thirrdplanet

https://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/bik/3149793870.html

Does anyone have any more info on this bike such as how much it weighs, the model/year or anything! Do you think this is a good deal? Thanks!

DiegoFrogs

I don't know much about that market, but the price strikes me as being quite good. It's a really nice bike, good components, unusually good for a mixte, I'd say.

If I had a ladyfriend that needed something, I'd pick it up in a heartbeat.

noglider 

Agreed. Buy that bike quickly. It will probably weigh about 30 lbs.

thirrdplanet

Are these components original or are they new? I want a vintage bike that works super well. Do you guys know what model this is? I am going to meet up with the guy in the morning. Any advice for checking the condition of the bike?

wrk101

Then keep looking. This bike needs a pretty serious rebuild. Now even in that condition, in a market like Portland, at this price, it will probably sell. Note, if it was a "great" deal, it would be gone already. But it still could be a reasonable deal for Portland.

But working super well? Not without putting a fair amount of work into it. From the pics, cables need attention for sure, lever hoods are shot, and that means what you can't see: bearings, grease, etc., will very likely need attention as well.

Those components are not new, that does not mean they are original either. Univega did not build bikes, they were a marketing company. So information on particular models is somewhat difficult to find. I like Univegas, I have one in the keeper fleet right now, and I have owned many others.

A nice vintage bike that works super well in a red hot market like Portland will likely be quite a bit more $$. Add the premium for a mixte, and the prices go higher still. Realize that mixtes bring a premium, so if you want one, great. But if you just want a good vintage bike, then your money will go farther with a non-mixte style bike.

thirrdplanet

220 is pretty much the max I can spend. Most of the other bikes at this price in Portland are schwinns or super crappy bikes. Do you think this bike would be suitable for commuting around 5 miles? The person lives super close to a bike store. When I go to see the bike in the morning, we could walk over there to see what they think of the bike. Would you recommend this to see if I am getting a good deal?

The other two people who have answered seem to think this is a good deal. If you don't think so, what is another bike in this price point you would suggest? I am not set on a mixte by any means, but they are pretty cool.

mainstreetexile 

Looks like a 1980 Sportour mixte. Should be 19.5" frame. Chromoly frame w/ hi-ten fork so it's one of the nicer mixte frames they made that year. 27" Araya alloy rims on quick release shimano hubs. Altus derailleurs + shifters, sakae cotterless 40/52 crank. Catalog says it weighs in at 26lb that year.

I had rebuilt an 82 viva sport mixte for my girlfriend with new upright bars, cork grips, new tires, and a complete overhaul. That had a cromoly frame too, kind of hard to find in a mixte. She loved it but we ended up selling it to a friend for $150 when we moved.

I'm not in Portland, but southern california has a pretty hot bike market too, and 220 seems kind of high for that bike in that condition.

thirrdplanet

What do you mean by "in that condition"? Is this bike not ready to ride? The owner seems to think it is...

oddjob2

I may not have a tall girlfriend, but I'd sure want this mixte. It's a STEAL, easily $350 in NYC.

https://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/bik/3151911822.html

https://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/bik/3143858021.html

OP, there are 15 mixtes in Portland (two are obviously not mixtes), and you have to pick the dirtiest looking one, that IMHO is overpriced as well? In relation to what else is out there, keep looking. I would say if Portland is such a hot market, why are 10-12 of the 15 bikes underpriced?

I'll bet I can find another half dozen not even labeled mixte.

HURRY HURRY HURRY

Deal of the week for $80, Motobecane Mirage

https://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/bik/3141155996.html

thirrdplanet

The first one is WAY too big for me, although it is beautiful. As for the second one, I have never heard of that brand. Is it a well respected type? By the first two comments, I though I had made a good find. Now I am second guessing myself... Feel free to point me in the direction of better bikes! Although of course they need to be around 53 cm since I am 5'7". I also want one with drop down handle bars.

thirrdplanet

I called the person with the motobecane but they didnt pick up. I assume it is gone if it has been on cl for a few days. People catch deals here FAST.

wrk101

Owners always say that. Its like asking an owner if the bike is light weight. Bike is obviously dirty, lever hoods are shot, bar tape was installed kind of sloppy, cables are mis-routed. Everything I just mentioned is fixable.

First tip for looking for a bike with a tight budget when you live in a red hot market: look outside your market area. Trade convenience and location for a lower price. Have friends or family that live in another area? Have them facilitate a bike, and pick it up next time you go home. Second tip: look outside of C/L. Word of mouth, friends, etc., will often be sources of better deals than C/L. And as you have found, the great deals on C/L go fast, so unless you can get there quick, you will miss out. Even around here, the smokin hot deals go in 10 to 15 minutes. Sometimes I am the one getting them, but most often it is someone else. There are people in just about every market, ready to pounce on any deal. Many of them are very knowledgeable, and can make lightning fast assessments, launch out of their chairs, and grab a deal before you even see the ad.

oddjob2

The vintage Soma would benefit from more photos, but probably comparable to the Univega, both Japanese bikes with limited heritage and market share.

