Please advise: Part out a Diamondback Topanga?

I wrote to a couple of bike shops to learn more about a bike I own and received no response.

Now I am thinking that I want to use the handlebars on my 1980's Schwinn, so I thought I would ask opinions here. I am wondering if I should sell the bike, or just use the parts I can from it. (The frame is too big for me, so adding it to my stable isn't an option:( ). I tried to look for my bike on the Diamondback site, but all the bikes have a front suspension and my fork is plain.

How do I determine the value of the bike (or its parts)? Am I better off just taking the parts I can use from it, and sell the frame, or trying to sell it whole? Is it worth investing time to fix up and sell? (I can't ride it myself)

My original e-mail is below.

Thanks,
Mary
=============================================
I bought this bike at a rummage sale last year. I
only bought it for its rear rack, but now I am
thinking it is a better quality bile than I thought by
the condition of it.

It is a Topanga (?) (Difficult to read, due to wear).
Serial number F8(backwards C)95512.

I am trying to determine if it is worth putting work
into. However, I can't use the bike myself, since the
frame is slightly large for me. (Too bad!) Can you
give me an idea of the original price of the bike, or
another way to measure its quality.

I have worked on a number of Diamondbacks... nice bikes! I can't remember if there was more than one model of Topanga or not, but generally they were around the $350 range. If the frame is too big for you, then there doesn't seem to be an urgency to put new parts on it... unless you are going to give it to someone else. If you are going to sell it, then I would say that it's always easier to sell a complete bike as opposed to a frame.

Have fun!

What brand and model of parts are on the Diamondback now? What year/age is the bike?

Thanks!

To Ridebikeme,

What I meant was that I want to take parts off the Diamondback to put on a old Schwinn (if possible) Specifically, I want to swap out the old 'ten speed' bars for the straight bar. I want to do this because yesterday I was riding in the rain, and I could not apply the brake fully from the position I ride from usually the hood. I have a stiff back, and already have difficulty in turning to look for traffic, not being ablle to brake is another disadvantage. (though I am so out of shape,that I don't really need much of a brake anyway). It was also a slight downhill, and I weigh 250, which I am sure adds a lot of momentum.

To Popoki_Nui,
I have no idea of the year/age of the bike. It didn't match any on the diamondback site, because it has a plain front fork, and all of theirs have a suspension. The parts that I could read a manufacturer and model are:

Suntour shifters
Suntour340XCM front Derailler
Exange 300LX Rear Derailler
Mavic 400 Front wheel
No name chromed rear wheel
Surefoot III pedals

Frame says 4130 CroMo main tubing.

I also have another bike with straight bars, it is a Mountain Eagle, Magma. I found it lying on the sidewalk one day. Noone picked it up from the police station, and so I got it. I was excited at having a mointain bike, but then realized that the gear ratios were not really lower than my Schwinn, so I decided that it was probably just a department store bike. (However it does fit me, from what I remember.)

Mary Megrant

Your Diamondback sounds like a real oldie. It probably has a 1" quill-type stem system, so you could quite likely use the bars and stem from it on your Schwinn. To be certain, you should measure the diameters of both stems with a caliper. If they are the same, it's pretty straightforward to swap bars and stems.

Thanks, I am a member of a bike coop, and they have mechanics to help me, so I am not to worried about the actual mechanical stuff right now.

So is the bike a low enough value that I am just as well off using the parts I can from it? (I can always try to give away the frame on freecycle). I really don't know how to tell the quality of components, especially since I know nothing about newer (to me) bikes.

Mary M.

Well...hard to say, but your bike was probably quite decent when new. 4130 cro-mo steel is good quality stuff, especially if it was butted. But...it sounds like this is now a bit of a Frankenbike: an odd mix of Shimano and SunTour components, and one steel rim and one alloy rim? Someone has been messing with this bike before you got it, and now it probably isn't worth all that much.
Have you had your bike mechanics eyeball it? Might be a good idea --see what they say--, or post a couple of close-up pics of it here.
As it stands, I'd be tempted to just remove any good components and freecycle the rest.

