Road Cycling - Advice on parts and price

I am going to be getting into Road Biking buy my boss told me to just buy a used roadie before spend 2000bux so heres what hes got in used.

Its perfect condition. I NEED AN OPINION ON THE PRICE AND PARTS. every part is mint except for 5 nicks on the frame which can be touched up. Its about 10-12 years old i guess

Columbus Cromor 58CM Frame. Also how is compares to SL
Suntour Sprint Gruppo with indexed downtube shifters. how is it and what in shimano does it compare to.. its 7 speed

Ambrosio Elite 19 rims with Campy Hubs.. How are the rims

Cinelli Handlebar and Stem i think

how is all this for 450CDN. new condition. 200km on it.

Maybe I'm wrong, but does your boss work at a bike shop?

Sounds like quite a mix of parts that don't have a common theme; maybe mooched off of a bunch of different bikes? That's OK, of course, but it makes the parts double used.

Campy hubs - a plus. Suntour derailure and shifters; hmm, OK, they will work - reasonable stuff in it's day.

Chromoly frame - could mean anything. Is it light when you lift it? Grab it with one hand and lift it out sideways with your arm straight. With his method, you will notice weight differences.

With the exception of some very high-end, sought-after, prestigeous older road bikes, the rest of the '70's, 80's, and early '90's bikes just don't have much resale value (sadly). In my most humble opinion, I think he would be lucky to get $100.00 for it.

While the equipment was good 10/12 years ago, it isn't much better than entry level Shimano now. Also you'll have a very difficult time finding replacement parts for the SunTour stuff. The indexing is not compatible because the gear spacing is different than Shimano. Also it's probably a freewheel and not a cassette; But that might be good because you could change to Shimano if you changed the Downtube shifters also. (These are becoming difficult to find, but they are available.) This way you might be able to up-grade to 8 spd, but I'm not absolutely certain of that.

The frame might be a bit heavier than the newer steel frames, but if you are just going to use the bike for recreational riding --not racing-- then it might be an OK bike for 200/250 CDN. That is ONLY if the bike FITS you.

The first things you will need to change are the saddle --old saddles don't hold up well, and the newer designs are more friendly to your anatomy -- 50 to 100 CDN; and I would suspect tires --20 to 50 each; and tubes --5 to 10 each. You will need to disassemble it and replace all the grease in bearings, bottom bracket and head set. Old cables rust and may need replacement also.

It's not just the cost of the bike, but how much you have to put into it to make it serviceable. Good Luck.

lol my boss is a bike technician i work at a bike shop lol

ok how does thr gruppo compare with say 1996 RX100 parts other than the speed difference

and how are the rims them selves.. it says ambrosio elite 19 or something

anyone

The most important feature in used rims is how thick they are. If the braking surface is worn down, you wont get many miles out of them. Ambrosio is a well regarded rim maker, so no problems with the quality.

Training bikes are always useful, for absorbing the daily abuse of commuting and training, and making your lightweight expensive race equipment last longer.

SunTour will shift well though I'd probably go even a little older and get friction shifting derailleurs. Much less potential for problems = less need to chase hard to find parts.

The Columbus tubing you mentioned was decent but it's not SL/SLX grade.

I'm not a big believer in the quality of Shimano below the 105 level and your old SunTour Campy mix is probably more durable than even new Sora or RX whatever it is. :D Of course that is contingent on the older stuff being in good form. That's a large variable though I'd hope your boss wouldn't foist off junk on an employee.

Like others I think the bike is a bit overpriced. Will your boss overhayl it, or at least allow you to do so when there's some down time at the shop? How about new rubber?

W/o any of that 100-150 US$ is fair market value.

:beer:

the bike is mint.. the rims dont even have brake dust on em and the rims arent even broken in yet.. its still shiny.. i will overhaul the parts anyways since they havent been greased in a few years.. and the shifters are friction/indexed so i can switch back and forth.

the wheels are mint the hubs are mint the frame has to nicks on it i can touch it up

and hes including lookpedals

[i]
this for 450CDN. new condition. 200km on it. [/B]
I am really amazed how the Torontonian Price the bike is way to pricey, Looks like your boss doesn't want to sell the bike if he is asking Canadian $450.00

lol if you havent noticed that TO doesnt have cheap products.. bike depot, silent sports, all cyclepaths are expensive..

aight he said 350 with the clips should i do it or not
and does the gruppo compare today or not

You've never mentioned what frame,
other than Columbus Cromor (I think this was
a mid 80's tube) higher quality tube than Aelle but
generally looked down upon by most builders as
it is a seamed tube.

Marty

and whats a seamed tube and how is that bad compared to SL

I still say $150 absolute tops.

Have a look on Ebay for nice older road bikes. There are a ton of them that don't even bring in $50.00. I am buying magnificent machines at local thrift shops and garage sales for less than $20.00.

I just bought a gorgeous used Benotto road bike. ALL Campy except for the Mavic rims and a coupld other parts - $250.00. Seems like a better machine than you are looking at for $450.00.

Here, have a gander at ebay. Add $45.00 for shipping and compare notes. http://listings.ebay.com/aw/plistings/list/all/category22680/index.html

he said he will do 350 CANADIAN BUX with shimano spds included.

and i still wanna know how the parts were and what they did/do compare too

Well obviously it's worth your time to negotiate as he's down $100 Canadian.

