I've been a cyclist for years but usually only had one bike at a time. A couple of years ago I was looking for a cheaper road bike to use on an indoor trainer. I found my Gitane Sprint at a LBS for $150 including an overhaul. After riding the bike I started entertaining thoughts of upgrading to modern drivetrain, carbon fork, etc. However, the more I rode the bike (half of the miles I did last year were on this one) the more I liked it and I decided I didn't want to spend the money on upgrades and preferred to use it for getting more C&V bikes.

I also was not much of a tinkerer/mechanic when I started this C&V trip. I have experimented and worked with a friend who is more experienced with bikes, purchased many tools and now feel comfortable working on my bikes (although I still don't do wheels). The satisfaction from my cycling life now is so much more than it was for many years as just a rider. The hunt for bikes/parts is almost as fun as riding them.

I agree with a couple of the others - if you don't want to tinker with a bike find a used, modern example (2-4 yrs old) and just ride. If you go the C&V route and want things to be as standard as possible stick to the bikes from Japan as mentioned above. The quality and ride were pretty good.