Keep in mind that I love the old bikes when you read this:
As one who has raced (recently) on new bikes and (recently) on a 1970 Gitane (NR) and a 1985 Gitane (SR), it is my opinion that the older bikes are much less responsive with regards to changes of speed. Sorry, but they simply are not as "fast". Once they are rolling, they can keep up with anything. However, they cannot accelerate like the lighter bikes, and shifting to match the newer bikes is a pain in the arse (slower, anyways). Much more thinking and foresight has to go into your racing plan...you cannot react - you must anticipate.
That being said, I would have won the race on my 1970, had I not messed up and not thrown it into my 13 for the sprint (I spun out in the 14, and was pipped at the line!). I got second on my 1985 as well.... But for the states, I race my new Gitane.
As for the "aero" advantage...putting a disk wheel and TT bars on a PX-10 isn't going to cut it. You guys need to go and try a TT.... Even for an admitted hater of TT's like me, the new bikes are far superior. Seconds count there....
But you are right as far as the weekend warrior is concerned. The difference isn't going to be felt - it should all be about comfort at that point.
Stephan Andranian Costa Mesa, CA
Mitch Harris <mitch.harris@gmail.com> wrote: Jerry said it right.
"Put disc/deep section wheels and a properly set-up clip-on tri-bar on that PX-10 and you're back to 1% or less difference."
The other post-'84 bike change that makes a difference in winning or losing may be the ability to shift a cog or two mid-sprint. I understand that with Ergo/STI you can shift say from a 13 to a 12 cog while out of the saddle sprinting full-on. I've tried it when ever I occasionally ride Ergo/STI on others' bikes. It seems to work, but I've not tried it in a mass sprint.
For CR-era bike racing you had to pick a gear and be able to jump with it and then not lose the sprint by spinning out on it. Especially once 13t cogs were around it was easy to lose a sprint by choosing incorrectly between 14t and 13t--never getting on top of the 13t, or spinning out in the 14t. To be able to jump with one gear then shift and spin up with another gear would have changed the sprint completely.
Mitch Harris
Little Rock Canyon, Utah