[CR]Re: Why ride old stuff? - belated

(Example: Component Manufacturers)

From: "Terry McClintock" <TerryM@JFCS.ORG>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Date: Thu, 13 May 2004 13:32:37 -0700
Subject: [CR]Re: Why ride old stuff? - belated

OK, enough with the speculation, opinions and theories on old vs. new. I got first-hand experience coming home on my commute yesterday. I was riding my stately French tourer, sort of a poor man's Herse, (I know, I know Jan, but humor me.), and just as I hit The Hill a youngster blew by on his Super Alu-CADD Whatever like I was part of the scenery. My response? Well I couldn't let him ignore me, and there was this running debate to settle. So I stood up and got cranking, figuring that if I kept him in sight going up The Hill, my greater potential energy would surely make things fun going down.

Ah, but I didn't just keep him in sight. Owing to superior strategy at the traffic light, I was able to get on his wheel and stay there for the 6 level blocks before the downhill. The stage was set, when suddenly the glint of metal on pavement caught my eye. Thinking fast I decided the race was worth more than the quarter, and snapping my head up came face-to-face with the competition, who had braked hard and was crossways in the bike lane headed back for the coin. (Chuck, I think you've got something there about the competition actually knowing they're in a race.) I grabbed the brakes and got the bike sideways to keep from t-boning him. I stopped in time but didn't get my foot out of the clip in time to keep from going down on top of the Super Alu-CADD Whatever with the SS ToutReynolds on top of me. The damage? Jammed knuckle and a little road rash for me; a dangling rear derailleur, broken cog and bent chain for the competition. Ouch! Feeling a little responsible, I took him to my garage and removed the useless derailleur, shortened his chain so he could get home and explained that C'dale might not honor their life time frame warranty this time.

What I learned regarding old vs. new: 1) Twenty-somethings riding new stuff can climb faster than me on Mme. LeMotoconfort; 2) Twenty-somethings riding new stuff can stop faster than me on Mme. LeMotoconfort; 3) aluminum sure breaks easy; 4) Steel sure is durable (the Madame didn't even get her lovely stainless fenders out of whack); 5) Twenty-somethings get distracted easily - be more selective when choosing competition

Oh yeah, the coin? The competition walked back and picked it up before I got up and got the bikes off the street. It was Canadian. Try buying a new dropout with that, bucko. (No offense, just not worth anything here unless you can pass it off as gratuity and get a big smile from Ethel at the local java house.)

Terry McClintock
Frisco