I'm on the bad side of fifty also. However, I find that way too many young and old riders marvel at the fact that I ride a steel Peugeot Team with old Campagnolo components. No STI. No synthetic saddle. Brakes you need to SQUEEZE. Retrofriction levers that require the feel. All the stuff on it is old, beautiful, and reliable. The bike is as fast as their composite wonders (bike performance is 80% meat on the seat, anyway). They are totally amazed that I still ride tubulars that are TAPED on and that I've yet to roll one off. And that I still use standard slotted cleat shoes and have had no knee operations.
A fellow rider and former 6 day racer who helped me in to my re-entry to cycling years ago gave me an answer to my question, "How long are you going to use standard slotted cycling shoes?" "Until they pay me to use clipless," he commented. His view was that cycling shoes and bikes should last you a lifetime. With care and common sense, he was right. In a hobby that almost requires you to switch and replace new stuff every three or four years, it get's you wondering.
Carl Gonzalez
Bay Village, OH
>Having finally settled in, I ventured out yesterday to ride with the 'big
>boys'. There is a group of about 100 riders who gather on Sat & Sun
>mornings, mostly local racers & triathletes. I think I was the only over
50
>person there. I showed up on my red Masi Prestige. Got lots of gawkers,
but
>the best line was, with about 20 people around, one of the guys says, "wow,
>Campy Record parts! When you going to upgrade that frame, man?" I think
>that said it all. Looking around, I didn't see a single confirmed steel
>frame there, unless a Bianchi Giro is steel--it was the closest thing to
>steel that I saw. So, today I went back with my lugged Spectrum steel
bike.
> Again, lots of gawkers--almost like going to a racing event in an antique
>car. Geez... I'm getting old. Lou Deeter, Orlando FL.