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

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

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

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

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!

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.

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" :)

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.

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.

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.

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.

My son is currently racing a 1953 Flying Scot (around 8Kg) at Scottish Highland Games Grasstrack races (fixie racing - quite exciting.....). 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.

Good luck in 50 years getting a moden day dura ace to work 😂 Si as always a beast on the bike

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.❤

Raced similar setup many times (cause I'm old). Of all the advances clipless pedals hold a special place in my heart. BTW I trained on my Merckx and raced a cheaper frame. Much more likely to mess up a bike in a race.

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!

Amazing stuff. Si is a beast! As someone who rides a modern but vintage inspired steel bike (Temple) I’d love to see one of these videos with a traditional-ish steel frame but modern wheels, gears and other bits.

The Vintage bikes were king in their era however, its close to impossible for an old bicycle to beat a modern bicycle with everything they have, carbon aero frames, 12 speed dura aces, carbon deep lip rims, faster and more accurate groupsets, all that cannot compare but it sure is a glory to ride one of these

Would love to see a follow-up on this, a series of videos showing this same race and going through the ages of bikes, up to a modern super bike. Would love to see this!!

When I compare my rides on Strava between my Pegoretti Luigino and my OPEN U.P. with 50mm aero wheels, the Pegoretti is just as fast if not faster on a lot of segments. Some of that might be due to the larger chainrings but still, that lugged steel bike is so fast and more comfortable than the carbon one.

Lovely video: fun and articulate, especially that uplifting morale of the story at the end. As to the bike, didn't Merckx himself say "less upgrades, more riding up grades"? Being smart about your bike and while you're on it goes a long way, but then so does fitness. Cyclists obsess over the weight of their components and the "aero" qualities of their gear, but if you're not in shape, all the money in the world wasted on expensive gear won't save you from being dropped.

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.

What I love about the Met Trenta is that it looks like the old hairnet helmets of that time, from the front. I had a modern custom steel frame bike built with modern gearing and it can keep up in my group rides but it does take a little extra effort. Rides so smooth though. Now, if I took my '82 Olmo on my group ride, I think I'd struggle more to keep up mainly because of the gearing and the steel was a bit heavier. It feels more sluggish than my modern one. Once it's up to speed, it's up to speed. It's a like a truck and a sports car can both go 60 mph, one can just get there faster. I do feel the difference though when I get back on my carbon bike in the responsiveness on acceleration and handling. It takes less effort.

I grew up on old bikes with down tube shifters (I’m only 27) because all I could afford was older bikes. Didn’t stop me wiping the floor with all the others in the junior time trials and some crits. That said, 10 years on I can afford a newer bike, but am 1000 times slower 😂

I did the Eroica Hispania last weekend. All bikes are vintage and much of the course is off road. A real test of endurance for old tech and rider!

My first road bike in my teen years was a 1970's Raleigh Grand Prix I bought from a friend. It had toe clips and was the wrong size for me. What did I know? Nothing but it was a gas. I had been riding BMX bikes before that, all this in the 1970's. Went to college and didn't buy another road bike until 2020 (mountain bikes up to that point). I discovered GCN at that time which has been great as I got back into road biking in my late '50's. Thanks GCN!

When a college student in the early 90s, my mid-80s very inexpensive bike frame broke. I got a hand-me-down racing frame from the 1970s and built it up with a mix of parts from the 1970s and 1980s. I confess to having clipless pedals by that time, though. I was able to hang in my local races, although the bike got its share of finger pointing and comments, especially the black rustoleum paint covering up its serious blemishes. I used the same bike for time trials in the early 2000s, albeit with a new paint job. It was called "Frankenbike." Tight finances drive innovation!

I raced in the early 70's, but my bike had ten gears. (Later 12 gears) You could also buy toe clips of different lengths to make that comfortable. The shoes were much lighter and cooler with a metal plate with a slot, that slotted onto the pedal, meaning you could pull as well as push on the pedals, especially uphill. I only ever once had a problem getting my foot in the toe clip, and that was a criterium that started on cobbles. The straps were usually fairly tight to start with, you could pull them tighter when you got a chance, or needed too. I never started with them loose. I was frequently placed, but was a better track rider, than road rider, although I enjoyed the road more.

Up until this spring, my only roadbike was a circa 1976 Bianchi. I did a benchmark run on that one vs. my new carbon bike, and at my puny 210W average, the difference between the bikes was about 45s over a reasonably flat 7km course... With comparable tyres on both and without mudguards and luggage rack on the Bianchi, the difference would have been much smaller though...

