I remember a gentleman I often used to find on some climbs.
Signor Locci.
he was 74,I remember him telling me,he looked no older than early 60s.the bike must have been an early 80s,late 70s.I was 18-9.
always doing 110k on a road hybrid with bar ends.that’s why I love drops.
Anyway,
he’s dead now,but it was always nice to chat to him.learnt a lot.
he’d been cycling,racing all his life.so nearly the same generation as coppi,bartali.
continuity.I miss that here in spain.maybe if I was in the basque countries there would be more cycling culture.though it’s not bad here.
loads of senior gentlemen on oldish(30-40ys) road bikes when I used to live in italy.out for rides.I miss that.The different generations all together like,and chatting and getting dropped by people 3x my age.
and old blokes,retired and on really bling bikes,I mean really bling.and doing 150km a day.every day,or every other day.It wasn’t exactly flat either.in their little oap chaingangs.hammering.
and enjoying themselves.
Ah,memories.