Ruse

Hey there guys, i am looking to grab a vintage road bike for my courier business i am starting up. I ride all over the city so i need a decent bike. I have been searching craigslist and i came across a few bikes that i can't find ANY information on and it's kind of frustrating.

Here is my list of bikes i can't find info on:

1980's Asahi Road Bicycle
Empire Road Bicycle
1960's Free Spirit Road Bicycle

Basically are any of these bikes worth buying? The price tags on these bikes sit at around 100-150.

wrk101

Post some pictures. Brands mean very little. What model, and what condition? A Free Spirit is a waste of time. Ditto the Empire.

Some Asahis were pretty decent bikes, some weren't so hot.

Without details, no idea.

jacksbike

Never heard of Empire or Asahi. Price range seems rather high for an older Sears bike. Pictures would help with a determination.

RobbieTunes

First clue is no information.

Secondly, though, for urban riding, courier stuff, a lot of them ride single speeds, built to be durable, narrow bars, and good brakes.
Quite often, they build a bulletproof, simple bike, which lasts a year or so, and they build another.

gbalke

If you're starting up a courier business, is there some particular reason why you want a vintage bike rather than a new bike? Do you have any
experiance repairing bikes, yet alone "old" bikes needing hard to get parts or perhaps special tools?

Why not invest your money in a new bike from a good, local bike shop with knowlegeable people and a good service reputation? Many shops
offer free maintenance packags as an added incentive to have customers buy bikes from them. Visit several local shops near you, talk to them,
explain your business plans and see what they have to offer in suitabl biks and srvice.

Just my 2 cents.

USAZorro

moving to What's it Worth

Ruse

Hey guys, thanks for the input. The reason why i am looking at a vintage one is purely due to budget. I just don't have the hundreds of dollars to pick up a nice bike yet and i surely will when i can. So in the mean time i am just going to spend the 100-150 bucks on a bike i can speed around on, but at the same time not one that wont last a few weeks without the thing breaking down. Here are some pictures of the Asahi mid 80's road bike

repechage

The burgundy bike shown might work, if it fits.
It probably has a low enough profile so it may not get stolen, a problem as a lock that would be tolerable will stop a grab and go, but not a determined thief.
You need to decide on how much volume of packages you will be willing to accept, expecting to run papers to the courthouse or between law offices, escrow? Or printed building plan sets and boxes going out UPS or similar?

In the 60's in San Francisco, the messengers rode Schwinns with baskets and signage plate inserted into the main triangle and a basket over the front wheel. Today, they ride some type of fixed gear machine, good but disposable in time, either by breakage or theft.

wrk101

For your purpose, you would be better off with a 1990s rigid frame MTB. They accommodate fenders, racks, etc., they are just about bullet proof, can take a beating, have good brakes, and are cheap.

You are really bottom feeding at that price range when you are looking for a road bike. No surprise you are seeing old department store junk in general. Pretty much any vintage bike is going to take money to get it ready to go in the type of service you are talking about.

randyjawa 

All of the bikes you mention are entry level department store offerings, as I recall. Good for around town use, not to attractive to thieves but the ride quality will not be spectacular.