yohoooniee

Hey everyone, I'm a college student trying to find a cheap and dependable bike, maybe even start investing and working on it as a project?

I came across this bicycle and I can't seem to find any information on it-- and I was wondering if this was a steal? Maybe work on it, and resell it or something?

https://redding.craigslist.org/bik/3987593881.html

unterhausen

no, it's not a steal. Looks like it still has the "death fork" and tubular tires. So you would probably want to replace the fork and the wheels. Best left to the long-suffering Lambert collectors

T-Mar

+1. Tubular tires are far from inexpensive and durable. They're not college student territory. On top of that Lambert are French, so you're going to get into the idiosyncrasies of metric threading and sizing (i.e. replacement parts are genereally hard and expensive to come by).

wrk101

Get knowledgeable or get taken. This one is in the "get taken" category.

ShoreCyclist

Welcome yahoooniee, The experts above are all right. If all repairs went as planned, you'd likely have more than $300 in the bike just getting it road worthy. Unless you're in love with the bike, it may just be easier to buy one that's ready to ride in the $300 range. I'm sure there are quite a few C&V bikes in and around your area in that price range that would certainly fit the bill as transportation/project/investment bike. If you have any questions, just ask...

If you're looking for a first project bike, find something that just needs to be taken apart, cleaned, lubed, and reassembled. It'll be more fun, less hassle, and it'll give you a good idea of what to expect if you ever do buy one that needs a total overhaul. Good luck!

yohoooniee

Thank you so much!!! I'm just trying to look for something decently light, cheap, durable and affordable~ Could you possibly offer any further insight on the following bikes? I'm not sure if these are good deals, or if they're worth it at all.

https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/bik/4036559983.html (Nishiki Road)

https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/bik/4026109900.html (Spalding Blade)

https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/bik/4010564425.html (Unfinished Cannondale H300)

T-Mar

The firsat thing you need to do is determine the size you need and narrow down the search based on that. The Nishiki has a large frame while the other two are small.

wrk101

Spaulding Blade is dept store POS. Cannondale is nice, needs A LOT of parts and A LOT of work. Its worth it to someone with a hefty bin of parts.

+10 Size first then shop.

yohoooniee

Ah im 5'9, would that work? A friend told me that i should look for something around 54cm

David Newton

By the way, the Lambert "death fork" looks like it has lasted just fine this long, I wonder if anyone has really died from one.
I used to go to the carnival and watch the "wall of death" then later the "globe of death" without ever seeing even an accident, what's up with that?

54 to 56cm seat tube length sounds fine for you.
Since you have a friend who pegged you right on the size, take him with you when you go look at bikes, then buy him a good lunch when you're done.

DiegoFrogs

I'm also 5'-9" tall and I'd be uncomfortable on a 54 cm bike. I tend to like bikes that are around 58 cm (23") or even a smidge bigger.

I like what I'm seeing on the Nishiki.

yohoooniee

Sweet! Okay! Do you or anyone else have any thoughts on this?

https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/bik/4039606134.html

I might go and check it out tomorrow and am thinking of trying to hassle the price down. Is it any good?

yohoooniee

Or what about this

https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/bik/4008063157.html

David Newton

I'm 5'-10" and 58cm is my upper limit, so a "fit-test" would be crucial.
I like the Raleigh Supercourse, great bike, but looks like a 58, which would be a stretch for you.