern bike and go ewwww I don't want that. 

However, given the current economy and global bike shortage, now is a terrible time to bike shop. Most shops don't have much, if any inventory. Bikes are back ordered months. And used bikes are way over priced because of supply and demand.

I'd recommend sticking it out for a bit. Live with your bike. Fix it up if you can. I have a feeling in a few months there's going to be an abundance of used bikes for sale at discount prices once things start opening up and back to normal.


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## Ducati998 (May 15, 2021)

tlg said:


> Go test ride a new bike and see what you think.
> Very few people, if any, would go from an 80's bike to a modern bike and go ewwww I don't want that.
> 
> However, given the current economy and global bike shortage, now is a terrible time to bike shop. Most shops don't have much, if any inventory. Bikes are back ordered months. And used bikes are way over priced because of supply and demand.
> ...


Good ideas. I think I will fix mine up. I am thinking about getting some more modern wheels, adding a cassette and new chain. Hopefully that will make a significant difference. Just to be clear, I very much like my bike, and Im cheap so Id prefer to keep the bike I have. But its difficult to argue with the advancements of modern technology.


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

If you keep your bike, just get it good enough to ride. Once you ride a new bike, even if you are very frugal, your going to want a new one, if you like to ride. It's just soo much better. A new lower tier bike is not that much more than what you stay your going to do. ...and everything is new.


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## Ducati998 (May 15, 2021)

hfc said:


> Yes you will need a new rear hub/wheel if you want to use a cassette. it’s easy enough to find new 7 speed free wheels. Do not be tempted to get an 8 speed freewheel. If your chain is old and worn, definitely get a new one. I use KMC and SRAM 8 speed chains on my 6,7,8 speed bikes. You might be able to ride a little faster on a newer bike but if you enjoy your current bike, stick with it. I find modern caliper brakes easier to set up and adjust, but otherwise older bikes are easier to work on and repair. I have a lot of bikes and I enjoy my 40 year old riders every bit as much as my “new” 10 year old carbon fiber fancy bike (Colnago EPS).


Thanks for the tips. My Fuji has a 6 speed freewheel. Can I use a 7?


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

This is it exactly, if you knew how to work on bikes and all the little things about them that is one thing, but you don't. I would be easier to get a new bike, cause you don't know and once you get a new bike, you don't need to know cause most the things U will learn don't apply to a new bike, you just dump that one at good will.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

Ducati998 said:


> Thanks for the tips. My Fuji has a 6 speed freewheel. Can I use a 7?


You mentioned getting new wheels. I think your 6 speed has 126 mm hub spacing. Modern wheels are 135mm.

I think you're looking at wasting a lot of money trying to upgrade that bike. Make it rideable and enjoy it as is. Put the rest in the bank and save up for a real upgrade.


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## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

the old bike has zero resale value and doesn't really deserve new parts, just keep it as-is for a back-up/rain bike.

get something newer that fits your budget.


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## Peter P. (Dec 30, 2006)

Ducati998 said:


> Thanks for the tips. My Fuji has a 6 speed freewheel. Can I use a 7?


Yes, a 7 speed FREEWHEEL will fit on a hub with a 6 speed freewheel. However, if your bike has indexed shifting, it won't work with your 6 speed shifters unless your shifters have a FRICTION mode. See the slippery slope you're going down with the repairs?

Are you sure the 6 speed freewheel has broken teeth? That's almost unheard of.


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## Ducati998 (May 15, 2021)

tlg said:


> You mentioned getting new wheels. I think your 6 speed has 126 mm hub spacing. Modern wheels are 135mm.
> 
> I think you're looking at wasting a lot of money trying to upgrade that bike. Make it rideable and enjoy it as is. Put the rest in the bank and save up for a real upgrade.


I think this is a good summary of what others have been saying. I will forget the wheels and repair the freewheel. Ill probably put a new chain on it as well. Ive ridden it for hundreds of miles and I can't imagine not being able to continue especially with a few new parts. 

You are correct Duriel: I dont know everything about bikes. But I do hope I can learn. Ive worked on cars and motorcycles for years so I hope I can figure it out.


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

A free wheel and chain is probably a good idea. Probably wouldn't hurt to clean and pack the bearings when you pull the free wheel, front bearings too. There are different free wheel tools so you'll need to get the right one, or maybe a shop will remove it. You don't really need one to replace the free wheel, just spin it on and the first few pedal strokes will snug it up. Check the cables and brake pads and replace *if *needed. Brake pads can be freshened up with some sandpaper on a flat surface to remove any glazing, unless they are too dried out, then they would need replacing. Freshen the handlebar tape and check the tires.

As long as everything works you basically need to go over the wear items, something that needs to be done on any bike that's ridden any way. That's not up grades, that's maintenance. Just remember that everything is smaller than on the cars and motorcycles so use less muscle.

A new bike ain't gonna make you faster, riding a bike will. Work on the motor and handling skills, as those develop the need for a new bike may show itself. Plus you'll have a better idea of what you'll want and what kind of riding interests you.


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## Ducati998 (May 15, 2021)

Thanks velodog for the helpful and thorough response. I wrapped the bars with some new tape and will replace the free wheel and chain soon. The cables definitely need replacing. I think the brake pads are fine. I've replaced the tires fairly recently. 

I think your last paragraph says it all. I can't really understand the limitations of my bike until I perform the aforementioned maintenance items AND improve my riding techniques.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

All good food for thought here (except the SPAM post #3).

My take is this. Do you like your current bike? Does your current bike motivate you to ride? Would a new bike motivate you to ride more? At some point, the new bike bug will bite. And if you ride in a bike club with others, you will be seeing what others ride and be tempted more. As others have stated, bike supply is scarce now - both bikes and parts. So your best bet is to keep your current bike rideable with small repairs until things settle down in the market.


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## No Time Toulouse (Sep 7, 2016)

Ducati998 said:


> Thanks for the tips. My Fuji has a 6 speed freewheel. Can I use a 7?


Maybe. Are you using index shifting, or friction? If the latter, yes. If the former, no. Also, the problem with freewheels is this; it's been 35 years since 'good quality' road-bike freewheels have been made, that all the good quality, lightweigh freewheels have been used and worn out. All that are left are the junky, heavy Chinese freewheels made for dime-store bikes. Anything really decent (like old Shimano 600 'color' freewheels) still new-in-the-box sell for ridiculous amounts. Anything else you'll find used on EBay, and you'll be taking your chances with old junk.

