Jimbo397

Hi all.
With Spring here now, and summer just around the corner, that means "Yard Sale" time.
I am hoping to find a quality road bike at one of them, for a good price.
But my problem is in recognizing a good quality bike when I do see it.
I think that it must be more then just brand names,
do brand name bikes come in high an low end?
What about the components, some are higher end then others?
How does one go about learning to recognizes a good quality bike?

Thank you for your help & input.

late

Go to the C&V forum and read a zillion posts. Assuming you want a road bike.

ptle

I'd look for a bike with no or little rust. Obviously brand names are going to help, but their are some older frames that are nice, but I've never heard of them. Look for the quality of the frame and lugs. Downtube shifters usually mean the bike is of higher quality then stem shifters. Same with brakes that have the cable routing go under the tape as opposed to up and out with the cables exposed. Make sure the components are nice looking. You can kind of tell when components are cheap.

Stay away from Murray, Huffy, (some) Schwinn, etc.

mzeffex 

Wrong. 1970s campagnolo super record (amongst others) had exposed cables.

chrism32205

new bikes? or old bikes? Im confused.

chado445510

Correct. My dad has a 1973 Mirella with Nuovo Record and the brake cables go out from the top of the hoods.

ls0725

The way I understand it from your questions, I would suggest you do a lot of research first before buying anything, you need to start from Page 1. This site is a lot of help, just keep reading posts. Visit your local bike shop and ask the people there. What you wish to avoid is buying a used bike in those yard sale, craigslist, ebay, etc and find out it's not your size, or worse spend more than the cost of the bargain bike to replace defective parts that you had no prior knowledge. Learn about frame type, sizing and fit, components hierarchy or level, etc and after that comes the accessories and clothing. Good luck.

iam7head

sounds like a question a noobs bike thief would actually ask.

https://www.bikepedia.com/

Uni-Vibe

New bikes at yard sales? Sounds like somebody's moving hot bikes to me!

Walter

You are more likely to find older high end bikes than newer ones but you never know.

If the bike has modern integrated brake levers and shifers (brifters) it's probably at least decent.

For older bikes brands can help determine quality. Someone said avoid Schwinn. WRONG! New Schwinns from WalMart should be avoided and I can't really recommend Varsitie or Continentals though they might have some nostalgic value. However, it'd be a huge mistake to walk away from a cheap Paramount. Even if you don't like it you could eBay it and be on your way to a new "new" bike.
Trek has been around alot longer than some realize and their bikes have always been nice.
Same is true with Cannondale.
Motobecane was big in the 70s-80s when they were French and they made several nice bikes.
Fuji
Centurion
Bianchi to name a few.
Any Colnago, Masi or Cinelli is a sure-fire winner. If it isn't your size, eBay it.

Many more brands. Look for downtube shifters, bar end shifters or brifters. Aluminum wheels with quick releases. 700C tires usually is better than 27X1 3/4. Cotterless cranks unless it's a true antique. Avoid stem shifters and bolt on wheels.

That'll get you started.

Steev

Before you go searching yard sales for a bike, use one of the on-line bike fit calculators to get a good idea of the right size for you. Take a measuring tape and a printout of your fit and only buy if it fits. I think you'll be putting in a lot of leg work trying to luck onto a nice bike that fits in a yard sale.

rumrunn6

ride what you see. you'll learn that function over form is prudent. research your size and carry a tape measure. you may buy 2 or 3 before you find the best one for you this year. don't worry you can sell whatever you don't want to keep.

dmp

up to mid to late 80's, actually.

Best thing to do is to find a friend who knows bikes and bring him/ her along with you. It's not only quality, it's fit, too, and you will probably want someone with a good eye to help you evaluate that as well.

Jimbo397

Sorry guys, guess I should have said "different",as in new to me.

Jimbo397

Thanks, this is the kind of help I was hoping to get.
Very informative. I'll print this one out.

Walter

Well, I'm flattered.

There are a few typos I see now that I've re-read it but nothing that should confuse.

mihlbach

I think this is a wild goose chase. I've never seen anything but box-mart trash bikes at garage sales. No one in their right mind would sell their vintage paramount at a garage sale. You might get lucky, but its unlikely.