> > From: > "Bob W" > The costume certainly has; spandex & aerodynamic helmets, and > > bicycle > >> > engineering has made incredible improvements. >> > >> > > I'm not so sure about that. I don't wear spandex or a helmet. My > bicycle is a steel one and wouldn't look particularly out of place in > that film (except for the 21 indexed gears perhaps). I have a Brooks > saddle and a Carradice saddle bag, same as them. > > British cycle touring is a bit of a time warp. > > When I was in my 20s I used to sneer at the sort of middle-aged man > who was a member of the CTC, carried an old camera and was in the RPS. > > > Now I'm almost 50 and a member of the CTC and the RPS and have a Leica > of my own I switch between sneering at my younger self, and horror at > what I've become!
Spandex is the greatest thing since sliced bread as you get older. Helps keep certain parts of the anatomy from rubbing and producing friction burns. And I do use the helmet. I was a teenager in the 60s and I'm trying to hang on to what little bit of my brain survived that experience. Your bike may be similar in many respects to those, but I expect the engineering that went into producing it is greatly improved, even if the appearance hasn't changed all that much. Most modern "touring" bikes are a "hybrid" design with straight handlebars that allow you to ride in a more upright than the curved under handlebars used in racing bikes (even if it is called the Tour de France it's a race, not a pleasant day's ride in the country). The materials and methods of fabrication create a much more durable bike, generally a lighter weight, and lower cost than those old touring bikes. It may look the same, but it's a whole lot better piece of machinery. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
