Hey i am new to the forum and fairly new to the sport of cycling itself, i learned how to ride a bicycle at around 7-8 years old and was able to continue riding up until I outgrew all our family bikes at around 12-13 years old. I am now 18 years old and a college student and want to start cycling again. But unfortunately i am 6' 11" 220lbs with a 38-39" inseam making it pretty difficult to find a bike that will fit. I live in Florida and will use it mainly on-road to travel to the beaches, I am not looking for some $1500+ cycle I just want a somewhat durable bike that will fit me moderately comfortably and I'm on a tight budget so it has to be as cheap as possible, I know that this may be allot to ask, I just wanted to see what my options are. Thanks.
Finding a Bike That Will Fit.
- Thread starter TallOneJosh
- Start date
I think that particular RALEIGH should be [COLOR= #0000ff]almost perfect[/COLOR] for you ...
FYI. If you need a longer seatpost, you can get one on eBay ... there wasn't-and-still-isn't a standard diameter for seatposts, so you may need to measure the size with calipers ...
That means that it is suitable for any future upgrade you may want to make because the frame has a standard English threaded BB ([COLOR= #808080]some Raleighs used a proprietary threading[/COLOR]) ...
- you may need to buy a longer seatpost
FYI. If you need a longer seatpost, you can get one on eBay ... there wasn't-and-still-isn't a standard diameter for seatposts, so you may need to measure the size with calipers ...
- on more than one occassion I have replaced the "right size" seatpost with one whose diameter was 0.2mm larger because the seatposts slipped ...
- a fractionally larger diameter post does NOT always fit ... the larger diameter seatpost is only a "last resort"
That means that it is suitable for any future upgrade you may want to make because the frame has a standard English threaded BB ([COLOR= #808080]some Raleighs used a proprietary threading[/COLOR]) ...
- my Raleigh Grand Prix was a frame whose seatpost I replaced with a larger size ([COLOR= #808080]i.e., 25.6mm[/COLOR]), but it was for cosmetic reasons because I had bought a "black" 25.4mm seatpost.but realized that I wanted a non-black seatpost and I had was 25.6mm which happened to fit [COLOR= #808080](... a snug fit![/COLOR]).
awesome that's just what i wanted to hear lol, If it is still available i think i'm going to buy it. Can't wait to get started on it, I think it might need a new paint job and a couple other upgrades here and there to make it perfect for me, but we will see how it goes. Thanks again.
I wouldn't go as far to say it's a perfect fit, but of anything you'll find on craigslist that Raleigh will be hard to beat. It looks fairly well maintained and carefully ridden, so if everything checks out (you can ride it away), the price isn't bad if everything checks out. Most important are smoothly turning hubs and reasonably straight rims without dents or blips.
FWIW. If 'I' were a taller ([COLOR= #0000ff]more than 6'4"[/COLOR]) rider, then 'I' would be willing to pay $100 ([COLOR= #ff0000]!?![/COLOR]) just for the frame & fork ...
And, being me, 'I' would eventually retrofit it with some more recent components ([COLOR= #808080]wider handlebars + a different crankset with longer crank arms + Tektro's Campy-copy brake levers OR integrated shifters, etc.[/COLOR]) ...
BTW. As far as I can tell, the bike was repainted at some point in time ... from the small pics, it seems that it was reasonably well done.
Dang unfortunately someone got to the bike before i could, I am currently up in ga at college and i was going to pick it up on my way home for spring break next friday. I called him yesterday and he still had it, we agreed that if he still had it by then i would take it. The listing had been on there for a while so I thought it would be fine, but i guess someone else saw one of my threads about the bike and jumped on the bike before i could.
Keep your ears and eyes open for a Leonard Zinn frame or bike.
He specializes in building frames for tall riders. It probably will not be anywhere near as inexpensive as that sweet Craigslist deal, but in terms of a multi-year investment any bike that really fits is well worth paying a bit extra for.
As a poor, broke undergrad, I know pain that shelling out a few hundred dollars can be. As a dead-broke sophomore I ordered a custom-built to measure Schwinn Paramount. The $660 delivered price about gave me a heart attack! I ate very little over the next few months...
He specializes in building frames for tall riders. It probably will not be anywhere near as inexpensive as that sweet Craigslist deal, but in terms of a multi-year investment any bike that really fits is well worth paying a bit extra for.
As a poor, broke undergrad, I know pain that shelling out a few hundred dollars can be. As a dead-broke sophomore I ordered a custom-built to measure Schwinn Paramount. The $660 delivered price about gave me a heart attack! I ate very little over the next few months...
ya lol the pickings seem to be slim when looking for a tall bike, I have found a couple others but non seem to be anywhere near me and they never want to ship them. If you know anyone in the south California area or even in the Pennsylvania area that wouldn't mind shipping me a bicycle I would greatly appreciate it. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif
alright I may have found another one: http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/bik/2885311709.html and this guy might be willing to ship it. How does it look?
IMO, the particular Panasonic should be as good as the Raleigh ... Japanese bikes used English threaded BBs ([COLOR= #808080]that doesn't mean too much to your right now, but it may at some future point in time[/COLOR]).
It's difficult to tell the condition from the pics ... ([COLOR= #808080]FWIW[/COLOR]) it appears to have a better crankset ...
I say ([COLOR= #808080]for the same reasons as before[/COLOR]):
DON'T DELAY!
lol already working things out with the seller, and i have another back-up if this one happens to fall through. How much should i pay for this Panasonic?
Well, I don't want to sound-like-a-broken-record, but if I were over 6'4" ([COLOR= #808080]and, of course, you are taller than that[/COLOR]) then $100 isn't too much for a vintage 25.5" steel bicycle frame ... so, if the seller only wants $1, then $99 for shipping (ask him to use[COLOR= #008000] FedEx GROUND [/COLOR]service ... it will cost less) wouldn't be too much ...
For those really LARGE frames, it is better (IMO) that many will have been made with less exotic tubing.
- remember, some people wouldn't pay half that much for a used bike ...
- we are all different in that regard ... MY perception is of what 'I' deem the current equivalence to be rather than a devalued "blue book" valuation
For those really LARGE frames, it is better (IMO) that many will have been made with less exotic tubing.
ACK!?!
Well, it's not for me to say what THAT bike's fair price is FOR YOU ...
- Just as Froze has indicated in other threads that he has picked up some sweet vintage bikes for a song, my neighbor picked up a really nice FUJI which was in that size range for probably-less-than-$25 from a thrift shop a few years ago ([COLOR= #808080]I don't know why she bought it ... her husband is about 5'7" AND I'm not sure that he could reach the pedals when the saddle was atop the top tube ... I think they sold it for $50[/COLOR]) ...
- the Panasonic's original buyer ([COLOR= #808080]who I presume is the current seller[/COLOR]) probably paid $250+ in 1980 dollars ... you could adjust for inflation and say that if it would be at least $600+ in current dollars
- deducting for depreciation, it could be valued at $200-to-$300 if the condition is very-good-to-excellent
So, $200 could certainly be considered to be a fair price for you to pay inclusive of shipping costs ...
It's really up to YOU to decide how much is a fair price based on your urgency & your budget.
Found a local bike that i got a great deal on, here are some pics:
It is a Shogun Cr-Mo 400 with shimano components, and stem shifters. What do you guys think?
It is a Shogun Cr-Mo 400 with shimano components, and stem shifters. What do you guys think?
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