One of the best GCN videos ever! Really inspirational. And I write this as someone who used to race in the 80s, but gave up due to the bike tech arms race. If there was some opportunity to race with other riders, on basic bikes like we used to see (at least up until the mid 80s) then I'd get back into racing, even though I'm now in my 60s and obviously a lot slower than I was.

Love it, nice to see you can race on an old bike, you could even upgrade the gears to more modern ones if you want!. And the pedals for that matter. Great one.

It might of not been the quickest bike there but what a cool looking retro machine

Super vid! I take it you never had to nail your cleats on to your (leather soled and highly polished) shoes then? It's very amusing watching younger riders make sense of the stuff we just took for granted.... Yes, toe clips had to be the right length, akin to having clipless cleats in the wrong place. Gear changing? Just pedaled quicker or slower - it was simply terrifying to do that in a race... and the noise!! I remember my bike wasn't particularly light by todays standards, but I had lighter wheels for TTing and RR;'ing, so we did take weight into account for the discipline, the thing, is looking at today's results, it's only the really fast guys who are really showing what new technology can do, the average club rider aren't really doing any different times to what we did on steel and ali. More riding up grades and less upgrades, said one very famous cyclist. Ride your bike, ride your bike, ride your bike, said another...

Thanks! Bikes don't win races - racers win races. BTW, if you'd offer me my choice of any bike in that race I would go home with the one you rode. Eternal value and class.

For about twenty years from the eighties, I went to amateur competitions with a slightly modified three-speed picnic bike. :-) I was usually there in the first third of the field. I still use it sometimes.

Would be cool to see more with this bike doing more period refinements like larger toe clips and changing the gearing to suit the event, find out how good it could be.

Suggest you next try an approx 1980-2000 "vintage" that included bar mounted indexed shifters and clipless pedals, and maybe the Campagnolo Racing Triple. Most of the problems you mention had been overcome by then, but still "vintage." That will give the modern stuff a run for its money at a quarter of the price!

Try again with clipless pedals, proper gears and some lycra. Also, you need teally stiff soled shoes and plates for clips. That's why your calves hurt. Wrong shoes, wrong gear. You are a beast though! 🦁

As the great Eddy himself said ... " If you want to improve .. just ride up grades... Don't buy upgrades."

Absolutely love these vintage bike vids

A wonderful video...especially for us oldsters who remember and raced on these old bikes. Takeaway is...like Lance said, its not about the bike....which of course is only partially true. Your talent as a rider and of course great genetics sure saved the day. Most of us trying to compete with the old equipment would be overwhelmed....downtube shifters which I remember back in the day, in this race format in particular, are a huge handicap. Toe clips that aren't custom made for proper length of foot...what you reported. Look at you go against these studly riders Si. Hats off. No doubt you are beaming with pride. They were all on the latest $10K wundersleds. Yes, Eddie would be proud and would be great if someone sent him this video. Great content and congrats. Just the mental tenacity to deal with the old tech among this sea of latest tech is impressive. I didn't expect this to be particularly pretty going in...thought it may end up being a homage video to how tech has changed the sport, and man was I wrong.

Well done Si great film footage - takes me back a bit to the good old days of Eastway 😂

Fabulous video Si ! I was impressed with how well you did. I must admit you did look like a dork, but man that dork can ride! Great job mate, keep up the good work! 🚵‍♂️😎

I ride a ‘96 Merlin Road w DA8, a ‘98 Litespeed Vortex w DA9 and a ‘00 Serotta Legend Ti w DA10 and I’m still fine on group rides on courses of about 55’ vertical per mile @ 18mph at age 63. Ride on folks.

My vintage De Bernardi Columbus SL steel frame with modern shimano 10 speed groupset and Mavic ES wheels weighs just under 9kg yet is just as quick and comfortable as my 7kg carbon bike with carbon C50 wheels on the same routes in the Peak District. It even descends quicker and more assuredly. I love both but it just shows that a good steel frame is still relevant. I only have modern groupset on it as I am 63 and vintage gearing would now kill me ! Everyone should own an old steel bike, it helps to appreciate the new stuff.

I think you're a bit harsh on your bike at the start of the video. It looks amazing to me. I would love to own it!

The tow clip saga at the beginning of a race still gives me nightmares. I’ve been spat out the back in the first 100metres back in the day, then lapped. 😂

Im glad you always feature vintage roadbikes, and this one is the best si far, racing vintage roadbikes!😊

Loved the message, and the spirit. Biking is so universal. Greetings from France !

