ghostm42

Hi,

Sorry if this isn't considered a "vintage" bike. It is categorized that way in the included link. I'm considering an older hybrid bike, a Bianchi Advantage, that looks identical (frame, color, size, etc.) to the one pictured here:

https://gallery.mtbr.com/showphoto.php/photo/133857

The gears (crank and freewheel) are worn, the chain needs replacing, it needs a new saddle. It's around $100 and I can't decide whether it's worth it. I've yet to see it in person though. And other than the specs listed on the above link, I don't have much other info on it. It's a smaller frame, but I don't know if it'll fit my 5'1" girlfriend.

cb400bill

Looks like a small enough frame for 5'1".

Without seeing the real bike, no one can determine its value. But, I wouldn't pay $100 for that bike if it needs that much stuff figuring there is likely more stuff it needs, too.

EjustE

If it fits it is well worth it. A nice lugged Tange superset hybrid frame and decent shimano components. You can replace the freewheel fairly inexpensively. You can also find used MTB clanks from that era for not a lot of money. As far as the saddle goes, IMHO every saddle should be replaced when you buy a bike, unless it is one that works for the rider (so small loss)

ghostm42

Well, I went ahead and got it... except I got it for $65. And from the looks of it, the crank and freewheel arefine. The only problem that I've identified so far is a twisted link in the chain, which I had intended to replace anyway. It's missing pedals, but I've got spares. A few minor pits in the finish and worn out decals, but not a speck of rust anywhere. So it looks like the only thing I need to buy is a saddle and possibly matching nail polish to touch up the paint.

It weighs roughly 24lbs, 700x35c tires, Tange cromo frame and fork, Dia-compe XCT cantilever brakes, Suntour XCM derailleur, brakes were replaced with Shimano V-brake lever. Not exactly sure if it'll fit someone 5'1" though. The frame is about 42cm, so it'll come close without getting a dedicated women's frame.

EjustE

Good price! These bikes have high bottom brackets so you need to make sure that the setup works for the rider. The tilted TT should help with the step over height and worse comes to worse the person who rides it might have to set it up with the bars higher than the saddle.

(you gotta post pictures as well )

AlmostTrick

I just listed this Advantage for $130. The rear shifter was busted so I single speeded it, (64 gear inch) since they seem to be popular on the local CL. I completely tuned and cleaned the bike, and even added new 700x35 WTB Slickasuares tires. %100 road ready and looked nice too. Lots of hits but only one guy actually showed up, and he talked me into letting it go for 100. I'd say the buyer got a great deal. The bike was found in the trash.

srinath.the.man

I have one of these too, but mine is a frame, forks and a crank set - the rest is TBD.
The "hybrid" is for the 700 c wheels ?
Thanks.
Srinath.

AlmostTrick

No, the "Hybrid" is for the fact that it's not a road bike, not a mountain bike... it's a cross of the two.

mstateglfr 

It does have 700 wheels, but its also a hybrid because the geometry is a long top tube like a mountain bike and clearance for larger tires, but had a triple with gearing similar to traditional road gearing.

srinath.the.man

I was going to put my 26" wheels with the SA 3 speed in it. Should I try to get a 700c wheel set ?
Thanks.
Srinath.

oddjob2

Am I the only refurbisher who can routinely sell a hybrid for $175-$250? My record is a Cannondale H-300 that sold for $350. Bianchi's are perceived as nice bikes, even the hybrids.

AlmostTrick

No. Even though it was quite a while ago I was pissed at myself for letting the above bike go so cheap. I must've been in a "get rid of it" mood. At least I got it for free.

mstateglfr 

$175 I can see around me, though I try to price to move, so maybe pricing higher could net something eventually, especially in the spring when riding starts back up. Though you have to compete with a flood of bikes then too.
My brother in law is refurbishing this exact year and model Bianchi right now, but he is turning it into a drop bar with the trigger shifters since its a SunTour drivetrain with Xpress shifters.
Funky, but somehow it worked and sorta reminds me of some of those low end top of bar 7speed Shimano paddle shifters for drop bars.
Im guessing itll go up for about $200 and that would probably be the high end of whats possible.

srinath.the.man

Thanks for the inspiration, gives me something to shoot for. My Trek Nav 200 and multi track 700 I'll shoot for 200+ in a few days.
And when those go, I'll try to sell the C-itoh for that too.
Hopefully The Ozone 500 and the centrix will be rolling by then, so I can sell the new Huffy cranbrook for 60 and call it a day for selling these for now.

