I was reminded of the constant timeliness of this thread yesterday. I was on a leisurely ride with the Los Angeles Wheelmen, a ride I try to do every Sunday if there's no vintage-ride going on. We'd just come through the Veteran's Hospital onto San Vicente when a small groupe of LaGrange Club riders came up on us. I was riding my recently-restored 1972 Colnago Super, which looks pretty spiffy, when one of the LaGrange riders, on the latest Colnago C-40 with Record Ergo stuff, came alongside and good-naturedly said "nice bike...good for a *Sunday* ride" (emphasis his)...I allowed as how in a sprint or up a hill I might have trouble keeping up...but that my physical condition was the main problem. I'm in ok shape, but no way could I keep up with LaGrange Cat 2 riders, for instance.
He seemed unconvinced. And later, when we all pulled into a coffee shop for a snack, a number of LaGrange riders were there, with their modern wonders. My Colnago was a ghost from the past. Oddly enough, it made me feel my age somehow. Those good old days really are gone.
The entire experience made me want to go back into training, enter a race, and WIN on my old Colnago, complete with vintage parts. I suspect I could win a Cat 5 race in my age class...maybe even a Cat. 4, assuming I trained assiduously for six months. Fortunately for me, the urge has passed. I'll just continue to enjoy my antique machines and not try to prove anything...although I continue to have the secret urge to install a modern Record/Ergo/carbon group on this fine Baylis I picked up recently..
Charles Andrews
SoCal