Well. They compare well. Better/closer than I first thought they would.
Paramount, as implied by its name, was one of the finest bikes of its time (2013 - 1973 = 40 years) four decades ago. It's still a nice bike. It's steel, no frills and a bit large for me at 23" or 58 cm.
Holland is shorter, closer to the ground, stiff in some directions, shock-absorbing in others, and very light. It was adjusted with the same seat height, same reach to the bars, same saddle, same pedals - and fit perfectly.
My first reaction was "Wow! Wider handlebars!"
My Cinelli bars are about 14" wide; the carbon bars on the Holland were 17". It felt like I was gripping something way too wide - the handles of a wheelbarrow or something like that. I was getting used to it by the end of yesterday's ride, but I did feel right at home when I got back on my Paramount.
The second, most noticeable change were the brakes. The Paramount and the Holland both had Campagnolo brakes. I was shocked at how much better the new brakes were - more powerful, much less hand pressure required, better stopping and control all around. I cleaned and lubed the calipers on the Paramount this morning, and I'm going to pull and lube the cables to see if I can get a bit better feel. Since I have 30+ year-old housing, cables and pads, perhaps I can get some significant improvement by replacing all of them.
I'm not ready yet to give an overall evaluation of the two bikes - one against the other. But I am torn aesthetically - I like my chrome bike with red trim. I like the Exo-Grid titanium on the Holland, but I don't like the look of the carbon fork or the sloping top tube. I know why they are there, but it doesn't make me like the appearance. Nor do I like the sloping carbon seat stays. Maybe a straight titanium rear stay (the standard on Bill's Exo-Grid bikes)? Maybe a straight titanium frame instead?
Decisions, decisions. Let's leave it for today and finish the bike ride, shall we?
I noticed this sinister Chevy Tahoe a few blocks into the ride. It looked like a border patrol cruiser, but had civilian plates. The white paint, black pushbar, A-pillar spotlights, tinted glass and dark wheels gave it an ominous look. If I was in the market for a behemoth, this is what I would want to be driving. With a bike in the back.
