So i got that 1982 Univega Sportour on eBay for about $100 shipped.. it seemed a great deal, as the bike was in practically new condition.

Of course, lots of little things...

New tires
New tubes
New brake pads
New bar tape
Clips and straps for pedals
Simichrome for dulled aluminum parts


Plus different tools i need for it:

BB lockring spanner
BB pin spanner
14mm Socket for crank bolts
Japanese OEM size spoke wrench


And suddenly this bike is costing twice as much!

Tools are a one-time write off that will amortize on your next bike build
That's about what my Miyata 512 cost shipped from Jersey, and I replaced the items you mentioned plus the crankset, DRs, shifters, stem, brake calipers and levers, and saddle
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Yeah ... and twice $100 is $200 (I did that all by myself!) and at that price you get a cool bike, which you made yours by cleaning it up and getting it rideable.

I like to explain it to my wife this way: since I was bitten by the bug, I've ended up with four vintage roadies and a singlespeed built on a vintage roadie frame, three of 'em 531 frames, one all-Campy, one all Dura Ace, for way less than a good set of golf clubs. And bikes don't require green fees.

How's THAT for rationalization?

Sounds like you got a pretty good deal!

Any time I worry about spending too much on one of my resurrections (usually bought for $10-30, then add $100-250 putting it into the shape I want it in), all I need to do is go down to the local bike shop and start reading price tags.

Suddenly, $300.00 bicycles that look classic and ride well don't seem all that expensive.

Buy a Campagnolo tool kit and then you have something significant. There is no justification other than the satisfaction of using good tools and smiling when the case is opened up.

Heh.. yeah, $200 for a good bike is a good price, but i just spent close to $1800 on a new Bleriot and i really don't need another bike

So why did you bid on this one? TANSTAAFL
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Heh.. i put in a bid that was so low that i was sure it would be beaten, but for some reason nobody else bid, and i won.

It was also intended for a friend, but the frame is a bit small for him and seems like just my size...

I paid $180 for a bike with Stronglight cranks, then about $50 for a Stronglight puller. When you need it.....

I typically spent no more than $50 on any bike I have so far. I go to the flea market up the road, and they know very little and care even less about what they're selling. To them it's just a bike. The same for my local thrift store. If you know where to look you can get decent rides for peanuts. Granted I'm not digging up Campy equipped Italian bikes here, but nothing to sneeze at. You get a bike for $10-$20, suddenly the parts required for resurrection don't seem so costly.,,,,BD

74 Schwinn Super Sport. $10
83 Trek 560 road bike. $10
Late eighties Prelude. $50
81 Chrome Schwinn
Voyageur 11.8 $15
Mid eighties Peugeot PH-10 $9

Damn, I'm not even gonna say how much I have into my Bottecchia. More than it cost new that's for sure. Let's just say Italian stuff ain't cheap but it's what I always wanted growing up so what the heck. On the other hand I probably don't have more than $50 in my Peugeot PO8.

On the other hand I just plunked down $400 for repairs on my modern Bianchi (it's a long story for a different forum) so by comparison v&c bikes are a bargin.

Most any older bike is gonna need a few things - cables, housing, brake pads, tires, maybe a chain so you gotta figure you're gonna have to put something into it unless you're just really lucky. I would venture a bet that the typical person who sells a bike at a yard sale or donates it to the thrift store probably hasn't been maintaining it all that well. Now a bike on eBay or a bike swap might be in better shape but will probably go for a premium so either way you're shelling out a few bucks.

But with gas nearing $4/gal (and I know that's nothing for you guys in other parts of the world) it's worth having several different bikes that I will be inclined to ride instead of taking my truck. The Peugeot is going to get fenders, a rack, and panniers. That'll cost a few bucks. I wouldn't take it on the club ride but it's perfect for my commute to work or a quick trip to the grociery.

-Derrick

In all seriousness, I buy tools every time I flip a bike for profit. That doesn't figure into the profit/ loss column in any way. The best buy I ever made ( a long time ago) was a Shimano 4 piece tool set for head and BB (fits most Campy) and a chain whip, along with good cone wrenches(old Park).

After 20+ years they don't owe me much, but I use them all the time. Tools are usually cheaper on the street than on eBay.

A work stand is also much better than ropes off the ceiling, IMHO---but nothing beats a good set of BB & head tools.

Just remember, good tools last forever, and a good bike can make you live forever, or at least enjoy each minute you live!

