Anyone here know about vintage steel bikes?

[kaian]

I have some questions about whether or not I should buy an older steel bike and fix it up. Has anyone here done this or know about what to look for when purchasing something like this?

[xeney]

Although there are a lot of not very nice people over at bikeforums.net, the guys on the classic/vintage forum are really helpful and pretty much know everything. And older steel road bikes are the main thing they talk about.

My husband and I have a lot of old steel road bikes that we've picked up here and there, but nothing very exciting or exotic, and I only know what I've learned from reading bikeforums.net.

[DebW]

I think there's some definite steel expertise here. What kind of bike are you looking at? Lugged or unlugged? Weight? Brand name? Tubing? Frame angles? Wheelbase? What use do you want to get out of the bike? Commuting, fast rides, touring?

Maybe the first big question is whether the frame really fits you.

[mimitabby]

can you tell? Deb knows more about steel bikes than we'll ever even understand!

And she's 100% correct. does the bike fit?

[DebW]

If you ever find a Reynolds 531 or Columbus tubing frame in your size, grab it. But you'd want to know if it's straight-gage, double butted, or triple butted. Straight-gage can be rather stiff, and triple-butted could potentially be a bit whippy. That's the high end of the steel vintage market.

At the low end are American-made frames, usually welded, not lugged, that take 1-piece cranks and weigh too much. Best to avoid them.

In the middle are various grades of chrome-moly steel.

[Dogmama]

If you ever find a Reynolds 531 or Columbus tubing frame in your size, grab it.

Wow, maybe my bike fits this category?? It's Reynolds 531 & lugged. Of course, its rider is vintage too...

[DebW]

Wow, maybe my bike fits this category?? It's Reynolds 531 & lugged. Of course, its rider is vintage too...

Post a picture so I can drool.

Okay...great! I have some interested people. Sometimes I get ignored on cyclingforums.com.

It's a Miyata 710. It needs some TLC for sure. The rear cogs and derailleur were gunked up, some surface rust on the chain (nothing major). The frame itself has some scratches and a few rust spots. The tires will need to be replaced and the brakes need something! Adjustment - maybe new pads.

It's pretty close to fitting. The measurements are a little different from my Trek, but really close. Standover is fine. The top tube is a tad long (maybe 1/2 longer than my trek, but the stem is shorter than on my Trek). I moved the seat up (is was back far) and that helped. Riding it is comfy, but reaching the brakes is tricky. The brakes are kind of far down and since many people don't ride on the hoods on the older bikes, they can be hard to get to.

The tires had barely enough air in them and despite the gunk on the parts, I could not believe how nice this bike shifted. It was like butter! The ride was really smooth, too.

I guess I was looking for a vintage steel bike just for variety. I have a Trek 1500 which is great, but I thought steel might be nice for...maybe some medium to long rides. I figured if I could find something cheap and not have to put much money in it, I could have a neat vintage ride.

The guy was asking $95, but I thought of offering him less because of the tires and such.

Thoughts? Advice? Thank you!

A quick search on Miyata 710 looks like its a very nice frame. Not 531, but quite nice nonetheless. How many cogs and chainrings? Where are the shifters located (downtube?)? The 5 and 6 speed freewheels are now hard, but not impossible, to get. Definitely start with a new chain. What kind of crankset? Derailleurs? Brakes? 27 inch or 700c wheels? You shouldn't have any major problem with replacement parts. The brake levers can probably be moved so you can reach them easier.

[kaian]

Okay...great! I have some interested people. Sometimes I get ignored on cyclingforums.com.

It's a Miyata 710. It needs some TLC for sure. The rear cogs and derailleur were gunked up, some surface rust on the chain (nothing major). The frame itself has some scratches and a few rust spots. The tires will need to be replaced and the brakes need something! Adjustment - maybe new pads.

It's pretty close to fitting. The measurements are a little different from my Trek, but really close. Standover is fine. The top tube is a tad long (maybe 1/2 longer than my trek, but the stem is shorter than on my Trek). I moved the seat up (is was back far) and that helped. Riding it is comfy, but reaching the brakes is tricky. The brakes are kind of far down and since many people don't ride on the hoods on the older bikes, they can be hard to get to.

The tires had barely enough air in them and despite the gunk on the parts, I could not believe how nice this bike shifted. It was like butter! The ride was really smooth, too.

I guess I was looking for a vintage steel bike just for variety. I have a Trek 1500 which is great, but I thought steel might be nice for...maybe some medium to long rides. I figured if I could find something cheap and not have to put much money in it, I could have a neat vintage ride.

The guy was asking $95, but I thought of offering him less because of the tires and such.

