Lowly junk... quite reliable bikes?
#51
www.theheadbadge.com
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Southern Florida
Posts: 28,513
Bikes: https://www.theheadbadge.com
Mentioned: 124 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2422 Post(s)
Liked 4,396 Times
in
2,093 Posts
I don't even waste my time with the originals anymore - they get chucked out the moment I start working on the bike, and I won't service one that I don't own unless this modification is included in the repairs.
-Kurt
#52
Randomhead
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,399
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,699 Times
in
2,519 Posts
People would be so much better off buying bikes from the LBS. I suspect there are very few people that do not have an LBS within a reasonable distance that can't sell them a reliable bike for under $300. My son's bike was a rental, like new, and we got it for $130. It's probably a better mountain bike than mine. The $70 bikes from the big box are BLO (bike like objects) meant to fill up people's garages. If used, they will quickly exceed the price of a decent bike from the LBS.
Be careful rehabbing old murrays and huffys. I saw the front wheel and fork collapse on one on the mup, and I can't count the number of times I tried to true one of those wheels and could tell it was on the verge of tacoing. Some of those bikes were almost acceptable. But I remember seeing one in the early '80s that had a headset that wasn't adjustable. Everything was so cheap on that bike that it probably wouldn't stand up as a ghost bike.
Be careful rehabbing old murrays and huffys. I saw the front wheel and fork collapse on one on the mup, and I can't count the number of times I tried to true one of those wheels and could tell it was on the verge of tacoing. Some of those bikes were almost acceptable. But I remember seeing one in the early '80s that had a headset that wasn't adjustable. Everything was so cheap on that bike that it probably wouldn't stand up as a ghost bike.
#54
Bicycle Adventurer
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 1,514
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Perhaps I'm reading this wrong...Bikes built in Taiwan are POS's, or just Schwinns built in Taiwan are POS's? Because, you know, many, many, many bikes are built in Taiwan that are a whole bunch better than most stuff on the road...You know, from the custom builders like Rivendell, to Giant, etc.
The intent of my statement was thus: Schwinns today are now made in a country other than the US with very low standards of quality under a nice name.
Not all foreign made bikes (a la rivendell or giant, [i don't care for giant]) are junk, my bad.
However, I was bummed to find that Masi bikes are made in some Asiatic country now.
So much for rustic italian craftsmanship.
Just wait until Campy outsources to, say, Ethiopia or Mexico.
-Nick
#55
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 2,978
Bikes: Cannondale T700s and a few others
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
There's a local craigslist seller who finds and fixes up nothing but the kind of bikes we're discussing here. He then asks as much for them for as the new Mart bikes. We're talking 85-135 bucks for Huffys
and Murrays. I don't fault him for it, it makes the bikes I flip look SO much better by comparison.,,,,BD
and Murrays. I don't fault him for it, it makes the bikes I flip look SO much better by comparison.,,,,BD
Perhaps I'm reading this wrong...Bikes built in Taiwan are POS's, or just Schwinns built in Taiwan are POS's? Because, you know, many, many, many bikes are built in Taiwan that are a whole bunch better than most stuff on the road...You know, from the custom builders like Rivendell, to Giant, etc.
One rather large bicycle buying group are college kids who simply want a campy retro-style bike for riding around campus. The PERFECT bike is most often a 60's or 70's style restored bike that can be bought for around $100.
Obvious contenders are the Free Spirits, Huffys, and other such bikes. Those bikes are serving multi-generations.
Obvious contenders are the Free Spirits, Huffys, and other such bikes. Those bikes are serving multi-generations.
I can get those sorts of prices for 80's Japanese and Taiwan built bikes of mid quality. A good condition 70's Schwinn road bike will fetch about $100 here on average.
Actually, Giant built all the Taiwan Schwinns. They were pretty great considering their price and the quanitity of output. Schwinn was the first major company Giant courted as a contractor, and they grew huge(er, for Schwinn) together. I'm pretty sure Schwinns are made in China today.
#56
perpetually frazzled
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Linton, IN
Posts: 2,467
Bikes: 1977 Bridgestone Kabuki Super Speed; 1979 Raleigh Professional; 1983 Raleigh Rapide mixte; 1974 Peugeot UO-8; 1993 Univega Activa Trail; 1972 Raleigh Sports; 1967 Phillips; 1981 Schwinn World Tourist; 1976 Schwinn LeTour mixte; 1964 Western Flyer
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times
in
6 Posts
Taiwan, China... Oh gee, I failed my geographic knowledge.