Moving up to cassettes, even decent 7-speed cassettes suffer from the same issue. I have 1 old bike (1978 Trek 710) that I updated with a really nice Shimano 600 wheelset with 8-sp components, which I had to spread the dropouts to allow me to fit 130mm wide rear hub equipment. At least high-quality 8-sp cassettes are still available.

My advice to you is that you will soon get to the point where newer ableit used equipment will be cheaper and more reliable than keeping your old equipment going for regular riding.


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## JaeP (Mar 12, 2002)

Hey Ducati! Do you ride a motorcycle? I just got my M1 endorsement 3 years ago and I'm enjoying my 97 Honda Shadow ACE VT1100! I'm an old dude and my engine is not what it used to be. The V-twin will do. Anyway, in my previous life I was nuts about bicycling. I still have 12 bikes. Half are steel with down tube shifters. 3 with STI and one carbon (just to see what all the fuss is about). I started riding in the era of steel bikes (1990s) and to this day I love a good steel ride. All that fancy mechanical shifting do-hickies and plastic fantastic whatnots has it's place if your racing but if you just like the pleasure of long rides with your buds, a good steel frame with down tube shifters are fine. Hey, they're 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 speed compatable!

My body can not take the rigors of riding hard anymore. My racing days are over. I may occacionally race on the velodrome, but that's it. I say if the bike fits you well then learn as much as you can and ride the hell out of the steel steed. It'll only get better. I promise.

Stay safe and keep the rubber side down.


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## Ducati998 (May 15, 2021)

JaeP said:


> Hey Ducati! Do you ride a motorcycle? I just got my M1 endorsement 3 years ago and I'm enjoying my 97 Honda Shadow ACE VT1100! I'm an old dude and my engine is not what it used to be. The V-twin will do. Anyway, in my previous life I was nuts about bicycling. I still have 12 bikes. Half are steel with down tube shifters. 3 with STI and one carbon (just to see what all the fuss is about). I started riding in the era of steel bikes (1990s) and to this day I love a good steel ride. All that fancy mechanical shifting do-hickies and plastic fantastic whatnots has it's place if your racing but if you just like the pleasure of long rides with your buds, a good steel frame with down tube shifters are fine. Hey, they're 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 speed compatable!
> 
> My body can not take the rigors of riding hard anymore. My racing days are over. I may occacionally race on the velodrome, but that's it. I say if the bike fits you well then learn as much as you can and ride the hell out of the steel steed. It'll only get better. I promise.
> 
> Stay safe and keep the rubber side down.



Yes JaeP, I ride a Ducati 998. I got my MSF endorsement about 3 years ago as well. I absolutely love my bike. In fact, motorcycling is what made me start cycling. I figured that if I want to continue riding my motorcycle for another 20 years (I'm 43), I need to get in better shape. Furthermore, I plan to take the Ducati for my first track day in a couple of weeks and I hear that can be pretty demanding physically. Cycling has helped tremendously thus far and Im sure it will continue to do so.


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## IshiBashi (May 19, 2021)

I ride a 1982 Bridgestone Sirius to commute to work, about 100 miles a week. This is a bike frame that I purchased on eBay that I then added all the rest of the parts to. The I did not keep it "period correct" so I have modern wheels and eBay dual pivot brakes and use a ten speed drive train with downtube friction shifters (which works just fine). This entire assemblage of used and new stuff was $500 ten years ago. No one has ever admired my $1600 2006 carbon fiber bike but this bike gets compliments all the time - because it is obviously a great bike. It _is_ a great bike.

The key aspects for me were that it was the top of the line bike Bridgestone sold at the time and it was possible to produce a completed bike at around 25 lbs.

I forced the rear wheel stays apart slightly to get a modern rear wheel in there, yeah. This doesn't weaken the steel (says me, thousands of miles later) and within a year wheels went in and out of it like it was made that way.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

I own an 84 Fuji Club so I'm quite familiar with it, I also own a few other older bikes as well as a couple of new ones.

All the usual wear parts, like rear gears, chain, brake pads are all found at LBS's, major parts like a new derailleur of the same type on it now can be found on EBay with a few even brand new and unused. I changed mine over to a 7 speed without having to spread the rear stays. 

Sure you can look at a new bike, but to get a bike of the quality of that Fuji you would have to spend a lot more money than you think and you still won't get the reliability! If the Fuji has been lubed and adjusted properly it will ride very nicely, and it's a steel frame adding to the ride quality you're not going to find with a new aluminum or carbon fiber bike.

My bike came with Suntour ARX, I've had other Suntour models and the ARX impressed me the least! So just last month I took out my new and unused Suntour Superbe stuff that I had since the late 80's and took off the front and rear derailleur off the Fuji and put on the Superbe derailleurs, I also took my Torelli Master Series wheels that were built with Suntour Superbe hubs off of my old 84 Trek 660 I used when I use to race, the rear wheel I had converted to 7 speed, and I put that stuff on the Fuji, and I had a new set of Superbe pedals and put those on the Fuji as well. I still have to remove the Superbe brakes and levers and get those transferred, then I have to put all the old Fuji stuff on the Trek and probably sell it at some point. I'll probably leave the old and high mileage Suntour Superbe derailleurs on the Trek when I sell it, I haven't decided yet to keep those and place the ARX crap on it, or forget it and keep the ARX for another project.

The old Trek had faded it's yellow decals to a faded white, and the paint is faded, all from intense S California sun for 20 years and over 150,000 miles. I was going to have it repainted, but I can't get paper transfers only vinyl transfer duplicates, and I didn't like the way those look, and repainting can get pricey as well, so I just figured it wasn't worth spending that kind of money on that Trek and then not be happy with vinyl transfers.

Anyway you would have to spend around $1,800 to get a bike equipped with Shimano 105 which is extremely reliable yet relatively low priced, and still not get the ride of steel that you have with the Fuji. Yes I know a new bike can be exciting, but will it satisfy you in the long run like your Fuji has been? no way, not even close. If you have a lot of money you could look at Titanium bikes, those actually ride better than steel and will last longer than any aluminum or carbon fiber bike, and much more resilient to crashes...well accept for the CF fork.

