Originally Posted by
littleArnold
I guess I only know Schwinn from that era and I am sure Schwinn from that era commands a premium. You said maybe broadening my selection what other used bikes from that era besides Schwinn were you thinking of that were great bikes?
Lot and lots of options. Think American, British, European, and Japanese. If you go British, Raleigh was a benchmark of quality. I still remember lusting after a high end Raleigh back in 1981 but because it cost $600, I had to go Japanese. In the 70s and 80s, French bikes were great. Peugeot, Motebecane, Gitane, Mercier. (lots of low cost French bikes, especially Peugeot. Beware some of these bikes, though good for the time, also have issues you need to be aware of if you are planning a restoration) If your taste runs more to Italian, Bianchi, Pinarello, Colnago, De Rosa.
Vintage Japanese bikes represent a great value. Panasonic, Bridgestone, Fuji, Miyata, Nishiki, for example. All of these brands made high quality bicycles from the top to the bottom of their lines.
Finally, vintage Treks are fantastic, though because of the popularity of modern Treks, might go for a premium.