Why Vintage Road Bike Ride are the coolest rides

In a cycling world obsessed with the latest tech, a growing number of riders are ditching carbon frames and wireless shifting to go back in time. Welcome to the world of vintage and retro road bike races — where steel bikes, wool jerseys, and a love for the open road rule.

What’s a Vintage Bike Ride anyway?

These vintage bike rides celebrate the golden eras of cycling (typically pre-1987), where riders show up on classic steel-frame bikes, wear vintage-inspired gear, and ride scenic routes filled with gravel, hills, and charm. Think of it like a moving museum — but way more fun.

Why they're Awesome?

1. Craftsmanship over carbon: Old bikes are works of art, from their lugged steel frames to gleaming chrome details.
2. Ride for the joy of it: No racing, no Strava segments — just beautiful roads, good company, and the occasional wine stop.
3. Community vibes: Meet fellow bike nerds, swap stories, share tools, and bond over the love of classic cycling.
4. Epic Locations: Events like the most famous and popular ⁽¹⁾ L'Eroica (Italy), Anjou Vélo Vintage (France), and Retro Ronde (Belgium) offer breathtaking routes with a side of local culture ... and of course the annual Gooise Vintage Racefiets Toertocht (Netherlands) organized by WTC Huizen.

What you need to join in?

1. A vintage-style road bike (preferably made before 1987).
2. Some retro kit: wool jerseys, leather gloves, and toe-clip pedals if you want to look (and feel) the part.
3. A little prep: old bikes can be temperamental, so make sure yours is tuned up and ready for a big day out.
   
   

Final thoughts

Vintage road bike tours aren’t just rides — they’re experiences. They remind us why cycling captured our hearts in the first place: freedom, adventure, and a love for the journey over the destination.

Steel is real! The past is alive. And the road is calling.

by Hans van Hoek, WTC Huizen.

(1) Most popular vintage road bike rides
(based on the surfing behaviour of Battistrada's +2,5 million unique visitors)

The most popular vintage road bike ride and probably the event that gave (at the end of the 1990's) birth to the revival of the vintage bicycles is L'Eroica ... what started in 1997 in Gaiole in Chianti, a small village in the province of Siena (Tuscany) as a vintage cycling event is nowadays movement and is organising vintage bike ride all over the world. In the footsteps of L'Eroica you'll find Giro d’Italia d’Epoca with vintage rides all over Italy.