Now here's my story. I have an 85 Schwinn Le Tour Luxe that was in excellent condition with very little miles on it that I used for bike camping and later I was going to use it for touring, some idiot sideswiped me and in the process bent the fork to the point of no return. So I bought a new touring bike, a Masi Giramondo, yes it has all the newest stuff including disk brakes, but all the touring bikes I looked at are heavy, and so is this one, the Schwinn was only 26 pounds, the Masi is 35 pounds, howbeit when I get new tires for it I will cut that weight down by 4 1/2 pounds, the factory equipped tires are horribly heavy, but it will still be about 4 pounds heavier than the Schwinn. Both are steel, but the Masi uses larger tubing and thus doesn't ride as comfortable as the Schwinn did, some say that the Schwinn flexed too much under load, and that is true, which probably accounted for some of the comfort, but once I switched the original AL pannier rack to steel that flex went away but the comfort stayed the same. Anyway, the point is, I would have much rather kept the Schwinn had I not crashed it. There was only two minor changes I was going to do the Schwinn, and that was move the shifters from the down tube to the barends, and build up a 700c wheels for it instead of using the 27" wheels where finding tires that size could be difficult to find touring and having to go to a small shop someplace, everything else was good to tour on.


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## JaeP (Mar 12, 2002)

IshiBashi said:


> I ride a 1982 Bridgestone Sirius to commute to work, about 100 miles a week.


Hey Ishi, if your bike is a Bridgestone it's either an RB-1, RB-2 or RB-3. Those bikes are Legendary (with a capital "L"). They weren't the lightest frames on the market but had race proven geometry (I think they mimic Colnagos) and they had a wider fork crown and chain stays to accommodate wider tires, just in case you want to do some bike touring or cyclocross.

I had an RB-2 and it's the only bike I regret selling.


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## Montello 85 (May 22, 2021)

Ducati998,

Keep the bike and replace the parts as necessary. These are available in e-Bay.

I have been riding my Pinarello since 1986. Some components still stay strong: hubs, rear derailleur, handlebar, bottom bracket, seat post, stem.

All the other replacement parts were available from e-Bay. Surprising, they are new old stock. I have actually updated the components with those made later than the original ones I had. In this case, I am extending the life of the parts. My saddle is modern from Specialized, which is way more comfortable than the Regal one I had.

The last thing I would recommend is to use cockpit set-up for carbon bike on vintage bikes. Keep the 126mm hubs, or buy a new set. New rims of 32- or 36-holes are still in production from a number of manufacturers, Mavic, DT Swiss, etc.

One thing easier with me is I have been doing maintenance myself. Five years ago, I had the frame resprayed, and components dissembled and reassembled. My bike is still in top performance.

Five years ago, I bought my first carbon bike, but I am still riding my steel bike and carbon bike alternatively. The feel is totally different. I am equally happy riding both. 

Keep the bike.


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## Ducati998 (May 15, 2021)

Thanks for all the responses. I have much to learn and much to ponder.


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

Hi. 100 miles per week, meaning 5k miles / year, bridges the gap between recreational and serious enthusiast. Nice!

So, your old rig can ride just fine, I mean people did the oldschool Tour de France on less. Biggest shortcomings:


Do you have hills where you live? Old 2 x 6 cranks often have a low gear that is not that low at all, 42 x 25 , your knees and back will thank you with easier gears on modern setups
Wheels, old skinny axles are easy to break, especially freehub style, probably looseball which means greasy services more often.
Tires, you can fit bigger rubber on most 70’s and 80’s bikes than skinny-skinny only early 00’s stuff, so you may be okay there, your bike should be, ah, new enough to have so-called “700C” wheels which are still the norm. If you happen to have old-style 27” rims, more popular in the 70’s and before, there won’t be many tire choices.


So there’s enough there, never mind the enjoyment of integrated shifting and powerful, easy-to-modulate disc brakes, that you’ll appreciate a modern rig. That shouldn’t stop you from tuning and enjoying your current bike, but if it’s at the complete overhaul level, where not only tire and chain and cable but rims and hubs need replacing or serious work, pandemic inventory shortages notwithstanding, it might not be worth the cost and effort.



Disclaimer: I work in the bike industry in the manufacturer side so am hardly unbiased, but also have put a stupid-ton of miles on my legs and bikes.


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## Ducati998 (May 15, 2021)

Thanks Argentius. As for hills, I live in Florida so there are very few around here. My bike isn't due for a complete overhaul, just a few bits and bobs. Thanks again.


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## .je (Aug 25, 2012)

_Still _want to replace the Fuji?


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Actually my 84 Fuji Club is a very nice bike, it's one of the best road steel bikes I ridden or own, it may even have an edge over the 85 Trek 660 with the Reynolds 531cs tubing, but I can't compare the two till I can get the 660 up and running which won't be for awhile if ever since the paint and decals are so faded from the sun. I did remove the ARX derailleurs off of the Fuji and put on stored brand new Suntour Superbe components, when that happened that led to putting on a new Shimano 7 speed cluster onto the Torelli Master Series wheels that I had built with Superbe hubs and DT Revolution spokes on the front and Competition dble butted spokes on the rear that were on the 660, and a new slightly narrower chain, and now the thing shifts like a dream. I dinked around and dinked around for several years hoping that ARX stuff would work really nice like Suntour stuff is known for, but it wasn't going to happen, but I kept the derailleurs for another project for when I retire, those ARX derailleurs don't have more than 1,000 miles on them so they're like new but they don't shift like the Superbe stuff does. 

Next summer I will probably remove the Superbe crank and bottom bracket, plus the Superbe brakes from the Trek and swap them with the Fuji stuff.

So no, I don't want to replace my Fuji now that I have it running good.


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

If you plan on riding with gusto, you will need a new bike, period.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

duriel said:


> If you plan on riding with gusto, you will need a new bike, period.


 Pure BS!


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## JaeP (Mar 12, 2002)

froze said:


> Pure BS!


Word. I used to mix it up at the velodrome on my steel Panasonic (thinking about racing again). Former British Olympian, Shaun Wallace, is a fixture in the velodrome here in Sandy Eggo. He once showed up on a local charity ride called "Low Tide Ride" (you can either run or ride your bike on 6 miles of beach) on a beach cruiser and flip flops and still kicked everyones butt.

Do yourself a favor and ride the hell out of your steel bike. Learn all you can about riding and then you'll appreciate what ever "this years model" will be.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

froze said:


> Pure BS!


I guess you missed Duriel's sarcasm. Oh well.


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## JaeP (Mar 12, 2002)

Lombard said:


> I guess you missed Duriel's sarcasm. Oh well.


My fail. It's hard to read sarcasm on an on-line forum. (Does that sound sarcastic?)


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

JaeP said:


> My fail. It's hard to read sarcasm on an on-line forum. (Does that sound sarcastic?)


Well to be fair, I only knew it was a tongue in cheek remark because I've seen him make the "new bike" remarks quite a few times before.


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

Not sarcasm, sorry but this guy isn't a world champion, local crit champion, or KOM's any mountain in FL. If he showed up at a training ride, he would be dropped immediately, IMO. For one, he doesn't have the gears, I had the same problem. They were always shifting one or two more than me.
You feel safe cutting a corner down a mountain on a 30 YO bike? ....maybe if it was maintained by a real mechanic. I don't think he is one.
He is 43, if he wants to ride to his maximum ability, he will need a new bike within 5 years, probably sooner. If all he wants to do is ride around the rotunda, yea, that bike is fine.
Get the bike fixed, dial in the setup, find out your reach and stack, then when bikes are available, he'll be able to figure out the size and target the kind of bike he wants.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Argentius said:


> Hi. 100 miles per week, meaning 5k miles / year, bridges the gap between recreational and serious enthusiast. Nice!
> 
> So, your old rig can ride just fine, I mean people did the oldschool Tour de France on less. Biggest shortcomings:
> 
> ...


All of my 150,000 miles plus I put on a Trek 660 with the original Suntour Superbe components (I bought the bike as a frame and fork and then had all Superbe stuff put on it) were all done in the mountains of Southern California including 10 years of racing. Never had those skinny axles break; loose ball in a cup and cone hub if absolutely fine and Shimano DA hubs still use cup and cone system, the Superbe wasn't messy at all, it had a grease port in the middle of the axle, insert the grease gun pull the trigger till you see clean grease oozing out of the sides of the axle, wipe off the grease and your done, easy peazy. There were, and still is, all sorts of gearing available for 2x6, but I upgraded mine to 2x7 shortly after I got the bike, but you can get 6 speed with a range from 14 to 34, I usually ran 13-23 but sometimes I ran 13-28 or a 13-19 depending on where I was racing.

That old Trek can take up to 25c tires, on the rear it was a bit of tight fit, I did have to flatten the tire to get the wheel off, but that was due to the close proximity of the wheel/tire to the seat tube, it cleared the brakes just fine.

I also have a bike that uses 27 inch tires, the tires are out there and some are quite good, from Panaracer, Schwalbe, and Continental. 

Sorry but your information is coming from the viewpoint of a young person who's never been on bikes from that era for any length of time and thus you think old stuff is junk, now I'm going to get you responding with all the bogus claims that you have, whatever dude, and I don't care if you are a moderator! I raced on a team, against other teams, and I never saw a hub break, and if you watch old TDF videos from back in those days you don't see wheels breaking like they do today!!


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

Moderator, feh, that doesn’t matter, I’m just a guy who likes bikes enough to have once upon a time volunteered to help squash the spammers, scammers, and trolls – though less these days, to be honest, time and life and all of that.

If you claim freewheel axles are just fine, I do not know what to tell you! You are definitely right that road racers on 5- and 6-speed systems predate me. 

Everyday cyclists on 7- and 8-speed freewheels -- I promise you bent and broken axles were a common occurrence, enough that every decent-sized shop had axles on hand for all the common hubs, and, touring riders were advised to carry spares.

As to your classic retro-grouch claims, meh, phooey. You’re exactly the kind of person who doesn’t need the latest greatest – you’ve ridden and raced and have a million miles on your legs, you know the lockup pressure in the wet of your brakes by heart. 

If you didn’t, new riders will have a heck of a lot more enjoyable experience getting started today with modern equipment, shifters, brakes, the rest – if you want to build up those components in a suitable modern steel or ti frame, more power to you! Bikes are the best. Better experience on bikes, more people on bikes, everyone wins.



froze said:


> All of my 150,000 miles plus I put on a Trek 660 with the original Suntour Superbe component...


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

I've ridden 7 speed freewheels for everyday riding for 40 or so years, including a 10 year span when I tried to get into racing, I rode 22 of those years, including the racing years in the mountains of Southern California, I had an assortment of 7 speed freewheels from Suntour to Shimano to Campy and never had a hub break, again nor knew anyone that broke their hub. I did hear of issues with 8 speed hubs, but no one that I knew from what I can remember ever went to the 8 speed cluster, but I think that's because you were going to be forced to cold spread your rear stays and I don't think people liked that idea. All the bikes I converted to 7 speed I never had to cold spread the stays, I did however had to use a 1 millimeter thick washer to push the rear stay out a tad so the chain can go to the smallest cog without scrapping the frame, plus a thinner chain of course was used.

I have modern bikes, but I personally think that the old vintage friction stuff is more fun because you have to think a teeny bit more, but that stuff was stone cold reliable as evidenced by my 150,000 miles plus on one of my bikes, but also you can find this stuff on eBay, Craigslist, Facebook Market place that still work great today. The vintage stuff is also a lot easier to work on, they're not as finicky either. Not saying I hate modern stuff, if that was the case I wouldn't have any modern bikes, but quite frankly the only reason I have modern stuff is so I won't run into an issue of trying to get a part! Otherwise I would never have bought my modern stuff.

I have ridden a lot, and my joints have paid the price! But I still ride with the achy joints. I have no issues riding in rain, even using a steel bikes, the bike I have with 150k plus miles has no rust on it. When you ride for a long time a lot of things do become automatic, the bike becomes an extension of the person riding it, I stayed alive cycling all over Los Angeles and that experience has kept me alive years after moving from that city. I will say this about rim brakes and rain, they won't work real good if you use black pads, but if you use Cool Stop Salmon pads they will work almost instantly and grab extremely well


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## eddie m (Jul 6, 2002)

What @froze said,
Old bikes are fine. If you are gonna race or train with a competitve group you need what everybody else uses, so that means at least 10s or 11s. IF you ride mostly alone, 6 s or 7s is plenty as long as you have at least one gear low enough for the steepest hill you ride, and they are more reliable and easier to maintain as well. 
FWIW I ride an 11s with my club group, but when I ride alone it's usually a frankenstien Trek from 1985 (?) that I converted to a single speed. 

em


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

Post back in 5 years with pictures of your new bike.