Thoughts? Advice? Thank you!

[mimitabby]

make an offer! if he doesn't like it, you can always come up with the $95.00
right?

And welcome to the club. There are a lot of us here struggling with (or who have struggled with) top tubes that are too long.

[kaian]

Okay...sorry for all of the questions, but I am really clueless as to the type of parts to get. What kind of brake pads would I get for the Dia Compe side pull brakes? Also, should I get new cables and housing for brakes and shifters? Do I need to stick to sidepulls or would it be easy to upgrade the brakes somehow in the future (inexpensively)?

Thanks again for all of the help.

My old school fixer-upper friend hasn't really mentioned replacing the brake pads or cables, so I just wasn't sure if it's a must and also what would be compatible.

[DebW]

Okay...sorry for all of the questions, but I am really clueless as to the type of parts to get. What kind of brake pads would I get for the Dia Compe side pull brakes? Also, should I get new cables and housing for brakes and shifters? Do I need to stick to sidepulls or would it be easy to upgrade the brakes somehow in the future (inexpensively)?

For brake pads, most any road brake pad will work, just not cantilever or V-brake. You can find original DiaCompe brake shoes here
http://www.loosescrews.com/index.cgi...id=24151434173
or the Shimano 105 or Ultegra or KoolStop threaded on the same page will work. The old ones may be OK if they still feel like rubber, but if they feel hard, stiff, or dry, replace them. I'd suggest new cables and housing because (1) it cheap, (2) you have to pull the old stuff off anyway for rustproof treatment and it's easier to put back new than old, and (3) old ones could be rusty and more likely to break or have more friction.

It would be easier to stick with sidepull brakes. What else would you want? Centerpulls would require cable hangers on the headset and seatpost bolt. Cantilevers would require braze-on fork and seattube fittings.

[GLC1968]

OK, you steel women got me thinking...

There is a good looking 1985 Bianchi for sale near me. It's a 47 cm...which is my size (give or take...at least I'll be able to straddle it!)...and looks pretty nice. The listing is fairly sparse:

http://greensboro.craigslist.org/bik/224095476.html

From what is here, is it possible to tell if this is a good bike? Is it one I should get more info on and try to negotiate for, or is it one I should just pass up, for one reason or another?

Thanks for any insight!

[DebW]

OK, you steel women got me thinking...

There is a good looking 1985 Bianchi for sale near me. It's a 47 cm...which is my size (give or take...at least I'll be able to straddle it!)...and looks pretty nice. The listing is fairly sparse:

http://greensboro.craigslist.org/bik/224095476.html

From what is here, is it possible to tell if this is a good bike? Is it one I should get more info on and try to negotiate for, or is it one I should just pass up, for one reason or another?

Thanks for any insight!

Yeah, you'd need more info to evaluate this bike. But the weight makes me think that it's worth further investigation. You want to know the frame material. And you want more measurements to compare with your current bike to check the fit. Check the wheel size too.

[Kitsune06]

OK someone near me has a Cierra 12-speed tourer for sale for $40 and a vintage Schwinn Super Sport for $60. I'm asking about the sizes, but ballpark (as I've never *been* on a road bike) if I'm 5'4" and have a 31" inseam, what bike size should I look for?

[Popoki_Nui]

OK someone near me has a Cierra 12-speed tourer for sale for $40 and a vintage Schwinn Super Sport for $60. I'm asking about the sizes, but ballpark (as I've never *been* on a road bike) if I'm 5'4" and have a 31" inseam, what bike size should I look for?

Hmmm...it isn't quite as easy as that. There is a lot that must be considered when choosing a bike size. Assuming the bikes you're considering have parallel top tubes (as opposed to the newer sloping top tubes), the general rule of thumb is that when you stand straddling the bike, feet flat on the ground, you should have about 1" or so clearance between the top tube and your crotch. Mixte, women's, MTB's, and road frames with sloping top tubes require different measuring procedures (usually involving what is called "virtual top tube measurements"). But....there is also the matter of frame geometry. Just because you may have the requisite ~1" clearance doesn't necessarily mean the frame will be a good fit.
Probably the best thing you can do -if the seller is willing- is to take the bike(s) to your trusted LBS and have them assess the bike with you on it. They'll be able to tell you if the bike can be adjusted to fit you properly, of if it will be an exercise in frustration. If the seller is not willing to help you, try the toptube/crotch fit, check to see if you can adjust the saddle and post, stem and bars to an approximate fit, and decide from there. I'm sure others can add more info here as well.
FWIW, I'm 5'11" with a 35" inseam. I ride anywhere from 21" old skool MTB frames to 23.5" old skool road frames. Good luck.

~Sherry.