lairlair

Hi all!

I'm contemplating buying a second hand road bike because:
- I like the look of vintage bikes
- I don't have so much money
- I'd like to learn some maintenance / upgrading skills
- I do triathlon and the bike I have now is not ideal for that (speedbike flat handlebars 7 gears with a frame that's a bit too big for me)

So I've stumbled upon an add for a vintage peugeot 12 gears with tube shifters and triathlon bars on top of the drop bars. It looks in decent condition. I wanted to add a picture for you to assess the quality but I'm too new on the forum apparently... Do you think it would be worth the 150€? ($160 US) Do you think it might be an upgrade from the bike I have now?

Thank youuuu

juvela

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peecha assistenza -

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lairlair

Thank you for embedding the picture. Honestly the person uploading this ad seems a bit scamy (posted 3 different good looking bikes, one for 150€, and two for 80€ on the same day with all different looking backgrounds...)

Insidious C. 

Welcome to the forums. It looks like a decent bike, although more detailed pics would help with assessment. If you can see the bike in person make note of the frame tubing stickers and model of components to help evaluate the quality of the bike.

If the seller lists several bikes in one day it may be he is flipping bikes for profit. Somethimes flippers will add value by doing some needed maintenance. Some of them just snatch up good deals and relist them at a higher price. Good luck!

juvela

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frame appears to exhibit Reynolds transfers on blades and down tube

brakes are Weinmann 605



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roadcrankr

Just because Peugeot named the model Triathlon does not make it the most suitable for that endeavor.
The exposed brake cable housing around the aero bars will surely entangle you.
I recommend searching for something newer with brake-lever shifters. Slap on an aero clip-on and call it a day.

zukahn1 

If the wheels and frame are good a OK buy. The bar setup cabling is total mes some odd extensions from likely a cheaper in door trainer , a older way high nitto high rise stem, with a bell on it, older but nice levers and bunch of stuff I just don't get WTF.. I would consider buying it for 120 and put most of the bar stuff in the scrap bin trash and keep the long stem it's worth 40 or so to the right buyer.

lairlair

Oh for sure, the triathlon bit is more a coincidence than anything, I just like the look of it. I'm not super fond of aero bars for now, too new to the practice for it to make sense. I've been searching for days for bikes with brake-lever shifters but they're wayyy more expensive. So I thought I'd find a frame that I like and upgrade later. Maybe shimano Sora for rim brake compatibility? Any advice welcome on that note too haha
Thank you for your replies

roadcrankr

Sketch out the upgrade costs, before proceeding. It may cost more in the long run.
That bike looks like 1980, in my mind, during the infancy of triathlons.

Mr. 66

Looks to have the quilled seatpost, I don't know the brand well enough but that was only a year or two. They did make some with a grub screw but I don't think it's on this model.

zukahn1 

Based on the graphics and spoon DT shift levers its from 82 or so when these were still sporting Simplix or Spidel parts.

repechage

Tires are so narrow that I would inspect for dented rims.
remove the tri bar
shorten the brake cable housings when you replace the brake hoods.
‘yes, a quill seatpost.
‘if one can do the work yourself, OK
if the work needs to be done by a shop, no.

jdawginsc 

86-87? Right before they got rid of lugs and went to in-external brazing one this range.

I think it’s a good deal.

To bad you are not in the US. I have a Quintana Roo I am trying to rehome.

Where are you located generally?

lairlair

I'm in Germany, near Cologne. I finally went for a vintage Koga Miyata that was in good condition and quite lightweight. It's a 6x2 as well so I'm struggling to find what kind of break/lever shifter I can find for this bad boy. Not sure I can fit a 8/9 speed cassette without messing with the frame

jdawginsc 

You can measure the distance between the rear dropouts to get a better idea. As a 6 speed I am wondering if it is still 120mm.

8-9 speeds you are at 130, though you can get away with 126-8 if it is steel. 128 is my magic width since you have choices of 126 or 140 hubs without too much angst.

lairlair

It is around 127! So I might try to swap out the drivetrain once I've sourced all the components

As far as I understand I'll need to change:
- Wheel set (or at least rear wheel with a 130 freehub compatible with 8/9 gears)
- crankset
- brake shifter levers
- rear derailleur
- front derailleur
- cassette
- chain
- and all the cables, and cable guides to replace the downtube shifters
+ Necessary tools... Oh dear that's a lot.

I guess it only makes sense if I find these things second hand

jdawginsc 

You may wish to look for a 90s donor bike that goes cheap that has Shimano Ultegra stuff, or Sora, or maybe Tiagra. They are likely to sell pretty cheaply.

Not sure what your local market looks like. I have tricolor Ultegra stuff but shipping it would be a disaster in cost I think.

lairlair

Thank you for offering, though yeah it's probably not the easiest with shipping. But it's a good idea, I might post in local groups and see what comes of it.

PhilFo 

One other thing is that if you want to learn some bicycle mechanic skills, try to pick a bicycle that is not French, it'll make your life easier.

lairlair

As a french person, I am highly offended! (It's a joke, in case that wasn't clear)

What do you mean by that though?

PhilFo 

French thread pedals, French thread bottom brackets, 22.0mm stems; it all presents a big limitation on available spare parts, especially if a person wants really good stuff.

blacknbluebikes 

Here, stateside, tri bikes are the "easiest" bike market on eBay - meaning that the supply of used tri-bikes greatly exceeds demand. I would suggest you save your money for a while, build up your strength and stamina on what you're riding now, don't worry about upgrades at all. As you participate in more triathlon events, you will see if you're going to continue pursing that sport. If you do, you will soon wish for much more than just upgrades to your current ride. Many years ago, when I was participating, I was able to buy a six-year old Cervelo P2k for $400. That bike was "built for purpose" and served me quite well. Three years later, I sold it for $400. Looking just now, I'm seeing very similar deals here in the U.S. "2011 Cervelo P1 $550" "2014 Felt B14 $375" "Van Dessel TT bike $399" These bikes are not for daily roadies and can be had at very attractive prices. Save $10 per week (in Euro) and you'll have a MUCH better ride next year.

zukahn1 

+1 for the use as trainer or entry level tri bike if ones not concerned about brand age and just wants something to ride a lot better can be had. 10 year or sold nice competition level trainers and Tri bikes turn up pretty regular in most markets for under $400 you can find bike's with a nice alloy frame carbon fork 3x8 shift group with working briiftters fairly good brakes wheels that are 20lbs or so I see a lot in my market Denver that that one could pic up for $300 buy a nice set of tires and chain for $100 and have a bike that one could use for Tri's or entry level racing. I actually have one I got out of a dumpster and spent $20 on this year Specialized Sectuar..

dekwon

Aside to the bike itself, you better down the state of all tires, brake pads and other parts. They can add some extra experiences to you your user bike... And the result price will be much more.

lairlair

Yeah I've changed my mind about all the upgrade stuff. There's only so much you can blame on the bike haha. Truth is, I'm not a terrific cyclist so I should focus on that and maintaining my bike clean, the tyres pumped up, and the chain lubed. The rest we'll see in due time.
Plus I'm far from being a mechanic, and I guess it's enough to know how to change an inner tube, clean a bike and set up a derailleur. No need to go all crafty, from experience it's on of the ways you waste your money... Brake lever shifters sounds very neat though, so I'll keep an eye out for that.

Yeah I've learnt that one the hard way. Next bike I get second hand I'll be more regarding about certain things because even if a tyre is 10€, it still adds up. Then you change the tube, then you realise you also need to change the rim band... Before you know it you're at 100€