Thanks for your input,

I'll drag it down to them, but they were pretty non-committal when I asked them to try to put a street value on my Schwinn. Actually, I didn't want a street value, I wanted a price range for an equivalent quality new bike. My BF keeps trying to push me onto a new bike, but I am determined not to move down in quality. And because of my weight (260:( ) I really think I am better off with a steel frame than aluminum, which many of the new ones seem to be. Actually, when I explained my ride to the lbs owner, he agreed with me, that my bike was better suited than any of his lower end bikes, because of my higher pressure tires. And considering my own weight, spending money for a lighter bike seems foolish. I am not even sure bikes are made to carry a person as heavy as I am, but I haven't broken a frame yet.

My only problem with my Schwinn is that I hate dragging it down to the co-op to work on it, 75 minutes by bus. But I need to learn to do the work myself, since I value self-reliance. And the old bent bars are not comfortable, but I had never thought riding a bike should be comfortable, (until I found this forum). I have an 8+ mile ride (each way) to go sailing, and I really don't need the fat tires to slow me down.

I am a cheapskate, and would like to once again fill my stable with vintage steel, and maybe a mountain bike, for some unpaved paths, and hillier areas of Portland, Oregon. My part of town is basically flat, I live on a peninsula between two rivers, so it is probably an alluvial flood plain.

I really miss my Raleigh three speed, which was stolen about 5 years ago. It was my main errand bike, and I liked shopping with it. I loved using it in congested city traffic. My Raleigh cost $50, and I just saw a bike called an Electra that reminded me of her for $600 (Or was it $800?).

Right now I have 4 bikes, and only one that is worth riding and fits. I also have a home brew bike trailer that needs work (looks like someone backed over it.) Time to clean the garage!

Mary M.

[QUOTE=plantluvver;204922]
My only problem with my Schwinn is that I hate dragging it down to the co-op to work on it, 75 minutes by bus. But I need to learn to do the work myself, since I value self-reliance. .........
[QUOTE]

Well, you have a perfect opportunity to begin learning to do the work yourself, by dismantling your Diamondback. And swapping the bars on your Schwinn. Why not give it a try? You will need the right tools: some regular ones you gan get at any good hardware store, and some that are bike-specific. But it is a perfect opportunity to begin the learning process. Lots of help here on this forum to guide you thru it, so just ask!

~Sherry.

Thanks for your support. I love this community. I am an alumna of Portland State University, and they have opened a bicycle co-op on campus. It is a small place, with only two bike stands, and one to two staff who will give guidance.

But I still remember trying to do my own work in the early 80's, from a book with black and white photos which I just could not follow, and somehow, my bike always seemed different than what was shown.

And it is also nice just to be with people who value cycling. Although I am sure Portland, Oregon has one of the most vibrant cycling communities in the US (after all TE is here!), a cyclist can still feel lonely and misunderstood.

I think I will check out some summer event schedules today.

Mary M.

Hey there plantluvver... there are a couple of us TE'ers in the Portland area (I just moved here 2 months ago) if you need some one-on-one help with your bikes. Some of us are more mechanically inclined than others but the bottom line is we are here for each other on this forum. I work weekends mostly at OHSU so I would have weekdays to meet you somewhere and spend time with you and your bike to swap a few things over, fit it to you better and take her for a spin on one of the trails around here. Feel free to PM me and we'll work something out.
As for the bike you just acquired, it sounds like it's been messed with pretty well over the years, swapping of parts and such. But, I'm the type that believes the bike is worth only as much as you ride it. To me, having a $3000 bike that never gets ridden is a waste. Whereas, a Wal Mart bike that is used to commute everyday is worth every penny.

Good luck and I hope to hear from you soon.

~X.