Buying a bike off craigslist, advice? - Page 2

Ignoring the fact that you are-or-were willing to spend $300+shipping for a sub-par bike (by comparison, anyway), let me just mention that prior to the Lance Armstrong era, the earlier TREK appears to have been of the vintage which Trek's reputation for craftsmanship was built upon.

I still say that whoever get's that 'other' Trek will be getting a heck of a frame/fork ...

Now, BOTH of those TREK's are probably pretty good, too ... but, the 1982 frame made with 531 tubing is better than the other frame on the bike in the auction that ends later today ... and so, of the two, I would rather take my chance with the one whose auction ends on Sunday rather than bother with the one that ends later today.

FWIW. SunTour used to be very good ... people frequently used to buy SunTour derailleurs to replace the derailleurs that came on their bikes. The stuff that has been labeled with "SunTour" in the past 12+ years is not of the same caliber as the SunTour of 20+ years ago.

N.B. This may sound like a contradiction ... I do NOT think that the frame is as important as many people would like to think, BUT if I were choosing from amongst vintage bikes in a given price range (or, in general), I would be looking at the components as 'consumables' which will eventually be changed, and I would use some discernment in choosing between the various bikes based on the frame ... some frames are nicer than others, so why not choose one of those which is nicer?

There are some high-zoot frames from the late-70s & early-80s which I would NOT choose because the geometry was a bit dodgy on some of them OR the tubing choice was "compromised" in an attempt to make the bikes lighter.

Well, I'm waiting for some ebay auctions to end, but I just saw this bike pop up:
Nishiki Road Bike

I'm trying to get some details on it, like year, standover height, and frame material, but would you happen to have any opinion on this bike?

Thanks!

Well, if you are asking me whether the Nishiki frame is worth $100, then I would say yes. So, the bike is easily worth $100 even though you will have to spend money for tires/tubes/etc. + (apparently) handlebar tape ... and, possibly some other small things.

Japanese bikes from the late 70s & early 80s ran the spectrum, but they are one reason that the French & British marques fell by the wayside -- i.e., the Japanese bikes had better frames & better components than ALL of the French bikes & better than most of the British bikes ... with SunTour being the best available at the time, but not on the French or British bikes. And, if it weren't for the so-called aficionados, Italian bikes other than Bianchi + Italian components would probably be historical oddities, too.

I don't have quite enough information to give you a better assessment, but based on the fact that most people did not change components on their bikes, the particular Nishiki was probably close to the upper end of what they had to offer because it has a pretty good Sugino crankset on it.

Whether the particular Nishiki was considered to be as good as the Trek frames/bikes I recommended is certainly an unknown; but, it is probably a better frame than the bright red Trek whose auction ended yesterday.

However, I reckon that the odds are high that the particular Nishiki was also made with double-butted Ishiwata tubing.

I can't quite tell how much work the bike needs to get it rolling ... in addition to a pair of tires & tubes, you may want to buy new rim tape if the rim tape looks at all dodgy. Cloth rim tape is best ... FYI, based on a friend trying to use some & subsequently getting flats, duct tape & strapping tape don't have the necessary integrity!

Bontrager makes a 27" tire ... that is, a tire with the Bontrager label is sold at bike shops. Continental 27" tires (if they are still available) will be the most expensive. I think you can buy 27" tires & tubes at Wally World, but they will be heavier (though, cheaper). Nashbar probably still sells 27" tires & tubes with Schrader valves.

BTW. Presuming that you buy the Nishiki, you will want to lower the front derailleur so that the lower edge of the outer cage is between about 3mm-to-4mm above the largest chainring when the chain is on the middle chainring.

Although the difference may be small between the first Trek you inquired about & the Nishiki as far as the quality of the frame, I think it is worth contacting the seller of the first Trek and asking if they would sell-and-ship it to you for $250 (heck, ther reserve was probably close to $200).

If you don't want to pony up $250 for the Trek then I think the Nishiki will be a pretty nice bike which you will potentially own for decades to come because it should be a pretty good riding bike ...

