fishergreen

Hello everyone! I am trying to get into biking, so I recently purchased my first road bike. I just wanted to know everyone's opinion on what I have and what needs to be done in order to improve the bike while still spending under $100-$150 in extra parts. I will list off the specs below. Be warned that I have very little bike knowledge, so I may be incorrect on my descriptions. Also, what would you have paid for this bike? It needs new tires and possibly a new chain.


1986-1987 Sport SX

Araya 700c rims
Dia compe cd 5000 brakes
Suntour a 5000 derailer
Sugino gp 130 brakes
Mkg ar8 pedals
serial number LS602506

I was able to work on the bike a little more today, and discover what I believe needs to be fixed. I will list the problems I found below and will likely need some advice on parts for their replacement.

Broken chain ( taken off)
Bad tires (taken off)
bad gear switching cables
sticky rear brake cable
scratched frame (no rust). Do they make paint for quick touch ups on bikes?

I plan to visit a local bike shop on Tuesday, but would like to hear what all of you think first so I don't lose too much money. I paid $50 for the bike as is. I plan to use it for college.

not_jason

As coincidence would have it, I just finished a very ambitious build on exactly the same bike.



You're definitely on the right track with taking it to a shop and asking them what they think. Even as a somewhat experienced mechanic, I'm constantly learning from the guys at my local shops. A new chain will probably run you at least 20, expect to spend at least 50 bucks total on tires and tubes (also ask if you need new rim strips, often times a vintage bike will), and new cables can vary in price, but maybe around another 20 minimum for a decent set. I wouldn't worry too much about finish if there's no rust. bikes will scratch, and if you're not doing a full on pro-restoration, touch ups will probably look worse than scratches.

Also, at 50 bucks, you stole that thing. Worth at least four times that even as is.

fishergreen

Thanks for the reply! I see that you removed the old shifters and put them up with the brakes. Would you recommend doing that, or is it a personal preference deal? Did you keep all of the old a5000 components on the bike? If so, how do they hold up? I will definitely hold off on the touch-ups, and post some pics soon.

not_jason

That's a tricky question. The combined shifter/brake lever set up is something that the majority of new road bikes feature, and it definitely has a lot of strong selling points. That being said, I also have a number of bikes (including another vintage Bianchi) that have the more traditional down-tube mounted shifters, which are also functional, classy, and a whole lot less expensive. Given that you are new to biking, new to wrenching, and working on a limited budget, I heartily recommend sticking with the downtube shifters at least for now. They have the advantage of being quite easy to maintain, and they'll also allow you to familiarize yourself with a shifting set-up that is pretty standard with vintage road bikes.

fishergreen

I will stick with those then. Do you still have the original a5000 components too? I am considering getting a jagwire complete road kit, brake and gear cables, would that be compatible with this older bike? Your build looks awesome by the way!

not_jason

When I got my bike, a handful of the original parts had already been replaced. The brakes were original, but many of the drivetrain components had been switched out somewhere along the line. I do have a lot of experience with Suntour groups on other bikes, however, and much of it has been fairly positive. The new cables should work just fine. I've got jagwire kits on both my Bianchis and they perform really well. If you do the job yourself, I'd recommend springing for a good cable cutter at the bike shop.

CroMo Mike 

Looks like a nice bike. The Bianchi name is widely recognized as a bike worth having. Store it inside and buy a decent U-lock to use when you have to park it outdoors on campus. BTW, the U-lock might cost more than you paid for the bike. Enjoy!

jimmuller 

When you start working with the cable you'll discover one thing. New cables and new housing (which you should replace) are danged hard! You can't cut them easily or cleanly with the "wire-cutter" section of conventional hand pliers. Well, you can try. Park Tool makes a very good cutter that is almost indispensable. IIRC, it is about $25, and if you do much more work on any bike you'll be grateful for having bought one.

thinktubes 

Nice score, but don't even think about locking it up outside. Probably too nice for college...

fishergreen

I will get a pair today at the bike shop! As far as the tough ups go, it is a recent scratch on the frame that I made due to mishandling the bike so is there anything I need to do to prevent rust or corrosion?

ThermionicScott 

I've got an '87 Sport SX too! Here's a bad pic of what I did with mine:

balindamood

I am glad to see it turned out so well. Almost makes me miss it...almost.

not_jason

Man, this just makes me want to tear apart mine and start over! Good build.

JamesRL

I had a Sport SX in the 80s. I bought a frame and built it up with an older bike's parts, tubular wheels, upgraded drivetrain. I thoroughly enjoyed that bike, stiff enough to go when I put the hammer down, compliant enough to be a real long distance bike. Enjoy!

Bhikku669

So this is the bianchi sport sx i just acquired. Im just starting to wash it now. It has been in a barn for 10 years.