Cycling on vintage Italian steel is my pashion! I've been "seriously" cycling since the early 1970s and am fortunate to have owned several great bikes including a Gitane Tour de France (my first "good" bike"), an all-Campy NR-equipped Raleigh Professional Mk IV, an Austro-Daimler Superleicht and a Campy SR-equipped Ciocc Mod San Cristobal (my current steed). I'm afraid my early-80s Ciocc isn't "pure vintage" as she currently sports aero brake levers, Look clipless pedals and a Bell wireless cyclocomputer, but then again I don't wear a "leather hair-net" or a wool jersey anymore when I ride, either! Regardless, I believe Columbus SL tubing is still a better frame material than aluminum or carbon fiber. (Or is it "carpet fiber"? Yuck - that's the stuff my cat throws up!) Hey, lighter isn't necessarily better - especially when it comes to bicycle frames. Resilience and durability are qualities prized in bicycle frames - and humans. If you really want to climb better then try losing some body fat!
Oh, I also like beer. Historical fact: Without beer our civilization wouldn't even exist!
Steve Whitting
"The Ciocc Cat"
Prairieville, Louisiana USA
http://ciocc-cat.angelfire.com/