Only problem with vintage bikes is that they have vintage components. In the case of my old Gitane, the derailleur - a Simplex Prestige - gave up the ghost after a month of hard use; finding another one that can be properly attached to the bike frame’s dropout has been problematic.
Ya gotta give it to the French. They make some of the best wines and cheeses in the world. Bike derailleurs, not so much.
Pending my locating a proper set of “Disraeli gears,” I converted the Gitane into a single-speed road bike. Not a problem on the flatter trails around here, but fraught with difficulties when dealing with hills. And hills, we got plenty of in Atlanta.
All of this provided incentive to get an updated ride, something with 21st century componentry and materials... and a working derailleur. Presenting... the New Ride!
It’s a Trek 7.5 FX performance hybrid... essentially a road bike without the dropped handlebars, perfect for an Old Goat like me. With a carbon-fiber front fork and 27 click-stop gears, it flies like the wind.
Now I can ride up and down the hilly local terrain without giving myself a hernia, at the same time keeping pace with the roadies. It’s like being a kid again!
Posts
3 comments:
Wow! That's excellent! I have toyed with cycling here, but I'm afraid I'll get hit by a car. There aren't many bike friendly places here and I know a lot of people who've been hit. I'm envious!
I could have gone the rest of my life without seeing you in bicycle shorts.
Nice new ride! A few years back, my dad, who would've been in his late 60s at the time, got a new bike and has been riding it 'like a kid' since. He's ridden up to 50km in one ride!
Enjoy!
Post a Comment