I've been working on a document about hunting for vintage bikes and parts. I've now disgorged it as a blog post:

The Bike is Better than the Rider: Hunting for Vintage Bikes/Parts

I don't claim to be an expert. The sites and search tips are just things I've figured out. If you would like to share your ideas, feel free to add them here or to a comment on the blog. Let me know if it's okay to incorporate your ideas into some future revised version, and if so, if you want to remain anonymous.

I like your thinking. There may be a chance you could do a sequel

"The Thrill is in the Ride". Nice job with the Website.

Excellent job!

I am addicted to the hunt. Love it. The grail bike is always one bike away.....Like today, out of the blue I had a Richard Sachs in front of me. "Do you want to buy this?"

This is how I find vintage bicycles and I can find them any time I choose to do so. Of course, I don't hunt with my computer. I get into the streets and seek the bikes where they are. My last acquisition four acqusitions and all were free to me, he he!!!













Funny thing is - I am not even looking to find them anymore. They tend to find me.

Fact: randyjawa is directly responsible for inspiring me to collect after I found his website a few year back.

Love it...thanks for sharing...I can now figure out how to set up automated searches!

Great job Skip.
Though somewhat unfortunate your thread got hijacked
with some one-ups-manship.

You are welcome to add anything that I share. My intent is to help others, as, apparently, is yours.

I don't think of it that way. I've used Randy's site in the past. I'm happy to have the reminder.

Skip, +1 and thank you.

Not only is Skip a great rider, he's a great writer

Thanks, though I beg to differ on both counts.

I feel ya. I recently sold 5 bikes and now even though I have multiple projects going and don't need another one, I can't stop searching for the next one. It's really a disease

I find a good amount on CL but you have to be vigilant with cash in hand and ready to roll. That is a thrill.

I also like less known search engines as you get people just cleaning their stuff out. Best for me have been in this order 1) Offer up 2) Letgo 3) Wallapop. But there are at least three others I use if I want to dig in.

Last resort is National search of CL. This is the best national search engine IMO Craigslist Search Engine: Easily Search ALL of Craigslist

I also can find something at almost any given time, so I only seek the high end stuff, and I still have too many bikes.

Feel free to share. More interest in vintage is always a plus.

Thanks for the reference. I hadn't heard of it before. I just tried it, but got no results for a search for "cinelli" in Chicago. If I go straight to Chicago CL, and search for "cinelli" in "all bicycles" (not the parts section), I get eight hits. Not sure if I did something wrong.

Cool! I also love the hunt, especially if it's a great deal. I use my computer...I just don't have time to drive around to all of the thrift stores and yard sales. I would rather be riding

So ride to the thrift stores and yard sales.

I like the chase as well. I responded to an ad that simply said "Selling bike parts" and it turned out to be a man who once owned a shop in the 1980s but had retired. He had everything in a storage unit and it was like walking into Aladdin's cave----a NOS Colnago Master Olympic frameset hanging from the ceiling, a NOS Cinelli Supercorsa frameset still in it's original wrapping paper, a 1971 and 1984 Cinelli Supercorsa jammed into a corner together, a Campy 50th group in it's case sitting next to the Cinellis, a Campy workstand with lots and lots of boxes of Campy stuff propped up against it and countless wheelsets hanging from the ceiling.

I ended up with some small parts, the Cinelli frameset and the Campy workstand for a very reasonable price and I still maintain contact with him, he knows a lot about bikes and the bike business and has many stories about coaching cyclists in the 1980s.

I don't have much on my side of town...mostly a flea market, which I try to avoid. If I come across a yard sale nearby, sure I'll ride to it (or, likely drive if I plan on getting anything). Haven't found the good thrift stores yet. Just a one or two near me that only has junk that I wouldn't touch with a 10' pole. I'm guessing most of the better places are in the city (whereas I am in the 'burbs). What I need to do is just go out during the week in the city and hit up some thrift stores. Need to find them, first.

Wish I could tell ya but not real sure, maybe that's why it works for me, obscure searches. Haha. I search local market and markets I visit direct on CL or the others, this being the last resort is always national for me and usually for something more rare that would be worth the hassle. I usually search DeRosa, Hetchins, vintage Cinelli, Masi, that type of stuff. I may be missing other postings but not sure.

I do see some of the bikes pop up from my local searches so it picks up some other way of sorting. I just searched vintage Cinelli and one of those Centurions made by Cinelli came up. I had heard of, but not seen one before. Stuff like that seems to pop up.

centurion cinelli equipe road bike 58cm vintage campagnolo