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

I hear you on a lot of that, from a slightly different generation!

As you suspected freewheel bikes predate me a bit, don't know how it relates to your personal experience but at the shop level bent and broken axles were all over the place. No connection to the video but it shows it pretty well, roll the old one on the counter and you'll hear the whop-whop-whop.






My thousands of miles breaking in my legs were in Portland and Seattle, and agree with you that rusting frames is overblown, I always used Wegle's in a new frame but never knew if it made a difference.

Koolstop salmon, you're right, they work really well, though the other side of that coin is that they are so abrasive that I wore through a front rim every season or so! Most of my road bikes still use rim brakes today, though every time I change a disc brake wheel, it's a treat because my hands are not instantly blackened with brake dust mixed with water and road grime.


We all have, I suppose, a few memories of the instincts you develop saving my backside! One that sticks out for me is a section of road construction one rainy evening, my rear wheel got caught in a sizeable crack and I clenched up, sure I was going down hard into a gravel-filled hole that was no longer the road,

But, before my conscious brain realized what had happened, the reflexes had already unclipped one foot, shifted my weight a bit, and sort of wobbled it out, I could not have saved that one on purpose if I tried!






froze said:


> I have ridden a lot, and my joints have paid the price! But I still ride with the achy joints. I have no issues riding in rain, even using a steel bikes, the bike I have with 150k plus miles has no rust on it. When you ride for a long time a lot of things do become automatic, the bike becomes an extension of the person riding it, I stayed alive cycling all over Los Angeles and that experience has kept me alive years after moving from that city. I will say this about rim brakes and rain, they won't work real good if you use black pads, but if you use Cool Stop Salmon pads they will work almost instantly and grab extremely well


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## xxl (Mar 19, 2002)

Argentius said:


> I hear you on a lot of that, from a slightly different generation!
> 
> As you suspected freewheel bikes predate me a bit, don't know how it relates to your personal experience but at the shop level bent and broken axles were all over the place. No connection to the video but it shows it pretty well, roll the old one on the counter and you'll hear the whop-whop-whop.
> 
> ...


Freewheel-hub axles, had a few bend, a couple break, but that's been over decades of cycling. Several of those decades were spent weighing over 200 lbs.

Steel frame rust, overblown fear in my experience. I never used any stuff on my frames, but I was reasonably careful about draining them on the infrequent occasions when I got caught in the rain.

I ride a lot of dated bikes, mostly because if one takes even some care of 'em, they're really hard to kill. I have put modern components and such on some, but I like having some "stock" as well, sort of like one might do with a nice old car, so one can experience the ride as it was conceived.

And (of course) I need a new bike.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Argentius said:


> I hear you on a lot of that, from a slightly different generation!
> 
> As you suspected freewheel bikes predate me a bit, don't know how it relates to your personal experience but at the shop level bent and broken axles were all over the place. No connection to the video but it shows it pretty well, roll the old one on the counter and you'll hear the whop-whop-whop.
> 
> ...


Not sure how you wore out your rims so fast, my rims using those Salmon pads lasted 35,000 to 40,000 miles, so I found what you said to be quite odd, and my experiences were echoed by others I knew.

I spoke to a bike mechanic friend of mine what worked on bikes for over 40 years today about the bent or breaking hubs, he said he rarely saw it with quality hubs, though he did see it quite a bit with cheap hubs, he also added that with higher end hubs from the freewheel days he didn't see any more of those broken as he does with modern cassette style hubs.

Biggest issues we had with older gear was the rims themselves, they were not made as well as they are today, and I'm only speaking about aluminum rims so we're comparing apples to apples. Vintage lightweight racing rims were constantly going out of true, I tried a lot of different well known brands of wheels back then, and they were all 36 spoke rims, and I had to true them up quite frequently, the only rim I had to true the least was Torelli Master Series, for some reason those did great, and they were a very lightweight rim too, so not sure why they did so well. And those rims back then were pinned joined, so with every rim I had to sand down the seam so the brakes would be smooth over the entire rim, but the Torelli rim while pinned it didn't need sanding. When they came out with hardenized AL rims those held up better but then that hardenized coating would wear off on the brake track, I have a set of those type of rims brand new that I never used! I'm saving them for a project bike.

I do have to say that a lot of derailleur manufactures back then had so so shifting quality, which people accepted, but Suntour blew those other manufactures out of the water. Even lower end Suntour VG (I think that was the model) was rated by Consumer Reports back then as shifting far better than even the high end derailleurs from others, and Superbe, Cyclone, and Sprint took the performance of VG and took it another level beyond that!! Even Suntour had a few derailleurs that didn't shift up to the standards of other stuff they made, like ARX series that just didn't cut the mustard.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

froze said:


> Even lower end Suntour VG (I think that was the model) was rated by Consumer Reports back then as shifting far better than even the high end derailleurs from others, and Superbe, Cyclone, and Sprint took the performance of VG and took it another level beyond that!! Even Suntour had a few derailleurs that didn't shift up to the standards of other stuff they made, like ARX series that just didn't cut the mustard.


Consumer Reports rated bike derailleurs? Really?


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## eddie m (Jul 6, 2002)

froze said:


> Not sure how you wore out your rims so fast, my rims using those Salmon pads lasted 35,000 to 40,000 miles, so I found what you said to be quite odd, and my experiences were echoed by others I knew.


If you ride on dry roads your rims will last a long time. If you ride in wet weather and pick up a lot of grit, YMMV.


froze said:


> I spoke to a bike mechanic friend of mine what worked on bikes for over 40 years today about the bent or breaking hubs, he said he rarely saw it with quality hubs, though he did see it quite a bit with cheap hubs, he also added that with higher end hubs from the freewheel days he didn't see any more of those broken as he does with modern cassette style hubs.


