noglider 

It depends on what you want to do with the frame and how much you want to spend. A frame like the Raleigh Grand Prix is fine for most purposes such as a commuter bike or for long tours. Better if you can get something with English threading instead of Raleigh threading, and the Grand Prix probably has Raleigh threading in the headset and maybe in the BB, too.

The Schwinn Tenax frames are a great suggestion, and I believe they were made here in the US, not by Panasonic. These frames are, as they say in England, bog standard, and they ride great.

But there are so, so many to choose from. As @wrk101 would say, get a complete bike cheap on craigslist. Some or all of the components will be usable. In fact, there are even some bikes in perfect running order. It's much cheaper to get a bike than to build one piecemeal.

Aladin

I have two Schwinn tenax bikes.. 63cm's that need new homes.

Dave Cutter

They are ALL good for learning to wrench. And... none of us found out which style/flavor/brand/era of bicycle we enjoy the most without just trying a few out.

Look for a bicycle in your size. So you can enjoy the ownership and fun or riding a restored old bicycle. Then look for a bicycle like one you might have wanted as a child... or one you envied that you couldn't afford. Or maybe it's just a color that catches your eye. Whatever you buy to wrench on... remember repairing is only a fraction of the fun. Sometimes just making the old bike shine again can be very satisfying.

I like hitting google to learn all I can about my Craiglist finds. Then when I am done with a bike it wasn't just a "flip". It was a bicycle I once owned and enjoyed and learned from. That way even if I just give the bicycle away.... I still benefit from the experience.

dedhed

Except that the mid 80's Raleigh USA taiwan built Grand Prixs are very nice mid level bikes as are many of the Raleigh USA models.

dedhed

INTRODUCTION & WELCOME

Bustaknot

Awesome! I'll keep an eye out for the Tenax. I'm looking for a bit of style in the frame but still a classic look. I'm working on a Miele right now and it's been a cozy teardown and rebuild. The bike is a bit plain and a bit heavy. I'm not swapping out major parts yet as I've been learning bike mechanics with it (and have I learned a lot!).

I like the Raleigh International and Grand Prix's that are green, which is my favourite colour and I have a bit of a vision for it. But hte Tenax's look great too. I've been keeping an eye out for Raleighs, on the streets of Toronto and online, and they might be a bit of a white whale. Not sure if i'll come across one any time soon or at this time of year. I don't know if I could paint a frame myself and do a good job, and it seems the few frame painters and powder coaters here are a bit expensive.

All your comments have been great. This community is fantastic and I'm loving this new hobby.

mconlonx 

^^^All this.

For project bikes, I like 80-94-ish steel bikes, maybe the odd aluminum bike. Trek, Fisher, Schwinn(?), and probably a few other brands of this era were even quality Made in the USA, if that means anything to you. Schwinn bikes today are mainly department store junk, but from this older era, they were good to fantastic bikes. Schwinn Paramount bikes -- either Japan or Waterford mfg. -- always catch my eye when perusing the classifieds.

70s bikes can be fun, but I look for whole ones. There can be parts proprietary to country of mfg or even company. I don't mind stripping a bike down to components and rehabbing existing parts -- rebuilding older headsets, BBs, and hubs with new bearings and grease; replacing freewheels -- but if a bike is so shot I'm into replacement parts which may be proprietary, it better be a real special bike to deserve the cost and effort.

Also will reiterate: mtn bikes with rigid forks. No suspension, front or rear. Suspension was and is proprietary and a lot of the older parts for rebuilds are no longer available; replacement forks cannot be found -- not too many 1" steerer suspension forks available anymore, with original travel to your vintage mtn bike. So either figure in a replacement rigid fork which may or may not match original geometry for a vintage suspended bike, or give it a pass.

Bustaknot

The Schwinn Paramount looks great! It's the style I'm looking for. Thanks for the tips and I'll keep an eye out.

noglider 

Paramounts are very good, but they command very high prices. I could never bring myself to pay market value for one.

mconlonx 

Meh. I've once bought a 92 Waterford Paramount for about what I'd have needed to pay for a Bridgestone RB-1. Seen the Japan-made Series Paramounts going in the $300-500 range, which I consider reasonable. And every now and then, I see a Paramount mtn bike pop up in the $200-300 range.

For just a bike to mess around with, I'd not pay going price for 70s era Paramounts or the later Waterford production versions, but the Series versions would certainly be in the running, and all the rest of the non-Paramount Schwinns.

noglider 

Those Bridgestones also have a high market value. I doubt I'd buy one of those, either. Others of similar quality usually go for less.

Dan Burkhart 

+1 to 80s era Japanese road bikes. Well made, standard fittings, room for fatter tires and fenders.

Gravity Aided

I would echo what @cycle maven said, those Tenax Scwinns are great. Also, don't overlook some of the nicer Fuji Bicycles as well.