Gone and bought a carbon bike!

[finbarred]

As in the title....

Being a born again cyclist of 14 months I have enjoyed getting out on my bikes. I have picked up 4 steel bikes and a modern full suspension MTB...all great fun.

But a few days ago I had a look at a Boardman Pro Team Carbon and was very impressed. I have a Ron Cooper 753 and a Grandini 653 and just wanted to have a modern bike to compare/enjoy too. Am I a bad person? I love the old stuff, but have converted them to STI 9 speed bikes as I think 90's - 00's components work and look great, I guess I like riding the bikes too, therefore am interested in trying different stuff.

So I guess I am asking if anybody else has felt the need to try modern bikes too, and if so what are your observations?

ps I purchased the Boardman in the end, and should have it in the week!

 

[benjy]

i like any bikes, my modern one is 6mth old have a few 80s bikes an fancy a ride on the shops 1915/20s bikes, if i like it an enjoy it thats all that matters an i can see why old or new is cool to

 

[Nob]

Boardman bikes are good handling bikes especially on technical descents & give you allot of confidence when speeding down hills. Good response & feedback from the road also - enjoy your ride.

 

[47p2]

I find modern carbon to be stiff compared to old steel frames and feel a lot of road buzz on rough surfaces compared to steel framed bikes Modern components on the other hand work so precisely and with so little effort and are a massive improvement on what we had BITD

 

[M-Power]

Note to self, no more knee jerk posts

 

[Old Ned]

I find modern carbon to be stiff compared to old steel frames and feel a lot of road buzz on rough surfaces compared to steel framed bikes Modern components on the other hand work so precisely and with so little effort and are a massive improvement on what we had BITD

Sadly I have to agree. The simplicity, ease, smoothness and convenience of modern STI units (and the wide range of ratios available) knocks DT shifters into the proverbial cocked hat. I find myself riding retro a lot less now - but then I've hardly ridden at all this year so that's not difficult!

They're also a LOT easier to climb on - and that's important in my dotage :roll:

But I still like retro!!

 

[47p2]

They're also a LOT easier to climb on - and that's important in my dotage :roll:

I came back to cycling 9 months ago with my old Peugeot which is fitted with 42/52T x 12/19T gears. If I had tried climbing some of the hills around here I would have sold the bike and never got back into the sport. Compact gears and modern STIs make cycling (especially for the novice) so much more enjoyable. Now that I have some miles in I am looking forward to taking the Peugeot out and climbing some hills without the worry of having to get off the bike and push it up the hills. At the moment I have 2 bikes fitted with compact gearing, my plan is to change them to what I was used to BITD 42/53, hopefully next year if I have enough strength in my legs.

 

[Old Ned]

They're also a LOT easier to climb on - and that's important in my dotage :roll:

I came back to cycling 9 months ago with my old Peugeot which is fitted with 42/52T x 12/19T gears. If I had tried climbing some of the hills around here I would have sold the bike and never got back into the sport. Compact gears and modern STIs make cycling (especially for the novice) so much more enjoyable. Now that I have some miles in I am looking forward to taking the Peugeot out and climbing some hills without the worry of having to get off the bike and push it up the hills. At the moment I have 2 bikes fitted with compact gearing, my plan is to change them to what I was used to BITD 42/53, hopefully next year if I have enough strength in my legs.

I can't believe nowadays the size of gears we used to ride around with. You were a wimp if you sported a 24 tooth sprocket in those days! I remember Pete Jacques (the track sprinter) riding our end of season 'Last of the Summer Wine' ride on 52/42 and a straight through block. The route went to Holmfirth via back roads (hills), over Holme Moss (BIG hill), Buxton and then Snake Pass (another BIG hill), over The Strines (including Hewden Bank, a HUGE hill) and back to Wakefield via another lot of back roads (ie - more hills). I was walking up Hewden Bank and he was riding - I was catching him up!

 

[47p2]

Yes Ned, the good old days when men were men and boys were boys

 

[finbarred]

'NOB' I hope the Boardman is as good a handler as you say.

I really hope it is not a road buzz monster like '47P2' mentions.

And as you and 'OLD NED' say compact gearing really is great...I sometimes think back to road races where it was quite normal to spend a fair amount of time 'honking' out the saddle and no wonder with 42x23 as a low gear (circa 82-87).

I love STI's and really don't think they look bad on any steel classics, sometimes I see a bike I dreamed of as a poor racer back in the day something like a Gios Torino or a lovely Ron Cooper but as soon as I see one I am thinking of modernising the running gear. Guess it is because I will be riding them so they must work well on the road...guess the good side of this is that the original components don't get worn out!

AS mentioned I too had no lust for a carbon bike, but I am curious to see how it compares to my 653 Grandini and hopefully the 753 Ron Cooper (when I get it resprayed). And if I hate it I can still use the components on another bike...maybe even a custom steel one I have been mulling over.