If you had $200...
08-13-09, 06:11 PM
#26
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My Raleigh Competition from the early 80s, wich I am very pleased with, cost me about 200 dollars. I would say its much bicycle for the money!
08-13-09, 06:19 PM
#27
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I had a $200 budget and after several months of looking was able to pick up a centurion comp-ta in very nice condition with Shimano 600 components earlier this year.
08-13-09, 09:38 PM
#31
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I got lucky:
1980 Nishiki International (Needed Seat post, seat, and air in the tires). $20.
I also was extremely urgent, needing the bike pretty much THAT day.
1980 Nishiki International (Needed Seat post, seat, and air in the tires). $20.
I also was extremely urgent, needing the bike pretty much THAT day.
08-13-09, 09:46 PM
#32
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Thanks for all the response everyone. It seems like not focusing on any one brand is probably the best idea. Ideally, I'd ahve the bike three months ago, but I've held off on some bike on craigslist that I probably shouldn't have. Oh well.
I guess I should have phrased my question like this: If you had $200 to spend on your first vintage road bike (and you had any one in the world to choose from at that price) what would it be? Forget random garage sale finds, etc. $200 to spend on a bike, what would it be?
I guess I should have phrased my question like this: If you had $200 to spend on your first vintage road bike (and you had any one in the world to choose from at that price) what would it be? Forget random garage sale finds, etc. $200 to spend on a bike, what would it be?
08-13-09, 09:50 PM
#33
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Patience and luck...
1973 Raleigh Gran Sports 531 frame and fork - $10.00
1955 Raleigh Lenton "Reg Harris Road Model" - $100.00
Ron Cooper - $100.00
1957 Peugeot PLX 8 - *cough free*
1948 Rudge roadster - traded for $40.00 worth of odd parts.
1973 Raleigh Gran Sports 531 frame and fork - $10.00
1955 Raleigh Lenton "Reg Harris Road Model" - $100.00
Ron Cooper - $100.00
1957 Peugeot PLX 8 - *cough free*
1948 Rudge roadster - traded for $40.00 worth of odd parts.
08-13-09, 10:08 PM
#34
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I NEED A CHEAP ROAD BIKE HELP!!!!! https://boston.craigslist.org/search/...k=325&hasPic=1 i dont have much but i dont know anything about road bikes either! i would prefure a single/fixed but any help would make me very thankful
08-13-09, 10:14 PM
#35
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Do you really want to know? If it's your size, you'll just have a grinding feeling. Buddha sez practice non-attachment. 
I don't really know. At the bike coop, we sort of do things by feel (e.g., we don't even have a tire gauge).
I usually just judge by looking at the head tube. It looked about the same size as my 24" EF Schwinn, which is too small. I'm 6' w/ a 32" inseam, and I usually feel cramped on bikes even if they're too tall for me to stand over (yet my arms are not as monstrously long as this makes me sound ... I just always feel like I can't get my damn saddle back far enough, regardless of the stem extension).
Yeah, the kid who bought it "wanted a road bike, for sure." I tried hard to impress upon him what a relatively special bike this was (given the field of smegmas--I mean, magnas, that we usually deal in). I think he understood that I really liked it, anyway.
I don't really know what it was worth (e.g., the price it could have fetched for paying the coop's rent in the right market ... or even in this market), and I don't think I want to know.
I don't really know. At the bike coop, we sort of do things by feel (e.g., we don't even have a tire gauge).
I usually just judge by looking at the head tube. It looked about the same size as my 24" EF Schwinn, which is too small. I'm 6' w/ a 32" inseam, and I usually feel cramped on bikes even if they're too tall for me to stand over (yet my arms are not as monstrously long as this makes me sound ... I just always feel like I can't get my damn saddle back far enough, regardless of the stem extension).
Yeah, the kid who bought it "wanted a road bike, for sure." I tried hard to impress upon him what a relatively special bike this was (given the field of smegmas--I mean, magnas, that we usually deal in). I think he understood that I really liked it, anyway.
I don't really know what it was worth (e.g., the price it could have fetched for paying the coop's rent in the right market ... or even in this market), and I don't think I want to know.
08-13-09, 10:20 PM
#36
Senior Member
I NEED A CHEAP ROAD BIKE HELP!!!!! https://boston.craigslist.org/search/...k=325&hasPic=1 i dont have much but i dont know anything about road bikes either! i would prefure a single/fixed but any help would make me very thankful
https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/bik/1322181199.html
Last edited by Roll-Monroe-Co; 08-13-09 at 10:31 PM. Reason: the claws
08-13-09, 10:20 PM
#37
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PatrickT, it's still the wrong question. You have to see what's out there and choose from among the things you see. You could ask us to imagine what would be best to score, but the things we imagine for you are not out there. Go out there and look. And ask for help deciding, if you like. We'll help with that.
