I have a 1976 Nishiki among my many bikes, and I certainly wouldn't want to ride it in a race! Although I used to think it was light, that was only because I didn't have anything to compare it to. Late-model bikes tend to be about 4-7 pounds lighter than the mid-range bikes of the 70's, and that is a very significant difference, especially with the new wheel technology. And you don't have to pay anywhere near $5000. My latest road bike cost about $1900, but it only weighs about 1/2 pound less than my '95 that cost about $1000 (I had to replace the '95 because it had non-resettable aluminum stays and could not accept 8 or 9-speed parts and I wore out the 7-speed parts that are on it).