Southern California - 52-54 cm, quality steel

I've been scouring Craigslist-Los Angeles and Ebay for weeks looking for A good frame with no rust and I can't find anything that I can afford. Am I completely crazy to think I can find an old bike worth working on for less than a hundred bucks? Even the thrift stores here sell rusty old road bikes for $125.00. I'm constantly reading or hearing about people finding high quality bikes for like 12 bucks. I'm cheap but cursed with good taste, where am I not looking? or do I just need to suck it up and expect to actually pay for quality?

you need to check the OC and Inland empire craigslist listings as well.. I have bought a few bikes on CL and you just need to keep looking and be fast when you see a deal..

Just bought an alu bike yesterday with record 10 for $500.00.. The frame is in bad shape but the parts are good, which I will be putting on my Litespeed..

I have a 52cm Specialized Allez M4 frameset for $50. It is custom painted metallic blue, carbon fork/alloycrown kinesis, 1" steerer. it's got a very small dent in the top tube and some knicks but otherwise good.
it looks just like this except blue metallic & white Specialized on the down tube
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2322/1913745900_3b12adef1e_o.jpg

thanks for the reply, I'm looking for a more old school lugged frame though

I've had a similar problem, just looking for a lugged frame for a commuter thats a 62-64cm frame.... I also had no such luck. Craigslist and ebay don't usually have a cheap lugged frame as some people beat each other over a lugged frame on ebay. I have found seen some locally at garage sales and thrift stores so maybe you could find one there?

I've had a similar problem, just looking for a lugged frame for a commuter thats a 62-64cm frame.... I also had no such luck. Craigslist and ebay don't usually have a cheap lugged frame as some people beat each other over a lugged frame on ebay. I have found seen some locally at garage sales and thrift stores so maybe you could find one there?

I did see a quite tall french motobecane at a thrift store in downtown Culver City, earlier in the week it was priced at 125.

....or do I just need to suck it up and expect to actually pay for quality?

What do you really think? Is it possible to find an old bike that's rideable for $50 or less? Ya. Is it going to be a genuinely quality bike? No. Not that used is bad. Some used bikes are really nice, but <gasp> you actually have to pay real money for them.

If I wanted to get a nice 'rider' new, I might start here. http://store.somafab.com/somasmoothiees.html By the time you're riding it, though, you'll be $1k into it. Expect to pay $300-500 for a good steel used bike. You can find a real beater for less than $100, but it's like buying a $1000 car. You spend a $1000 fixing up a $1000 car and still have a $1000 car.

not sure if you're willing to drive to San Diego, but we have a SWEET vintage type of shop down here with frames/bikes in all price ranges. I was just in there yesterday and they have a lot of bikes right now, and not just all fixed gear...

The shop is: http://www.velocult.com/

I think what you save in purchase price you'll make up for in either money to fix/upgrade or labor on your part. Now if you have the time to do the labor yourself then it can be well worth it. I'm looking for a cheapy bike to wrench on myself so that I can break it, fix it, upgrade it, modify it, etc. to aid in expanding my knowledge of bike wrenching. I check CL on a regular basis and plan on adding regular visits to my local thrift shops as well.

not sure if you're willing to drive to San Diego, but we have a SWEET vintage type of shop down here with frames/bikes in all price ranges. I was just in there yesterday and they have a lot of bikes right now, and not just all fixed gear...

The shop is: http://www.velocult.com/Wow, cool! Their website kind of sucks though... or I suck coz I can't find it... No address or hours of operation. :p

Wow, cool! Their website kind of sucks though... or I suck coz I can't find it... No address or hours of operation. :p

If you don't know how to get there they don't want you to come.

Besides, you don't have any tattoos

Wow, cool! Their website kind of sucks though... or I suck coz I can't find it... No address or hours of operation. :p

It's not you, it's not there... I let them know yesterday. They are in South Park at 2220 Fern St....I know they were open at 3:45 yesterday...

Besides, you don't have any tattoosI'm only 1 bubblegum away.


Thanks! That's the Pista Palace area. Those guys have nice bikes too, though expensive ones (full line of Colnago's and a few others; campy all around).

pista palace? please fill me in...

Off-topic:

http://pistapalace.com

Mainly Colnago and a few Times when I was there. Most of the bikes are frame only hanging off of a wall. It's a very small shop for Colnago bikes, and not a general bike accessories store.

They do have new Colnago Master (X?) Light which is steel... but $$ though. :p

It's not you, it's not there... I let them know yesterday. They are in South Park at 2220 Fern St....I know they were open at 3:45 yesterday...

No $12 bikes, though, huh? I bet they want to actually be paid for nice older bikes. What jerks!

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/bik/874331683.html

Here ya go. It's a little too big, but run the seat down. it's not like you're racing it. It probably rides pretty nice. You won't find anything nicer than this for less than this. FWIW, I don't know anything about the bike or seller more than what is on the ad.

I don't know how CL is where you are at, but the only way I have found to get a good deal on a lugged steel bike is checking out the garage sales every weekend.

There are some "ok" quality steel bikes to be had down here, but there seems to be a few people who are in business of searching garage sales and then reselling old bikes for high prices on CL.

so sad...

some offers you a better bike at a really great price but you turn up your nose because of stylistic reasons. and someone else suggests a bike that is the wrong size. do you care if it's a colnago with columbus tubing (good) or a nishiki with high tensile seamed straight gauge tubing (junk) because there really is a big difference, but they're both lugged steel.

you need to check the OC and Inland empire craigslist listings as well.. I have bought a few bikes on CL and you just need to keep looking and be fast when you see a deal..

Just bought an alu bike yesterday with record 10 for $500.00.. The frame is in bad shape but the parts are good, which I will be putting on my Litespeed..


damn ! record 10 and a bike for 500$ lol what a deal!

I put the record parts on my litespeed last night.. Just have to cut the housing to length and it will be on the road by Wednesday.. The parts were a little on the dirty side but cleaned up nicely..