Again in 2018, in my official capability because the Traditional Cycle Previous Crap Check Pilot, I spent a while on a 1950 Drysdale Particular:
I used to be reminiscing about that bike just lately, and observed the next within the aforelinked put up:
Now, six years later, the retrogrouch virus has contaminated my mind and all of my highway bikes at the moment have friction downtube shifters. Granted, being a tinkerer, I’m liable to return to built-in shifters on at the least one in every of them at any time. Additionally, two of them have Rivendell Silver downtube shifters with in any other case fashionable drivetrains, a setup that doesn’t do the entire “clackety-clack” factor in any respect. (Actually it’s most likely the smoothest-shifting mechanical system it’s potential to have.) However what’s at the moment my fanciest highway bike does have such a drivetrain:
I’d by no means insult anybody’s intelligence by saying a Campagnolo Tremendous Document drivetrain from 1982 works higher than even an “entry degree” drivetrain immediately. However I’ll say that as somebody who largely rides alone and not races, quick, simple, and correct shifting doesn’t actually matter a lot to me anymore. I need to be comfy, and on a highway bike I need to really feel like I can go as quick as I need, and the Cervino meets each these standards. However I don’t actually thoughts clunky gear adjustments and even not with the ability to shift beneath load; in actual fact having to suppose extra about shifts is a part of the enjoyable. If I had been racing or collaborating within the huge group experience each weekend that may be one thing else and it could actually suck. However when it’s simply me, manning the rigging of this outdated ship is sort of pleasurable–a lot in order that the Cervino is now my flagship highway bike, a place as soon as held by the now-departed Litespeed:
And sure, a part of the enjoyable of the Cervino is just that it’s outdated. After I obtained my first Dura Ace bike in fact I beloved how nice the elements labored, however a part of the joy was that I used to be utilizing the very same stuff as the professionals. However now that the professionals are lower than half my age and I’m virtually definitely by no means race once more I don’t get that sense of pleasure anymore; as an alternative I get a kick how an outdated bike transports you to a different period, like once you stroll down a type of outdated streets in Greenwich Village that appears precisely prefer it did again within the nineteenth century aside from all of the vehicles and douchebags. The pursuit of nostalgia may be an costly and time-consuming enterprise, as any proprietor of a classic vehicle or outdated home will most likely inform you. However the beauty of bikes is that that the classics are simply as simple to take care of (and generally even simpler to take care of) than their fashionable counterparts, and even an costly one is normally a lot lower than a pro-level bike immediately. The one actual inconvenience in proudly owning one is having to succeed in all the way down to shift, however even that has its charms, and there’s one thing to be mentioned for hitting a descent, getting within the drops, and upshifting your rear derailleur along with your proper knee.
One thing else I discover compelling about each the Cervino and the Drysdale is how comparable they’re regardless of the distinction of their ages. The Drysdale was from 1950, and Cervino is from 1982. That’s a distinction of 32 years, and but to the untrained eye they appear virtually like contemporaries. In the meantime, right here’s what a motorcycle that’s 32 years youthful than the Cervino appears to be like like:
And this already appears to be like outdated in comparison with a motorcycle from 2024, because it nonetheless has rim brakes. This isn’t me writing some pretentious “Bike have turn into soulless and have misplaced their manner!” screed (properly at the least not immediately), however as somebody who loves highway bike it’s satisfying to experience one which embodies such a protracted custom, and that comes from simply earlier than the time that highway bikes began altering actually, actually shortly.
Talking of rim brakes, even individuals who like them usually see stuff like uncovered cables and single-pivot calipers and say “No, thanks:”
However I’ve grown to essentially respect them, and it’s not simply because I’m deeply pretentious:
No, it’s due to some observations Jobst Brandt made about them, which I’ve talked about earlier than:
Sure, they require a bit extra hand power than their fashionable counterparts. However the pads are a lot thicker, they’ve way more rim clearance, the pads don’t change their relative place to the rim as they put on, and, because the outdated über-curmudgeon put it, they may “observe a wobbly wheel:”
Much less defensible are the toe clips, that are largely simply pretentious:
Although I do discover the Avocet bowling sneakers (patented by none apart from Jobst Brandt, because it occurs) to be exceedingly comfy, a lot in order that they make the silliness of the toe clips price it:
The molded-in slots present simply sufficient engagement with the pedal to really imply one thing, but even with the strap cinched down it’s not an issue to get your foot out of the pedal in case you’re not in a position to attain down and loosen it:
I doubt we’ll ever see anyone resurrect the walkable quill pedal-specific biking shoe (in actual fact it’s onerous to think about a dumber marketing strategy), so I could have to start out hoarding them. The excellent news is that most individuals are good sufficient to not hassle with any of these items, so pristine specimens like these go low-cost:
[From some used crap site somewhere.]
Sadly that pair isn’t my dimension.
Whereas a part of the attraction of the Cervino is its timeless simplicity, it was arguably a gimmicky bike for its time. Take into account for instance the top-mounted shifters, which require the cables to be routed via the body, which means I’ll must take away the crank when it’s time to vary them:
However, they’ve turn into one in every of my favourite issues concerning the Cervino, since they make it really easy to shift each with the identical hand, and in reality I respect the configuration a lot I discover myself lacking it on my different bikes. Changing these with Silver shifters would most likely be the final word in downtube friction bliss, however I’m far too pretentious to interrupt up the classic Campagnolo elements.
Then there are the tubular tires, that are arguably much more pointless than toe clips. Possibly so, however I’ve obtained 36 (rely ’em!) spokes and an excellent old style non-machined rim to make up for it:
If you consider it, machined sidewalls had been fully ridiculous. Principally, they floor away materials you wanted so that you simply wouldn’t have to attend in your brakes to mattress in, and so your new rim would look all shiny. Sure, you may nonetheless get non-machined rims, however that’s solely so you may have strong colours in your fixie (or disc brake bike):
Bikes: one of many few markets by which much less prices you extra.