Five speed 120mm freewheels were fine. Six and espescially 7s with 126mm dropout width caused the axles to flex and fatigue. Eight speed freewheels were worse and soon dissapered. Chromoly axles were less breakage prone. Campy titanium axles never broke but they were so flexible that the drops cracked from fatigue. Cassettes moved the weight carrying bearings outboard or used large diameter axles to minimize flex. That solved the problem. 


froze said:


> Vintage lightweight racing rims were constantly going out of true... When they came out with hardenized AL rims those held up better...


Sew up rims could be so light and flexible that it was hard to get enough tension to keep the spokes from loosening. We didn't know anything back then so whenever a spoke broke we replaced it woth a heavier guage spoke, which only made the problem worse. 
Hard anodizing doesn't add any strength but it is brittle and sometimes causes cracks at the spoke holes. Most of them were clincher rims that had to be stronger to bear the increased load created by clincher tire pressure. That's why they were more reliable.


froze said:


> Even lower end Suntour VG (I think that was the model) was rated by Consumer Reports back then as shifting far better than even the high end derailleurs from others...


Sun Tour derailers shifted better when new but deteriorated pretty quickly. Campy derailers shifted just as badly after 5 years as they did when new.

em


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

eddie m said:


> If you ride on dry roads your rims will last a long time. If you ride in wet weather and pick up a lot of grit, YMMV.


Some people who only use their rear brake also wear that rim out very quickly.


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## No Time Toulouse (Sep 7, 2016)

Lombard said:


> Consumer Reports rated bike derailleurs? Really?


Yeah.....pdf. or it didn't happen.....


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Lombard said:


> Some people who only use their rear brake also wear that rim out very quickly.


Wow, that’s a thing? That’s so weird! 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

PBL450 said:


> Wow, that’s a thing? That’s so weird!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Yes, there are a few riders I've known who are deathly afraid to apply their front brake for fear of going arse over teakettle. Because rear braking force isn't as strong, one needs to apply more pressure to get adequate braking and therefore that rear rim wears out prematurely.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Lombard said:


> Yes, there are a few riders I've known who are deathly afraid to apply their front brake for fear of going arse over teakettle. Because rear braking force isn't as strong, one needs to apply more pressure to get adequate braking and therefore that rear rim wears out prematurely.


Whoa! That’s got to be dangerous? Doesn’t like 70%+ of your stopping power come from your front brakes? You can always pooch your butt backward to change the weight ratio... I just can’t get my head around this, haha. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

PBL450 said:


> Whoa! That’s got to be dangerous? Doesn’t like 70%+ of your stopping power come from your front brakes?


Not to mention locking your rear brake can put you in an uncontrollable skid.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Lombard said:


> Consumer Reports rated bike derailleurs? Really?


yup, really; but reputation proved Suntour was the best, not CR.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

No Time Toulouse said:


> Yeah.....pdf. or it didn't happen.....


Great, but very little from back then is on PDF.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

froze said:


> Great, but very little from back then is on PDF.


Google is your friend.........possibly.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Lombard said:


> Google is your friend.........possibly.


In this case it is not my friend, I may try go duck go and see if I get anything different but usually that just uses Google's library.


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## fatiredflyer (Mar 12, 2002)

JaeP said:


> I say if the bike fits you well then learn as much as you can and ride the hell out of the steel steed. It'll only get better. I promise.
> 
> Stay safe and keep the rubber side down.


This.
Rebuild the drivetrain where and when you can. Save for some good wheels.
Ride, and when you finish riding, ride some more.
Let a Team Sponsor buy your new bike for you…


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## AK_Ben (Sep 16, 2021)

Ducati998 said:


> All,
> 
> Ive been riding for a year now, but I am still very much a beginner. My bike is an early 80s Club Fuji. I have ridden the bike for 100s of miles over the last year and I am in need of doing some repairs on the bike. I am wondering how much an old bike limits someone like me. I try to average 100 miles per week and the longest Ive gone in one day is 56 miles. So, I'm still a beginner, but I wonder how much better I would be with a newer, better bike. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
> 
> View attachment 480769


# 1, that is a beautiful bike, and if it fits you and you enjoy riding it, then keep on riding it. Don't upgrade anything on it, just keep it the way it is. Upgrading parts on it will be tricky, and will ruin the aesthetic appeal of it. If you want a more modern road bike with more tire clearance, lighter weight, quicker shifting, etc, then just buy another bike, but keep this Bianchi in the condition it is in, or better, replace some of the more modern parts with more period correct bits to complete the classic look.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

The only limitation you have is what you put on yourself!

I have an 84 Fuji Club, and quite frankly it's a great bike...BUT, I had to make some changes to it because the factory stock Suntour ARX derailleurs that came on my bike did not perform well. I bought this bike in a garage sale in like new condition with only 5 miles on it with the original tires still on and the nubs from the mold process not the least bit worn down. Since I have other bikes I didn't put a lot of effort into the Fuji till this summer, I tried to get the derailleurs to work better but it wasn't happening even after changing the cables to modern more slicker cables; so I had a brand new never used Suntour Superbe Tech derailleur, and a brand new never used Suntour Superbe Pro front derailleur in my drawer, so I put those on, now the thing shifts like a dream. I then started to partially cannibalize part of my old 150,000 mile plus Trek 660 that I had built with Suntour Superbe, and removed the Torelli Master Series wheels that were built using the Superbe hubs and DT Revolution spokes on the front and Competition spokes on the rear, that wheel had a wore out 7 speed cluster so I replace the rear gear cluster with a 7 speed Shimano freewheel which meant I had to get a narrower chain since the old chain on the Trek was also worn, I saved the Ukai wheels off the Fuji for another project later. I also put on a set of new unused Superbe pedals I had stored.

Those changes helped a lot, it now shifts very fast and smooth. So how can this work for you? EBay is going to have to be used if you want to improve the shifting, the ARX is known to be a clunky derailleur system, one the very few mishaps that Suntour ever made. I would try to find a NOS or NIB Suntour Superbe, Cyclone, or Sprint front and rear derailleurs. 

