Originally Posted by
Stanimal
Hello everyone,
I'm looking at this bike here. Bianchi Corsa U28.
Seller says it's 1990 vintage. It's about EUR150 as per the picture. Apparently it's in very good shape. I would most probably look to convert it to a fixie (apologies if i offend anyone by saying this).
2 questions:
Does that seem to be a good price?
Is that likely to be a good ride (couldn't find info on the type of steel used)? Not all Bianchi are created equal.
I've also been looking at a Peugeot Competition 1979-83, steel reynolds 531, at around the same price, but the paint is much more chipped.
And a Gitane Triathlon with Shimano arrow groupset, lugged steel frame. Same ballpark price as well
If anyone has a view that any of those 3 bikes would be a clear winner over the other 2, please shout.
That would be my first bike project. I like the idea of building something a bit personal and learning a bit along the way.
Thanks!
That's a much older bike than 1990, if the Shimano Positron shifting is stock. Positron II is from 1977, and it never worked well.
The centerpull brakes, chrome fork crown, and lamp bracket all say "bike boom (late 70s) low end".
That said, it's a classy frame, lugged, in an interesting color, and in good shape. It doesn't have a derailleur hanger to cut off when you go single speed (not that you should ever cut one off, but some folks think a fixie isn't a fixie if it still has the derailleur hanger).
But, it's probably cheap, heavy, high tensile steel. Some hi-ten bikes (like old Peugeots) ride nice, but they're still heavy.
It is not worth
EUR150.
The Peugeot Competition is a much, much, much better frame. Chips are ok, but dents and rust are problems.
I don't know about the Gitane model, but Shimano Arrow is equivalent to 105 (quality equipment but not fancy). So, the Triathlon model was probably in the middle of the range and it should have a nice Cro-mo frame (probably).
If you're spending
EUR150 on a bike, especially for a project, you want the best frame you can find. Vintage 531/cro-mo frames (especially the high-end ones) can be just as nice and ride just as well as almost any steel frame you can afford today.
You should check eBay user "icycle_ro". He's in Romania and has lots of fabulous vintage frames and bikes.
Here's some other good info on French bikes (for example, they used threading specifications that are now obsolete) Italian bikes use Italian threading, which is rarer than English threading but still available.
Learning on a project bike is a great way to start. But, you shouldn't spend much money for it, as you may break it. Learn on a free/cheap bike, and then get something nice.