+1 to Thrifty Bill's comments. If the outside of the bike looks tired and dirty, do you think the moving internal parts are going to be better? All the dirt around the fittings, probably means a lot of dirt in the bearings. You can count on spending at least $100 if the cables need adjustment and lubrication and the bearing sets need cleaning and replacement.

I have acquired and resold many bikes in the last two years, mostly quality brands including Trek, Peugeot, Raleigh, Specialized, Motobecane, Gary Fisher, Bianchi, and Bridgestone. 95.5% of the bikes show no evidence of bearings maintenance since they left the factory in the 70's-90's. Ironically, a keeper, a ratty looking 1986 Raleigh Competition USA with bad paint on a revered Japanese built Reynolds 531 frame, had the freshest grease in the bearing races and cups. Today, I broke down a clean, lightly used Specialized girl's MTB, and the front bearings were bone dry, so there is always a surprise.

thirrdplanet

To get this bike in working condition, how much money would I need to spend?

As for the motobecane, is this a good bike? Would I need to spend any money on maintainence in the beginning for it? The owner messaged me back although he has several listed so I am not sure if he still has it or no.

oddjob2

Per the ad, the SOMA was rebuilt only 3 years ago, probably nada.

The MB looks like it has recently replaced its gear cable housings and probably cables (white). The black set for brakes can probably use an update too. The right one looks like it needs a tweak above the lever. Go to REI or the local Coop and let them help you, both are inexpensive. It's a little older than the examples below, as the cranks have a cotter pin in them, like all Peugeot U-O8s and older Raleighs.

Here are some MB Mirage examples I sold in June:






And one Super Mirage

Jeff Wills

The Univega looks like it's gotten a basic wipe-down and lube. I agree with WRK- it still needs work to be in "good" shape. Brake shoes, cables, a thorough cleaning, maybe tires. I would say that it needs an hour or two at a shop. It would be a deal at $100. It might have sold for $220 when new.

thirrdplanet

The motobecane guy isnt responding so I kind of assume he has sold it. Though I am not positive. What about this schwinn traveler? https://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/bik/3144050330.html I am kind of shooting in the dark when looking at vintage bikes. It is pretty hard to tell if it is good quality or not for me. A lot of the time they dont even list the model, making it that much harder.

thirrdplanet

It seems the traveler is 32 pounds based on a catalogue... meh

thirrdplanet

Also does the sizing matter on mixte's as much? I am 5'7" so I would think in between 52 and 54 would be good. On a mixte could I hope to fit a 50 or 56?

oddjob2

IMHO, buy the tallest frame you can be comfortable with. This way, the handlebars are higher and you won't be bent over as far. I think a 50 may be too small, but most Mixtes are only 19" frames anyway.

Did you look at the Peugeot and Gitane offerings?

thirrdplanet

A 50 cm https://portland.craigslist.org/clk/bik/3156123345.html
A 56 cm https://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/bik/3126110076.html
So basically, yes. I have been advised against buying a 56cm bike in the past, although I don't know if the same rules apply to mixtes... However that bike doesnt have drop handlebars. I am pretty much just trying to be a little bit more flexible so I can hope to come across more in the future. I also don't want a bike that won't fit as I want to ride it!

oddjob2

I would go test them out, starting with the taller frame first. You'll know immediately.

Though I'm heavy and far less flexible than I used to be, as long as the handlebar height, stem length, and seat (up/down + fore/aft) can be tweaked, I can pretty much set up a frame of 56cm +/- 3 cm to be comfortable.

thirrdplanet

https://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/bik/3084960174.html
There is also this one at 22 inches. I could always go into another bike shop and ask. I am not an experienced bike person so I don't know if I would immediately know if it is a good size. How tall are you?


There is also a non mixte motobecane: https://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/bik/3150909258.html Is this one any more valuable? There dont appear to be safety lever brakes.

oddjob2

The Pug should fit.

I am 5'9"

The brown MB looks rough.

wrk101

1. I would avoid cottered crank bikes, and bikes with the old plastic Simplex derailleurs. That eliminates a few of your choices.

2. Mixtes are uncommon, large mixtes are really rare. So you should verify quick whether a 56cm is the size you need. 90% + of the mixtes out there are smaller sized.

Now who knows if the 56cm Peugeot is the old cottered crank version? No pics. At $150, it will not last long regardless.


As far as what it costs to have a shop do a credible job of rehabbing a bike? It can easily cost your total budget ($220), if not more. Just another reason many of us do our own work. Its not that shops are ripping people off, they have overhead, taxes, benefits, rent, etc., to pay, they have to cover slow times, on and on. To manage costs on a bike, you need to be very resourceful.


On frame sizing, assume the sellers have it wrong. Around here, rarely do they get it right. This means chasing after some bikes that turn out to be too small or too big. Its part of the hassle of buying used.

Mixtes are a niche bike, that enjoy a hefty premium. I typically get 40 to 50% more for a mixte (to a comparably equipped road bike). At your budget point, I would not be looking at mixtes.