N.B. If/When you look at the Nishiki, bring a 25¢ plastic protractor & check the HEAD TUBE angle ... the only reason NOT to buy the frame is if the head tube angle is 74º ... that is doubtful, but you just never know.

There were a few years when some Italian frame builder were using a 74º head tube angle on their road bikes BEFORE they figured out that they could simply shorten the rake on the fork to get the desired handling characteristics which most road bikes now have; and, there is an outside chance that one of the Japanese frame builders may have adopted that same geometry.

A 74º head tube angle would make the bike tedious to ride after a while.

BTW. I reckon the Nishiki is from circa 1979, +/- one year; but, I suppose it could certainly be as late as ~1982.

Contacted the trek owner already. Waiting for a reply.

When you say the head tube, are you referring to the angle between the top tube and the head tube? Or the vertical? (http://www.motorera.com/dictionary/pics/f/bikeframe.jpg) Or are you referring to the crook on the handle bar? I'm sorry I'm not too familiar with this stuff.

Is there anything else I should be looking for aside from frame rust and similar?

Tubes, tires, & tape for $35 including shipping on ebay. Bicycle 27 x 1 1/4 TIRE TUBE RIM STRIP spring tune up - eBay (item 280372539722 end time Sep-13-09 18:53:24 PDT)
What do you think?

BTW, how do you know so much about everything?

The head tube angle is the angle between the ground & the head tube, but you can measure off the top tube & subtract, accordingly, from 180º.
Superficial problems are cosmetic ...

You can remove the seat post, invert the bike, and tap on the seat tube to see if anything falls out ... it's hard to tell you how concerned you should be if ANYTHING falls out!?!

That rubber rim strip was common way-back-when ... I'm not keen on it, but it is certainly "okay" ...

I don't know how good or bad those Kenda tires are ... Kenda makes very good MTB tires, and they are trying to make inroads into the ROAD bike market; so, hopefully, they are reasonably good.

I had ONE 27" tire's bead separate from the sidewall (or, vice versa) because of the way it was constructed ... fortunately for me, it happened when I wasn't on the bike (the sidewall blew away from the rim & the tube blew out). It's the only tire I've ever had THAT happen on.

I guess the price is reasonable since you will probably need two of each.
Only Yoda is probably older than I am, and he doesn't ride a bike!

Haha, nice. Well i certainly appreciate when people like you help us young, inexperienced, ones out.

So, I'm thinking that with a little elbow grease and about an extra $50, I can get this bike running clean. But if I went with the Trek from ebay for even $250, that'd be already $100 more, plus maybe some more time and money getting it up to speed. You're obviously the expert here, but I would think that for someone just entering the scene, like me, the Nishiki would be a better choice. I've got 1 year till I graduate, after which I'm either going to med school, staying in school to get a masters, entering industry, or joining the military (or a combination of the first and last). So after this year I'm either not going to have the time to ride much, or I'll have a decent income and be able to afford a better bike.

With all that being said, I'm leaning towards the Nishiki, but what would your recommendation be?

Yes, I think you should give serious consideration to the Nishiki, particularly since it is within driving distance of where you apparently live.

Because I am pretty sure that the particular Nishiki has a pretty good frame, regardless of how much money you earn in the future, I think it will be a good enough riding bike that you can-or-will use it as a true benchmark against which you judge any future bikes you many test ride or own; AND, I think that (if it was made with double butted Ishiwata tubing) it is a frame which is good enough to update with contemporary components if the urge ever strikes you.

Cool. Definitely going to go see the bike tomorrow evening and will let you know how it goes.

Also, what angle should I be looking for in the head tube? Greater than or less than 74 degrees. If it's greater than 74 degrees then that means the angle between the top & head tube should be less than 106. If it should be greater than 74 degrees, then the angle between the top & head should be greater than 106. Right?

Thanks again!

I reckon the Nishiki will have a 73º head tube angle ...

73 + 107 == 180.

