Classic & Vintage - Please Help - Which bike to buy?

Hi everyone and thanks for the help. I'm a little new to vintage road bikes. Which of these two bikes do you think I should buy?

I'll give the links for with descriptions and images for each....

- 1972 Windsor Profesional

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/bik/652067133.html

- Centurion Accordo (2 links - one with more info on components)

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/bik/652968685.html

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/bik/643386726.html


They both sound pretty good to me, but I can't be sure. Thanks for the help!

The Windsor. Go get it.

The Windsor is what my gut was telling me. I couldn't find much information about it online though. A few articles/posts here and there. It seems like a slick bike. I'll be using it mostly for city riding. Thanks for your input, it seems like you're pretty gung-ho about it!

Are there any other thoughts on the Windsor? Or the Centurion Accordo?

That looks like a great bike with a nice frame and some premium black Dura Ace components. Definitely, go get it. (Meaning the Windsor).

The Accordo seems like the seller is hustling a bit. Made the pictures nicer and then upped the price? Anyway - sounds way too much for Exage and Biopace cranks if it were me. Plus the Windsor is yellow and I think early Dura Ace is cool. The Accordos seem to float around used in abundance comparatively.

If you haven't bought the Windsor yet then +1 on the go-and-get-its from above.

If you have gotten it already: RIDE RIDE RIDE!

Thanks so much to everyone for their advice.

Yeah, something seems to be up with the Accordo seller. The latest post says the bike is $225 and that it was bought for $500. The post a few days before that has it being listed at $500. Not sure if it's the same seller. When I talked to the guy, he said he bought the frame on email and hooked it up him self. Kind of fishy.

I've been contacting the Windsor seller all day, but haven't heard anything back yet. Too bad there wasn't a phone number supplied. Hopefully, it hasen't been sold. Does that seem like a good price for it, $200?

Windsor, without a doubt.

The parts are worth more than $200. Hopefully the flaky craigslist seller will contact you.

Windsor, without a doubt.

The parts are worth more than $200. Hopefully the flaky craigslist seller will contact you.

Seconded.

thirded...is that a word?:)

I like the Windsor too, but it has rattle can paint.

Spray paint and all, keep after that Windsor.

thirded...is that a word?:)

fourthed. the Windsor is pissa, good price too.

After sending multiple emails, I finally heard back from the guy selling it. He told me that another guy is supposed to come look at it, and that he would contact me if that fell threw. It figures!

Please keep your fingers crossed for me! Everyone's opinion on here, and my gut feeling, have really made me want this bike!

Sending positive vibes your way, good luck!

thirded...is that a word?:)

very similar to fourple.............yes its a wurd............

After sending multiple emails, I finally heard back from the guy selling it. He told me that another guy is supposed to come look at it, and that he would contact me if that fell threw. It figures!

Please keep your fingers crossed for me! Everyone's opinion on here, and my gut feeling, have really made me want this bike!

go now with money in hand........."he who hesitates is lost".............

The Windsor, if it is a Windsor, is not a 72 Pro; they were built as a copy to the Cinelli Super Corsa frame without the sloping fork crown, until about 75. The yellow one you pictured seems to have seat stays tacked to the side of the seat lug and NOT the traditional Cinelli seatlug (which Windsor copied).

But 200 is cheap enough if its a good if not Windsor frame.

good eye, dbaki...but what I CAN see of detail in that ad looks to be pretty good quality, and it certainly does have some nice early black DA.

Thanks again to everyone for their advice!

The guy winding up selling it to someone else. I am so pissed! I really wanted that bike.

If I had his contact info, I would have called him right away and bought it. All I had was his craigslist contact. I even offered him a little extra money to sell it to me. Oh well.

I think I'm going to hold off on buying the other bike. Doesn't seem like many people on here like it. I really didn't think it looked all that great myself.

I guess I have to keep looking. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. I've been looking for a bike for the past four months. I never seem to find one online that I like and that is my size.

Should I look other places?

Thanks again to everyone! This is a great forum. I'm definitaley going to try and check it everyday!

That is usually how it goes with CL. The Accordo is a good $100 bike. You can do a lot better for $225. The key to buying old bikes is patience. Eventually the right bike will come along. Don't just buy something because you want to get into C&V bikes. If you just want an old bike, get up early tomorrow and hit the garages sales. You can usually find a decent bike for $20, if you look hard enough.