septacycles

So... I've been thinking about upgrading my daily commuting / road bike

I currently ride a miyata 110... and like it a lot...

I buy sell trade fix flip all things bike... and its not too often I find something I really have to have for my self.

Question...

Two of my other flipper friends have nice bikes I'm interested in... in my size

One is a miyata 912

other is a Bridgestone RB-2

all are in good shape and will need minor tunup and probably new tires, tubes, and chain.

Any votes one way or the other... also what would be a fair asking price on these being sold as is in a good bike market. Both these guys owe me as I hook them up with cheap wholesale bike stuff. I will post pictures if I can get them to send me some. I've seen the Bridgestone in person but have not seen the miyata yet.

I also have a trek 560 frame I can build up with shimano 600 that fits me.

ColonelJLloyd 

Pretty comparable bikes, right? I'd go with the one that feels best.

septacycles

Not sure I can make the riding comparison... without getting them both and then deciding... that might be excessive. It may just come down to plain economics... which one I can get for a better deal.

XR2

Bridgestone. But I'm biased.

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

go with the better fit.

Either are significant upgrades from the 110. If you're hooked on Miyatas now because of your 110 (it happens to a lot of us!) perhaps a 912 will scratch that itch.

balindamood

RB-2's changed a lot from year to year. Depends on what it is.

septacycles

Yeah... I am a little hooked on miyats... for an entry level bike the miyata 110 has been great but I've also never owned a bridgestone rb...

What would be a fair offer... considering these are friends / bike business associates and that I have and will continue to do them a good service by selling them parts and stuff just barely above cost.

I've seen either miyata 912 or bridgestone rb 2 go for between $150 to $350 and I would like to be on the lower end of this spectrum. I know the miyata was bought for $150 and the bridgestone for $100... I may also try and intise them with some cash plus trade offers.

septacycles

More info... the miyata has shimano 600 with a deore rear derailluer

bridgestone... has shimano but I don't rember it being anything significant

Puget Pounder

The bridgestone probably has exage 500 components right? Decent stuff.

I would go for the bridgestone, but I am also biased. I am guessing the Bridgestone has a longer top tube than the Miyata if that makes any difference to you.

septacycles

Here are pictures of the Miyata 912... can I get some opinions on value as is and once refurbished...

My friend paid $150 for it... which I would have done in a heart beat but $200 for it now as is... I'm not so sure.

Its a little rougher shape than I thought... crap pedals, trashed brake hoods, mis matched rear derailuer (deore XT on it now)

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

I assume you've got some hills (understatement) out there in CO, so I think the Deore XT RD might not necessarily be a bad thing.....personally I'd be a little more put off by the lack of a triple crankset for that kind of terrain, but that's just my riding style.

Personally I think the wacky shifter boss on the middle of the Downtube is a minus. I had a Panasonic with that and there's a limited number of shifters that work with it. The Suntour Symmetric shifter does and it is quite cool.

What made the price go from $150 to $200?

septacycles

I live in Fort Collins so we have options for hills or flat ridding... I'm right on the edge of the foothills... so where I live in town is flat but in a short ride I can go from 5,000 to 7,000 feet. This would be for a flat riding, around town, daily commuting bike. Many people ride fixed and single speed around hear... gears are actually becomming the minority around town.

My friend bought it for $150... I don't think he will sell it as is for what he paid... he is a flipper and knows he can get more if he refurbishes it him self and sells it.

septacycles

Does anyone want to weigh in on value... or should I repost in the cv appraisals...

mazdaspeed

I wouldn't pay $200 for that miyata

wrk101

In its present condition, $200 is not the deal of the century, but is a fair price. Assuming you will do all the rehab work, I would go for it. Assume any bike you pick up will need a saddle, pedals, bar tape and tires. Rehab the bearings and new cables and you are ready to go. If your friend is a successful flipper, he is going to know what the bike is worth.

Would I personally pay $200 for it? No, but I don't pay market price for bikes. Instead, I put A LOT of time in looking, and eventually find something for under market (almost always will need work of course).

But when you see what Miyata's sell for in some of the hotter markets, $200 is not too bad. You decide.

Puget Pounder

+1

$200 for a bike that I really wanted is a good price in my market. I wouldn't pay $200 for that one unless there was something I really liked about it.

illwafer

$200 is fine.

you've got a fantastic frame with nice components.
never expect to get your dream pedals.
you can get new hoods ($20) or new tektro r200s ($20).
i'm not sure what's going on with those shifter levers...maybe it was modded to fit regular braze on levers? if so, cool.

everything looks in great shape to me.

septacycles

I'm pretty sure my friend will not sell it to me... I think he would rather fix it and flip it and make a few dollars more... which is fine. I also do not like paying market value for bikes... I've gotten such good deals on fixer uppers that have not been in my size... its hard to pay a fair for a frame in my size.

I think I'll just be patient... my friend may want to work some kind of trade that maybe can benefit both of us. I just did a 25 mile urban assault race on my miyata 110 and it was great. I still need to follow up on the bridgestone RB-2.

illwafer

its about time you snipe your friends listings.

curbtender

For a commuter? I'd go with 560 and dress it with the lights, bells and whistles (and some good flat resistant tires). As an older 912, I think they were the double butted instead of triple on the frames.

3speed

Just want to throw it out there on a personal level more-so than the bike deal aspect...

This is a "friend" and you keep him supplied with bike parts at almost wholesale, and he won't pass on the deal to you that he got on the bike? It's not even like he's taking any loss on it. I say tell him fine, you'll give him $200 for it, but you might not be able to pass on your good price on bike parts for a little bit so that you can recover at least your $50.

Anyway, if you get wholesale bike parts, maybe buy a nice frame-set and build it up however you want. Seems like you might be able to get a really sweet bike for a sweet price. Otherwise be patient, like you said. Buying my Miyata 914 frame-set, Shimano 600 group, wheel-set, and other bits separately, I've got about $150 into mine which would end up similar to yours. I'm sure with your connections, which seem far better than mine in terms of new parts and knowing flippers, you could manage even better.

Lastly, if the RB-2 is in good shape, I'm thinking you probably can't go wrong there.

tugrul

This made me re-read the original post... "friend" indeed.

septacycles

He is a friend and business associate... he currently does not have a job and his only source of income is bikes and odd jobs. So while he would not take a loss selling it to me he needs to get a little more cash out of it to keep the lights on... which I totally understand. For me the bike is a question of Want and not need... I have many bikes... I just really like miyatas and have had my eye out for a good value on a higher end steel miyata frame.

I'm thinking I should stop looking and build up the trek 560 frame that I already have... that will be a nice bike too.

septacycles

So I just typed the post above and went to go check craigslist... the miyata is now listed for sale after he did some work to it... check it... he has very nice pictures... I think it came out good but I think it still needs new tires to get the market price he is asking.

https://fortcollins.craigslist.org/bik/2499822405.html

cycle_maven

At $375, he'll have that bike for a long, long time. Even in my market, the ultra-hot Austin TX, that bike wouldn't bring $375.