Are these bikes worth the price?
 

Hi, I'm new to cycling and had a couple of questions about a list of bikes i'm interested in. I want to buy a bike that can get around campus easily since I'm planning to attend UC Davis next year.
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/bik/2951513728.html
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/bik/2944056861.html
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/bik/2949158600.html
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/bik/2920493973.html
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/bik/2946249641.html

I really like this one, but it's missing a back rim and chain. I was wondering howmuch it would cost to buy them. http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/bik/2931035424.html

Step 1: Need to figure out what size you need. Those bikes are all over the place size wise. Google is your friend.

Step 2: Do you want multispeed or single speed?

Step 3: Avoid projects, unless you have the time/tools/aptitude/access to parts. That incomplete SS is a mess. You can buy brand new SS/FG bikes in the size/color/style you want for not much more.

+1 Stay away from that incomplete project, it's a money pit. The guy probably has it all jacked up and doesn't want to mess with it any longer. Of the bunch, I would go check out the refurbished World Tour (Sport?) for $165 , and see if it's a good size for you. Looks like a nice one.

what's your budget?

+100 Run far away from that black incomplete SS mess.

The Raleigh Grand Prix looks nice but first you need to find out what size bicycle you need.

Welcome to the Bike Forums.

It would appear that you are new to the interest of vintage bicycles. With that in mind, your best bet would be to ensure that the bicycle fits you and that you get a complete working bicycle. In that last comment, I am assuming that your bicycle maintenance skills might be somewhat limited.

All of those bicycles look to be reasonably priced, except for the one you really like. I would stay away from that bicycle, were I you. If you would like to know a bit more, about determining if a bicycle is fairly priced, or not, you might want to have a look through Vintage Bicycle Value. Doing so will make you aware of many things that impact the final value of an old bicycle.

As noted above, the Raleigh is fair price for nice bike if it's in your size

The black one needs more than just a wheel and chainring, it needs, at minimum:

Rear wheel
Freewheel
Chainring (this is the toothed ring on the cranks that's missing in the photos)
Tube
Brake levers
Brake calipers
Brake cables

There is also a fair chance you will hate the saddle & pedals, and might want to change them.

And after all that, you'll have a bike with only one gear. In my personal experience, a single speed is great--if you have another bike with gears so you can choose the one appropriate for that day's ride. I use my single speed around the neighborhood for errands and such, but to ride to work or on a longer ride with any hills at all, I want at least a 3 speed.

Thanks for the replies! I definitely won't look into that unfinished project. I'm interested in vintage bikes as a way to commute from point a to point b. I'm 5'11", and since the campus is around 5,300 acres, I'm probably looking for a multiple speed bike.

I think Davis is pretty flat, topographically speaking, so for just getting around you might be just fine with a single speed. Personally I'd always lean toward a "ten speed" bike though - more versatile.

The fixie project needs about $150 of parts (if bought used) plus some labor to be a rideable bike and then it would be nothing special, so maybe if he wants to pay you $100 it would be a good deal.

What's your budget? Looks like less than $300, but...

What's your budget?

Around 150-200

Go for the Raleigh Grand Prix. If it rides well, buy it.

Do you think it's a good price for the bike. I'm on a budget so I'm trying to find a good buy. I don't need it until September, so I can keep stalking craigslist.

no.
NO!
no.
Maybe for $100.
Are you kidding?

Not going to work, if for that price you want a nice, vintage, multispeed road bike ready to ride.

1. You are in a red hot market, one of the most expensive in the USA (if not the most expensive). A bike that might sell for $100 here, could bring $250 in SF.

2. Most used bikes have been neglected, and need some basic maintenance such as new tires, brake pads, cables, bearings and grease. If these items have all been addressed recently, then guess what, the price will go up. If you need to pay a bike shop to do the work I just described, with parts and labor, you are talking about $300 in maintenance.

So how do people get decent vintage bikes on a tight budget? First, they cast a wider net, much further than C/L and often beyond their own area. C/L is closely watched by scoopers, who pounce on any really good deals immediately (and those bikes reappear a week or two later at pricing of 2X or 3X the original price). Word of mouth and garage sales work well, but that means going to a lot of sales where you find nothing. Secondly, they acquire the tools and skills to do the rehab work themselves, and instead of paying a shop to do the rehab work, they do it themselves for $75 to $100 +/-. (Tools are not cheap, far from it. So some avoid the tool expense by hooking up with a bike co-op, which is an excellent idea).

Or they skip the entire "cool vintage bike" search, and look for a basic bike to get them going. You are onto that path with the two Treks, a MTB and a hybrid. MTBs and hybrids sell for a lot less than similar road bikes, typically half or even less. The demand for them is low.

Realize on garage sales and word of mouth, you don't just need to find a deal on a GOOD bike (for every decent bike I see at a garage sale, I see 20 crappy ones: kids bikes, Walmart bikes and so on), you also need to find one in YOUR size. I find a lot of bikes, but few are my size (I am OK with that, as they go to another home).

Basically, you are like me, you want to find a good deal, or even a really good deal. I understand completely. Unfortunately, if the bike is still available on C/L, I can already answer the question, its not a good deal. If it was a good deal, it would be long gone. And really good deals here last an hour or less, particularly at a low price ($150 to $200). The only decent deals that last here are high end bikes. Very few buyers for them, so someone with a bigger budget can score some really nice bikes (I am talking $400 to $600 budget or more...)

So how to you get a good/great deal? Get educated FIRST. Then pounce. No great deal will last long enough to get an answer on a forum: "Hey is this a deal?" The educated buyers out there will be in their cars driving, and picking up the bike, while the newb buyers are still doing research.


Out of this group, the Trek 700 and the Raleigh are the best ones. I see some rust on the Raleigh FD, so a close inspection is warranted.

Thanks for the tip. I found a cannondale circa 2001 for 100. It's in fair condition. The guy said that the wheels are fairly true and that it "Would be an awesome bike with new front sprocket, chain, tires, and a paintjob". Howmuch would it cost to change the tires and do all that other stuff?

It doesn't sound like it's in fair condition if it needs all that. Don't worry about the paint job, that's secondary. What does he mean by "front sprocket"? The chainrings? Or the whole crankset? That could get expensive. Wheels "fairly true" probably means they need truing. Figure at least $20 at the LBS. Chain can be had for maybe $10 online if you get a cheapish one. Tires, anything from $7 each on up. You do NOT want the cheapest, so figure $30+ for a set. You will probably also need tubes at around $4 or $5 each. Then, if you don't know how to do it, you will need to pay someone to work on it. I would say figure that that $100 bike will cost you at least $250 total.

Unless you have the skills/tools/aptitude/interest/access to cheap parts, I would stop looking at projects.

+1 Fair Condition? OK, all it needs is everything replaced, plus a paint job. POS is closer to the condition.

A bike that needs new front sprockets and chain, will need a new rear cassette. And any bike with that much damage falls into the "hung up wet and let dry" category, so I would assume wheels, shifters, brakes, etc., are all questionable/bad. Money pit.

+1

The "project" bikes you've posted are huge money pits at best, total ripoffs at worst. Even if you want to learn to work on your own stuff I would buy a bike that is ready to ride and do basic maintenance as necessary.

Buying a wreck with no tools or experience is asking for trouble.

It's not really a project. Here is a picture.
http://images.craigslist.org/5Id5M25...5474dc1c4a.jpg