again...
no one is debating that the engine and the mind are
important. what i am saying is that no amount of
training or positive thinking will make up for the fact that
a seasoned rider using a 70s frame and 70s parts is going
to be at a disadvantage if everyone around him is using
modern parts. the average speeds don't matter. the terrain
doesn't matter. nothing matters. buy if the playing field is
tilted, that matters.
i could be mistaken, but there was a time in the 70s that
the now-vintage parts were new and innovative. i suspect
all the racers from the 50s and 60s glommed onto the new
stuff and consumed it passionately. there may have been a few
holdouts that thought derailleurs were newfangled and high
tech, and "what's wrong with dismounting and flipping around
the rear wheel to use the_other_cog to get up the hill."
(remember those????).
it's been noted here, also, that rominger set a record using
a basic colnago track frame. unlike road frames, track frames
of that or any era have not changed to the point that they're
not compatible with parts from another era. the track frame
'simply' holds the parts, few as they are. rominger's feat
was accomplished because the wheels were better, he had
the aero position nailed, and he had good fitness. i defy
anyone racing to break a current record on the road
using 30 year old parts. the hour record and track parts
represent a different animal.
this thread has taken too many turns for me to remain
interested. i contended this a.m. that, essentially, a 70s
bicycle would be a liability in a racing situation in today's
world. my opinion is not based on that i love old bikes
or that i hoard, i mean 'collect' old parts. it's based on first
hand experience from racing and being involved in the
sport at all levels. it'd be interesting to know how many
opinions voiced today were formed by people whose
careers took place on the sidelines.
e-RICHIE