Originally Posted by
Phaseshift
Hey everyone, looking to get back into riding. Love the look of the vintage road bikes and was wondering what options I have <$500?
Depends on your market, but this is a great time to buy.
Vintage bike prices are wildly variable. Some people sell a bike as a "collector" and ask a hefty sum, while some college kid hawks his grandad's frame he inherited that is a size too small for him for laundry money (that was me, oops).
Better to find a vintage cycling niche you enjoy (Italian racers, Japanese sport tourers, French randonneuses, etc) and learn to spot a good deal.
Also depends on if you're going to modernize any of the components or go full-hog retro and deal with freewheels and French sizes and the like.