SlimRider

Hey Gsk!

This sounds like a stalking girlfriend that won't let you quit her, and you can't find another to replace her!

- Slim

PS.

After awhile...she ain't that bad, afterall!..Huh?

SkippyX

That's why I just bought an 80's bike. I didn't pay anywhere near $300, but I'm sure the pawnshop selling it was surprised to have anyone other than a cop looking for stolen bikes checking it out. You never know what people are looking for. Sometimes there's a market for weird stuff. I know a guy that's always on the lookout for old 5.25" floppy drives. He says that people into some subgenre of amateur robotics find a component in those old drives useful.

Several years ago I knew a guy that repaired motorola radios - they type used by police, fire departments, etc. He needed DOS for some of the apps he used and was always on the lookout for old 486 laptops. He kept a stack of ancient hard drives and always seemed to be fiddling with something electronic.

One man's trash, eh?

-=(8)=-

Bikes are worth what a potential buyer will pay. I love 70's and 80's 10-12 speeds. My favorite stuff actually. If I could afford both, I would pick the stemmy, safety levered 80's bike over the brifter/compact nu-tech bike every time. 300.00 is nothing. Some people pay that in phone bills every month.

fietsbob

Even Pawn shops look to see what the eBay auction prices went up to, when selling pawned stuff..

Dave Cutter

I think some of the old bicycles sold on CL aren't being sold to collectors or even cyclist. An old bicycle can represent a memory. I have absolutely no use for an old Schwinn Corvette bicycle. But if I saw one listed, in the right color, like the one I owned as a kid. I might just make it mine.

I-Like-To-Bike

Is this the right color and price?
Vintage Schwinn Corvette - Production 6-14-65

linnefaulk

This is the bike I always wanted. I would buy it in a heartbeat.

klmmicro

The best part of Craigslist...haggling! Yes, they might be asking $300, but why would you pay that? Make your low offer and work from there. In the end, you could get some good deals.

tds101 

Hey, it's down to $250 for the Schwinn now: Vintage Schwinn Corvette - Production 6-14-65

spare_wheel

huh?

ford festivas have terrible gas mileage:
https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Power...va&srchtyp=ymm

Now this 90s vehicle has OK gas mileage:
Fuel Economy of 1994 Honda Civic HB VX

Bug Shield

It's not just bikes. I think it's a product of free advertising.

Back in my day, (Sonny), if you wanted to sell something you paid up front for a newspaper ad. That ad only ran for a few days so it was entirely possible to find no buyer if you priced an item too high AND you'd be out the advertising fee.

Free advertising encourages dreamers to shoot the moon and gives incentive for regular people to price high at the start and find the market since there is no time limit.

curbtender

And some people like to get paid for their time... Vintage 1959 Schwinn Corvette - Cafe Style Restomod

tds101 

I wouldn't spend that on it, but it's a hot bike!

kc0yef 

Wow I guess your an I see it printed I believe it kind of guy Dooo!
Your mileage might vary my 1991 geo metro got 62mpg and my 1990 Lincoln town car got 31mpg hwy
Of course I do the correct maintenance correct tires and pressure and tuning and best gas You probably can't do a tune up without a computer

prathmann

A college room mate had one of the Reynolds 531 Free Spirits with full top-end Campagnolo components of the period. Seemed like a very nice bike. Unfortunately he wrecked his front wheel and the only replacement he could find locally was a heavy steel rim intended for a Schwinn Varsity - it greatly increased the weight of his bike.

kc0yef 

mine is a 1990 not a 93 and 40mpg is what the average on the web site says read the whole thing your civic is rated at 41mpg WOW that is a huge difference

TransitBiker

An old steel cruiser with drum brakes & a springer fork would be worth 300, but a 10 speed $300....... nah.

- Andy

TransitBiker

Minus 15-22% off that EPA estimate. It's done with just the engine running following a set series of things, no AC, no headlights, no radio, no steering, all of that takes power off the engine.

- Andy

Dave Cutter

Made my eyes all watery. Thanks for the memories!

I-Like-To-Bike

What is up with the Frenchy 650A rims? Didn't this model come with 26" wheels with 597mm Schwinn S-6 rims?

And no coaster brake! Yuch!

spare_wheel

Nope. The oldmethodology combined mpg was 33 - and it's 28 using the new methodology.

ThermionicScott 

Don't forget that the EPA tests are designed to be pessimistic -- the estimates are down because higher speeds, more starting and stopping, and AC use are computed in. A semi-skilled driver with a well-tuned car can easily do better than the EPA estimates.

kc0yef 

+1

Dave Mayer

It is a very rare vintage bike that is worth $300.

We just got in a Windsor Wellington 3 road bike from bikesdirect.com. $400 to the door. All new.

It has a 3 x 8 Shimano drivetrain, integrated brake/shifters, a carbon fork, good dual pivot brakes and alu frame. In terms of riding performance, this bike is lighter, stronger, more corrosion resistant and offers better shifting and braking than any 30 new year old bike that I've come across.

In every way that counts, the Windsor is a better bike than my 1986 Pinarello Montello, which is easily the highest quality 80's-era bike that I have ever seen. But, for some weird reason, certain folks are willing to give me $400 for just the crankset on the Pinarello.

Craigslist: this is a vast sea of 'vintage' bike floatsam and jetsam. Almost all of this is hopelessly obsolete, broken, worn-out and stolen. Most of these bikes have never experience any servicing whatsoever. Lubing the chain once a decade does not count as adequate servicing. Unless the vintage bike was hung-up in a garage shortly after purchase, it will be handicapped by a clapped-out bottom bracket, a pitted headset, pitted hub bearings, a stretched-out chains and worn out chainrings and cogs.

Just because it is old, and has survived, doesn't mean it is good. 30 years ago, 95% of the new bikes sold were department store junk. Same statistic today.

So, if you want a reliable commuter for the right price, you should buy new.

tjspiel

Might be a regional thing. There is a lot of junk out there but there are also a lot of adults who bought quality bikes and rarely used them. You can get really good prices, - especially around November when demand for bike related stuff plummets around here.

My main commuter is 28 years old. My main commuter before that is quite a bit newer but I still bought it used. It cost me $350 and was a much better bike than I could have gotten from Bikes Direct for that amount.

My son bought his fixed gear from BD. It's an OK bike but it really is no better than my 28 year old fixed gear conversion that I spent $95 on. The parts for the conversion cost some money of course (other than the ones I had lying around) but in the end it's still less than what he spent on his bike. It has some nice touches like lugs that his bike does not and I could also easily convert it back to a geared bike if I wanted.