Classic & Vintage - My search for my first vintage ride

I think its time to start a new thread. My first thread was very well answered, thanks to all who helped. I was supposed to go look @ a "garage full of bikes" today, but that proved to be a giant flop.... It was a Huffy warehouse. Feeling dejected I stopped @ a goodwill and found a Panasonic sport 1000. Its about a 6/10 appearance wise, needs rubber (both tires flat), a REALLY good lube, rims (steel) trued, bar wrap etc. It's blue w/ all the decals (including the one that states HIGH TENSILE STEEL). It is a lugged frame (except where the rear triangle connects to the seat tube, very small contact there and made me a little nervous), quick release front hub. There was too much grime to tell what brand the components were. Now to the important part. They wanted $50 for it. I walked away.... I wasn't able to get a pic of the bike, no camera and the staff was not displaying much "goodwill". I have a few more leads to follow up on over the next few days and I'll post some pics for the approval or disapproval of you more knowledgable riders. Thanks for the help so far--ROB

A marginal pick up at that price. Thrift store pricing can be all over the map. I will see a Huffy junker for $75, then a Schwinn Tempo for $15. Garage sales tend to have the best deals, but you are probably past the garage sale season where you live. But even with garage sales, most bikes you will see are mountain bikes. And when you do see road bikes, most are mediocre. But I picked up a nice Cannondale T600 (touring bike) at a garage sale a couple of months ago. Keep an eye on nearby C/L as well, and be ready to pounce if you see a good deal.

That first one is always the hardest. Trust me, after you get the first one you'll find like 15 the next week.

Keep checking CL and make sure the guy with the garage of bikes has your number and knows what you're looking for in case he gets something new in. It also helps to let the workers at the lbs know you're on the search. Basically get as many lines out there and one will snag something.

And like flammenwurfer said, after that first one you're gonna find a dozen more, happens to all of us, still doesn't make finding that one bike any less sweet.

If you want to find a vintage road bicycle, or whatever, simply tell everyone that you meet or know that you are looking for one. Say - "You know, the kind with skinny tires and handlebars that curve down". You just might be stunned at the result! I find a lot of bicycles like this way.

That first one is always the hardest. Trust me, after you get the first one you'll find like 15 the next week.

Spoken like a well-seasoned expert! (I realize you're new to this, but you've amassed a lot of knowledge quite quickly.)

RobE30, you never see lugs between the seat cluster and the seat stay. The seat stay is brazed right onto the seat lug. I understand that this is a point of low stress, so it's typical for there to be a very small point of contact. It's not a common area of failure.

The Sport 1000 was an OK bike. It had steel rims. I don't remember what kind of derailleurs it had. Shimano, I think, which were pretty decent. You could buy it to jumpstart your luck as flammenwurfer implies. It could end up being a parts-donor bike. Or once you get a lighter bike, you could put straight bars and fenders on the Panasonic and use it as your commuter bike.

Spoken like a well-seasoned expert! (I realize you're new to this, but you've amassed a lot of knowledge quite quickly.)

Thanks noglider. I still have a lot to learn, but I'm having a great time doing it.

To the OP: All the suggestions so far are right on in my limited experience. I think almost all the bikes I've obtained have been from CL, garage sales or newspaper classifieds. I don't remember who said it on here, but if there are no bikes at a garage sale, ask if they have any they want to sell.

Hi Rob while most would not consider this a C&V bike you are welcome to this Schwinn Tempo. (which we have PMd about) the frame and all components except the wheels are in good shape. imho it defintily needs wheels. there is a 6spd freewheel. also the plastic toeclips are broken, I saw them online somewhere but just have not ordered them yet. c2c it is a 57. I think I am just going to get a 100 set Bike Island wheels and sell it as a SS otherwise.

OH yes $100 and I can meet you somewhere to deliver it. PM me an email for pics if interested.

Hi Rob while most would not consider this a C&V bike you are welcome to this Schwinn Tempo..

Those Columbus-framed Japanese-made 80s Schwinns are probably the best value in the market today. Light, capable and unappreciated. They were factory spec'd at 22 lbs (Tempos and the slightly better Super Sport; 105 vs 600 components the diff) and have a nice somewhat aggressive geometry. Super bikes and absolutely nothing beats them for value.

it seems like a very nice bike. that is one of the reasons I am unsure about 'parting it out' as was my earlier plan. just too bad the wheels are no good. :(

it seems like a very nice bike. that is one of the reasons I am unsure about 'parting it out' as was my earlier plan. just too bad the wheels are no good. :(

Since you are a Bianchi person, and have this Schwinn bike, here is a question that I always wanted to find an answer to: How does the Schwinn-specific Columbus Tenax compare to the Bianchi-specific Columbus (Bianchi Special and the Formula 1 and Formula 2) tubes of the same era?