MENS 1986 RALEIGH PURSUIT BIKE BICYCLE RED 23" FRAME - eBay (item 160355071415 end time Aug-17-09 17:35:39 PDT)

Any opinion on that bike before I look at the nishiki?

The frame is PROBABLY made with what some have referred to as "gas pipe" ...

The dropouts are stamped ... not that there is anything necessarily wrong with that. Now, a stamped dropout was as common as not 40+ years ago; but, for a bike made in the mid-80s it suggests a very, VERY LOW END bike in the company's lineup ...

Since the frame has stamped dropouts, it uses a separate derailleur hanger vs. an integrated derailleur hanger which you would find on a forged dropout.

The bike could get you around campus/town/wherever ... AND, it has the advantage of being a bike that no one (i.e., hardly anyone ... a crack junkie will steal anything) would want to steal!?!

If the 'first' Trek you looked at was near the high end of the spectrum (for a steel frame bike ... 8.5-to-9.0 out of 10), then this Raleigh would have to be considered to be near the low end of the spectrum (3.5-to-4.0 out of 10).

The Raleigh Pursuit is a better choice than the WINDSOR WELLINGTON; but, the particular Raleigh would only be my choice if budgetary considerations were overwhelming.

Well, the guy sold it right before I headed over. Oh well. The search continues.

Speaking of which. This bike: 1980's Cannondale Criterium Series - Shimano 105 - eBay (item 220466768629 end time Aug-21-09 21:00:00 PDT) probably go for over $250, huh?

I don't know how much the Cannondale will sell for ... the particular bike 'looks' nice ...

I have never been keen on Cannondale, so I am neutral to most of them ... and, negative on a few Cannondale models UNLESS you are being sponsored to ride one of them OR only plan to ride them as-is for two-or-three years and then dump it for a new bike.

I do know someone who rode coast-to-coast (several years ago) on his Cannondale, and lived to tell about it. So, the ride characteristics are good ... good enough. However, he bought a carbon fiber bike shortly thereafter!

Regardless, the particular vintage Cannondale has 126mm rear spacing and the spacing can't be changed ... well, it can be changed if you are willing to spend big-bucks. Consequently, future updates/upgrades may be slightly more tedious -- doable, but tedious by comparison to updating the components on a steel frame.

A 130mm Shimano rear hub can be turned into a 126mm rear hub.

A DT240 hub can also be turned into a ~126mm rear hub now that they have narrowed the flange spacing (at least, on one of their ROAD hubs ... ).

There are probably some other hubs which can be converted from 130mm to 126mm.

NISHIKI. Well, I guess there is a reason for the maxim "strike while the iron is hot."

In case you were wondering, I reckon the Nishiki was probably a 7.5-to-8.0 out of 10 ... nice, but not quite as nice as those two Treks.

IMO, you really should consider ponying up for that first Trek if it is still available ... I'll elaborate IF-and/or-AFTER you get it.

Well if the NIshiki was that good, I guess I shouldn't be surprised how quick it went. Although I e-mail him less than an hour after he posted it and I was supposed to head over to his place the following evening. Oh well.

Going to offer $250 for the 1st Trek, like you said. And just to confirm, it is this one, right : Trek - eBay (item 160353950524 end time Aug-12-09 17:30:54 PDT)

Any opinion on the following though, while I wait for his reply:

Specialized Sirrus Road Bike 58cm - eBay (item 280384287714 end time Aug-18-09 18:48:06 PDT)

Nishiki Modulus Vintage Road Bicycle Bike Original Comp - eBay (item 280384857736 end time Aug-20-09 07:23:56 PDT)

Yes, that is the right TREK ... you can begin by asking if $250 would cover the cost of the bike + shipping it to wherever you are in Texas, and if not, what was the reserve/etc.

The Specialized appears to date to the early 90s ... it looks like it is going to be outside your price range after shipping ... 7-out-of-10.

I don't know about the particular Nishiki ... I'm sure it is "okay" ... say, 6-out-of-10 to be on the conservative side.

EITHER the Specialized OR Nishiki would probably be "okay" ...

REMEMBER -- I'm not the final arbiter of what you should buy!