Originally Posted by
Markeologist
If there was a bike you dreamed about or rider of a particular bike you were a fan of, search those out…if you want to stay enthused, best to start with something that stirs your emotions. Skip low tiered and even some mid-tiered bikes…takes as much time to refurbish an intro-level bike as it does a professional-level bike and when you are finished the low end bike is still low end…so get something that you are proud to ride and that elicits “nice bike” comments (helps keep you enthused). Basically same rules as car collecting…buy something you actually love.
so look for vintage frames, that had options for premium components? I see people restore Schwinn to Raleigh and everything in between, and identifying POS brands may be helpful. I do recognize the premium gram brands, but honestly surprised the at the Schwin restorations. I truly considered these as a hardware store brand. But I could be wrong about the vintage schwin