Originally Posted by
Zaphod Beeblebrox
Pretty much any decent 80's Japanese bike will fit modern parts with little to no modification and can be had complete for less than just the VO Frame.
Add to that the fact that you have to be willing to accept a sloping top tube and a TIG welded frame...IMHO that frame is ugly.
I completely agree with this. An old Japanese bike will have a very workable set of threadings, usually a nice round curve on the forks, and invariably the TT is dead horizontal. The only very minor pain is that it may take a 26.8 seatpost or something.
Having a few braze-ons added where you want them and then having it painted is far, far less costly than a new Velo Orange frame. Plus, I think we cyclists would do well to think about background carbon footprints in addition to foreground. It takes a lot more energy to make up a new tubeset than it does to recycle an old one.
I built up an internal-gear porteur from a '70s Fuji and some old and new parts, then had it painted, and it cost far far less than a new bike. I use it absolutely constantly and it's every bit as reliable as a new one:
