Why I STILL Ride a Vintage Road Bike In 2025!

Welcome back yall! Can't wait to chat about why I'm still on this bike with components as old and/or older than me! I got some hot takes too so lets stir things up a little bit haha! I hope you enjoy this video and it inspires you to purchase/build a vintage bike!

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[philkitchen]

It’s great when you reach the point where you can break free from the hype

[rave]

13:44 It always makes me smirk every time I see someone with a beer belly riding a $5000 bike while I'm out on my 26 year old allez

[corydee]

One of my new secret obsessions is pulling the worst 10 speeds out of the trash, putting new tubes and tires on them and riding them the hardest they've ever been ridden in 30 years.

[BB-txtq]

I don't wrap my bars until I've gone out on 4 to 5 rides to make sure the fit is correct. You're preaching to the choir here, steel is real!

[elwynanderson]

So refreshing to hear another serious cyclist offer a balanced non-prejudicial assessment of performance with older bicycles. I tried newer bikes. Five years ago I went back to riding older bikes. Love’em! You are spot on.

[MarkMiller-iq]

I sometimes get weird looks when I show up for group rides on my Schwinn. Among the comments: "You're still riding with down-tube shifters?!" Yes, I say, and loving every minute of it.

[kenblair]

Great video (subscribed). I'm 77, been riding since my teens. It's great to see a young guy, into steel bikes. I currently have 5 steel bikes in my inventory, (1983-2005) . Yes, I can strip them down to a bare frame, replace all cables and bearings, rebuild and back riding at the end of the day. All came with down tube shifters, except my 2005 Jamis. I have since, upgraded all to STI shifters, in order to get lower gearing. I'm way older and live in Western Massachusetts, which is all hilly. Three bikes have a low 22 gear inch. Others have 26 gear inch low . Not much I can't climb. I'm talking 8-10% short grades. GRX crank set, was a great up-grade. I remember moving from 21mm tires to now 25 and 28mm, were I can fit them. However, I still have a set of tubulars (20mm) I break out to ride, to enjoy the harsh, sporty ride. Roads are in good shape, for now. Back in 2017, I bought my first plastic (CF) bike with disk's and internal cables. What a PITA. Also a Aluminum frame bike. (Can't afford titanium) Still, fun to ride. Yep, this aero crap and lite weight stuff is all marketing hype . Yes, if your a paid pro, I can see were seconds count. But for us immortals, loose body fat and get into shape. Your body is the greatest wind drag . But, on the technology side, I do use a Garmin computer, cadence, HR, speed and power sensors on all bikes. I will say, disks are important on Mtn and gravel bikes. And don't get me started on "Gravel" stuff, more marketing hype . Thanks. KB (I still have a set of Shimano 105, 7spd DT shifters and Campy 7 spd DT shifters in my parts bin)

[MarkMiller-iq]

I can relate. I ride an all-steel 1986 Schwinn Paramount using Campy Super Record parts that includes a 6-cog free-wheel made in China. Less can be more when it comes to lots of things, including bikes. I find friction shifting more reliable with less maintenance needed.

[danielgolite]

I bought my vintage bike at a garage sale for $75 in 2011. It is a Schwinn Voyageur touring bike built in 1983. The previous owner had it professionally painted in metallic orange and then he polished all the components. It is stunning in appearance. I had some work done on it last year including a new bottom bracket. Last month I used it in my first bike race, a spring triathlon and passed by many new carbon fiber and aluminum bikes.

[rodneynoriel]

I love this cause not only is it a vintage steel bike, it’s a performance brand that still kicks butt. You will never be stranded with that bike. ❤❤❤❤

[ericpmoss]

My favorite things about these bikes are the feel of the steel fork and that I can ride one without fear of a ding.

[heshamshehab]

Vintage road bikes are beautiful and durable

[cecilecorpuz]

I'm from the steel road bike era and I'm still riding 70's/80's lugged steel bikes, friction shifting tubular tires and clips and straps I've never raced, but I did log many miles on lugged steel it served me well then and still serves me well today, so to say no biggie no need for over priced current day carbon bike junk. I'm a custom wheel builder and I'll have a variety of different wheel sets for different rides and road conditions, funny thing I built most of my friends and customer wheels with the similar rear end spacing as my own wheel sets, one day I was on a ride with a few others and we had a broom wagon following us just so happens the driver, his bike was in the bed of the truck just so happens I built those wheels as well, during a long and fast down hill run I was having a high speed wobble, I stopped to check my rear wheel but it was still straight and true so got back on it then started to ride again, but the wobble was still there, so I stopped again to check on my wheels once again anyway as I was grabbing the tire, the thread cover simply peeled off! Without asking I grabbed the wheel off of the bike that was in the truck and slammed it onto my bicycle and off I went. The most modern item that I will use on my bikes will be 80's era aero brake levers. As the age old saying goes, steel is real.

[anthonyramirez]

1000 % agree ! Finally ! A true vintage bike lover !

[joewickie]

Bought my Jack Taylor in 1977 and it still rides great. The Taylor brothers may have passed on but their legacy of steel lives on.

[tayt]

I like the late 80s through 90s vintage bikes. They have character and durable…love the down tube shifters. I appreciate the love you show these old bikes💯✊🏾🤙🏾

[curtvaughan]

My favorite bicycle ever was my Raleigh Team 753, which I bought on lay-away back in 1989. It had a Reynolds 753 frame and fork, Dura Ace gruppo with 8-speed cassette and 53/42 chain rings. I was probably older then than you are now in 1989 (37), but hey, Greg Lemond had won the TdF by 8 seconds and I decided I wanted a top-of-the-line steel framed bike that year. I loved that bike, but finally got too old to ride drop bar road bikes, so gave the bike - they last a LONG time when well maintained - to my grandson about five years ago. He, too, loves the old bike (he's now in his mid-30's). He and that bicycle are the same age - both born in 1989. I still ride, but do recumbents, crank-forward semi-recumbents, and mountain bikes. Keep riding! My only steel framed bike is a Transition TransAm, a hard tail.

[seanhartman]

I totally agree about the modern “blackout” look to bicycles and love the pop of polished silver components.

A bicycle is a machine with working components you can see, much like a steam locomotive, and that’s a big part of its charm.

[pathsgo]

I love my vintage bike too, there is something special about these awesome bikes

[GeorgeEvans-lkwc]

There is definitely a quality to old bikes and parts that just does not exist today and will probably never return. I have noticed a few posts on social media regarding old Campy Victory and Athena groups. The first gen Athena group is one of the most beautiful ever produced. Fall is the perfect time for me to rotate my friction shifting Campy into my daily rides! Great video!