Re: [CR]Winning Today's Races With Yesterday's Technology

(Example: Racing:Jean Robic)

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Date: Mon, 10 May 2004 17:21:59 -0400
From: "Grant McLean" <Grant.McLean@SportingLife.ca>
Subject: Re: [CR]Winning Today's Races With Yesterday's Technology
To: "Classic Rendezvous Mail List (E-mail)" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
cc: "'chuckschmidt@earthlink.net'" <chuckschmidt@earthlink.net>

Chuck, (and others not snoozing yet...)

If you get down to it, a lot retro dudes are in it for the aesthetic reasons, not the technology.(thus all the photos being taken at the Cirque) If people on this list didn't care about how stuff looked, what collector would go to a "show" and LOOK at all the stuff on display? The only reason to own somthing would be to ride it, and we all know how much the fancy bikes really get ridden ;-)

I still think that lots of 50's to 70's stuff is just a lot better looking than 99% of modern stuff. There's no better looking bikes than those 70's Gios, Pinarello, Bianchi, Masi, De Rosa and all those other pro racing bikes of that era. (and I am "in the prime of life") BUT, I think modern technology is better in every way, so I'm no retro-grouch. I'm not talking about quality, or craftsmanship, I'm talking technology.

There's some nice black carbon fiber stuff out there, but it's the exception, IMHO, not the rule. I find most modern graphics waaaay over the top, cluttered and unbalanced looking. So Chuck, you're a graphics guy, go set the guys at TREK straight!!

I like your term "obsolete"! I also enjoy riding stuff that is technologically inferior today, it's no big deal. Bikes are great to ride, and a great riding bike will always be a great riding bike.

Grant McLean toronto, canada

Chuck Schmidt wrote: (sniped) If Lance were on my 1948 Thrumsley Hornet Experto he would still win his sixth Tour!" or something along these lines.

Seems to be a reoccurring dream of mankind (or a certain sector of the bike riding public), along with the search for eternal youth and enlarging one's "luv muscle."

Maybe Maynard was onto something when he wrote the following: "Cycling retro looks wacko to me...I don't get it. What's with guys in their 20s and 30s, in the prime of life, lost in nostalgia?" --Maynard Hershon

I enjoy riding obsolete racing bikes and I enjoy riding current racing bikes and have never had a problem telling one from the other. While the former clearly have a undeniable charm, let's not let this cloud our vision of current bike racing conducted at the highest levels.