The UO-8 was inexpensive. It was competently brazed but not spectacularly well. It was moderately durable. The ride that the frame offered, given the low price, is better than some other comparably priced bikes. The durability was a little less. The frame tubes were made of garden variety carbon steel and fairly soft, as I learned when I straightened bent frames and forks of that model. It's not a bad bike, but nothing to write home about. I had one as a commuter bike for years that I liked quite well. It is not as lively or efficient at climbing hills or cornering as a racing bike, but it didn't pretend to be.

A UO-8 bicycle sold for $160 in 1975. It was about $189 in 1978. Those were the prices for the least expensive decent, respectable bike, rather like the $370 hybrid bikes you see nowadays.