Originally Posted by
themerv019
In all honesty I already have a bike that does well around the town, I've just been interested in an old-school road bike and trying to find one for a while. I'm probably looking to spend $150-200 when all is said and done... and if I can get a decent and rideable road bike for that I would be very happy. I just don't know exactly where I should be looking, CL is my only major resource at this point.
Contact a few flippers in your general area. A good one will have quite a few bikes that are not currently on C/L.
I would not dump more than about $20 max into that Montgomery Wards bike. Its a dog. But if you are careful on the spending, it would be a fun project.
+1 Just post a WTB large mens road bike in your local C/L, under bikes for sale. Don't be too specific, a lot of sellers have no idea what size, style, or whatever their bike is. So be patient and ready to chase after a few duds. 58cm sounds small for someone your size. I find this chart is a good starting point on vintage road bikes, note use your BICYCLE inseam, not your PANT inseam. Bike inseam is often 1 to 1 1/2 inches longer.
In my experience, the smaller the frame size, the higher the market price. You are in a good position market wise. In the "old days", bikes were sized on the large side, so there are more large frame bikes than buyers out there.
