Toolong2

So I'm coming at this question of "worth" from a bit of a different angle. I know the value of vintage bikes varies dramatically depending on condition, equipment, location, etc. I'm not particularly concerned about getting the absolute best deal on the perfect bike for me. I'm looking at getting an inexpensive road bike in NYC to train on for RAGBRAI this summer. I've been riding an older Huffy hybrid bike that was a gift, but will be riding a more modern road bike my brother is bringing to Iowa. So I figured I should do at least some training on the kind of bike I'll be on for 7 days straight. I've found an inexpensive bike that would be worth-it to me at $200, even if that doesn't fit the traditional "value" rate for that bike.



Vintage 1976 Peugeot road bike 59cm

So my question is more about what to ask the seller to ensure I'm not spending $200 on a bike that will be inoperable after riding 25 miles. In other words, what do I look for to ensure the $200 I'd spend on the bike is not followed by $2000 in medical bills because something failed on the bike that I should have been able to spot if I had any clue what I was doing.

Oh, not sure if this matters, but I'm a guy, 6'3" with a 34" inseam. Ebicycles.com says 59cm for me, which is one of the things that drew me to the bike above. Again, I'm not overly concerned the bike with be the perfect fit for me. Close enough will do. I just want to make sure I ask the seller the right questions. Any thoughts?

Ex Pres 

Bike's too small for you. I don't believe that bikes a 59cm, plus: bikes back from the past are often sized differently than modern ones, so an old level top tube 59cm is probably going to feel small, where that might be right on a modern sloped tube frame.

zukahn1 

Still a UO-pug serieries with cheap outdated french components and steel wheels with never work center pulls safety levers and chaepo stem shifters. A different angle doesn't make the bike better it just makes some of the flaws prettier.

Toolong2

Uh oh. I obviously hadn't factored that in. Is there a good online sizer for older bikes? Or some sort of formula I can apply? I just tried searching for vintage bicycle sizers and the results were all over the place (some smaller than 59cm).

oddjob2

Actually, for a clean U0-8 in the greater NYC area, $200 is not unreasonable. But as noted above, that bike is sized for someone about 5'7". At 5'9" my preference is a 58cm. You need a 62cm or 25" frame size. The photo below is a 62cm PX10, note the much longer steering tube. This bike was available in NYC around Easter.

Toolong2

OK, this is good, if unexpected feedback. As I said, I'm going to be putting hundreds and hundreds of miles on this bike, so it will need to last through that. Sounds like this cheap "pug" won't do that. I had assumed a bike in good working order, sized correctly for me, without any major cracks would be worth $200. Do I need to up my budget? Or just find a better vintage bike for my $200 budget?

oddjob2

Peugeot Competition
Vintage Peugeot Super Competition Road Bike

Wheels don't match, but it's an Ironman, maybe $250?
Centurion Dave Scott Ironman Master Bicycle- Shimano 600 components

Toolong2

Much obliged, oddjob. I'll check those out when I get back from my ride.

zukahn1 

+1 oddjob2 is a magic man when it comes to finding deals on CL.

bikemig 

Ideally you'd want a better bike than the UO-8 to do ragbrai. Frankly you can do it on pretty much anything as long as it is mechanically sound and it fits you but a little nicer bike (esp. one with alloy wheels) is a plus. The last day has some climbing.

SkyDog75

I'm just barely under 5'10" and would almost need a stepstool to mount a 58 cm bike. Well, maybe not quite, but my size is right around 54 cm.

Coincidentally, I just finished overhauling a UO-8 myself. It measures 54 cm (about 21 inches) from the center of the crankset to the top of the seat tube and fits me like a glove. Not super fast or light (even after replacing the steel wheels and crankset with alloy ones), but a really comfy ride. More Cadillac than Porsche. The green one at the top of this thread looks like it might be the next size larger than mine, and despite our differences on sizing preferences, I'm sure we'd agree it's too small for someone who's 6'3".

Toolong2

So glad I posted. Tons of great knowledge here. I've upped my search size to 62cm-63cm. Is there any relationship between top tube height and inseam? Or is it all about the seat to pedal height?

I can work a wrench, but don't have any experience with bicycles. I don't mind reading and learning though.

I've adjusted up my budget up. It was low in the beginning because I wanted to allocate as much as possible for my wife's future bike. I'll just need to save a bit longer before I get hers.[/QUOTE]

I'll be spending quite a bit of time there. Thanks for the suggestion. Some good reading so far.

I'll be using my brother's spare bike for RAGBRAI, which is a more modern, nicer bike than I was looking to train on, though I don't know exactly what it is. But I realize now that I can't just get any old bike to train on. 1500 miles of training is a lot to ask of an old bike. So yeah, I suppose I need something with a modest amount of quality.

Fahrenheit531 

You are exactly where I was a little less than a year ago. You'll find bikes aren't overly complicated. A little reading, a little youtube, and a little applied logic and you'll be able to fully overhaul a bike in no time at all. BikeForums is an amazing resource, as you've already noticed. Welcome!

P.S. That Super Competition OddJob2 found is sweet.

SkyDog75

Well, yeah, there's a relationship. Longer seat tubes allow you to position your seatpost higher, which increases the possible saddle-to-pedal distance. It's ultimately the saddle-to-pedal distance that's important, though.

The other frame measurement that matters is the top tube length. The seat tube and seatpost control the length for your lower body. The top tube length and stem set the saddle-to-handlebar distance, which sets the bike's fit for your upper body. Many frames are near "square", meaning the top tube and seat tube are close to the same length. If you've got fairly typical leg-to-torso length proportions, a frame that fits you vertically will generally also fit you horizontally.

Standover height (the height of the top tube from the ground) is another height measurement sometimes given. It's not a terribly important measurement when it comes to actually riding the bike, but it just so happens that a person of typical upper-to-lower body proportion can often straddle an appropriately-sized road bike with a level top tube with an inch or so of clearance. It's not an absolute rule, but may be a handy way to know if a bike's in your size ballpark as you test ride it.

Toolong2

Thanks again for these recommendations, Oddjob. And thanks to everyone else for the other guidance here. I'm still reading "My Tenspeeds". I went with the Peugeot. Wow does it fit so much nicer than my current undersized hybrid bike. It's going to take a bit of getting used to the friction shifters on the down tubes. I got pretty used to the index thumb shifters on the hybrid. The Peugeot is light and fast. More expensive than my original budget (I paid $325), but after this thread I'm totally OK with that.

The shop put some air in the tires and did something to the front wheel after they spun and noticed a tiny wobble. After that, I road it 20 miles home without any major incidents. Now I just need to adjust the key items to fit me a bit better and start putting some serious miles on it.

Ex Pres 

I think that one is a little later than mine, which I think is an '82. I'm guessing yours is an '83. I wouldn't sell mine for what you bought yours for, so good deal. My last long ride on that bike was a century late last summer. Enjoyable.