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Vintage Road Bike Recommendation

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Vintage Road Bike Recommendation

Old 07-15-19, 07:14 PM
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poetman
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Vintage Road Bike Recommendation

I have a late 50’s Raleigh Sports that I love, but depending on where I am headed, and how long the commute, I sometimes disdain the very slow movement and unhelpful gearing of the lovely machine, so I would like to get a vintage 10-speed for longer rides and a greater sense of agility while riding (if that makes sense). I definitely want an old 10-speed, but I am quite ignorant as to what I should look for! I know the basic names but know nothing about the components or other important parts.

I went to a LBS and tried a Centurion Master Ironman with “Tange 1” written on the tube. It performed lovely, and it met my needs. I also rode a Raleigh Technium 400 with “6061-T8” on the tube. I think I preferred the Centurion just a bit more because it was 22” and just felt a bit better, but I did like that the Raleigh shifters were near the quill stem instead of the down tube. The Raleigh had Shimano Light Action written on the derailleur.

Based on these preliminary observations, could you all kindly recommend some brand/models for a vintage road bike that I can look out for on my local Craigslist. The aforementioned Raleigh and Centurion were in the low $300, and I am hoping to find something closer to $100 used.

I really appreciate any insights you all can offer!

Thank you
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Old 07-15-19, 07:16 PM
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You're probably going to want to post this in the C&V forum. Folks there know a lot about vintage bikes.
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Old 07-15-19, 08:33 PM
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Those Light Action derailers were a good thing - the pinch bolt was on a sprung arm which allowed shifts to be made in advance, before pedalling.
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Old 07-16-19, 07:39 AM
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Originally Posted by poetman
Based on these preliminary observations, could you all kindly recommend some brand/models for a vintage road bike that I can look out for on my local Craigslist. The aforementioned Raleigh and Centurion were in the low $300, and I am hoping to find something closer to $100 used.

I really appreciate any insights you all can offer!

Thank you
When it comes to 30+ year old bikes, your searches need to be brand and model neutral. For example, sitting there and searching for an '87 Miyata 912 will most likely be a fruitless search, given the age of the bike. Instead, just search thru ALL of your craigslist(and facebook marketplace) and look at options. If you do search for something specific, then search based on price or frame size. Just know that price is often a moving target and size is often mis-measured(which is why no search parameters is best).
There were excellent bikes made by Schwinn, Panasonic, Miyata, Fuji, Centurion, Nishiki, Novara, Lotus, Specialized, Univega, Trek, Motobecane, and many many more brands. By the mid-80s, these brands were all competitive with each other to where they all had a full product range of models at pricepoints to compete with bikes from the other brands. If you search for one specifically, you will miss out on many others that are of similar quality.


...or just buy the Centurion you tried, take it to a bike collective, and have the shifters moved to the stem. Thatll cost you 2 cables, some housing, and maybe $5 for stem shifters. If you donate the downtube shifters, you will probably just be able to swap them for stem shifters.
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Old 07-16-19, 03:23 PM
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One thing I like doing is to search on the frame's tubing within craigslist, for instance, Reynolds or Columbus. You may miss seeing some results where sellers don't know the material or value of what they're selling, but that may also be a feature.
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Old 07-17-19, 10:40 AM
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Tange #1 was top notch stuff for it's day. Still pretty nice even for the modern day.
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Old 07-17-19, 07:20 PM
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A mid to late 70's Raleigh Super Course. Great bikes. Reynolds 531 tubing, nice components. I bought one a few months ago for $140. One of the nicests bikes I have ever ridden. Gear shifters on the handlebar ends.
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Old 07-18-19, 01:07 PM
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I've had an '89 Centurion Ironman for a couple of years now. Great values. Mine is still mostly original, Suntour GPX group with downtube shifters. An Ironman with Shimano group would be easier to maintain over the long haul, although there's not really a shortage of good used Suntour components... yet. Accushift is a little finicky but I've settled on a setup that works well.

The other, an early '90s carbon fiber Trek 5900, is lighter on climbs but a little stretched out for my aching neck (old injuries). I should consider a shorter stem but I hate to give up that original Ibis titanium stem. I switched it from downtube shifters to brifters. Better for short club rides, no need to take my hand off the bar to shift.

Of my two road bikes the Ironman is more comfortable over longer rides on rough roads. Between the slightly more flexy fork and bottom bracket, and 700x25 tires, it's pleasant to ride all day (after I did my part on the engine and physical therapy -- that took awhile).

There are so many good C&V bikes around, and many affordable road bikes from the 1980s-'90s, it's mostly a matter of patience and shopping until one finds you.
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Old 07-18-19, 01:15 PM
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Centurion FTW, those are sweet bikes. Vintage aluminum is a nah.
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