Yeah, they sure do seem like really good bikes, even among the many Japanese bikes that were so well made during the 80s and early 90s. I try to tell myself that its all a learning experience of sort, getting into classic/vintage bikes and that sooner or later I'll find myself a nice deal and then I can brag about "I found (insert famous brand name) for $10 (or whatever smokin' good deal it was) at such and such"

Of course the wiser part of me knows that eBay isn't usually the best place for that smoking good deal. But it sure seems easier to find nice bikes there!

As I've posted a couple times before, I'm just sorta looking for a good all-around Italian/Japanese/French/English road bike from the 80s/90s that would be fun to ride. I'm not looking to 'flip' a bike or anything, and I don't have any illusions about such a bike being able to somehow 'outperform' the Cannondale that I've got on layaway. Heck, considering the engine here, the bike's the least of it

It's all kinda relative though. The Cannondale (caad9-7 btw) is going to be a little over a grand after taxes and all that. So if I find a nice bike for say; $250 then that would be a pretty good buy in the scheme of things. But $550 or $725 after shipping, even for a bike as legendary as the RB-1, is a pretty big pill to swallow. And on top of it I work at Wal-Mart and make 8 bucks an hour. So I'm competing with a lot of other folks, and coming off badly to say the least.

And I can't exactly take it out on my co-workers and say our bikes are trash now, can I? (but that is another story for another forum.....maybe when I eventually start commuting )

Tom