Thanks for the feedback. In my case, I'm a Clydesdale, and will put serious stress on the wheels.
The bike in question is a new, in-the-box, 1970's vintage, Japanese (MASA brand), 15-speed touring bike with straight-ga. tubing. It is sturdy enough, it fits, and it will cost $165 after tax. It has high-quality (for 1970s) SunTour parts, and plenty of eyelets for racks, fenders, etc. if needed.
I believe that if I let the LBS put a Park tensionometer on the spokes, tighten and true the wheels, and provide me with spare spokes, that this bike will fill my needs. Since I can't come close to anything new (in a current model) for under six times the price, this seems like a good deal.
The shop selling the bike will lube, adjust, and replace any dry-rotted parts (including cable housing, tires, tubes, and brake hoods) as part of their sale. I see no down-side to this purchase. If I wanted to go more up-scale, I could buy a Raleigh Gran Sport 10-speed (with Reynolds 531 tubeset) for the same price. Other alternatives would be a Panasonic Sport Deluxe 10-speed or a C-Itoh 10-speed. All are new, all same price, all with similar setup and service.
Shoot, at $165 each, I'm tempted to buy one of each!
Last edited by FarHorizon; 08-26-06 at 10:53 PM.