Miyata 710
 

Looking at this Miyata 710:

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=308042

It looks to be an 85 as best I can tell from the color (grey blue with gold head tube) and decals in this one picture (haven't gone to look at it yet). The guy is asking $225. He advertised it as having Shimano components, but when asking he said they could be suntour, he didn't remember, and the bike was at a friends at the moment. That has me a little concerned, though after talking with him, it seems legit.

My question is, assuming everything is original, is $225 in the ballpark? Should I offer less?

Seems reasonable assuming it's in good condition. Maybe try to get it for a bit less, but if this is your size (looks like a 21") it may be hard to find another bike of this quality in your size depending on where you are. I can tell you they don't pop up around WNY very often.

It's more than likely that bike will need a full overhaul and new cable housings, and perhaps tires. A tuneup is about $40, but an overhaul will run $150 at a qualified LBS. More than 95% of vintage bikes I buy have dried up 30 year old grease in the hubs, bottom bracket and headset.

Vintage Miyata road bicycles are very well made and a treat to ride. $225 seems fair to me and, as others have mentioned, the bicycle will require some servicing to make it road worthy and safe to ride. If you can do the work yourself, great. If not, expect to fork over another $150 to $250, depending on whether you need new tires or not.

It's definitely a 1985 frame. While it's a relatively poor resolution picture taken for the non-drive side, it does appear to have a Sugino crankset and SunTour Shifters. SunTour tended to favour a shift mechanism with a straight lever that protruded from the centre of the drum, whereas the mid-range Shimano levers of the period (New 600EX and 105) had levers that extended from the top of the drum and had a small upwards curl/flip at the end of the lever. They are likely the OEM SunTour/Sugino/Dia-Compe compnents.

Price is fair for an average market, provided it's in rideable condition with no major issues. I see a bulge in the top tube, just behind the half way point. It looks like it could just be a wrap of tape but I wonder if it's hinding anything?

I saw the same bulge and wondered what the heck it was. The current owner claims new tires and a recent tune-up, but clearly does not know much about the bike. He was unsure of the year, and didn't know what the components were. After chatting with the wife, it appears it's not in the budget, however. Thanks alot for your guys' opinions, and if anything changes, I'll let you know.

Price is probably in the ballpark, but this bike will need an overhaul. Can you do that? Or are you willing to pay someone to?

Most importantly, is this bike the right size for you?