How do you tell a good used bicycle from a useless one?

[run it, ride it]

I was introduced to the wonderful world of road bicycles when I borrowed a friend's a 1970s 10-speed "Freespirit" that came from a department store. I fell immediately in love. It was fast and handled light as a feather.

So I thought, I'll get a used ten-speed '70s steel road bicycle of my own! "Simon," as I called it, was a "G. Vettor" that came from a real bike store once upon a time. Bought it off someone in perfect condition for $50cdn. How could I go wrong?

That was two years ago. I neglected it enough to finally bring it to its knees today. Thank God, it's over.

Have you ever ridden a stationary bike with a resistance band? My bike is like one of those tightened to the max on even the slightest incline. It's HEAVY to ride, to handle, and I absolutely cannot move the pedals unless it's on one of the four lowest gears. It took some serious training to get up hills I don't even notice on my Trek 1000.

First the rear brake stopped working. Even tightened as tight as it would go, the pads didn't even touch the wheel. I had the opposite problem with the cable on the rear deraileur--it eventually became too tight to downshift to the three lowest gears. Awesome. One useful gear left, and I BARELY made it up the hill to campus. This is where the neglect began.

Months passed by, I let the chain rust out completely more than once before reviving it. Rusty, salt-encrusted, ice-covered Simon just kept trucking. I couldn't justify getting rid of him.

The last straw was today, inching up that big torturous hill to school, already late to class. My frozen fingers were tired of fighting with the gear shift. I gently tapped it with my foot, and, SNAP--the pedal wouldn't move. I didn't mean to kill Simon, but I knew the time would come. No more rear shift cable. I had to walk it the rest of the way--the gears I have left are too high.

The damned thing is currently tied up to a bike rack, unlocked on campus, and lord help me I HOPE someone steals it!

So... I've had it: I am ready for a new old bike. My Trek 1000 would be stolen from campus in a matter of minutes, so taking it to school is out of the qestion.

I don't want something high quality, because a) someone would steal it, and b) it will be subject to winter weather and serious wear and tear. I'd like to get another road bike--I rode through up to a few inches of snow in tiny tires without too much trouble. Drop handlebars are a must--my wrists can't handle straight bars and... well, drop bars are cooler.

What are some things to look for and some things to look out for in an older bike? Brand names to look out for? The G. Vettor probably didn't deserve its fate, but it was just so awful.

[Triskeliongirl]

You have heard of something called bike maintenance, haven't you? I met a guy on a ride this weekend that went out and bought a new cannondale synapse cuz the he wore the cogset and chain out on his trek 5200. Sheesh. Just take care of Simon! As you said, anything better will be stolen, so strip him down, clean him up, replace the cables, chain, and any other worn out parts, and adjust everything else.

[run it, ride it]

By no means is Simon unsalvageable. I can grab a frame off campus someone has abandoned (I've seen them, and they're all better frames than Simon) and transplant his bits over.

Simon was in mint condition (save a little rust and smushed handlebars) when I happened across him. He rode just as poorly then. That's what I'm saying: he LOOKED like a great buy. I test-rode him in a flat area, and thought "well, it's a road bike and it fits--cool."

Apparently G. Vettor made their frames using the physics of torture, because it just does not go up hills.

I'll maintain a bike I don't wish death upon. My Trek lives in my bedroom and still looks brand new. My horse's bridle is actually three different bridles, held together by twine--I still treat it like gold. My horrse is permanently lame from arthritis--I've had him nine years and I'm not quitting till he breaks my bank.

For some reason, the combination of Simon and that hill every day just inspired uncharacteristic outright neglect. I'm not proud of it, but god was it ever satisfying.

[xeney]

Is Simon really impossibly heavy? Or, bigger question: does Simon have steel wheels? There is a fair bit of variance in the steel tubing used in bikes built during the 70s and 80s, and steel wheels are awful and weigh a ton. I would say you are better off with a bike from the eighties than one from the seventies, just because they tend to be lighter and will almost certainly have aluminum rims. You can replace the old rims but they are probably 27" wheels, a little hard to find without mail ordering, and will probably cost you more than buying a newer garage sale bike with aluminum rims.

We have one '75 Centurion that rides like this. Even after my husband completely replaced the drive train and turned it into a single speed with all new parts, it still is no fun to ride, and that's because it weighs about 30 pounds and just doesn't have a good feel to it. It has steel rims, and the frame itself is much heavier than any of our 80s steel frames.

I'd look for something about ten years newer. That's the easy answer.

