Cheseldine

Hello everyone,


I have always had an interest in steel frame road bikes, but never got around to getting one - a mistake which I am finally planning on rectifying.


I am not what most here would probably class a "serious rider", usually completing rides of 40 miles or less on any given day. I currently only have a hard-tail mountain bike, but as I get older I am becoming more interested in pavement riding. I've always loved the looks of classic road bikes, and would love to pick one up. This search has generated a few questions:


-I am on a limited budged, $300 max, but lower is better

-I have access to a media blaster and powder coating, so mild restoration is not a problem

-I have plenty of tools (I am assuming) everything I would require to work on one


What brands should I be looking at? From what I have seen I prefer 80s bikes


Is there a list of particular models a certain brand makes? I am having a hard time telling if a model is high or low end within a manufacturer's line


Cost wise, would I be better off buying a bike in fantastic shape at a higher price, or one in poor condition that needs work? I am not sure how quickly components add up, and I am assuming I'll need new tires, chain and seat at a minimum.


How can I identify higher quality bikes without knowing the brand/model? I have read the following:


-Look for forged dropouts with axle adjusting screw and a separate derailleur hanger

-Ornate lug work (I assume this means fancier designs etc.)

-Higher end components (Campagnolo, Shimano DuraACe, Ultegra, 600 series, and Suntour Superbe GPX and Cyclone)

-Brakes without safety levers - what exactly are safety levers?

-Downtube Shifters

-Sticker indicating Double-butted Frame


What am I missing from my list? Anything that would be easy to inspect for a new guy?


Thanks a bunch for any help, it is greatly appreciated. I am planning on riding this bike casually for the next 20 years or so - no, it will not be converted to a fixie.

malcala622

Most important thing i would figure out is what bike frame size best fits you ( or at least a range)

For example my inseam is 32" and so i could comfortably ride a 54cm to 56cm frame.

Correct fittment is #1 on my list of bike searching.

Cheseldine

Sorry for leaving that out, I am looking for 56-58cm frames.

non-fixie 

Piff 

$300 max budget is going to make finding and tuning up a relatively high end (double butted, nice components) difficult. It happens for many of the regular posters on this forum, but they have the tools and the experience to pick the right bike and get it rolling again on the cheap.

If your budget really can't go above $300, you may be looking for a while potentially.

I would suggest going after Japanese brands, they're cheaper usually. Centurion, Diamondback, Fuji, Miyata, Nishiki, Panasonic, Univega, Shogun. There's others.

Also, keep in mind that you don't really know what you want in a bike yet. You may not be riding the bike you buy for decades to come, and that's...okay. Don't try to hit the bullseye on the first try, but do attempt to at least narrow down a bit what kind of riding you want to do. But I think you'll be best served with a bike that's like a Swiss army knife, and can be tuned to new purposes relatively easily.

So I would not recommend you to go after specifically road racing bikes with small tire clearances. It's difficult to get them to do other things besides going fast on the street. A mid level touring/recreational bike, like the Miyata 210 would be a great choice for you. You may not find it exactly, but familiarize yourself with its characteristics and seek them out in different brands.

One main characteristic I would recommend you take notice of it clearance for fenders and wider tires. You can look at the space between the rear tire and the seat tube (the tube the seatpost slides into, the post the saddle is fixed to) as a proxy for this. Though you also have to take into account where the rear wheel's hub is in the rear dropout. Since they're horizontal the wheel can slide closer to and further away from the seat tube. Something to take notice of when looking at bikes.

I would also put Schwinn on the menu for the simple fact that there are millions of them out there, and many fine choices that will fit your needs. Some people try to sell them at a higher price since they're a schwinn, but there are enough sellers to find something nice at a reasonable price.
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Also, what city do you live in? Many forum members enjoy a good bike hunt on craigslist to help other people locate a good vintage bike.

rumrunn6

40 miles on a mtb is nothing to sneeze at! well done!

tempted to play devil's advocate & ask: what do you want to do? ride or restore? meaning, that would help decide what to shop for. cuz, budget aside, I think there are plenty of ride-ready bikes for sale

also, about where do you live? I'm sure more than a cpl readers wouldn't mind perusing CL on your behalf to point out some that catch their eye

CO_Hoya 

If you post your location, the collective here may be able to scan the local on-line ads and point to a few candidates for you.

You've picked a good time to look for bikes - the market is very soft, at least in my area. I'd expect that I could pick up a very nice 80's road bike for <$300 with a couple of weeks of looking.

