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Does Driving an LBC Make You a Better Driver?

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SaxMan

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The one thing I've noticed after living with the Sprite for the past 11 months is that driving an LBC has made me a better driver in my "modern" vehicles. When you drive a car like a Sprite, it's like being on a motorcycle, you have to assume every other car on the road doesn't see you and/or is trying to kill you. Those habits "cross over" into the modern cars. Likewise, learning the performance envelope of the LBC has helped me find the performance envelopes better on my more modern vehicles. It was like when I bought my first full-suspension mountain bike: Riding a full suspension mountain bike taught me how to ride my hardtail bike better. Learning to really drive a car that has no power assist helps you manage power assisted steering and brakes better in more modern vehicles, IMHO.

In addition, even though I don't do this, I know many LBC owners dabble (or more than dabble) in racing, which requires a level of driving skill far in excess of just packing the kids in the minivan and taking them to the soccer game.

Finally, LBC drivers by necessity have to have some degree of mechanical understanding of their vehicles. If you understand your vehicle, you know what it can and cannot do, and won't put yourself in a "cannot" situation that would cause a more ignorant person to wrap themselves around a telephone pole, for instance.

So, what say you? Does the LBC community generally possess stronger driving skills than most of the rest of the public?
 
Basically, ANY collector car driver is by definition a better driver.
No electronics to distract you, you have no stupid sensors telling you someone is on your quarter....you have to look and be aware...knowing the cost of fixing your car again.
However, the smaller the vehicle, the more adept you need to be at avoiding the nearby Escalade who you see running reds behind you while talking on their handheld device.....
 
Been driving MG/Lotus/Alfa cars as prime transport since the late '60's. Nimble cars and the head-on-a-pivot has saved me from rear-end impacts, head-on collisions and generally stupid maneuvers by lame drivers, so far. I hate automatic transmissions. "Power" anything adds a level of interference between driver and vehicle, AFAIC.

Mebbe when I'm really-really old I'll learn to appreciate that stuff, but for now I'll pass. And I consider "fly-by-wire" a crime against humanity. Take th' BUS, fercryinoutloud...

And, yes, the double-clutch downshift under braking (heel-and-toe) was learned back in the beginning. Driving our cars makes it a necessity to acquire those kinds of skills. Road courses and autocross help a LOT. The average "driver" on the streets has the skill-set of a RUTABAGA, AFAIC. They ARE out there to kill you.
 
You are right about all that. I never get to close behind a car at a stop light in case the person begins to back up for some reason. Hopefully not getting to close will give me time to lay on the horn. I am also careful to watch out for people backing out of parking spaces while I am driving by. The other thing that is a little nerve racking is when I am at a stop sign or stop light on a hill and the car behind me is almost on top of me. I am always afraid I will roll back a little and bump the car behind me before I get moving forward.
 
If I see a car coming up behind me when Im stopped on a hill Ill allow my self to roll a bit backwards before they stop. Just enough to let that driver know to give me some room. Im with Doc on any kind of powered anything. By definition it separates you from the driving experience. driving is a lot more then moving your body and goods from point a to point b.
When your out driving you stay away from 2 kinds of drivers. unaware idiot drivers and drunks. If you want people to give you some room make it "seem" like your not paying attention. You know, thinking about it Im not 100% against power windows... But those seem to come with other powered options I wouldnt want so I can live with out.
 
I'm not sure it is so much that driving a LBC makes us better drivers, so much as better drivers seek out LBCs. You have to find driving in of itself an enjoyable experience to want to own something that is such a basic driving machine. If you enjoy driving then you will be better at it than all those out there that just own cars as a means of getting from point A to point B.

"the more adept you need to be at avoiding the nearby Escalade who you see running reds behind you while talking on their handheld device....." Amen to that.

"The average "driver" on the streets has the skill-set of a RUTABAGA..." I can't think of a truer way to sum up most peoples driving skills. Or a better way to work Rutabaga into a conversation.
 
I would agree that the "back to basics" can be very addictive. I have a number of mountain bikes: full suspension, 29 inch hardtail, 26 inch hardtails, all equipped with the latest and greatest componentry, but one of my favorites to ride is a rigid (no front shock) single-speed that I built up around a 2001 Trek 8500 frame. It is a brutish ride, but the utter simplicity of the bike and the reliability and efficiency of the drivetrain is its beauty. No thinking about gears or suspension settings, it's just you, the bike and the trail...mountain biking at its purest. You have to understand momentum and how to pick a good line. The only "modern" concession I made was equipping it with mechanical disc brakes (as opposed to hydraulic ones on my other bikes). It's also the lightest of my mountain bikes, tipping in at 24 pounds. When I was riding it this morning, I was thinking how much like the Sprite it was...and just as much fun! Learning to ride this brute has made me a better rider not only on my other mountain bikes, but my road bike as well (which sticks out in my garage like a Ferrari at a Jeep convention).
 