I would love to see these but the frame being the only factor, great fun video, love Si, but it’s not the first time they accidentally come unprepepared. Keep up the good work

I used to ride a very similar bike. 80s vintage Peugeot frame (531) with Campy components. Brooks leather saddle. Toe clips. It's upstairs in a closet. I'm 65, Sniff. I sure miss being a young buck!

I only road raced on the exact same type of bike you are using. These are very good racing hardware. The old style shoes and cleats take some getting used to. Because of all the wind breaking going on you won't have trouble keeping up with the group. This era of bike was excellent and I doubt that the modern bikes would have much of an advantage on the type of course you were on as long as you stayed in the crowd and let someone else break the wind. I really enjoyed this video as it bought back so many good memories. By the way if you fall in an old set of pedals with the strap and the cleat on the shoe you won't be able to get your foot out of the pedal and you go down with the bike strapped to you. This is always awkward but it also leads to broken collar bones fairly easily though that is always an issue when falling off a bicycle. Don't ask, I just know.

An equally (maybe even more) interesting question would be: "Can a Modern Bike Survive a Vintage Race?" Some of those early Giros/Tours/Vueltas were really nasty and might eat carbon fiber like it was carbohydrate... 🙂

Of course I raced a Vintage Bike. I’m 71 and raced in the Chicago area on a custom made “Crit” bike. Courses were 4 corners in industrial parks and we used 13-18 straight blocks 52-49 up front. I still have the bike. I ride a Trek Emonda SLR now.

As a now older rider and recovering from a recent serious cycling crash - not my fault , but which has written off my late 80s immaculate road bike this has encouraged me to firstly replace my vintage bike and return to some veteran type racing. I enjoyed this feature which illustrates that a well set up older bike with an experienced, tactical rider can be competitive and enjoyable. Well done GCN. I wonder what the real world difference would be with a more modern bike with the same rider and strategy?

I've got an 86 Cannondale and an 09 Cervelo P2-SL. The biggest change I feel is the down tube shifters, those are fun, but suck in terms of shift speed, usability, and practicality. The Cervelo is also easier to hold at higher speeds.

Just recently got a 1987 Peugeot 👍 love it simple and classic 👌

Looking at how he is clocking all the other bikes, I know that feeling all too well

Despite the aero penalty, that's a good looking jersey.

I think wheels and tires have come a long way, but I actually prefer a lugged steel frame and friction shifters. Clueless pedals are a huge improvement too obviously.

I reckon you would have done even better if you had it geared right. Great video!

Totally agree -“it’s what makes the pedals go round that really counts” as Mr Bishton said (a racing cyclist of the 1960s). Ive just done the HELL OF THE NORTH COTSWOLDS 100km mountain bike event on a ‘98 Marin Alpine Trail (26” wheels, 25yrs old) that cost £150 from a charity shop. Had a great ride, put in a decent time and beat lots of trick modern bikes

Best looking jersey in the race

that is sick. great job!

Another proof about how talented and stronger the old school cyclists were ,comparring with you guys

Nice job Simon. Like one famous💉cyclist said...It's not about the bike.

"and that nearly finished me off" --> casually walking past ambulance

I rode only amateur, briefly: a neighbor/friend in New Hampshire (1995-97) introduced me to the Thursday night training races held at the NH International Speedway, using the motorcycle course and oval; they were points races and I actually won once 🏆 🥇 But the track you ran at resembles a track my Amsterdam friend took me to; it had an outer loop, then three or four shorter straightaways in-between something like this: "WV" (close the top). It was a half-hour drive out of town. He's been a top-10 Masters over-45 for the Netherlands(!) 🇳🇱 I think it was a 10 or 15 lap race, and I happily abandoned after maybe 8 laps, to watch Bert try to win. About 2004?

Would love to see Si racing with a modern aero bike to see the true difference and feel. Flip the script.

"even the weather is georgeous": completely clouded up skies

That bike is still better than what I could afford as a junior in the late eighties! 🤣

In spite all the performance and comfort benefits of modern bikes they still can't beat the classic steel lugged road bikes in looks

Good effort and nice bike. I have expensive carbon, titanium and steel bikes. However, my favourite is a 1987 Revelle Romany tourer. Its not a racer but it makes me smile every-time I'm out on it and I don't need to rush anywhere with it, I just take the slow road. Anyway, I've never thought of racing, but might just have a go. What's the worst that can happen?

A very nice bike. Man over machine. You are faster than a lot others that are on the modern bike!

What scares me most about modern road bicycles made with carbon fiber based frames is how battle scars look and how easily cracks can occur from large road debris impacts . Some mountain bikes can look this way after one season .