[run it, ride it]

Thanks, Xeney! There is in fact an 80s garage sale bike sitting in my friend's yard. She offered it to me for free under the declaration, "I can't ride on those skinny tires! And those handlebars make me think I'm going to fall on my face!" Sounds like my cup of tea. Here's hoping her crazy father (meant in the nicest way possible) hasn't sawed it apart and used the steel for his hotrod yet. And you guys think I neglect bikes, lol.

[DebW]

From what you've said, we can't tell if Simon was ever properly set up and in good working order when you first got him. If it was adjusted properly then, "absolutely cannot move the pedals unless it's on one of the four lowest gears" would not have been true. And you really shouldn't have been riding this bike with brakes that didn't work. Since we can't see this bike, we can't tell you if it's worth repairing. But no bike should be ignored and ridden until it's dangerous and all it's parts are broken. Perhaps you are right that the frame is designed poorly and it doesn't climb hills well, but this conclusion may not be justified. It could be that the bearings are shot or totally out of adjustment in one of the hubs or bottom bracket or you have a bent axle or spindle. It might be that Simon will be a good commuter bike for you if you repair it properly, or maybe you've ignored it so long that the repair will be too expensive. If you are going to own a bike, you need to either take it to a shop periodically or learn to maintain it. Sorry if this sounded harsh. I hope it was somewhat instructive.

In looking for another used bike, here are things to avoid:

a bike more than 27 lb
steel rims
a one-piece crank
anything made in America in the 70s (the above 3 criteria probably exclude it)
bolt-on wheels

Things to check:
straight frame, no dents, rides straight and true
bottom bracket - drop chain to inside and see it it spins freely and has no play
hubs - spin freely and no play
rims relatively true (at least not bent and no short-period wobbles horizontal or vertical)
spokes under even tension

Brakes and gears can usually be adjusted so not as critical. Drivetrain parts (freewheel and chain) wear out periodically and can be replaced. If you try to ride on them forever, the bike will eventually ride like crap.

[run it, ride it]

Oh, Simon is -definitely- more than 27lbs. Steel everything. I can get to the highest gear on completley flat terrain, but as I mentioned, my commute consists of one increasinly steep hill.

The strangest part about Simon is that he WAS in good repair to start with--great repair--but horrendous to ride. I took him in for countless tune-ups and repairs and fittings when I got him. Everything was perfect, bearings like butter, gears shifted smooth as silk, brakes strong enough to stop my heart. It just always felt heavy in the back end. I tried hard to love him. But bitterness won in the end.

Harsh but true, Deb--I ignored my vehicle.

[Geonz]

I love my bullet-proof, stainless steel rims and the Gazelle is *definitely more than 27 pounds :) However, it's so meticulously engineered that it is still a joy to ride, like unto a completely non-polluting Mercedes... tho' even with seven speeds, I am *not* sure I"d want to lug it up anything "torturous;" worst we've got here are overpasses.

[DebW]

I love my bullet-proof, stainless steel rims and the Gazelle is *definitely more than 27 pounds :) However, it's so meticulously engineered that it is still a joy to ride, like unto a completely non-polluting Mercedes... tho' even with seven speeds, I am *not* sure I"d want to lug it up anything "torturous;" worst we've got here are overpasses.

With steel rims, if you dent them, you can beat out the dents with a hammer. We used to do it all the time.

[Popoki_Nui]

In looking for another used bike, here are things to avoid:

a bike more than 27 lb
steel rims
a one-piece crank
anything made in America in the 70s (the above 3 criteria probably exclude it)
bolt-on wheels




Hey! :( :( :( The [Reynolds 531/Campagnolo equipped] Falcons I rode in HS had steel rims w/ bolt-on hubs, as did many other fine bikes: Peugeot, Raleigh, Bianchi, Crescent, Bianchi, Schwinn. The Falcon I have now has them too. Light, strong, and true after almost 40 years of use. Old school, yes, but nothing wrong with steel rims!!

[run it, ride it]

Update: I finally tuned up Simon (the G. Vettor) to trade him in at the used bike store.

The fellow working took one look at Simon and said, "yeah... I'm sorry, but that bike isn't really worth anything. George Vettor is still a legend around here, but the gearing system on those bikes wasn't properly designed. I might take the stem and front rim, but other than that it's scrap."

I was elated! He was going to take the horrendous thing off my hands, cut it into pieces and throw it into the bike graveyard where it belonged!

Ended up with a used Miyata from the 80s with gears that'll actually get me up the hills. It's all steel, but much lighter, more responsive, easier to handle--and hell, I can actually PUSH THE PEDALS!

Thanks for the advice, everyone! I promise upon promise I'll take mint care of this one.

[Geonz]

ENjoy, enjoy@@!!!!

Now, if I could only figure out how to change the tire on my Gazelle...