Searching for a vintage ATB
 

Hi C&Vers! I've been looking around lately for an all terrain bike for riding this winter. I planned to ride an old mixte that I built up this summer for winter riding, but I ended up making it too nice to be beat up by Chicago's salty winters. Since my interest these days is primarily in C&V, I'd like to pick up a cool vintage ATB. I've been looking over CL and ebay and am mainly searching for a fully rigid (no suspension) Bridgestone, Miyata, Univega, Nishiki, Trek, and Gary Fisher. I think I'll need a 19ish" frame. I'm hoping to spend less than $200, but I could spend a little more for a really awesome bike. I want a mid to high end model, but I think I'm mainly seeing lower end bikes. I think I've found a few good candidates, can you offer your advise on which bike I should choose? Or suggest a different bike all together? Thanks!

1991 Bridgestone MB4
http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/bik/1455468080.html

1992 Bridgeston MB6
http://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/bik/1457154986.html

Trek 750
http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/bik/1457719542.html

Univega Alpina
http://rockford.craigslist.org/bik/1440692932.html

the Univega was my vote until I saw it was 17" either of the Bstones are nice. if you want something to commute on the trek has 700 wheels right? that should accept tires up to almost 45.

The Trek is a hybrid and will probably make your live easier as a commuter bike. Hybrids are sized the same as road bikes but with MTBs you really need a couple inches less CC than your road bike. That Univega is nice, if you rather go with an MTB and better than either Bridgestone for many reasons (including index shifting)

Pretty much all non-super-high-end MTBs from that era are worth around a hundred bucks, so shoot for something nice - a bike with Deore components and thumbshifters from the late 80s or early 90s. The thumbshifters will help when you have gloves on, and the Deore stuff will continue to work even when it is dirty and super cold out.

I'm kind of prejudiced towards the Univega.............prolly cuz it's in my basement. :D Glad you like it, sorry about the size. I have a few others but I think they're all in that size range and the Uni is likely the best in the bunch.

Have to check the size on another one down there.......a Specialized I think............

krems81 had a nice 19" Fisher Marlin, but I believe he may have sold it.

I pulled a MB-6 just like that out of the metals bin at the dump last week, along with a Cro-Mo Raleigh M-80 of about the same vintage.
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Although a little overpriced, the MB-4 would be my choice. That Trek hybrid is nothing special.

How about this one...................... http://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/bik/1458943925.html

That's what I thought, but I was still only guessing I'd need 19". My road bike fit is around 52-55cm. What do you all think that translates to in MTB?

I saw that one, but it the add expired this afternoon so they must have just relisted. It's a real bargain! How does that Pueblo compare to the others?

It really boils down to personal fit and preference as well as your riding style. I am 5'9" with a 30" inseam and ride a 54-56cm road bike and 17-18" MTB.

If you're riding that size road bike, a 19" is likely too big. The 17" Univega may be just the ticket...I'd ask rockhound if he'd mind a test ride.

52-55 translates into probably an 18 inch MTB. The reason you want MTB (even as winter commuting bikes) to be smaller is the way they are spec'd with the rising stem. Speaking of... Most MTBs of that era had very short stems allowing only a couple of inches of adjustability, so you really need to look at that, if you are going to have a look at the Univega, as far as fit goes (on the other hand you can get riser bars to compensate). Still thing that the 'vega is the best of the bunch as MTBs go. You really do not want to mess with the friction shifting of the Bridgestones. Plus in many respects, having a slightly smaller bike as a winter commuter might be a good idea

Thanks to everyone for their advise so far. This is all very fun for me because at the end of this thread I'm getting a new bike.

I had a Nishiki Pueblo earlier this year. Its a decent, lower end MTB. For the price ($45), its a steal.

+1 If you are riding a 52cm road bike, you will need a 17", maybe a 18" MTB at most. 19 inch is too big. I ride a 56 cm road bike, my two MTBs are 18 inch (a little too small) and a 19.5 inch (just a tad big). I will be installing a shorter stem on the 19.5, and then it should be OK.

There is another MB-6 on CL, listed just as Bridgestone Men's Bike (I think) for $50. And there has been a Miyata 'Shredder,' which I think is an early-to-mid 90s model, which has popped up a few times, apparently without selling. I have been tempted myself though I have just barely got the bike storage situation sorted out with what we have.

My other two bikes are a fixie and a SS. So, I'm sure you're right... friction shifting would probably have me pulling my hair out. But, the 91 MB4 has indexed shifting.(http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bridgest...ne-1991-37.htm) I don't know about the 92 MB6.

Ok, folks. I've eliminated the Bridgestones for being too big or having friction shifting. So I'm thinking about the:

Univega http://rockford.craigslist.org/bik/1440692932.html
Nishiki http://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/bik/1458943925.html
Trek http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/bik/1457719542.html

I can't find info for the first two outside of their ads, but here's some on the Trek: True temper avr double butted cromo main tubes, lugged, cromo stays, tange fork, shimano altus a10 rapid fire sis shifters, 700x38.

Not much into Nishiki's but the Alpina Uno was in the middle of Univega's MTB line up. Bottom of the line Univega MTB were Activa's (a couple of versions) then was the Alpina, the Alpina Country and Aplina Uno. Alpina Pro was the top of the line. This bike is very comparable to a Specialized Rockhopper of the era. Depending on the date, it will have Tange CroMo tubbing, TIG-welded and Exage 500LX components, 21 speeds. 26 inch tires.

Totally different experience that the Trek. The Trek is more capable and faster on the road, can do some off-roading. The Univega is more capable in a path (and the snow) and will do road in a pinch but it will be slow. I think that weight wise they are probably both close to the south side of 30 lbs.

Thanks E, you certainly know your mountain bikes!

Well, I thought about it and compared geometry in some catalogs and I think 18.5 would be my most accurate fit without actually getting on a bike. I think I could take a 17 or 19", I just eliminated the 20" and up.

I do! I think it was Chicago Al who tipped me off to this website:
http://www.searchtempest.com/

It's great for searching CL in neighboring cities.