Cool.
Srinath.

mstateglfr 

Werent c itoh bikes the pre kabuki pre bridgestone bikes? Ive always read they were entry level depaetment store bike boom quality.
I know admittedly very little about that name and havent bothered to learn, so maybe they made nice bikes too, you have one of those nice models, and everything ive read has been in reference to the lower end of their product line.

srinath.the.man

They are regular 70's hunk o junk, yea bridgestone japanese pre kabuki (maybe). However I think they have with a few posts on sheldon's site acquired a worse reputation than they deserve.

They have balls in the sheel and steering and pedals with hardly a spritz of lube, yes, they have those never since seen 2 prong rear sprocket set ... and they are simple mild steel, not 4130 chromoly, and heavy as a boulder. Atleast a lb in the frame alone, and likely more when you add in the wheels and the side pull brakes are a regular excercise in futility.
But other than the extra weight, and the shortcomings in design and materials of the period (brakes, rims, etc etc) this one held up well, and when I swapped out the wheel bearings for caged bearings and water proof grease it simply transformed into a far far better bike. I should do the stem and the pedals, and it may just surprise me.
The Raleigh from the period has held up far worse.
The Bianchi frame has a shade more rust than the C-Itoh though they both likely lived outside for longer than this one's 5 yrs. But the bianchi is 91, not 77.

Cool.
Srinath.

oddjob2

C. Itoh made mostly junk. I had one oin grade school for E.J. Korvette. $200 is a pipe dream.

srinath.the.man

Yea, but I am going to keep it around and ride it just to prove a point. The point being I am clueless. LOL.
It worked fine for me a few yrs.

If I get some good $ for the bianchi especially if I can build it cheap, I may opt to sell it. The C-Itoh could use some fixie style mods, cos I hate the quill column derailers.
Its brakes royally suck, I dont think there is a way to improve those without dropping a few 100 on a new billet side pull is there ?

Cool.
Srinath.

mstateglfr 

Pricing something like a C Itoh, which is admittedly low end and has brakes which 'royally suck', at such a high price seems odd. But hey, caveat emptor and all, I guess.
You can get new side pull brake calipers for $20 total and they go up from there so no need to spend $300 on brake calipers. Not sure what 'billet' means in this application.

srinath.the.man

I've seen these twin pivot machined aluminum side pull brakes that cost a bundle and feel like butter and bike like a crocodile.

Why would the same type of brake I have, made of the same material work any better.
These brakes suck cos they're single pivot side pull with arms that are not rigid and not have the leverage to bite down any better.

Anyway I've got 3 to sell before this POS and may cannibalize wheels and seat etc for the bianchi if 700c's don't materialize cheap for it.
Cool.
Srinath.

srinath.the.man

This bike is absolutely elegant and eye poppingly clean.
Mine is a darker blue, has solid lettering and a bit of ... ahem ... rust.
Hope to build mine like this.
There is one like mine on my local CL with the 7X3 rear and front gears for $125, so I have really got to not plonk much $$$ into it.
Cool.
Srinath.

srinath.the.man

And I also know now why it had to have that chain idler. The drop out is vertical. See what happens when I cluelessly buy crap.... LOL. Way over my head, and I not even started.
Cool.
Srinath.

srinath.the.man

Pics of my Bianchi is here.
https://goo.gl/photos/9aNbePPnQ9CAxoCr5

Cool.
Srinath.

srinath.the.man

Oh wow, revisitng my posts seem so alien. C-Itoh was sold, don't recall exactly what I sold it for, I guess I got close to asking $, my wife sold it when I was out at the fleas. Usually she pretty much nails these.
Bianchi is on the list of the craigs now, just frame and wheels for what may yet prove too much $ - $75.
I sold a mongoose stat mtb runner for that to my neighbor, so may have to drop the $ a bit for frame and wheels off a beyonce.

Trek multi track 700 and Huffy beach cruiser also sold. Trek nav 200 was my son's but he's moved up to an Ironhorse 6.1, The mongoose was mine, now I am back on the dioamond back outlook I modded to the gills.
I need to find some parts for a few of these before I can finish them. The Schwinn WS may be the first, hope to hit the roads and then the list of craig with it.

Thanks.
Srinath.