The intent of my statement was thus: Schwinns today are now made in a country other than the US with very low standards of quality under a nice name.
Not all foreign made bikes (a la rivendell or giant, [i don't care for giant]) are junk, my bad.
However, I was bummed to find that Masi bikes are made in some Asiatic country now.
So much for rustic italian craftsmanship.
Just wait until Campy outsources to, say, Ethiopia or Mexico.
-Nick
The intent of my statement was thus: Schwinns today are now made in a country other than the US with very low standards of quality under a nice name.
Not all foreign made bikes (a la rivendell or giant, [i don't care for giant]) are junk, my bad.
However, I was bummed to find that Masi bikes are made in some Asiatic country now.
So much for rustic italian craftsmanship.
Just wait until Campy outsources to, say, Ethiopia or Mexico.
-Nick
Don't get me wrong, between most European and most Asian bikes, I'd pick the European in a heartbeat, but I don't have a problem with Asian bikes...well, except Chinese bikes. There are very few Chinese bikes that I would feel safe or comfortable riding.
#57
Uber Goober
One thing that's deceptive is you see some of these bikes that are 40 years old, and you think "What a great bike! It lasted 40 years!" In reality, it got used 6 months, sat in a garage for 39 years, and now it's out again. I would bet that most of those old cheap bikes are long gone if they were actually used more or less continually. Ditto for the expensive ones, for that matter. I've got a Free Spirit 3-speed that is maybe 30 years old. But I bought it from the 2nd owner, who had stored it unridden for ten years, after buying it from the first owner, who never rode it, etc.
I had a couple of bikes as a kid, which are gone. When I was in junior high or high school, I got a new bike, maybe a Murray, and rode it regularly for several years. It seemed like I did a lot of bicycling, but it was only about a mile to the high school, so at most, I was riding 3 miles a day. Anyway, that bike started rusting and otherwise looking bad, and I tossed it out quite a few years back.
The $100 mountain bike I had from Academy seldom had fully functional gears. Brakes were not too good to begin with, and got progressively worse in the year I owned it. I don't know how old 10-speeds compared, but they couldn't have been much worse. I replaced the rear wheel on that bike twice in a year, too.
I had a couple of bikes as a kid, which are gone. When I was in junior high or high school, I got a new bike, maybe a Murray, and rode it regularly for several years. It seemed like I did a lot of bicycling, but it was only about a mile to the high school, so at most, I was riding 3 miles a day. Anyway, that bike started rusting and otherwise looking bad, and I tossed it out quite a few years back.
The $100 mountain bike I had from Academy seldom had fully functional gears. Brakes were not too good to begin with, and got progressively worse in the year I owned it. I don't know how old 10-speeds compared, but they couldn't have been much worse. I replaced the rear wheel on that bike twice in a year, too.
__________________
"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
#58
Bicycle Adventurer
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 1,514
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I sometimes see dept. store bikes today (Like my brother's Jeep brand bike) with deraileurs that are simpler than the cheap simplex deraileurs from years ago.
I saw one that was almost a point-for-point copy of the $18 simplex at Velo Orange.
My camera is lost, so I can't show.
I saw one that was almost a point-for-point copy of the $18 simplex at Velo Orange.
My camera is lost, so I can't show.
#59
Senior Member
Because China and Taiwan are the same...
Don't get me wrong, between most European and most Asian bikes, I'd pick the European in a heartbeat, but I don't have a problem with Asian bikes...well, except Chinese bikes. There are very few Chinese bikes that I would feel safe or comfortable riding.
Don't get me wrong, between most European and most Asian bikes, I'd pick the European in a heartbeat, but I don't have a problem with Asian bikes...well, except Chinese bikes. There are very few Chinese bikes that I would feel safe or comfortable riding.
#60
Senior Member
One thing that's deceptive is you see some of these bikes that are 40 years old, and you think "What a great bike! It lasted 40 years!" In reality, it got used 6 months, sat in a garage for 39 years, and now it's out again. I would bet that most of those old cheap bikes are long gone if they were actually used more or less continually. Ditto for the expensive ones, for that matter. I've got a Free Spirit 3-speed that is maybe 30 years old. But I bought it from the 2nd owner, who had stored it unridden for ten years, after buying it from the first owner, who never rode it, etc.
