Thinking of buying an old Miyata 710 steel bike - is it worth it?

[kaian]

Recently I was thinking it would be kind of cool to have a steel road bike. I currently ride a Trek 1500 (aluminum) which is great, but I thought it would be neat to have something vintage. I found a Miyata 710 on craigslist recently and am going to look at it tomorrow. The measurements (from what I'm told by the seller) are really close to my Trek. It's a small frame, which seems to be hard to find with vintage bikes and it supposedly shifts great and has no rust. So, my question is....would this be a good choice for an alternative, vintage ride or should I look for something better? Thanks!

 

[Unbelievably]

Try Miyata 710 info. in a Google search.

Nothing wrong with too many bicycles...

 

[kaian]

I did do some searches already. I guess I was looking for some personal opinions on whether this is a good choice for a token vintage bike.

 

[DMF]

Yes.

 

[kaian]

I looked at it, but didn't buy it yet. I'm still thinking. The frame itself had a few small rust spots here and there and also had some scratches here and there, so the frame is far from perfect. The tires need to be replaced and the wheels need to be trued. The brakes definitely need adjusting and perhaps new pads. The rear cogs and rear derailleur are pretty gunked up, but I didn't notice any rust. The chain looked like it had some minor surface rust.

The thing that is making me "think" about is how smooth of a ride it was. The tires were not inflated appropriately (not too far from flat) and despite the gunk on the various parts, the bike was sooooo smooth riding and shifting. I couldn't believe it. I thought it was going to ride like an old beater, but honestly, it felt like butter.

The seller said he would consider an offer. Is there anything else I should look at on the bike to make my decision? The fit seemed close though I couldn't adjust everything I would need to - are there key things that I should look out for? Thanks!

 

[kavalari]

Try removing the stem to see if it is easily removable if you
want to change to a shorter/longer stem. On older bikes this
can be pretty difficult.

Otherwise, it seems like a nice bike. I have myself an old Nishiki
Arrow Speed (entry level) I'm pretty happy with.

 

[Mreiman1]

Well, I hope you bought it. I have a 710, it has always been kept in my den on a rack. I changed the breaks some years ago to Dura Ace breaks and also put on a Shimano 600 SIS which was the first SIS rear derailer. It does not have a spot of rust. It is also a fairly lite bike for steel. Clip on pedals are also on it. My son would love me to get rid of it....but WHY it's a great bike in GREAT Condition.

 

[Mreiman1]

MINE is a short frame too

 

[Steve_A]

All of the flaws or negatives you describe sound pretty typical for an old bike. Just needs some TLC. If you are so inclined, you could tear it down, clean and lube throughly and build it back up again with new bits where necessary. The ride says it all, sounds like you should get it. If the stem is stuck, there are ways to get it out. If you need to raise/lower or move the bars further away from the seat, this is easier to do with a threaded stem than a modern one. But you may not even need to replace it. I hope this person isn't asking too much for it. People seem to have inflated ideas about what their old bikes are worth. Good luck, Steve