All you need to do is lurk in the classic and vinatge forum here or *gasp* ask a question. That is what I did. Oh and by the way. I picked up a 1981 Miyayta 610 w/ an indoor trainer today on my lunch hour. Total cost? $35. Geography does play a role in availibilty (I live near Philadelphia) but most of the time it is more a matter of effort. Get a cheap bike get, and education (here on BF) than get a great bike cheap.
Anyone who doubts me, check my ebay seller id bylar13. Most everything there is stuff I picked up locally and resold to fund my own bike stuff. Also I am 40, have white collar job, a wife two kids and a very busy life. Geography not withstanding, it is a matter of effort. It is not easy by any strech but I now own 3 bikes for commuting:
1972 Schwinn Paramount chrome P15 touring Model
1981 Trek 710
1973 Schwinn World Voyageur retro-fitted with a Nexus 8 speed hub
I got all of my information from this forum, Sheldon Brown and a Park repair manual. It is fine to not WANT to do any of the stuff I metioned, but because I DO does not make me ellitist. It may not work for you but is does work.
Originally Posted by Robert C
I see a lot of people here saying, “Buy used.” When I was just getting into bicycling I did just that; what I got was an over priced department store bike (Like I said, I didn’t know; I was just getting back into bicycling).
I had previously owned two Sears brand ten speeds that I liked; before that was the assortment of kids bikes. I then decided to get back into bicycling; motorcycles only were adding the pounds.
As I said, I tried the used route. There was almost no selection (there remains almost no selection in the part of the US I live in) and I feel I was taken. I think a lot of people become very hesitant to purchase used bikes because there is no way for someone who does not make bicycling a passion to come out ahead on used bikes. The ones that are not department store, or total junk, are almost always priced at, or above, new price.
Several years back my wife decided that she would go riding with me and I made the mistake of trying the used market. I spent so long waiting for something that was not junk, or overpriced, or both, that she lost interest in the idea. The next time she expressed interest I just put a suspension fork on my rockhopper and pointed her at it. No, it was not a perfect bike for her; but, it was a better solution that spending money on used junk or paying new price for old bikes.
These rare, “smoking,” deals that so many of you boast are just that, rare. It is fine if you have all the bikes you want and are just looking to fill the garage. However, it is not a useful resource for new riders.
People have good reason to avoid the used market and scorning them for doing so is just another elitist attitude.