I had a couple of bikes as a kid, which are gone. When I was in junior high or high school, I got a new bike, maybe a Murray, and rode it regularly for several years. It seemed like I did a lot of bicycling, but it was only about a mile to the high school, so at most, I was riding 3 miles a day. Anyway, that bike started rusting and otherwise looking bad, and I tossed it out quite a few years back.
I had a couple of bikes as a kid, which are gone. When I was in junior high or high school, I got a new bike, maybe a Murray, and rode it regularly for several years. It seemed like I did a lot of bicycling, but it was only about a mile to the high school, so at most, I was riding 3 miles a day. Anyway, that bike started rusting and otherwise looking bad, and I tossed it out quite a few years back.
#62
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Brooklyn
Posts: 850
Bikes: Schwinns
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Sort of ironic considering how bicycles are one of them major sources of transportation in China!
Because China and Taiwan are the same...
Don't get me wrong, between most European and most Asian bikes, I'd pick the European in a heartbeat, but I don't have a problem with Asian bikes...well, except Chinese bikes. There are very few Chinese bikes that I would feel safe or comfortable riding.
Don't get me wrong, between most European and most Asian bikes, I'd pick the European in a heartbeat, but I don't have a problem with Asian bikes...well, except Chinese bikes. There are very few Chinese bikes that I would feel safe or comfortable riding.
#63
Membership Not Required
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: On the road-USA
Posts: 16,855
Bikes: Giant Excursion, Raleigh Sports, Raleigh R.S.W. Compact, Motobecane? and about 20 more! OMG
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 70 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 15 Times
in
14 Posts
One thing that's deceptive is you see some of these bikes that are 40 years old, and you think "What a great bike! It lasted 40 years!" In reality, it got used 6 months, sat in a garage for 39 years, and now it's out again. I would bet that most of those old cheap bikes are long gone if they were actually used more or less continually. Ditto for the expensive ones, for that matter. I've got a Free Spirit 3-speed that is maybe 30 years old. But I bought it from the 2nd owner, who had stored it unridden for ten years, after buying it from the first owner, who never rode it, etc.
I had a couple of bikes as a kid, which are gone. When I was in junior high or high school, I got a new bike, maybe a Murray, and rode it regularly for several years. It seemed like I did a lot of bicycling, but it was only about a mile to the high school, so at most, I was riding 3 miles a day. Anyway, that bike started rusting and otherwise looking bad, and I tossed it out quite a few years back.
The $100 mountain bike I had from Academy seldom had fully functional gears. Brakes were not too good to begin with, and got progressively worse in the year I owned it. I don't know how old 10-speeds compared, but they couldn't have been much worse. I replaced the rear wheel on that bike twice in a year, too.
I had a couple of bikes as a kid, which are gone. When I was in junior high or high school, I got a new bike, maybe a Murray, and rode it regularly for several years. It seemed like I did a lot of bicycling, but it was only about a mile to the high school, so at most, I was riding 3 miles a day. Anyway, that bike started rusting and otherwise looking bad, and I tossed it out quite a few years back.
The $100 mountain bike I had from Academy seldom had fully functional gears. Brakes were not too good to begin with, and got progressively worse in the year I owned it. I don't know how old 10-speeds compared, but they couldn't have been much worse. I replaced the rear wheel on that bike twice in a year, too.
I doubt any of the lesser brands would have taken that kind of mileage or abuse for that length of time.
Aaron
__________________
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
#64
Senior Member
You can have em! Points for style, but heck if I want to go crazy fixing them. I'll go japan and taiwan all the way! How bout this. You take the frenchies, I'll take the asians. We can trade Miyatas and Univegas for Puchs and Peugots all summer!
#66
Senior Member
I won't deprive you of the Lotus. They're beautiful, but you already know I like asian steel. Maybe I can just keep the next vintage Mercier I run across and we'll call it even.
#69
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Milwaukee WI
Posts: 252
Bikes: Schwinn Traveler, Chimo Concourse, Next mountain bike, all crap!
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I think a major problem that leads to these WM bikes getting tossed instead of fixed is the huge gap between available parts and service for a LBS bike compared to the WM bike. In the '70's a Schwinn was sold at a LBS. Free Spirit was sold at Sears. But they had the same or similar replacement parts. You could get cheap stuff at the hardware store or decent stuff at the LBS. But nowdays, people need a wheel for their "so called" $69 mountain bike and the LBS quotes more than that just for the wheel so the bike ends up tossed. It's too hard to find stuff cheap enough to warrent fixing them up. I know Niagara Cycles has $6 tires and $4 thumb shifters and $4 brake levers and 88 cent cables but most people don't.
