General Cycling Discussion - Used bike?

Hi, right now i'm riding an old peugeot 10 speed road bike.

I'm looking for something a little better, but i'm still a beginner...

I'm looking at getting a used Bianchi campione d'italia or something along those lines. I see mid '90s models going for about $400. Is that about right? Also, are there other bikes i should be looking at?

I'm looking for a mid level road bike, nothing to crazy, remember i'm still a beginner.

Oh yeah, this bike is mainly going to be for commuting and for workout rides during the summer.

Oh, i have about 1400 saved up, but i don't think i'm willing to spend much more than 400 on a used bike.

help!

Heck, for about $600, you can get a decent entry level road bike. Look into Felt bikes. They have the "85" model that retails for about $569 at our shop!

L8R

Originally posted by phat bahsturd
Oh, i have about 1400 saved up, but i don't think i'm willing to spend much more than 400 on a used bike.
I wish I had $1400 saved up for a bike.

:D

phat bahsturd: Since you're not completely sure what you want to upgrade too I would recommend you keep riding your current bike. After several months you'll know what you like and don't like about it and will have time to come up with a list of features you'll want in a new bike.

I'm not familar with the Bianchi you mentioned - what would you gain by upgrading to it over your current bike? Say for example the only real difference is going from 10 speed to 14 speed. Is the upgrade cost worth the 4 extra gears?

Zack

Well, my peugeot is pretty heavy right now... and it's definitely not worth upgrading.

I really like the way bianchis look :D

Can't argue that! Something about that Celeste green color!

L8R

Originally posted by a2psyklnut
Can't argue that! Something about that Celeste green color!

L8R

Celeste green is the sexiest color IMO, but some people i know don't like it... weird.

But yeah, a mid '90s celeste green Bianchi campione with campy drivetrain would be perfect. I just don't want to get it off ebay or anything. Any ideas where i could a used bike shop around the san francisco bay area?

My Bianchi is celeste, it was also bought used for $600. I could not possibly be happier with it. It is heading out for a 40 miler in about 2 hours. Mine has had the Reynolds Ouzo fork, and a few other upgrades added. If you can get the Bianchi, get it. For the same money, I passed up a new Giant, and a new Raliegh because I thought the Bianchi would be a better bike. I have no regrets about the decision. I like the Campagnolo components as well. I get more than the usual number of comments about the color of the bike. - Ted

Originally posted by phat bahsturd
Celeste green is the sexiest color IMO, but some people i know don't like it... weird.

But yeah, a mid '90s celeste green Bianchi campione with campy drivetrain would be perfect. I just don't want to get it off ebay or anything. Any ideas where i could a used bike shop around the san francisco bay area?

Why not get it off of eBay? Like many others on this forum, I've bought and sold on eBay and have been very happy. Just get a good dialog going between yourself and the selling and check his/her feedback.

Bianchi/Campy is a terrific combination. That is what I bought my daughter a few years back and she is very happy with it (Athena 8-speed Ergo group). You might also see if you can find a Lemond or a Paramount. All are of comparable quality and generally made of Columbus tubing if from the same time period. Newer Lemonds will be Reynolds, though. Or, dare I say, a Scapin or Olmo or most any mid-80's to mid-90's Italian bike. Even a Trek from this era will be a wonderful bike. Lots of good ones out there. Have fun!!

Performance has all bikes on sale with no tax and supergo still has 2002 bianchi's up to 40%off.

Originally posted by ParamountScapin
Why not get it off of eBay? Like many others on this forum, I've bought and sold on eBay and have been very happy. Just get a good dialog going between yourself and the selling and check his/her feedback.

Bianchi/Campy is a terrific combination. That is what I bought my daughter a few years back and she is very happy with it (Athena 8-speed Ergo group). You might also see if you can find a Lemond or a Paramount. All are of comparable quality and generally made of Columbus tubing if from the same time period. Newer Lemonds will be Reynolds, though. Or, dare I say, a Scapin or Olmo or most any mid-80's to mid-90's Italian bike. Even a Trek from this era will be a wonderful bike. Lots of good ones out there. Have fun!!

