jcm

Although I can wax eloquent (read: Bloviatus Maximus) concerning leather saddles, I'm woefully ignorant of most other aspects of Things Bicycular. So, having come upon a 1995 Scott ADF303 road bike, I am curious as to how it stacks up, so to speak. This is what I know:

One owner - beautiful condition all-around
RSX everywhere, in fact, it's all original with what looks to be very few miles on it.
Here's the specs that I found and all match:
https://www.airfreetires.com/specs/St...+303&Year=1995

1) There is no sticker on the tubes that say what class of Tange it's made of, so I suspect the lower range. But the specs on the site say just "Tange" with no other designator. In your collective and vast experience, what does that mean?

2) What comparisons can be drawn with respect to the RSX group? 105 perhaps?

I don't think this is vintage or classic, but I thought you folks might have an opinion or a warning for me on whether I might buy it. The seller wants $200 because a used bike shop in the area says they'll pay that for it. I know prices are relative to the region so that's really not an issue, and I'm not asking about that - just sayin'.

Thanks.

McDave

I can't help much with the quality of the bike other to say that RSX is down the rung a bit according to this website...
https://www.fa-technik.adfc.de/Herste...o/Gruppen.html

As far as the way he came about the price, why didn't he just go ahead and sell it to the used bike shop for $200 instead of going through the trouble to list it himself? Probably because they would have sold it FOR him for $200 and taken a 20-40% cut! That tells me the bike is probably worth $120-$160.

GCRyder

Although RSX was supposedly two steps below 105 in the model lineup, the steps were very small. The main difference between 105 and RX100, for instance, was that 105 had a matte finish, while RX100 was polished. Even the Exage stuff, a step below RSX, was and is excellent.

One thing to be aware of, though, is that most RSX cranks have 110mm BCD, and were usually spec'd with smallish chainrings and a short chain. I believe 46/36 was the "norm" for the double. That's a nice setup for commuting. If you intend to use the bike for sportier purposes, the 110 BCD means you can also opt for the 50/34 combo currently in vogue for "compact road" cranks, but you'll want to be sure that the RD has enough take-up capacity to handle that jump. I don't know for sure, but have doubt that the short-cage version from '95 will do that.

jcm

McDave:
Thanks for that website. My German isn't too bad so it's not a problem.
GCRyder:
I just finished a 30 mile test ride on the bike and it's rock solid. The owner says that it has been failing to shift into the low range in front (it has a triple). But, I couldn't get it to malfunction at all. Shifts instantly and silently in all conditions. About the quality-step increments: I know what you mean. My '88 Deore MTB stuff is just as smooth as my new 105 and LX.

On the price, the owner has clarified that one sales person's opinion is subject to change when they actually evaluate the machine. I know it's near mint. But then, I got a 1998 Trek 520 in near mint condition with all the trimmings for $550. Around here, that's a good deal for a full-dressed 520.

I might go ahead and offer $175 for it. Thank you, gents.