Retro thoughts

[althebike]

I used to tour in the 1970s, but sold my bike when I got married. Now retired I am riding again . I have a nice carbon go faster thing with lots of gears, but..... I miss my old bike. It was steel, large flange wheel hubs, shiny chrome bits, center pull brakes, and 10 gears.. but.
I do not ever remember changing the chain,in fact I did not clean it very often, the cassette never wore out, it was comfortable and , although it must have done, I do not recall even a puncture. Looking at modern bikes, it seems like buying an old Ford, what shade of black would you like (OK there are a few exceptions) .You have cycled though a puddle? you need a strip, clean and degrease.
Well I exaggerate a bit, but the old stuff had a lot going for it .

[reohn2]

Rose tinted spectacles are all that more rosier when looking over the shoulder to one's youth.
That said a touring bike will almost surely be more comfortable than a race inspired CF bike....

[slowster]

I used to tour in the 1970s, but sold my bike when I got married. Now retired I am riding again . I have a nice carbon go faster thing with lots of gears, but..... I miss my old bike. It was steel, large flange wheel hubs, shiny chrome bits, center pull brakes, and 10 gears.. but.
I do not ever remember changing the chain,in fact I did not clean it very often, the cassette never wore out, it was comfortable and , although it must have done, I do not recall even a puncture. Looking at modern bikes, it seems like buying an old Ford, what shade of black would you like (OK there are a few exceptions) .You have cycled though a puddle? you need a strip, clean and degrease.
Well I exaggerate a bit, but the old stuff had a lot going for it .

Your carbon go faster thing with lots of gears is more analogous to a Ferrari than a Ford, and similarly needs and demands a higher standard of care and maintenance than the average runabout.

You can buy touring bikes now that are much better than what you had in the 1970s, with kit that is pretty durable/forgiving of less TLC than a race bike.

I think that the high sales of carbon race and performance bikes reflects the fact that a lot of cyclists (and potential new cyclists) are relatively cash rich and time poor: they can afford an expensive bike, but can only spend a few hours at most on it once a week, and so they choose the race bike for the extra speed it gives, especially if they ride with mates who have similar bikes.

However, in your case OP, since you have retired you presumably have more free time and can go for longer rides. In your shoes I would get a tourer or audax bike like those offered by Spa Cycles. It would probably also make you appreciate and enjoy the extra speed of the carbon bike when you ride it.

[althebike]

slowster,
yes thank you, I did indeed look at some audux bikes but I found an ex demo specialised endurance model heavily discounted so went for that.
I have a seatpost pack and handlebar pack and will mainly do credit card touring, hope to do lejog soon, on that setup.

[Si]

I remember my road bike back then....stoutly built but you had to book ahead if you wanted to use the brakes in the wet.

[Airsporter1st]

Funnily enough I was just thinking back to the day I got my Claude Butler Sapphire, which must have been 1967, because according to some info I saw online yesterday, it was only made in that year.

I remember it appeared centre stage in the very small window of our local bike shop and I fell in love with it immediately. It had a brilliant white frame with sapphire blue highlights, weinman centre pulls, 5 speed derailleur etc. etc. I couldn't believe it when my mum and dad said I could have it for birthday and christmas combined.

I rode it from Heathrow to Golder's Green (to show my cousin) and back, on Christmas Day - a round trip of 38 miles and, at the age of 15, it was doddle. The difference between that 'racer' and my ageing old hack was as that of a Jag to a Morris Minor.

Rose coloured specs no doubt, but I'd still like to have that bike again today.

[peetee]

Funny you use the Jag and Morris Minor comparison. When they both debuted at the motor show it was the Morris that stole the show from the XK120 !

[Airsporter1st]

Funny you use the Jag and Morris Minor comparison. When they both debuted at the motor show it was the Morris that stole the show from the XK120 !

I'd forgotten that! Not such a great analogy then - although hopefully the comparison still stands up in refinement terms! That said, if I had the funds and space to buy a car which meant a lot to me in my formative years, it would be a Moggie.

[Mike Sales]

I'd forgotten that! Not such a great analogy then - although hopefully the comparison still stands up in refinement terms! That said, if I had the funds and space to buy a car which meant a lot to me in my formative years, it would be a Moggie.

Do you remember Dame Edna Everage's "half timbered car"?

[Airsporter1st]

I'd forgotten that! Not such a great analogy then - although hopefully the comparison still stands up in refinement terms! That said, if I had the funds and space to buy a car which meant a lot to me in my formative years, it would be a Moggie.

Do you remember Dame Edna Everage's "half timbered car"?

No - but I guess he/she was referring to the Traveller?

[Mike Sales]

Do you remember Dame Edna Everage's "half timbered car"?

No - but I guess he/she was referring to the Traveller?

Yes.

[peetee]

I sold my clipper blue 1959 Traveller only last year after it had sat unused in the garage for 6 years. It was the only one of 7 successive Moggie thousands that I had not managed to restoring enough to drive. Sad, but the garage is full of bikes now so things are looking up.

Oh, and the engineering of the Morris 1000 may have been standard for the time but its design content, particularly chassis and suspension, and road capability were light years ahead.

[reohn2]

Is this a record thread drift in 11 posts?

[cycle tramp]

I used to tour in the 1970s, but sold my bike when I got married. Now retired I am riding again . I have a nice carbon go faster thing with lots of gears, but..... I miss my old bike. It was steel, large flange wheel hubs, shiny chrome bits, center pull brakes, and 10 gears.. but.
I do not ever remember changing the chain,in fact I did not clean it very often, the cassette never wore out, it was comfortable and , although it must have done, I do not recall even a puncture. Looking at modern bikes, it seems like buying an old Ford, what shade of black would you like (OK there are a few exceptions) .You have cycled though a puddle? you need a strip, clean and degrease.
Well I exaggerate a bit, but the old stuff had a lot going for it .

Hope you don't mind me asking, what's stopping you from buying (or even building, or re-building) a bike like that, now?

[geomannie]

I have just recreated my youth, albeit a bit more modern with 1 1/8" headset, 9 speeds, bar-end shifters, Renolds 631 (thanks Mr Dave Yates).

Its extremely comfortable, reasonably light (11kg including mudguards, pedals & saddle) and can carry panniers for touring.

When I think of a bicycle, this is what is in my head.