Now I have the Superbe Tech, I have two of those, one is still on the Trek and that one has over 150,000 miles on it and I never had one thing go wrong with it, but on the internet there has been issues from others with springs going bad, not sure why that is because I also have Mountech derailleur which is the same as the Tech but made for touring bikes and mountain bikes, and I had that for a long time too and it never gave me any trouble. The Tech and Mountech both can shift while climbing a mountain and you don't have to back off the pressure to make it happen, and they both shift fast, so you could go with a Tech if you get one new or nos, but I did give you warning of potential pitfalls. I keep my stuff very clean, so it could be that due to keeping the derailleurs clean that they didn't break? or is the spring breaking thing myth started from someone? I asked an old bike mechanic if he recalled issues with the Tech or Mountech and he said not anymore then any other derailleur! So something is amiss in the bad reputation that the Tech and Mountech got, it could be that Shimano started the rumor to help speed up Suntour to go out of business.

Eventually I will transfer the Suntour Superbe brakes, headset, and crank over to the Fuji from the Trek, but that might wait to this winter.

One the thing I would not do to a vintage bike is to modernize it with briftors, but that's up to you, and if you do I would go with 105 due to the cost is significantly less than Ultegra and DA, but it lasts longer and works better than Tiagra and Sora with out much price difference between those. If you decide to modernize it keep the original stuff so if you ever sell the bike you can restore it back, it's worth more in it's vintage state than it is in a modernization state. I decided to keep my vintage and quite frankly it shifts as good as my modern 105/Ultegra system on my Lynskey.


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## Ducati998 (May 15, 2021)

My Fuji continued to have various problems and the repair bills were beginning to rack up. I finally decided to take the plunge and invest in a much newer bike. I found a great deal on a 2013 Giant Defy 1. 

The Fuji and the Giant are...drastically different. The Giant is so much better in every conceivable metric and easier to ride. 

If I was commuting or cycled for pleasure and to get some exercise, the Fuji would probably be fine. But I want to get in better shape and be more serious about my riding. The Giant is simply a better choice especially considering the price I paid for it.


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

Exactly as I predicted! NEW BIKES RULE!!!! .. 1.5 years, a lot sooner than I predicted!
If you get a new bike, please donate it to those other guys who posted they just love them.
If old bikes were so great as they went on and on about, why don't someone run them in the TdeFrance? Talk about an echo chamber!


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

duriel said:


> Exactly as I predicted! NEW BIKES RULE!!!! .. 1.5 years, a lot sooner than I predicted!
> If you get a new bike, please donate it to those other guys who posted they just love them.
> If old bikes were so great as they went on and on about, why don't someone run them in the TdeFrance? Talk about an echo chamber!


Wow, the ignorance in this statement is simply beyond amazing.


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

Don't look at the 'facts', keep the faith. The sky is not falling.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

duriel said:


> Don't look at the 'facts', keep the faith. The sky is not falling.


That's right, and old bikes are neither falling or failing, and are MORE reliable than newer bikes. You would know this if you were of any age to have been around when ALL stuff, by ALL I mean, even non bike related stuff, lasted far longer than today. Is that to say that all new technology on bikes or other stuff is all bad? Certainly not, but the reliability and the longevity of the new stuff is not there. 

Appliances at one time lasted an average of 30 years, now 8 to 12 years; bicycle components and frames lasted well over 100,000 miles, one of mine has over 150,000 miles and it still rides great without any component failure; you once were able to repair stuff like toasters, you throw them away now; not that long ago you could replace a cell phone battery, now they're starting to glue them in forcing you to buy a new cell phone when the old battery is dead even though the phone is perfectly fine; the list goes on. 

All this forcing you to buy stuff sooner due to planned adolescence and is making corporations and investors rich with NO REGARD to using valuable natural resources, or any regard to all those factories putting out greenhouse gases to make stuff over and over and over; maybe that should tell us something, maybe this greenhouse gas thing supposedly brought on by humans is a fraud? HMMMMM. If countries don't care about manufactures doing this crap, then humans must not be causing the greenhouse effect, or they would be taking serious steps to make things last 40 to 50 years and longer, the technology is there to make appliances last at least 50 years if they wanted to; I have a friend who has an International fridge her mom bought brand new in 1948, and other than 2 or 3 seal replacements it's never failed and it still serves her household. But where would be the profit for GE, or Whirlpool, or whoever, if their appliances lasted 50 years, they would be out of business if that were to happen.

Don't let these Green things and companies fool you, it's all about the money, and not about greenhouse gases.


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

He had an old bike, thought about a new one. Tried to ride an old one, then gave it up for a new one. Likes the new one better. End of story, nothing to do with your tyrate. 
I thought you were going to give us the old 'just like the good old times' story. 
He's a young guy and wants to give it a go, not ride in the past.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

duriel said:


> He had an old bike, thought about a new one. Tried to ride an old one, then gave it up for a new one. Likes the new one better. End of story, nothing to do with your tyrate.
> I thought you were going to give us the old 'just like the good old times' story.
> He's a young guy and wants to give it a go, not ride in the past.


I'm tyrating?? All I've seen is you coming after me, so you know what I'm thinking because you read it before I deleted it here.


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

Have you seen the show Tenet? I just finished it, take a look at it, the basis of your comments fit the premise of the movie. Best sci-fi movie I have ever saw, PERIOD!
All I am saying is I am right, he had an old bike & wanted input, he chose my solution and agreed after going with my recommendation. It doesn't take a novel of words to describe it, it's just the way it is, very simple.
Why are you so angry?


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

duriel said:


> If old bikes were so great as they went on and on about, why don't someone run them in the TdeFrance? Talk about an echo chamber!


Because the guys in the TdF get new bikes for free from sponsors - DERP!


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

duriel said:


> If old bikes were so great as they went on and on about, why don't someone run them in the TdeFrance? Talk about an echo chamber!


You have to wonder.... why aren't any bike manufacturers coming out with the latest and greatest steel tube super bike. Couldn't they just win the TdF and make gazillions selling the latest steel wonder bike.

I mean seriously... what pro just wouldn't love to ride a free bike from their sponsor that was 30+ seconds *slower *over 5mi.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

tlg said:


> You have to wonder.... why aren't any bike manufacturers coming out with the latest and greatest steel tube super bike. Couldn't they just win the TdF and make gazillions selling the latest steel wonder bike.
> 
> I mean seriously... what pro just wouldn't love to ride a free bike from their sponsor that was 30+ seconds *slower *over 5mi.


5 MPH slower? not quite. 

In 2016 the average speed at the TDF by the winner was 39.518 kmph which is 24.5 mph; in 1956 the winner's average speed was 36.268 kmph, or 22.53 mph for a difference of JUST 2 mph since 1956 till 2016.