Any specific Lemond you recommend?

I think i'm going to start looking for campiones on ebay.... i really love them, but have never ridden one.

You know, according to the legend, the celeste color was an error. They were supposed to be a light blue, but there was no time for repaint and the rest is history.

Originally posted by phat bahsturd
Any specific Lemond you recommend?

I think i'm going to start looking for campiones on ebay.... i really love them, but have never ridden one.

Recent models, from the top, are the Maillot Jaune, Zurich, Buenos Aires and Alp d'Huez. All are Reynolds 853. Go back a bit, like to the mid-80's-early 90's and you will get some wonderful lugged frames made from Columbus SLX tubing and made by either Scapin or Serotta. Think they were also a few made by a custom shop in the Seattle area, but I have forgotten the name. All are really nice frames made for comfortable, stable riding. Anything made of 853 is going to be made by Trek. That is definitely not a knock on the bikes. They are still great machines. But so are the steel Bianchis. Their older lugged models from around '85 to '95 will also be Columbus SLX. Terrific rides. You will be happy with any of them.

Good luck in your search. You might also find that Bianchi dealers can get you a great deal on NOS steel frames from the factory. It is my understanding that most of the Italian frame makers have a large surplus of steel framesets due to the current rage in buying only what is the "in" material (Ti, Al, graphite). Good luck. And let us know what you end up with. You'll be very happy that you choose steel.

Just to be more explicit, pre-Trek era Lemonds were custom made by Scapin, Serotta and one or two other small custom shops in the U.S. Scapin is still a smaller frame shop in Treviso, Italy and Serotta is in upstate NY. Can't recall who the other shops were.

But, your choice of Bianchi will put you at the same quality level as any of these. Have fun!!

Originally posted by ParamountScapin
Just to be more explicit, pre-Trek era Lemonds were custom made by Scapin, Serotta and one or two other small custom shops in the U.S. Scapin is still a smaller frame shop in Treviso, Italy and Serotta is in upstate NY. Can't recall who the other shops were.

But, your choice of Bianchi will put you at the same quality level as any of these. Have fun!!

thanks, paramount.

One last question:

what do you think about this bike?

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/super.html

It's a brand new Motobecane with a Shimano sora powertrain for 425 bucks. It looks postively wicked in black too.

I dunno, i'm sure it's probably pretty heavy. Please discuss.

IMHO you will do much better on eBay. I would not suggest anything less than Shimano's 105 group due to both quality (better built, last longer) and functionality (they work better). I also think that you will get a better bike with better parts off of eBay. And you will have the same level of support as if you got this bike. That is, if there is a problem you will either have to deal with it yourself or take it to your LBS. Unless it is something really unexpected like a broken frame.

In today's world almost all entry level bikes are made in Taiwan. My guess is that Motobecane does not even exist today as a bicycle company. Like Schwinn, Raleigh, Giant, Univega and many other proud old bicycle names, they went out of business due to competition from the low labor costs in Asia. The bread & butter of these companies were there their entry level lines. When they didn't keep up by moving production to Asia they folded. Now they are just names on bicycles. Are made by some nameless factory in Taiwan or mainland China which submitted the low bid. And then painted and decaled to order by the marketing company which owns the rights to the name.

This doesn't mean they are all bad bikes. Some of the Raleigh's are pretty nice. But, again, IMHO, you will do better getting something from eBay for the $500 or so you are planning on spending. Better parts mix, better wheels, etc.

Thanks for all your help paramount. Wow, i'm sold. I really didn't know motobecane had become a taiwanese company.

Originally posted by phat bahsturd

Celeste green is the sexiest color IMO, but some people i know don't like it... weird.

I saw a Bianchi in that color recently with matching handle bar tape, a matching saddle, and sitting on a matching car. :roflmao: