Hey guys, this is my first post! I recently decided to buy a bike and start commuting back and forth to work (9 miles one way). So of course ive been lookin all over the internet for a bike, I found a columbia on craigslist for $25. Im not to familiar with road bikes and such, but this ones looks pretty solid and its full of old school goodness. Is there any information you guys could tell me about this bike? thanks alot! By the way great site, I hope to learn alot from it.

Some pics or a very, very detailed description of the bike would help a bit

WELCOME F.T.W. ,I'm new too. Some folkes are apt to crit. a Columbia,they may recognize me and think I'm sayin' I have one too, just to say it but I do have a Columbia. I ussually comment on a bike that I do have or have had. Columbia has been a bargain bike for many years . Mine is a 1976,I rode it for 5 years steady.I still use it when I'm "home" up north visiting.If you bought a bike for $25 and you DO ride it and it takes you 18 miles a day at least..it's ALL good, MY kind o' bike.Give the model,year or any imfo.I'll tell you as much or as little as you would care to know.A few facts can indicate the year etc. if it matters to you. How is it so far,it ride ok and shift ?

I have had least five different Columbias, one from the 1950s, two from the 60s, and two from the 70s, they all rode very differently, so we would need the pics or a very detailed description of the actual bike you plan on buying you did mention that you were only looking at a Columbia on craigslist for $25 right?

Get the peugeot, geeeeet the peeeeuuugggeeeeot. NM, just my personal taste, hehe. Columbias are good solid bikes, but their road bikes don't impress me too much, at least the ones I've seen? Their three speed Tourist models I like very much, and their 50's balloon tire bikes are very nice too.,,,,BD

https://dallas.craigslist.org/bik/312915449.html


But on a serious note, if you buy the Peugeot, PLEASE sell me the fenders???

Thats more or less what I said, but for some reason I think you getting the message across alot better?

I know you said it first . . . but I thought I would add my "1000" words the old fashioned way, since we got a newbie on the hook!

ilikebikes.. I just got back here..so ALL is not waisted..you've had some cool oldies. good heads -up guys,I should know better, why do the kids do that,..sucker folkes in with half truths, it sucks. Especcially on the vintage forum.

I had a columbia made as a promo for pepsi cola. It was an ok bike nothing special but solid and well made. I had a columbia forget the model that had rear dropouts that were just crimped into the frame it was a a piece of , well you know. I made a work stool out of it and used the shorty fenders on a couple other bikes, every bike has value. Its like asking if schwinn is good varsity latour paramount it depends on the model.

hey guys, i was at work sorry for not posting. heres the link to the bike https://seattle.craigslist.org/est/bik/310808900.html all I know is that the brake line is broken and there is no kickstand. hopefully you guys can tell anything from such a small pic, but thats all i got. thanks for the replys so far though.

Bent fork?

That does look a possibility. FTW, if you go and see it, check the fork out. It appears that it might be bent back - even a slight bend there can be a real problem. That aside, whilst the bike is not superduperspectacular, it'll probably serve you well for $25. Brake cables are pennies, and can be fitted by anyone with a set of wrenches and side cutters. Expect it to need tires etc before long, and that you'll slowly need to learn the joys of taking apart, repairing and adjusting most parts of it over time. We can help you with that! So, if the fork is bent - no. If not, then for $25, I can see no good reason not to buy it.

Ive been known to have a few half decent bikes! Welcome back by the way! I dont know you but Im sure that will change in the near future I say bent fork, but who am I?

yeah i see what you guys are talking about. so if it is a bent fork is there anything i can do to replace it? or would i need to find another columbia fork?

oh yeah, and any idea on what kind/year of columbia it is? for some reason i really like this bike, and i would love to have an older bike. im really hoping that fork isnt bent.

Good catch, Stacey. Definitely a bent fork, and the frame is bent too. Top and down tubes are bent enough so the head tube angle is close to 90 degrees. (Front tire overlaps left pedal.) That bike took a hard front-end slam. F.T.W., sorry; give it a pass.

that sucks, i really liked that bike. thanks for being so honest and stuff though. i definetly dont wanna get into a busted up bike. heres something new i found though, there is a schwinn at pawn shop down town, its older too i can remember the name of it, it is something III, thats all i can remember is the roman numeral III. its red, and the forks have two chrome stripes on them. its $100.

Traveler or LeTour maybe?

Sorry about the buzz kill with the fork.

yeah a traveler, then there is a le tour on craigs list near me for $40, but the derailler cable arent hooked up and a cpuple other small things.

The derailleur cables aren't a big problem, but exactly how tall are you? That's a HUGE bike.

Now get over to the Pacific Northwest regional forum and say hi to the rest of us locals, you bum!

East Hill

im 5'11" last time i checked.

last time i checked i was about 5'11"

woah. sorry about that. thats for those of you who need a second opinion.

https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bik/313813947.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/bik/314244116.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/est/bik/313789790.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/bik/311566193.html