Anyone here know about vintage steel bikes?

[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.