tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post5746782956657816879..comments2024-03-28T11:56:48.304-04:00Comments on The Retrogrouch: Guest Post - In Defense of EroicaBrookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12110998345857993287noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-73746905294455445922017-04-05T12:07:03.257-04:002017-04-05T12:07:03.257-04:00Possibly relevant to the discussion. Eroica' n...Possibly relevant to the discussion. Eroica' nearest four wheel cousin is the Goodwood Revival Meeting. A number of marques (Jaguar, Lister, Lola etc) have produced reproduction cars with painstaking attention to literally every detail (and these cars sell for huge sums, so they can afford to) but Goodwood has said a very firm 'no' to any car not built in periodMark M Heenanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18099466567373992700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-39927330040479350392016-04-28T20:14:17.693-04:002016-04-28T20:14:17.693-04:00Come out to Vermont on May 15th for our Velo Vermo...Come out to Vermont on May 15th for our Velo Vermont Vintage Spring Classic Ride. L'Eroica, even for cool kids. Run what you brung. Check the details here and help us spread the word.<br />http://velovermontvintage.blogspot.com/?m=1)-]]]]:-https://www.blogger.com/profile/08715390610868222721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-28021553479946564972016-04-27T06:02:44.483-04:002016-04-27T06:02:44.483-04:00I understand Padraigs frustration about having not...I understand Padraigs frustration about having not found a suitable bike in time. But to blame it on the rules of the event (or the mixed message in the marketing of the event) reminds me of the proverbial fox stating the grapes were too sour anyway. <br />He says there was a bike availiable for borrowing which was too overgeared. I understand that also, since I'm no more able to ride such an event with a classical "hero crankset" (52/42) and a corncob cassette. But hey, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to change the crankset and cassette and adjust the shifters. Compact cranksets are not explicitly banned, he could use touring triple cranks or even MTB gearing. As long as the parts have a classical look & feel, you wouldn't get disqualified. At the spring event in Italiy last year I even spotted a comapct crankset which appeared to be made of carbon (<a href="https://cdn.blogger.de//static/antville/mark793/images/img_29892.jpg" rel="nofollow">what do you think?</a>). To make a long story short, as I see it the organizers have done already a lot to make the event accessible for the masses. I'm not sure if Padraig has read the regulations at all, if so, he would have realized that you don't really need an old bike, you can ride a contemporary steel frame as long as the components comply with the rules. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17399211684300344036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-16563351643248367112016-04-19T11:42:27.777-04:002016-04-19T11:42:27.777-04:00I think they should move the cut of date back to a...I think they should move the cut of date back to at least 85' ( 86' Centurion Ironman has aero levers ) I say keep with spirit . IMO vintage Moto Cross was ruined by riders who wanted to be included . Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15322646079269597234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-44527090607720209452016-04-19T07:24:55.184-04:002016-04-19T07:24:55.184-04:00Justine & Tjan, the thing about Eroica CA is t...Justine & Tjan, the thing about Eroica CA is that it doesn't feel like a big mass start ride. You start in waves and the course splits things up fairly quickly. I spent most of my time with just a few other riders, and sometimes alone. This is true with many "gravel" events. Touriste-Routierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00259672669676155538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-63516759294788207172016-04-18T15:44:38.872-04:002016-04-18T15:44:38.872-04:00Tjan--I agree. I am glad that L'eroica exists...Tjan--I agree. I am glad that L'eroica exists, but will probably never do it, in part for the same reasons that Brooks can't, and because I'm not a big fan of big events, generally.Justine Valinottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-84891497783997817602016-04-15T16:56:58.000-04:002016-04-15T16:56:58.000-04:00I think Eroica(s)is/are great, even though I'd...I think Eroica(s)is/are great, even though I'd never ride one, just not my thing. Same with the big events where people ride a Tour stage; a great thing to do, not for me. If it gets people out riding their bikes, its aok. tjanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06131191327216687024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-57741149931316219312016-04-15T16:17:54.920-04:002016-04-15T16:17:54.920-04:00I dunno about the complains about the lack of gear...I dunno about the complains about the lack of gearing. I was going to ride my 1981 Miyata touring bike (before the logistics got too complicated.) The bike came with a triple up front and half-step + granny gearing, 52-47-38, I think. The back was a wide-ratio 5-speed, maybe 14-34. I've since replaced the front with a 50-45-38 and the rear probably with a 13-32. Suntour VGT-X gearing, a replacement from the original (whatever they were), but also from the 80s. Bytes-Bites-Bikeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10768662075870771224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-63256249821147722012016-04-15T14:20:39.251-04:002016-04-15T14:20:39.251-04:00Well-stated points, thank you. (And thank you to ...Well-stated points, thank you. (And thank you to Brooks for posting this.)<br /><br /><br /><br />My two cents (and, honestly, probably worth only half of that): <br />I loathe the idea that everything has to be so watered-down to permit every single person access to every single thing. I get where people are coming from, but on the other hand, it is the sort of thing that eventually drives uniqueness and individuality out of everything it touches. <br />What if, for example, other events were forced to water-down their challenge? What if those that organized marathons were forced to permit people to ride a car for a little bit of the course, if they felt that made it easier or more inclusive? What if I really wanted to say that I hiked the Appalachian trail, but took a bus half-way along? <br />The organizers of Eroica have their own sandbox, and if you don't like the way that they're playing in it, you are welcome to get your own. Not everything needs to be 100% available to everybody. Sorry that hurts feelings, but at the end of the day, this is a bike event, not heart surgery.<br /><br /><br /><br />I don't read the Red Kite blog, nor do I know its writers. Maybe they had some good points, but to me, they are all washed away by the infantile lament about not being "cool" enough. Please, that makes me think of a petulant child.<br />What is "not cool" is complaining that somebody won't cater to you if they are not doing things the way you that want them done, particularly if it's something designed to be fun. I don't think Eroica is going for "cool", they are going for a theme, and if your bike doesn't fall into the theme, it's not about "cool" it's about playing along with the other people and not trying to stomp your feet and get what you want at the expense of others. That's not "cool". <br /><br /><br /><br />Wolf. N/Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14710395292374599493noreply@blogger.com