RobE: You don't find C&V bikes; they find you. All of the bikes I've actually brought home were either cheap or free, and I found them by tripping over them. The key is to have the money in your pocket and keep your eyes open. You may be surprised what you trip over when you least expect it and it's good to have the money to close the deal immediately.

Put the word out to your friends and neighbors that you are looking for old bikes. Tell them you are giving some away to needy people and selling some cheap to other needy people. And do so, i.e. don't lie about it. Nowadays, I get emails and calls telling me I can pick up a bike or three, for free.

RobE30, you never see lugs between the seat cluster and the seat stay. The seat stay is brazed right onto the seat lug. I understand that this is a point of low stress, so it's typical for there to be a very small point of contact. It's not a common area of failure.



I have a couple of vintage Treks where the seat stays are brazed into a lug. Trek used nice cast lugs for a few years, and the seat stays would have lugs just like the main tubes. I'll have to take a picture of one of them.


thrifty bill

I probably have seen that, but you'll admit it's very rare, and I'm sure it's unnecessary.

I found a bridgestone on my local CL but I won't be able to go look @ it until next thursday. The pic is really crappy but it looks like it has stem mounted shifters and cotterless cranks (maybe). I can't tell if it has quick release hubs or not (not a HUGE deal if it doesn't). The seller states that the bike needs new tires. He's asking $25 for the bike. If its still there on thurs and seems to be OK, than that will be my new ride....I think.

Sounds like be a good deal. I wouldn't hold my breath on it still being there though. I think Bridgestones are good bikes. Good luck!

Bridgestone's gone.... Oh well. Half the fun is in the hunt!

That's a good attitude.

I like dumpsters and "bulk trash" night :love: I've found some really cool stuff curbside.... old tube radios, late '60's bass guitar etc.

RobE, When you go to a yard sale, if you get out of the car ask if they have any bikes for sale. I've acqured at least 5 bikes by simply asking if they're selling any. Sometimes they forgot to put the bikes out for sale, sometimes they don't think anyone is interested in that old bike with the skinny wheels. I've actually had someone say to me "You really want to buy that thing? But the tires are flat and it's dirty." My reply "How much?"
Here are two bikes I obtained at yard sales by asking:
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm215/roccobike_2008/CenturionSeafoamCenturion003.jpg
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm215/roccobike_2008/Cannondale004.jpg

I got these 2 today for the price of $0. The varsity will be for my wife (shes 5'0) and the frame is really small. I think the traveler is too small for me but I'll either refurb it and donate it to bikeless kids/adults around Christmas or pirate parts off of it for the varsity. The only real issue w/ the traveler is that the rear rim has a nice bend in it. It's still ridable, but it hits the brakes a bit. Here are some pics....
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv138/bimmerpnk/morepics572.jpg
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv138/bimmerpnk/morepics571.jpg
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv138/bimmerpnk/morepics570.jpg
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv138/bimmerpnk/morepics567.jpg
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv138/bimmerpnk/morepics566.jpg
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv138/bimmerpnk/morepics565.jpg
Both are rather crusty and need some elbow grease, but I couldn't argue w/ the price:thumb:
Progress pics will follow

Nice catch!

I you are going to keep the varsity, it might be a good idea to upgrade it with the traveler's RD,FD and crank if they are in good shape

Problem with buying used bikes is that a whole bunch of problems can be hidden away on what seems to be a very ridable bike, even if closeup pics and elaborate descriptions are provided. It would be good to expect the worst if you do get one and just deal with the needed fixes as part of the "buying used" game. My first ever used bike aquisition just happened about a month ago. The bike's conditions is pretty close to what the previous owner described it as, but I certainly did not expect the stuck stem I had to struggle for two weeks with during my pre-restoration teardown/cleanup. What's good about bikes is that theyr are pretty simple mechanical things that usually have simple enough solutions to problems that they might present. I would say that most bicycle maintainance and restoration is weighted more towards brawn than brain, so I'm sure most, if not all of us can defeat most challenges we encounter with our bikes (except maybe if your bike is French with it's quirky components that put a whole different spin on things!).
If you do encounter problems with your restoration or fix, just don't give up. constant, unyeilding but controlled mind and body effort on the issue and patience will eventually push it towards a solution.
JMOs

Chombi
84 Peugeot PSV
85(?) Vitus Carbone 7 Plus

True, Chombi. I'm currently adjusting my threshold for giving up. I gave up on two bikes recently. I might strip them.