Yep, it's the 'consumables' that make the difference; parts less prone to wear can always be found second hand. Of course, there's the eternal problem of 2nd hand parts often being more expensive than complete bikes, so do you buy the parts you need when you need them or do you wait until a good deal comes up on a complete bike with interesting parts. But then you start to really like that bike too and don't want to strip it for parts, etc etc... It's the vicious vintage circle!

As for worn parts, most of the bikes I found have fresh looking cones and races on most of the bearings. Like they were ridden a couple of times each summer for their entire existence, and never once cleaned. The main thing I run into??? Overtightened headsets!? So tight, that there are dents in the crown race? So, if you don't replace them, you get the sectional steering, lol. Other than tires/tubes, cables, brake shoes, etc (IE: Normal wear items) I never have to replace a part? I guess they all need to be bought in person, and checked over for broken stuff. I never have to replace much of anything?,,,BD

LOL! I'm in the exact same situation as the OP: Was looking for a commuter/trainer/beater bike, looked at some new bikes in the $600-800 range, decided it would be cheaper to get a used bike. (Plus that way I could hopefully satisfy my jones for a narrow-tubed lugged steel frame at the same time.)

Found a sweet Bridgestone 600 on eBay, paid $285. Woo-hoo!

Oh yeah, but the tires and tubes and brake pads were all original, 22 years old. So they get replaced. There's another $135.

Fit is kinda funky, so I ordered new bars and stem. $125

And the saddle is this bizarre-shaped hunk of suede which, in addition to being a bit too narrow, gets REALLY HOT! So I bought a new saddle ($110) and will probably get a new seatpost too ($70).

Of course, I'll need new bar tape once the bars arrive. And I'm thinking the DiaCompe brake levers are a bit large, so perhaps some Cane Creek short-reach levers ($76) will be required. For that matter, the original calipers are a bit iffy, so it might be a good idea to replace those with something reliable ($150).

Oh yeah, and then I'll definitely put Speedplay clipless pedals on this bike ($135)

So let's see, that's $285+$135+$125+... Holy crap, I should've bought the new $600-800 bike!!!

... don't know about that though; look at the aluminum monstrosities (ridiciculously oversized tubes with crude welds and sloping 'compact' geometry) you can buy at that price ... all a question of personal taste, surely, but there's good taste and bad taste as someone once said...

If your intent was to just get a good, reliable bike and have fun riding it - yeah, you should have.

Heh.. Of course, you got a much more beautiful and interesting bicycle for the same price as an ugly mass-produced aluminum monster

I agree about the parts though.. this is my first 'vintage' bike... it's practically as old as me, but i was really struck by how unergonomic some things are compared to today. Narrow little bars, downtube shifters, brake levers that are painful to grip, completely straight crankarms that force me to pedal pigeon-toed or my heel hits the crank at the BB end... It does make me appreciate my Rivendell, and realize that it is not an old fashioned bike - it looks that way to some extent, but it incorporates so many small improvements from the last 20 years in terms of comfort.

Yeah I don't think anyone had even thought of ergonomics back then. The Cinelli Unicanitor saddle on by bike is proof enough of that. I'm thinking of getting a San Marco Rolls ($40). And I love the bend of my handlebars but they are too narrow. Wish I knew somebody who could make some customer bars (yeah that wouldn't be expensive $$$). Then I need to get some of those pedal extenders ($40) I saw on Sheldon Brown's site so my heels don't hit the crank. Oh and a Campy Rally derailleur so I can run some reasonable gearing for the hilly terrain here - they seem to go for over $100 on eBay when they come up. It never ends.

Which is where the "ugly mass-produced aluminum monster" pulls ahead in the equation. You have to ride them, after all......

The best solution I've personally found (if you like the aesthetics/ride quality of older frames) is to find a quality older frame that you like and hang new stuff on it. Preferably Campy......

Done judiciously, you'll end up with a much better than entry level, very cool looking, very nice ridig bike with all the retro charm of yesteryear and the benefit of updated technology. For the same price of a modern "entry level" road bike.

It's not overtightening that causes dented crown races as much as corrosion. Get some moisture in there where a ball bearing sits on the same spot on the race maybe with little or dried lube and you get a little round rust spot under each one. People who run fenders on their bikes and don't store them on the apartment balconies sometimes have headsets last forever.

Then why no discoloration. though? The dents are as shiny, if not shinier than the rest of the race. If there
were dark spots in the dents, then I could understand it being rust.,,,,BD