I thought I answered the question about components. I'd take the stuff on your bike over SoRX in a heartbeat but others might differ. The addition of the pedals helps. I ride Looks and most people have good things to say about SPDs. A good set of pedals can be transferred to whatever bike you may buy in the future.

The long and short: Can you do better in the used market, esp eBay? W/o a doubt yes. Will you get to see/feel/and most importantly ride another used bike as much as this one in your boss's shop? Probably not. Definitely not if the bike's from eBay.

It's your money and you're at that time that comes in all decision making processes where you need to either cr@p or get off the pot. If the bike moves you go for it and don't toss and turn over what might be on eBay or over comparisons with modern drivetrains. It's got good wheels and a reasonably light frame and should ride well. I'd try to get him to throw in some new rubber though.:)

Of course all this is a waste of everyone's time if the bike doesn't fit.

:beer:

(edit) SunTour Sprint 7 speed would compare more than favorably with Shimano 105 of the same time period. In fact it is probably closer to 600EX (now called Ultegra) in quality. Of course the advent of STI changed things andany 7 speed system is dated though if they're the right ones 7 is certainly enough. In the SunTour hierarchy Superbe Pro was #1 and compared very favorably to Campy Record stuff much less SAhimano DA. Cyclone and then Sprint were the next ones in line. Your wheels with the Campy hubs and Ambrosio rims are probably an upgrade over what was on the bike originally. There's not a thing in the world wrong with your bike, just that used roadbikes with few exceptions can be had cheap.

Seamed tubing is cheaper than seamless like SL though when riding you'll probably never tell the difference.

It's too expensive if you want to upgrade it to modern spec.
$150 for STI or Ergo levers--for safety alone, this is a good upgrade.
$80 for rear derailleur
then you have to get 9 speed hub and have the rear dropouts spread to make it fit any new wheelset you may buy in the future.
By the time that's all done, you might as well hve bought new.
I don't even know of a place that sells 7 speed stuff.

If you want to keep the bike as-is and no real aspirations of upgrading it then ok.
If the bike is pristine, ok. but a mid-range bike with mid-range components... He's not ripping you off but its not a steal either. I can't think of a decent newer bike you could buy for $350 so maybe it's ok.

my boss is the owner of the once well known company Miele. Hes still got all of the **** in the back room all the 7-9 speed parts in the back room.. if i wanted i can upg it all the an older shimano 600 if i wanted before it was called ultegra may be ok doing that once i get better and keep the frame.. but as for suntour sprint 7 speed hes able to service it if he needs

as long as the 7 speed hubs are compatible with shimano 7 speed cassettes then im fine to upgrade to shimano 600 7 speed cuz hes got it

According to your first post you don't have ST hubs but Campy. Since it's Campy and 7 speed it's almost certainly a freewheel as opposed to a cassette design.

RacerX is right. Buy the bike to ride, don't worry about upgrades. Upgrade when you've ridden enough to need a new bike. If your boss has a bunch of NOS 600 stuff that's nice but isn't a real improvement over what's on the bike now. Upgrading that bike to a modern drivetrain is prohibitively expensive and changing to another 7 speed system, to be blunt, makes no sense.

If you buy, just ride.

:beer:

and whats a seamed tube and how is that bad compared to SL
For Columbus SL and SLX, Reynolds 531, 753 etc. tubes(Seamless):


The tubes are produced from a solid billet of steel pierced and drawn to the necessary dimensions.
Columbus Cromor, True Temper, Reynolds 501 (seamed):

Seamed tubes are produced by rolling sheet into a tube and welding it up. The resulting pipe is then drawn down and cold worked to its final dimensions; the seam is worked into the tube and becomes invisible to all except electron microscopes

the above is from cyclingnews archives, found via google.

The seamed tubes are not bad just produced differently.
I would bet that most cyclists would be hard pressed to
tell the difference between the two.

My thoughts on this whole thread, If the bike fits just ride it.
worry about upgrades later.
Marty

Buy the bike if it fits and costs $100 to $150US (a little more w/pedals), and that is your budget.

Then, ride the crap out of it. Resist the temptation to upgrade it. Don't sweat the components as you'll have a new bike before you wear them out.

Keep it well maintained. New brake pads, chain, tires, tubes, cables and housing, when necessary. Lots of TLC and lube. It may or not be a lightweight, but it will get you fit.

Start saving for a new bike. By the time your piggy bank is getting heavy you'll have a very good idea of what kind of bike you want, how it should fit, what gear ratios fit your riding style and what kind of riding you do. Now, as an educated consumer, buy the bike of your dreams.

Once you start upgrading an older bike it becomes a money pit. The move to STI requires shifters, chain, crankset, front and rear derailleurs and rear hub or wheel. Plus, the rear dropouts are 5mm too narrow for the wider hub. Yes, I ran my old 6-speed Peugot with 9-speed STI, but I had to bend the rear stays out every time I wanted to remove or install the rear wheel.

By the best bike you can afford and have fun.

the only reason im doing this is cuz i am 15 still live at home with my dad and he threatened to kick my ass if i went out and bot a 1200$ road bike when i dont even like it. him and my boss/techy both said buy this used bike and see if you even like. if you do then buy a new bike.

and it is a lightweight for what it is.. only like 23lb

also im a rider already. i have a MTB which i race on but i have a knee injury so hardocre MTB riding hurts so im getting a road bike. no more jumps for me