In fact, you have to go ALL THE WAY BACK TO 1936 to get your 5 mph difference.

1994 was the last year a steel bike won at the TDF, its avg speed was 39.228 km per hour, now you figure out the speed difference between 1994 and 2016!


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

froze said:


> 5 MPH slower? not quite.


Nobody said anything about 5mph slower.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

froze said:


> 5 MPH slower? not quite.
> 
> In 2016 the average speed at the TDF by the winner was 39.518 kmph which is 24.5 mph; in 1956 the winner's average speed was 36.268 kmph, or 22.53 mph for a difference of JUST 2 mph since 1956 till 2016.
> 
> In fact, you have to go ALL THE WAY BACK TO 1936 to get your 5 mph difference.





tlg said:


> Nobody said anything about 5mph slower.


 My bad, I read it wrong. But it does prove that there is very little difference between steel and any other material used after steel was out. And there isn't anywhere near a 30 seconds difference in 5 miles in the TDF.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

froze said:


> But it does prove that there is very little difference between steel and any other material used after steel was out.


No it doesn't.
The average speed of GC riders spending 90% of their time in the peloton saving energy is meaningless. 

Yet not one single manufacturer is trying to sponsor a pro team with steel super bikes. 
Winning just one tour stage... one single time trial... and their sales would go through the roof.
Weird...none of them want to sell more bikes.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Too bad you disagree, but you are wrong. 

racing - Why aren't Tour de France riders going any faster? - Bicycles Stack Exchange


tlg said:


> No it doesn't.
> The average speed of GC riders spending 90% of their time in the peloton saving energy is meaningless.
> 
> Yet not one single manufacturer is trying to sponsor a pro team with steel super bikes.
> ...


Welp, I'm sorry to break this to you, because I know how difficult this is going to be for you to understand, but you're incorrect.

Please read this in its entirety: racing - Why aren't Tour de France riders going any faster? - Bicycles Stack Exchange


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

froze said:


> Too bad you disagree, but you are wrong.
> 
> racing - Why aren't Tour de France riders going any faster? - Bicycles Stack Exchange
> 
> ...


Stack exchange blog from 10yrs ago. LOL
Sorry to break it to you but your link proves me right lmao


> The simplest answer to your question is that 1) speeds have increased; but 2) speeds would have increased even more except Tour organizers have been consciously making the Tour harder in order to increase the drama, suspense, and entertainment value of the race. That makes comparisons of overall winner's speed quite complex when combined with normal variations in wind, weather, and team tactics during the race.


👍

Still not one single manufacturer is trying to sponsor a pro team with steel super bikes.
Weird. Nobody wants to make millions bucking the status quo of inferior carbon bikes.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

tlg said:


> Stack exchange blog from 10yrs ago. LOL
> Sorry to break it to you but your link proves me right lmao
> 👍
> 
> ...


Wow are you blind, ok, I'm moving on, I can't deal with such blatant ignorance. Go play with yourself now. I'm done.


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

If your not trying to go faster or improve performance, a steel bike is fine, they ride ok. They do rust and can be bent. Otherwise just keep riding them, although if you want new designs, improved component & overall performance, more gears, etc. one will need to get a 'newer' bike. Denial of facts by HS's is a common trait, becoming more and more observable as their claimed ideas are proven wrong. You are not alone, there are many others with the same problem.


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## Benjamin Huffy (5 mo ago)

Ducati998 said:


> All,
> 
> Ive been riding for a year now, but I am still very much a beginner. My bike is an early 80s Club Fuji. I have ridden the bike for 100s of miles over the last year and I am in need of doing some repairs on the bike. I am wondering how much an old bike limits someone like me. I try to average 100 miles per week and the longest Ive gone in one day is 56 miles. So, I'm still a beginner, but I wonder how much better I would be with a newer, better bike. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


 I have put thousands of miles on a 1973 Huffy ten-speed over the last few years. The life of the average steel frame bike might be infinite, only the super-light thin-tube steel bikes sometimes crack or break, and then only after very much use or damage of some sort. There is no advantage with a new bike for anyone but a pro. I rode my Huffy 150 miles last week with the longest ride 60 miles, and it recently finished well into the top half of finishers in a local time-trial that had 150-some entrants and I am pretty sure it was the oldest bike in the event, and averaged 19.5mph. The bike is super-comfortable and fits me like a glove, and my only fear where it is concerned is that someday it may be run over by a car or stolen and I will not be able to experience riding it again. I have two newer and lighter road bikes I could ride, but I don't because they just don't fit me like the Huffy. Your best solution is that if you enjoy your bike, ride it and save your time and energy by not thinking about other bikes, use your brain for something else.


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## mackgoo (Mar 2, 2004)

Ducati998 said:


> All,
> 
> Ive been riding for a year now, but I am still very much a beginner. My bike is an early 80s Club Fuji. I have ridden the bike for 100s of miles over the last year and I am in need of doing some repairs on the bike. I am wondering how much an old bike limits someone like me. I try to average 100 miles per week and the longest Ive gone in one day is 56 miles. So, I'm still a beginner, but I wonder how much better I would be with a newer, better bike. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
> 
> View attachment 480769


I'm confused. You mention Fuji, but your picture is a Bianchi, maybe TSX. Is this what you'd upgrade to?


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## MichaelMarmarad (4 mo ago)

Peter P. said:


> As long as the bike fits, the seat is comfortable, and all the parts work as they should, you'll be fine. People will wax poetic and spooge all over the new technology that's come about in the 30 years since your bike was purchased, but in the end, it's just a bike. Most of the improvements over the last decades are conveniences or refinements of what worked fine before.
> 
> When the cost of repairing your bike isn't financially justifiable and/or parts are no longer available, then it will be time to upgrade.


Hey Peter P You are so spot on n to not go for all the so called better new tech ,over priced hype. Never heard it beter " It's just a bike" keep it simple stupid


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## eddie m (Jul 6, 2002)

The principal limitation of an old bike is the motor. 

em


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

eddie m said:


> The principal limitation of an old bike is the motor.
> 
> em


Isn't that the principal limitation on any bike?


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

eddie m said:


> The principal limitation of an old bike is the motor.
> 
> em





Lombard said:


> Isn't that the principal limitation on any bike?


That's the point


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

We'll see, bring your 'bike'!


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