Also, more and more people just can't fix anything themselves so the gap widens. Big box stores sell disposable junk and no replacement parts because that's what the people want. Try buying a lawnmower at Home Depot and then go back two years later for a new blade and see what you find.
Also, more and more people just can't fix anything themselves so the gap widens. Big box stores sell disposable junk and no replacement parts because that's what the people want. Try buying a lawnmower at Home Depot and then go back two years later for a new blade and see what you find.
#70
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Milwaukee WI
Posts: 252
Bikes: Schwinn Traveler, Chimo Concourse, Next mountain bike, all crap!
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I wonder too about the fact that in China, people do use Chinese bikes as basic transportation. But I imagine that they get cheaps parts no problem. If our $800 bike has a replacement wheel cost of $80, they probably can get an $8 wheel for an $80 bike.
#71
Tinkerer
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Tulsa, OK
Posts: 152
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
2 Posts
I've been swapping back and forth recently between my 70s Schwinn Varsity single-speed and a Cannondale M300 I bought new in the mid 90s. I can't compare components, but when it comes to ride quality the 35lb Schwinn wins on the road, hands down.
#72
Big Wheel Pilot
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: KCMO
Posts: 17
Bikes: 1990 Fuji Arcadia, 1994 Specialized Hardrock
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
There are several generalizations in this thread which may be confusing things. First, I consider department store bikes as being bikes manufactured for department stores such as Sears, Montgomery Ward and JCPenney. Sears had their Free Spirit line, Wards had Open Road, and so on. If you look at a Sears catalog from the mid-1970s you will find 10-speed bikes (drop bars, front and rear derailers) ranging from perhaps $65 up to $150 or so. That's a huge spread. Sure, many were made by Huffy, Murray, and AMF but some of the top of the line bikes were quite good. Today, that spread would be similar to a top of the line WM bike on the low end to a low-end LBS brand bike such as an entry level Fuji or Trek. Seriously. The difference was back in the mid-'70s those bikes were all made in the US. I know a person could maintain and ride these bikes regularly because I did for several years.
Sure, WM, K-Mart, Venture and similar stores sold bikes but everyone knew they were the cheaper AMF, Murray and Huffy bikes. No big deal - you got what you paid for. Those bikes were also decent but they wouldn't last as long under what I consider to be normal, careful use.
I think many people assume the bicycle manufacturers decided at some point to start building nothing by crappy bikes but the truth is the realitive quality of low end bikes has been on a steady decline for several decades, 50 years perhaps. My brother's cheap 1970 Western Flyer was a much nicer bike than my cheap 1975 AMF. My nice 1978 Free Spirit 10-speed was a wonderful bike whereas the 1990 Free Spirit 12-speed I purchased was returned to Sears before I completely removed it from the box.
There have always been cheap POS bicycles. There was a time when a person could buy a good quality bicycle at Sears. Sure, my 1990 Fuji is a better bike than my 1978 Free Spirit but I rode the latter for 12 years without any problems.
Sure, WM, K-Mart, Venture and similar stores sold bikes but everyone knew they were the cheaper AMF, Murray and Huffy bikes. No big deal - you got what you paid for. Those bikes were also decent but they wouldn't last as long under what I consider to be normal, careful use.
I think many people assume the bicycle manufacturers decided at some point to start building nothing by crappy bikes but the truth is the realitive quality of low end bikes has been on a steady decline for several decades, 50 years perhaps. My brother's cheap 1970 Western Flyer was a much nicer bike than my cheap 1975 AMF. My nice 1978 Free Spirit 10-speed was a wonderful bike whereas the 1990 Free Spirit 12-speed I purchased was returned to Sears before I completely removed it from the box.
There have always been cheap POS bicycles. There was a time when a person could buy a good quality bicycle at Sears. Sure, my 1990 Fuji is a better bike than my 1978 Free Spirit but I rode the latter for 12 years without any problems.
#74
perpetually frazzled
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Linton, IN
Posts: 2,467
Bikes: 1977 Bridgestone Kabuki Super Speed; 1979 Raleigh Professional; 1983 Raleigh Rapide mixte; 1974 Peugeot UO-8; 1993 Univega Activa Trail; 1972 Raleigh Sports; 1967 Phillips; 1981 Schwinn World Tourist; 1976 Schwinn LeTour mixte; 1964 Western Flyer
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times
in
6 Posts