jmk123

I recently (this spring) started biking again after about 30 years. I'm currently riding the 1977 Schwinn LeTour that I bought used in 1982 or '83 while I was in college. But I'm 53 now, and I don't like the stem shifters - I want brifters.

One option is to add brifters to the LeTour. Last week I located a set of heavily used 3x7 RSX shifters on an out-of-town Craigslist for $20. Paypalled them, they haven't arrived yet so I don't really know the condition. The LeTour is 2x5, but the seller thinks I could get away with it. I could also replace the 5 speed freewheel with a 6. Maybe a 7? or would that require setting the frame spacing wider? I'm going to putter around and see what I can do.

Another option is of course a new bike. But even entry level bikes are $750, and I don't want to go that high. I like older high quality stuff rather than new bottom-of-the-line. And I like the steel frames. Not worried about that last couple pounds - I can lose 3 pounds off my gut for a lot less money and it will benefit me all the time, not just when I'm riding.

So I've been looking for quality steel framed bikes with STI type shifters. So far, here is what I've found:


Centurion Ironman Master, 1986 or 1987. $375. Mostly original, but the DT shifters have been replaced by Sora brifters. The rest of the components are mostly Shimano 600. 2x7 gearing. From what I've seen on the forum this is a great bike with a near cult following.

Bianchi Eros, 1996. $350. Only one picture in the ad, haven't been able to contact the seller. Might be one of those who sells the bike but never pulls the ad. 3x8 gearing. Campy Mirage unless it has been changed. Looks like a sweet bike, but might be unavailable.

Giant Kronos 1996. $325. Haven't gone to see it yet, but looks mostly original. 3x7 gearing, biased to low gears for cruising and hills. Shimano RSX. Touring bike, complete with Giant brand rack on the back.

Trek 320, 1999. $180. Haven't seen it yet, hope to do that tomorrow if the rain holds off. Looks mostly original. 3x8 gearing, Shimano RSX. Very wide gearing range.


The Centurion is clearly the highest quality bike on the list. But it is geared for racing, and I'm not a racer. Its lowest gear is roughly the same as the low gear on the LeTour, and I probably want more for hills. I tend to ride with a slow cadence, and I'm trying to break that for the sake of my knees. High gearing won't help me break that habit.

The Bianchi is also a very nice bike, and the triple in front should give me the low gears I want/need. But unless I get lucky contacting the seller it is probably a mirage.

The Kronos is very definitely a touring bike. Although I'm not a racer, I'm also not going touring. The 3x7 gearing would certainly get me up the hills, and at the high end its a bit faster than the LeTour.

The Trek 320 is a road bike, but not in the same class as the Centurion or even the Bianchi. As far as I can tell, it is still a big step up from the LeTour, and the price is certainly right.

My riding is for fitness and enjoyment. So far I've done 15, 18, 22, 24, and 29 mile rides. All but the 15 were on relatively flat bike trails (former railroad right-of-way, trains don't do hills). The 15 was the most recent - very hilly and by far the toughest. I see myself doing that ride again and trying to improve my time. I can see myself doing 50 mile runs on the flatter trails, but I don't see a century in the near future.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

John