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Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
08-13-09, 10:29 PM
#38
Senior Member
I NEED A CHEAP ROAD BIKE HELP!!!!! https://boston.craigslist.org/search/...k=325&hasPic=1 i dont have much but i dont know anything about road bikes either! i would prefure a single/fixed but any help would make me very thankful
You can SS anything pretty cheaply, and fix anything with horizontal dropouts (if you don't understand any terminology here, you can ask or visit sheldonbrown.com and look in the glossary; I learned a good 1/3 of what I know about bikes just from reading Sheldon Brown's website (may peace be upon him)).
As someone earlier sagely noted, try reading the "what's this worth" subforum (at the top when you enter C&V) to learn about what's valuable/quality/desirable.
You might also check out bikes not bombs (bikesnotbombs.org). The best way to learn about bikes is to get greasy.
08-13-09, 10:30 PM
#39
Dropped
Thanks for all the response everyone. It seems like not focusing on any one brand is probably the best idea. Ideally, I'd ahve the bike three months ago, but I've held off on some bike on craigslist that I probably shouldn't have. Oh well.
I guess I should have phrased my question like this: If you had $200 to spend on your first vintage road bike (and you had any one in the world to choose from at that price) what would it be? Forget random garage sale finds, etc. $200 to spend on a bike, what would it be?
I guess I should have phrased my question like this: If you had $200 to spend on your first vintage road bike (and you had any one in the world to choose from at that price) what would it be? Forget random garage sale finds, etc. $200 to spend on a bike, what would it be?
I think the key is to not have one particular thing in mind. I'd look for a solid Japanese bike with forged dropouts and at least mid-range Suntour components. I wouldn't worry about whether I found a Miyata, Univega, Nishiki, or Japanese Schwinn. Just make sure it's the right size and check carefully for signs of crash damage, esp. bent forks. In the meantime, if you stumble on a $20 Bianchi, by all means grab it.
Also, I wouldn't assume the price is firm, even at the bike shop. I saw a Miyata 710 at the LBS sidewalk sale with $175 on the tag. I asked if they'd take $150 and they said, well, $175 is the cleaned-up price; if you want it as is for $150 that's fine.
Also, I wouldn't assume the price is firm, even at the bike shop. I saw a Miyata 710 at the LBS sidewalk sale with $175 on the tag. I asked if they'd take $150 and they said, well, $175 is the cleaned-up price; if you want it as is for $150 that's fine.
Something with all aluminum alloy components (Suntour Superbe, Sprint, Cyclone, GPX, Ole; Shimano Dura-Ace, 600, 105, Sante) and aluminum rims. No turkey levers and no stem shifters, unless it's a Paramount.
The 'lower' the tubing and components on the pecking order, the higher the expectation should be for the bike to be in tip-top shape and completely ride ready at the $200 level. The higher up the pecking order, the less I'd expect re: condition and ride-readiness at the $200 level.
Last edited by JunkYardBike; 08-13-09 at 10:35 PM.
08-14-09, 09:36 AM
#41
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Why not just get a vintage Bianchi at a garage sale for $20? 
Or scope out the local junk day and bring home a FREE vintage Trek 510 with full Campy....
Sorry - but I couldn't resist.
Seriously though - I "waste" a lot of time going to garage sales, city clean up days, thrift stores, etc and sometimes you just get lucky. For years I was anti-road bike so I can't imagine how many nice bikes I probably walked right by - until I started to see them selling for a nice price on CL and a light went off. It never ceases to amaze me the stuff that people just throw away - I can't even begin to tell you how much great stuff I have saved from the landfill - bikes included. Most people don't have the time or the patience to do this - so I sell most of the stuff I find for a nice profit and they are happy to have it without having to put in the effort.
If I was shopping for a nice steel road bike for cheap the features mentioned already apply: aluminum wheels, downtube shifters or brifters, Decent components that are made of aluminum, frame material that is recognizable like Reynolds, Columbus, Tange, etc - you can easily look these things up. The funny (or sad!) part is that every single road bike that I have sold has been bought by someone that has flat out told me that they planned to tear it apart and single speed it - including the 100% original 1984 Bianchi that I have listed right now. (I think I have now changed my mind and decided to keep it after the responses I got.) This tells me that there are probably TONS of perfectly good, high end components going into the dumpsters around town - all I need to do is figure out where! ;-)
Happy hunting.
Or scope out the local junk day and bring home a FREE vintage Trek 510 with full Campy....
