Subie Love

Hello everyone, I'm new to the forums and I have a question and looking for some advice. I want to buy a vintage road bike, preferably 1979 or older, to fix up as a summer hobby. I really don't have very much knowledge of building bikes or anything so its going to be a fun learning experience for me and not something I'm trying to profit from or anything like that.

I currently own a 2010 Fuji Roubaix so I kind of want to stick with Fuji for my vintage bike but I'm flexible. I saw a picture of a 1974 Fuji The Newest and I REALLY liked it, I'm trying to find one for sale but I'm having a hard time and I don't even know how much it would go for.

My question for you guys is: Is there a bike that you would recommend? Something that's not too expensive but also not bottom of the line, I want something of pretty good quality. Also, as far as finding parts for a bike of that age... which bikes have parts that are easy to find and not too expensive.

I found a Schwinn Continental, Chicago and Sierra that are in my price range, ~$150. Are those good quality? I also found a 1980 Fuji Monterey that looks really nice for $100. Where does that model stand in Fuji's line up?

I'm an absolute newbie when it comes to vintage bicycles so any input would be great, thanks!

cycleheimer

Bikes from the early to mid-eighties can be very nice.

Fujis are nice bikes...Royale and above might be the way to go. The old Fuji Special Road Racers
(S-10-S and S-12-S would make a nice catch. Nice riding bikes.
Check the Fuji sales catalogs by year at ... https://www.classicfuji.com/

The Schwinns you mentioned are easy to work on, but might not provide that great of a riding experience compared to other bikes available. However, some people prefer the way they ride over any other bike. You can take a look at the old Schwinn catalogs here ... https://www.trfindley.com/pg_schwinn_cats.htm Schwinn made some nice bikes in the '80s, when they were giving the Japanese manufacturers a good fight. Schwinns that were made with Tenax (Columbus) frame tubes are always good to keep an eye out for.

Best pace to find bikes to fix up is at garage sales, rummage sales, thirft shops, and along the curb on trash pick-up day. Believe it or not, you can often find bikes in "near new" condition this way. Around here, Craig's List prices are pretty prohibitive. Then when you start buying new stuff for them it can add up quickly if you're not careful, so the types of places I mentioned allow you to buy a bike inexpensively and then have enough left over in your budget to splurge on all types of stuff for it. Make sure it is the right size for you, btw. You need to be comfortable (and safe) on it when riding.

When you get started on something, look online for "how-to" information and instructional videos. There is alot of stuff out there. Just Google "how to adjust bicycle brakes", "how to adjust bicycle gears", etc.

Hopefully, others will add more insight on bikes from Panasonic, Nishiki, Lotus (Tsunoda), Peugeot, Centurion, Raleigh, Univega, etc.

conradpdx

Personally, Assuming you're in the US, I'd go with Schwinn or Japanese bikes of that time. No need to knock yourself out with hard to find parts, weird threading, etc. But really to enjoy it the most, get a bike that you want to fix up, even if that means you gotta go with hard to find parts and weird threading issues. It harder to stay motivated on a bike you don't like.

Me I learned on the Huffys my parents bought me as a kid. That was the one benefit growing up on cheapo bikes, you learned to fix em.

Subie Love

Thank you, those catalogs are very informative. Looks like the Fuji Newest was the top of the line model in '74, so I'm guessing that its going to be out of my price range. Here is the picture that really made me want it though, I think its a beautiful bike!



I've been looking on craigslist but I'll definitely be going to a lot of garage sales once it gets nice out!

Flying Merkel

Where do you live? Haunt Craigslist a couple times during the day. Chicago Schwinn are cool, but not the best riding bikes. I've picked 3 nice 10 speeds for nothing. Japanese bikes are plentiful, easy to get parts for, and can be great bikes. Have an '82 Univega that I bought for $40.00 that is my favorite ride.

Subie Love

I live in Mid-Michigan. The Fuji Monterey I found looks super nice but the guy selling it really cleaned it up nice, it looks spotless. I can just upgrade the components if I want though I suppose.

Cyleheimer, the only real reason I don't want a bike from the 80's is because of how they look. I'm just not a fan of the colors and designs on them. Bikes from the 70's definitely appeal to me more.

Every time I look at that Fuji Newest, it makes me want it so bad!

cycleheimer

randyjawa 

Looking for a specific bicycle might take a long time to find and cause you to pass on others that might have proved well worth getting. With that in mind, take the time to understand what it takes to make a bicycle a good one to get. Spend some time looking through Bicycle Quality and you will be better prepared to spot that gem in a sea of not gems.

And, once you learn a bit about the vintage bicycle, you might want a tip or two about How To Find A Vintage Bicycle.

Hope it helps and welcome to the Bike Forums.