Classtime 

Ornate lug work can be crossed off your list.
300 bucks will get you a nice bike.
What city are you in/near? We love to shop on Craig's List for bikes and you will get plenty of direction on what to look for.
80s Japanese bikes with Shimano Indexed Shifting are a great place to start with plenty of reasonably priced readily available parts.

Cheseldine

Great advice with the Japanese brands, I'll certainly keep my eye out for them. Since I've already got a decent mountain bike, I'd like something better suited to road use at this point, but wouldn't rule out a touring bike (although I wouldn't be attaching anything to it on the racks).

I live in NW Montana, so my choices may be a bit limited.

Cheseldine

To answer your question, a little of both. I love tinkering and restoring things so that would definitely be an enjoyable aspect for me.

I live very close to Glacier National Park in Montana, and there is a famous biking road called Going to the Sun that I am mainly interested in riding in the summers. I've been doing it on my mountain bike with some difficulty, and would love to be able to do so on a vintage road bike. I'd post a link showing the road, but it says I do not have enough posts yet.

corn on the cog 

Welcome!

Good advice here already. I would just add: I wouldn't worry too much about "high end" vs "low end" within brands, especially if you are looking at the Japanese brands named above. Even the "low end" bikes from the reputable Japanese names in the 1980s, and some of the American brands like Trek, were made with relatively light steel, and perfectly functional components. It's probably ideal to look for a bike with 700c rather than 27" wheels, but I wouldn't consider that a deal-breaker. I wouldn't just look for downtube shifters by the way. Some great bikes out there with bar-end shifters. I would just look askance at stem-mounted shifters. Those are a red flag for "heavy, bottom of the line," to generalize somewhat.

We look forward to further reports!

Cheseldine

Thanks for the advice, the closest I've seen to what I am looking for is a Ciocc on Missoula Craigslist, but it is a bit out of my budget ($390) - the site will not allow me to post links yet.

squirtdad

If you put you geographical location in that would help people give you ideas from craigslist (or there may even be a local C&V person with something )

a lot of value in classic Japanese bikes Miyata, Bridgestone, Pansonic, Univega, Centurion, Nishki, etc and also there is something special about Italian frames, and 531... it goes on.

a good idea is to look around in general in this forum

Piff 

Since you are interested in road riding, but "casually" as you said, I still think buying something that's less locked into a single purpose is a good idea.

CO_Hoya 

If you can manage a drive to Missoula, there's a nice Schwinn Passage in your size (link):
Not the sexiest, but a great bike for paved and gravel.

squirtdad

@mountaindave is in the Kalispell area and would probably have a good knowledge of the market

Knowing Montana, (grew up in Chinook) the pickings are going to be slim, you might have to road trip, Missoula with UM may have a bigger selection

did a quick craiigs list search

this is what i saw

The Ciooc is a really cool bike from the C&V point and would be the one I would point you at
Trek X1 crossbike roadie size 56 - $500 (Columbia falls)

https://kalispell.craigslist.org/bik...762586692.html


Motobecane Nomad - great commuter! - $100 (Bigfork)

looks maybe too big
https://kalispell.craigslist.org/bik...748098223.html



Ciocc with Campagnolo Components & Columbus Steel - $390 (MISSOULA)

https://missoula.craigslist.org/bik/...754877057.html

Piff 

It's even geared for mountain riding already.

clubman 

Yes the Trek ticks all the boxes imo.

Classtime 

The Sekai and the Novara on the Missoula CL are what you are looking for I think but they are a bit too big. The TREK is not 80s lugged steel.

clubman 

Not a Trek expert but it's lugged, it's steel and the components suggest 80's. What do you think it is?

Piff 

Which trek are you looking at? The only one I see is the black one with yellow fenders. Definitely not 80s steel.

markwesti

Oh gosh I don't know ... How bout' one of these .
Centurion Ironman . 86'


DSCF2463 by mark westi, on Flickr

Classtime 

Tig welded Aluminum.

clubman 

This is the one CO_Hoya referred to in post 15

nlerner

That's the Schwinniest Trek I've ever seen.

Fwiw, I also recommend an 80s Japanese-made road bike. Your location might make the search more challenging, but they're out there in your size and at your price, e.g., this Panasonic DX4000 currently on Boston's CL: https://boston.craigslist.org/nwb/bi...765818358.html