Sorry - but I couldn't resist.
Seriously though - I "waste" a lot of time going to garage sales, city clean up days, thrift stores, etc and sometimes you just get lucky. For years I was anti-road bike so I can't imagine how many nice bikes I probably walked right by - until I started to see them selling for a nice price on CL and a light went off. It never ceases to amaze me the stuff that people just throw away - I can't even begin to tell you how much great stuff I have saved from the landfill - bikes included. Most people don't have the time or the patience to do this - so I sell most of the stuff I find for a nice profit and they are happy to have it without having to put in the effort.
If I was shopping for a nice steel road bike for cheap the features mentioned already apply: aluminum wheels, downtube shifters or brifters, Decent components that are made of aluminum, frame material that is recognizable like Reynolds, Columbus, Tange, etc - you can easily look these things up. The funny (or sad!) part is that every single road bike that I have sold has been bought by someone that has flat out told me that they planned to tear it apart and single speed it - including the 100% original 1984 Bianchi that I have listed right now. (I think I have now changed my mind and decided to keep it after the responses I got.) This tells me that there are probably TONS of perfectly good, high end components going into the dumpsters around town - all I need to do is figure out where! ;-)
Happy hunting.
08-14-09, 04:15 PM
#42
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As has already been mentioned, you're likely to get the best value for $200 with Japanese bikes from 20-25 years ago.
Try to learn a few basic things to look for that indicate low-end (turkey levers, steel rims, stem shifters) vs higher end (forged dropouts, nicer component groups) bikes. This way you can make educated guesses about bike quality and jump on the good deals without waiting around for the forums to answer questions about a given bike.
Try to learn a few basic things to look for that indicate low-end (turkey levers, steel rims, stem shifters) vs higher end (forged dropouts, nicer component groups) bikes. This way you can make educated guesses about bike quality and jump on the good deals without waiting around for the forums to answer questions about a given bike.
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08-14-09, 04:16 PM
#43
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Would you add a kickstand to the list of low-end components?
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08-14-09, 04:24 PM
#44
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yup if you can wait do it you can get a lot of nice bikes in the 200 dollar range if you are patient and keep an eye out
1989 Fuso FR-1 $250usd (the only bike I truly deeply regret selling)
1989 Fuso FR-1 $250usd (the only bike I truly deeply regret selling)
08-14-09, 06:57 PM
#45
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Getting a certain bike for $200? Don't know enough about the "Good" ones to make a choice.
08-14-09, 10:27 PM
#46
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Do you really want to know? If it's your size, you'll just have a grinding feeling. Buddha sez practice non-attachment.
I don't really know. At the bike coop, we sort of do things by feel (e.g., we don't even have a tire gauge).
I usually just judge by looking at the head tube. It looked about the same size as my 24" EF Schwinn, which is too small. I'm 6' w/ a 32" inseam, and I usually feel cramped on bikes even if they're too tall for me to stand over (yet my arms are not as monstrously long as this makes me sound ... I just always feel like I can't get my damn saddle back far enough, regardless of the stem extension).
Yeah, the kid who bought it "wanted a road bike, for sure." I tried hard to impress upon him what a relatively special bike this was (given the field of smegmas--I mean, magnas, that we usually deal in). I think he understood that I really liked it, anyway.
I don't really know what it was worth (e.g., the price it could have fetched for paying the coop's rent in the right market ... or even in this market), and I don't think I want to know.
I don't really know. At the bike coop, we sort of do things by feel (e.g., we don't even have a tire gauge).
I usually just judge by looking at the head tube. It looked about the same size as my 24" EF Schwinn, which is too small. I'm 6' w/ a 32" inseam, and I usually feel cramped on bikes even if they're too tall for me to stand over (yet my arms are not as monstrously long as this makes me sound ... I just always feel like I can't get my damn saddle back far enough, regardless of the stem extension).
Yeah, the kid who bought it "wanted a road bike, for sure." I tried hard to impress upon him what a relatively special bike this was (given the field of smegmas--I mean, magnas, that we usually deal in). I think he understood that I really liked it, anyway.
I don't really know what it was worth (e.g., the price it could have fetched for paying the coop's rent in the right market ... or even in this market), and I don't think I want to know.
Oh, so true. Of course, attachment is the root of this forum...I am a lame, lame Buddhist.
08-16-09, 06:50 PM
#47
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Thanks for the help guys. After perusing the local CL, I decided to buy a 1984 Trek 400 in gorgeous condition. I wanted a bike soon and after a little research, I decided that this would be the one. And since I live so close to Trek's headquarters, I figured I should give them a try!