I would like to see you try again with different gears and your usual footwear and pedal. And maybe modern clothing

I'm a cyclist from the Philippines and I would be thankful if I'd get to try that vintage bike

I think your body will adapt to whatever bike you ride. The bike is just half of the equation. You can literally build the muscle to push the bike you have.

I bought an entry level racing bike in 1981, a Peugeot PFN-10. Within 2-3 years, I upgraded almost everything. The seat was the first to go! The standard plastic seat really was a pain in the arse. A lovely Ideale leather seat fixed that. I have a neuromuscular disorder so I knew I’d never be competitive but I tried two “citizen class” races anyway. Had it gone over during the C19 lockdowns. I asked the shop’s owner if there was _really_ any differences in feel between it and the shiny new Bianchis in his shop. He said I’d be surprised at how well my 40 year old bike would compare. (I noted it would be nice to have shifters on the brake hoods Vs. downtube shifters-he agreed.) He said I should keep it, with the period upgrades I did, for as long as I can. My original 1980’s team Peugeot wool jersey doesn’t fit my pudgy 2023 body so I got Chinese knockoffs. Wonderful little “Time Machine”! Loved the video. Very glad you gave it a go!

The biggest takeaway, although I've known for years yet not been able to admit truly, is that the rider has the biggest impact on the two wheels. Equipment matter, but only on the margins.

You need longer clips and the right style of shoes. You could also find a very lightweight and very tight wool jersey. I would also cheat and move to the 6 speed cog (and pick the correct gears). It does look great.

I race regularly on my early 80s bike, on very hilly courses it can be faster than my carbon bike. Flat fast courses suffers aero disadvantages. I'll be using it at Malvern Mini Mountain this month.. over the hills twice.

Thanks Si , and crew....the "pedals of death " ....scare the crap out of me ! Swiss alps, first day, first ride....yeah . Not good , nearly severed an artery in my leg . BUT , same trip , same day ..another rider had to be Helo'd off the mountain !! MMMM yup . it was still a trip of a lifetime . Cheers

Toe clips are almost never long enough to pedal properly. All you need to do is extend them 1/2". Clearance can become an issue, but it solves the problem, for the most part.

I don't know why but I prefer the look of these old bikes. And knowing what Si has under the hood no doubt he can keep up using it.

I raced with a Sachs made from Reynolds tubing & Campy throughout circa early "70's" 🚴👍🏻

In my experience with toe clips at the start of a race, it's best to ignore tightening the loose strap at first. I found that focusing on getting my foot in the clip, riding smoothly in the pack and staying upright were more important to focus on in the beginning. Then tighten the loose strap at an appropriate time, usually along a long straight section with little drama. Just like modern pedals, you need to have your cleat adjusted appropriately before you race, so your calves are not being unnecessarily stressed.

Excellent, yes, just do it. You don't need the fanciest latest greatest most up to datetest kit and bike... ride what ya brung!

“Everyone had access to the same equipment”… I rather like that concept for racing.

Your comments on the drive train and other "performance" component of the bike not making a huge difference but the pedals and other "ergonomic" components do seems spot on. I've seen comparison of £300 and £3000 groupsets and the conclusion was that it doesn't really make a huge amount of difference to your performance. What does make a difference is how comfortable are you on the bike. "comfort=fast" is a phrase I have heard. Makes sense to me.

What a classic of a production ✌️

What an incredible video. It shows what cycling is really about. Its about you riding the bike. Racing to have fun, to have a challenge and grow as a person. Ty gcn

Wow, what a beautiful bike. I have a vintage Eddy Merckx Motorola that I do still ride once in awhile. I'm in my sixties so I'm slow. I can ride my new Trek Emonda though with no problem in the "b" group rides. I never was a pro unfortunately. What I find is drafting is the deal breaker in any ride. It's just with the new bike, aero wheels, clipless pedals, and aero suit and helmet just makes it less painful. But the beauty and ride of the old bikes! You've got me thinking I should ride the Merckx sometimes on the group rides, instead of just solo rides. Great video!

Heck yeeaaahhh Si! That was fantastic 👏 I was riveted the whole vid. More like this please 🙏

GCN presenter races are always the best.

I thought you had that bike customized for you? That would include getting the proper toe clips. I don't think that you needed to even have toe clips for this exercise. Just mount your favorite clipless pedals and race. This illustrates perfectly that you can race, (especially crits) on any equipment. Nobody that is contemplating racing should have to tell themselves that they can't because they don't have the resources to buy the latest $10,000 superbike. Any steel or aluminum race bike will do.