That was just an example of how expensive this sport can be. The OP stated that he wants to start joining group rides. I think he's going to find it difficult to find a group that's going to let him ride that POS in the middle of the pack. How long do you think that 30 year old chain is going to last on a hard climb? How about those ancient, rusty steel wheels on a fast decent? Cycling is expensive. Doing it on the super cheap could be dangerous.