I got a Varsity from the dump, literally. I couldn't understand why someone would have thrown it away, since it looked so good. It turned out to be a huge headache. I did manage to get through it. I replaced a tire. I blew a ton of tubes, finding that lots of 27" tires don't work on those old steel rims. I replaced the chain and freewheel. I bent the fork back into shape. (THAT WAS AN CHALLENGE!) I ended up having to overhaul both hubs, the crank, and the headset. The spokes on the rear wheel were a lot of trouble, so I removed EVERY nipple, greased the spokes, and rebuilt the wheel, using all existing parts. I think I replaced some cables, plus the front brake shoes. I lost track of how many hours it took, but in the end, I don't regret it. I sold it for $170, and I feel the buyer got an excellent deal, because in the end, the bike was in perfect working order, with no compromises.

And then I get some really ugly, dirty bikes which turn out not to need much more than cleaning.

So on average, I'm still doing well.

The really bad ones around here are the abused bikes. Kids steel bikes and then crash them and do stupid things like using vice grips on the axle nuts. I have one bike here with one of those super-heavy steel handlebar stems. And the stem is BENT to the left. What kind of crash causes that?! Of course, I don't like department store bikes, I don't like abused bikes, but an abused department store bike is pure poison.

$170 for a varsity? You did well.

..and people think the Portland market is crazy.:p

Sounds like you put alot of heart into her. :thumb:

....I got a Varsity from the dump... replaced a tire... replaced the chain and freewheel... bent the fork back into shape... ended up having to overhaul both hubs, the crank, and the headset. ..removed EVERY nipple, greased the spokes, and rebuilt the wheel, using all existing parts... replaced some cables, plus the front brake shoes. ... lost track of how many hours it took, but ...the buyer got an excellent deal, because in the end, the bike was in perfect working order, with no compromises...

^ I have to respect that level of commitment to such a humble bike. You are a true-blue C&V'er for sure!

I got this Varsity from the city dump:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Doohickie/09Varsity/th_100_3676.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Doohickie/09Varsity/100_3676.jpg)

A little elbow grease, some handlebars from an old Huffy, Schwinn touring seat and NOS gumwall tires from BF members (for free, only paid shipping), and the baskets I had laying around, and I went to this:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Doohickie/0907BreakfastRide/July04/th_100_4049.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Doohickie/0907BreakfastRide/July04/100_4049.jpg)

This pic is from July 4th. :D

Since then I've added Schwinn handlebar and brake lever grips, and a Schwinn NOS touring bag.

Traded my grungy Traveler for this. It rides very nice and is in better shape than the Traveler was. Let me know if I made an ok move.
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv138/bimmerpnk/Peugot005.jpg
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv138/bimmerpnk/Peugot004.jpg
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv138/bimmerpnk/Peugot003.jpg
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv138/bimmerpnk/Peugot002.jpg
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv138/bimmerpnk/Peugot001.jpg
The chrome looks better in person than in pics. I'm planning on taking the fenders off (and spraying them w/ wd40 and safely storing them in a dry place) and riding it. The guy I got the bike from has all sorts of vintage parts, wheels etc.... so I might upgrade to aluminum rims in the future. We'll see. I'm always looking for something else....:D

Thank you, guys! I did consider the idea that maybe it wasn't worth it, and I surely didn't get compensated for all my hours, but the bright side is the final product. With some crappy bikes, you compromise. For example, the wheel isn't as true as you'd like it.

Oh, I should tell you how I sold it. I ran the ad on craigslist for a while. Got a lot of bites. A few came to see it but were astonished by the weight. I don't blame them.

Then I got a phone call, and the guy said he was sending me a check. Sounds like one of those scams where they send you a check for an excessive amount and you're supposed to send a refund and get ripped off that way. Well, he did send a check, with no haggling over the amount. I was willing to go down in price. He didn't have time to pick it up, so I just deposited the check and saw that it cleared. Then I was headed into NYC anyway, so I carried it on the train and met him at Penn Station. So free delivery service, too.

I was thinking of keeping it over the winter to use as a hauling bike. But honestly, it was so un-fun going up hills that I decided it's not for me.

I have a bunch of other Electroforged Schwinns in various states of (dis)repair. Another is a Hollywood, made for a 7-year-old girl. That also needed far more overhauling than I had expected. One day, it will make some little girl happy.

I provided the streamers.

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=124702&stc=1&d=1257911554