Can A Vintage Bike Survive A Modern Race?

What would happen if a 1960s bike entered a modern bike race? We know bikes have come a long way in the past half a century, but Si wanted to find out if a vintage bike could still hold its own in a modern race. He took a 1969 Eddy Merckx bike to his local crit to see how it would get on. Will he keep up? Can he challenge for the win? You’ll have to watch to find out!

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Have you ever gone racing on a vintage bike? 🚴 Let us know in the comments below! 💬

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[gcn]

Have you ever gone racing on a vintage bike? 🚴 Let us know in the comments below! 👇

[seattlegrrlie]

Didn't crash, didn't get dropped, finished the race - that's a win

[biggertree]

As a vintage cyclist, I need a modern bike to keep up.

[nt]

Absolutely love the takeaway message at the end. I recently tried a couple of crits after exclusively racing track for a few years. Turned up on a $200 facebook marketplace special sporting 15 year old Tiagra. Did I win? No, no I did not. Did I have fun? WAY more than $200 worth. Turn up on whatever you've got and get stuck in! We aren't playing for rainbow jerseys or olympic medals. Just have a go

[l.d.t.]

I'm a vintage racer in Belgium, and I absolutely loved this clip. I would like to invite you to try out racing in retro races over here. There is a full calendar and It's so much fun, especially because it's much more tactical, with the slower shifting, slower accelerations etc.

[Boopop]

I know sometimes people give GCN grief for being sponsor funded and often talking about flashy new bikes (and I don' t they overdo this anyway), so chapeux for putting up a video that essentially says "actually, just ride the bike you've got" :)

[bimblingalong]

sure you had the wrong cassette in, the toe-clips were too small, & down tube shifters, but you also had the best looking bike there... so that's a win!

[lordraiden]

Way back in the late 80's I bought a used Vitus 979 Aluminum frameset. It was polished with a clearcoat. I transfered the Shimano 105 groupset from the bike I was riding and had a perforated leather Selle Italia seat. I still think that was the best bike I have ever owned.

[brianf.nastali]

I've won many of modern races on a vintage bike...as have my kids. We all have modern bikes, but enjoy our "fun" vintage bikes. My daughter's first national track race 10ish years back, was on a borrowed 70's track bike...she beat competition riding $10k modern aero track bikes. There are definitely advantages to the modern bikes and components, but at the end of the day, in mass start races, especially crits, it's about the rider.

[cariocakev]

We (mostly vintage) riders of vintage bikes are really enjoying these videos with the Merckx! It’s been great watching your learning curve, from quick release torque to gear choice, pacing, and clear position. It shows how complex all the factors of cycling are and that no one thing — weight, aero, efficiency, and tactics are all powerful pieces of the puzzle. No silver bullets.

[swites]

Drafting makes an incredible difference that no wheelset, frame or skinsuit can compete with. So if you have none of those don't ride on, or go off the front! It actually forces you to ride smart and not waste energy or otherwise you get dropped.

[michaelatkinson]

My son is currently racing a 1953 Flying Scot (around 8Kg) at Scottish Highland Games Grasstrack races (fixie racing - quite The bike (frame) has been competing for nearly 70 years on the Grasstrack scene and he moved up to Adult racing from the juniors this year. First meeting out - he managed to win the 800m race....he did win the Scottish Grasstrack championship last year. We also have my 14 year old racing on a late 1940s Excel(sior) cycles steel fixie - leading the junior Grasstrack champs this year.

[lazlo]

You just made a whole generation subscribe to the channel with that awesomely crafted comment about getting stuck in no matter what you on! This day out was actually a breathe of fresh from GcN. Bravo.

[alaintallier]

Eddy Merckx has actually said in interviews what he would chose from the modern era it would be clipless pedals. Everything else is marginal, that he says was a game changer.

[tomrachellesfirstdance]

Good luck in 50 years getting a moden day dura ace to work 😂

Si as always a beast on the bike

[brianrainey]

Would love to see the whole GCN crew go on a tour, each with a ‘70’s bike they chose and with vintage wool kit and leather shoes w toeclips. You could still stop for coffee and cake but absolutely no gels allowed! 😄 Any chance any of the group knows how to do a roadside tubular repair?

[MissCaraMint]

I just fixed up my dad told road bike from the early 80s. It was such a joy to ride it. The downtube shifters are actually really nice, and I feel more in tune with the bike using them. It’s probably slower than a modern setup, but the feel is outstanding.

[anthonyhatter]

Not a racer but welcome to my childhood and teenage years. Steel frames and toe clips. Those shifters bring a tear to my eye. Loved my early bikes, a Peugeot and a Dawes.❤

[AlexChklar]

I think the biggest takeaway is racecraft. Learning how to ride in a bunch, hold a wheel etc, will get you a long way. Not riding safely or considerately in a bunch will get you spat out. Loved racing these kinds of events and launching ill fated attacks... Thanks for the memories!

[equusasinus]

In 2003, together with two other oldies from Canterbury Cycle Club, I decided to get a veteran's licence and go racing again. We entered a road race in Tenterden in Kent and I was riding a twenty year old classic De Rosa steel-frame bike. Unlike Si's 1969 bike with down-tube shifters and foot clips, I had upgraded the De Rosa with 21st century Campagnolo Record groupset and clipless pedals. To be honest, I don't think the classic steel bike was any handicap whatsoever. What failed was my nerve. After so many years since I last raced, I was terrified going flat-out downhill on narrow Kent country lanes, shoulder to shoulder in the peloton, watching the wheel in front as if it was a grenade with the pin out... After 15 miles I was dropped, but I kept a respectable distance from the broom wagon for the rest of the race. I never raced again but I just enjoy riding my bike.