Originally Posted by
squirtdad
Early 80's Japanese mid level bikes like bike like Nishiki, Centurion, panasonic, bridgestone, univega get my vote you can keep them simple (friction or upgrade) easy to work on and good quality
easy to put a north style bar on for more upright commuting (and then use a thumb shifter)
both of these wold work, the bridgestone is a upper end model
and to be clear Steel frames are not heavier than aluminum
63 cm in bellingham $125
https://bellingham.craigslist.org/bi...945112402.html
loooks like a nice bridgestone $325
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/b...953742405.html
+1 There were many Japanese mid-level road bikes sized for 27" wheels. Running 700c allows a bigger tire size and fenders. My winter/rain/city fix gear is almost one of those frames. (~1983 Trek 400 quite possibly Japanese tubing and manufacture). Previous editions of that bike had a Miyata 610 frame, ~1983 (with lost of tire room), a (I believe Canadian built) Sekine of roughly the same time and a Japanese built Schwinn, ~1981. These frames were not all Japanese, but they were all from that time period, all ISO standard, all horizontal dropout and all allowed reasonably big tires. The Miyata was purchased as a full bike, the rest as just frames.
On plus of this approach - things happen to commuters. Those frames were so similar that almost all the parts would just lift off one frame and go on the next. Even bottom brackets, headsets and seatposts. One evening of work and often nothing to buy beyond cables and the like.
Thankfully, the Japanese built thousands of those bikes and inspired makers in Europe and the US to do the same. Those bikes are out there to be had.
Ben