I don't know much about bikes, I still ride my Schwinn Varsity I bought for three bucks at a garage sale.
 
I still have my Schwinn Super Continental 15-speed I built from recovered stolen frame (via local PD) in....1966.
 
Used to run a Wombat thru the western PA woods.

Push-bike is a Raleigh Super Course-II. Still have that.

Road bikes were varied; early Hondas, a Benelli 2-stroke, last and favorite was a Suzuki GS550. Swore a pact with Herself around '79 that Doc don't ride two wheels anymore.
 
DrEntropy said:
Push-bike is a Raleigh Super Course-II. Still have that.
Click to expand...
Always have had a sweet spot for the Super Course. The lowest priced Raleigh built with Reynolds 531 (main frame). But then there is my bias - I've been a Raleigh dealer for 41 years.
 
It was what I could afford at the time. Motobecane and Puch were outta reach. I had a copy of the Proteus book and contemplated that route when the Raleigh crossed my path.

We may need to talk, Jay. :wink:
 
Funny Doc. We were a Puch (both bicycles and mopeds) dealer from '76 thru '79. To the customer, the Super Course looked like a screaming deal after looking at the Puch's price tags. Nice, nice product though price uncompetitive.
 
Just sold my second road bike, a 70's Raleigh Pro as I can no longer comfortably ride a road bike. Had a 60's Raleigh 3-speed that was stolen last year leaving me with a single speed Dahon folding bike that just finished a 15 mile or so ride. A new bicycle is in my future, $ from the Pro burning a hole in my pocket.

As far as LBC drivers being better drivers, it just follows, LBC drivers seem to simply be better people.
 
sail said:
Just sold my second road bike, a 70's Raleigh Pro....
Click to expand...
We opened in January of 1973 with an inventory of just 80 bicycles....one being the Raleigh Pro ($600 which was huge in '73). One of the scariest purchases I ever have made, it sold by the end of that summer and we were on our way.
 
"I've been a Raleigh dealer for 41 years."

I used to have a friend who had a Raleigh three speed in college, but I had no idea they were still in business.
 
Bicycles were my primary mechanical interest before I got into LBCs. I reconditioned a number of 70s - 80s era Schwinns for various people. Fun stuff to work on. Well made, but heavy as a tank. I bought a Raleigh "Jazzy" for my daughter. She's about to outgrow it!

I've got a bunch of bikes in my garage. One time, my wife walked in and said "What are all these bicycles doing here?" I told her "they are all ours". In the SaxMan garage:

2011 Felt 29 inch hardtail mountain bike - my primary mountain bike when I want to go thrashing through the woods.
2009 Trek 6500 26 inch mountain bike - I use this bike when I'm volunteering with Park Police
2005 Trek Fuel 70 full suspension mountain bike - This one is just collecting dust
2004 Fuji Professional road bike - I bought this second hand - P.O. upgraded the bike to DuraAce 7800 componentry -
2001 Trek 8500 Single Speed conversion - I built this one from the frame up
1998 Klein Pulse Comp - This is that one "hardtail" that you can never seem to get rid of. Right now, it has slick tires for a commuter / tow duty when I hook it up to my daughter's bike
1998 Mongoose Maneuver - I rebuilt this one into a 1 x 8 for my wife to ride, and repainted it as well.

I also have a 1998 Giant LaFree Electric bike. Technically, it's property of Park Police. We recovered it derelict from one of the parks. Usually unclaimed bikes get "recycled". I suggested that we fix up the bike and use it in the Department. The idea ran up the chain of command and someone approved it, so I restored it. It took about 50 hours of labor to bring it back. It was doing the motor work on this bike that convinced me I could probably handle a car.
 
My uncle had a Follis until some yay-who in Santa Monica opened a car door in front of him.
Shop I worked for in Anaheim when I built my bike was a Raleigh dealer. I may still have a set of those Raleigh plastic fenders somewhere.
Still have the Campagnola derailleur I had until I put a mountain chainwheel on, and it wouldn't handle the throw any more.
I pulled the Weinemann sidepull brakes off after the first trip down HiWay 2 into Pasadena...and put Weinemann centre pulls on.
Had a Brooks B-17 Swallow saddle until it finally rotted.
 
I have upgraded my old Schwinn a couple of times, a few years ago I picked up a good used pair of Sakae Road Champion drop handlebars for it, and just this month I picked up a pair of used Suntour GPX wheels in 700 (apparently 27" isn't all that common anymore), with a seven speed gear set on the rear hub. Happily I was able to adjust my Schwinn derailer enough to accommodate the extra sprockets. I have to say the couple extra gears are nice, also the reduced tread area makes the old bike coast quite a ways (at least I think it is the smaller surface area).
 
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