Slippery slope!....... Part 2

Hi all,

Well after growing up on road bikes, I moved to MTBs at around the age of 18. I’ve stuck with them for over 30 years and amassed a nice collection. However...... today I had a bit of a moment. Can anyone see what’s coming???? Cos I didn’t lol.

I jumped in with both feet and bought a road bike. Only had a run up the road on it but wow! Head down, ar** up! I was flying and the memories came flooding back. I canny wait to get out for a decent ride. Just hope I don’t start collecting road bikes now. Not sure the wife would stand for that!

Anyway it’s an Airborne Valkyrie with a full campy groupset, I’ll stick a pic up soon but was just wondering..... was it a decent bike to get? I’ve been out of the road loop for a long time but it looked good and the price was right.

Any info and opinions welcome, good or bad

Cheers, stay safe. John.

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Think I saw one of those for sale online recently? I’ve not ridden one but they look like nice frames, is it 10-speed Campy?

I started out on mtbs and apart from a very brief interlude with TT’s in my youth I’ve been exclusively on mtbs up until about 6 years ago when I dipped my toes into the world of road bikes, basically because it was a huge chunk of the cycling world that I’d not really experienced before and I wasn’t bored of mtb but it was just all very familiar, where road bikes were novel and interesting, anyway, I’ve now got more 700c wheel road/gravel bikes than I have mtbs!

It is indeed a slippery slope!!

Had a quick google and looks a nice bike. Thing about road bikes is that geometry has been pretty sorted for years. Never had a ti bike, but should be nice and comfy and it doesn’t look too racy a bike either. Looks like you’ve a proper screw in bottom bracket and press in headset. Avoids all the confusion with the multitude of newer figments.
Campy stuff is lovely, had vintage Super Record in the past and it still worked lovely despite being 30 odd years old. Only downside is that the modern stuff needs its own specific tools and isn’t compatible with other brands. Spares tend to be pricey too, but road stuff lasts years so if the bike is in good condition that shouldn’t be a worry.

Had a few nice road bikes at one point, but always seemed to pick my plain steel Charge. Is really comfy and has a nice Tange Prestige frame. Disk brakes and full mudguards mean I can ride it in all conditions. In the height of summer I do miss my modern carbon bike with its aero wheels. 6.5kg and went like a rocket but scary when you came round a corner and got caught by a side wind.
The Colnago didn’t get used much either. Frame rode beautifully but was flexy for a sturdy gentleman like myself and the vintage gear ratios were too much for me (42 x 26 low gear! ).

Just left with the Charge now , oh and a carbon Canyon Grail gravel bike, but that doesn’t count as a road bike

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Thanks for the replies guys. The bike seems to be pretty immaculate. Only thing that needs attention is the bar tape, and I’d like to change the seat clamp, bottle cage and pedals. Other than that I’m just going to enjoy it. It’s the first ti bike I’ve owned so fingers crossed I like it. It does have the 10 speed campy equipment on it. The seller raved about it and said it was slick set up. I’ll try and get a pic up sometime today.

Cheers J

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Here it is. Needs a clean but this is as collected.

That is very nice and should see you with lots of happy miles as it is. Great quality all round.
Enjoy!

Jamie

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Thanks Jamie, I’ll see how I get on with it this year. The gold seat clamp has to go though. It just too in your face for the bike and looks really cheap.

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That looks very nice, cant think of anything I'd change on that (except maybe the seat clamp that you already memtioned).
Here's hoping it's a decent summer and we can venture wherever we like on our bikes

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A decent summer would be just the ticket. Think everyone could do with it to cheer us up. I need to get out and shed this lockdown belly!

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I also fluctuate between road and MTB, having grown up on roadies and bought my first cheapo Peugeot MTB around 1993 mainly for commuting duties along the Lea Navigation Cut when I worked in London. Great fun avoiding junkies and pissheads

Its funny though as I've never considered myself a mountain biker - for me its just a way of getting off the beaten track and into the hills quickly, before ascending some snowy peak, or at least it was :cry:

I grew up hearing the swish of vulcanised rubber on smooth tarmac, so fresh you could still smell it - I still enjoy that sensation