Leroy Diplowski

so, I just ended up meeting this guy with a basement full of old bikes. Before I knew it I was handing the guy a wad of cash and loading my station wagon full of random old bikes and driving off. I ended up with:

A concord raven 10 speed 58cm with no seatpost or seat with shimano eagle/thunderbird hardware
A schwinn sprint 10 speed 56cm pretty much complete but the tires won't hold air
A Takara steel Frame 58 cm with no fork that's bare metal, but it looks to have some sort of chrome near where the rear wheel would go on

I'm an artist, so I have some big plans for how these frames will get painted. I picked them because I liked the way they looked and they were the right size for me, but I'm pretty much clueless when it comes to old bikes. I want to make at least one of these bikes into a daily rider asap and maybe one for my girlfriend as well. (she's 5'11" so they should fit her fine I think) I've been googling around and looking at ebay but I haven't been able to really find out much about them. The stickies on this forum are a little overwhelming as well. What I want to know is:

Are there any of these I should hold off on painting because they're collectible?
Where can I get parts, and are there any rules of thumb for what will fit? I haven't had much luck searching for stock parts, and I'm a little unsure about my measuring methods.
I'd like to fit modern parts like brakes and wheels to the one I'd be daily riding for safety reasons. They seem ok, but I ride up and down a pretty serious hill, should i trust the stock parts at 25? mph? Will modern brakes fit on a vintage bike? Also, would the schwinn or the concord make a better rider? Which is the more valuable bike?

I'm sorry if my questions seem a little dumb, I'm excited for my new bikes (that huffy mountain bike was sure getting old) and I want to get them on the road as soon as possible.

kpug505

P.S....Do you have any drive side pics?

stausty

What you have will make at least one and probably a second decent commuter bike. None are going to be collectable or particularly valuable on their own, but that shouldn't deter you in the least from enjoying riding them. There are several threads on this board that discuss the best way to paint the frames with whatever scheme you can dream up.

"Modern" brakes and wheels may or may not be what you need. It's not old vs. new you should worry about, necessarily - most of my daily commuter bike was made during the Nixon administration. There's no reason 25-year-old brakes and rims shouldn't run just fine if in good shape, but if you're worried about any particular parts you can post pictures here and we'll give you our opinions. Chances are you can find replacements for any pieces you need to swap out by posting in the ISO/WTB sticky. Even if you find mostly vintage parts, you should count on buying new cables, brake pads, bar wrap, tires, tubes, and maybe housing, and new grease to make it all run smooth.

I'd pick the bike that you think will fit you best and is in better condition or more complete. Specific questions are best asked with pictures so we can see what's going on. There is a recent thread about which calipers will work well for measuring things but many of the old timers on this board can tell you dimensions of some parts just with a picture and their extensive memories.

Don't be shy asking more questions - it's always fun to help someone get a vintage bike or two back on the road.

mkeller234

+1 on the previous comments.

I imagine both the Schwinn and Concord have steel rims, replacing those with aluminum would be a nice upgrade.

I fixed a concord for a friend that had the same components as your bike, I thought it was a nice solid entry level bike. They probably aren't worth much so I wouldn't hesitate to paint them if that is what you want to do.

Im Fixed

Ride both bikes you have enough parts to do that. The one that feels best you go with. Those old boat ancors can stand up to anything. Dont spend anymore than you have too.

Leroy Diplowski

Thanks for the info guys. Sorry about not having any pics, but I don't own a camera and the cellphone doesn't like to transfer pictures to my computer. I'll try to get some pics up once I start the painting 'tho. I've got the concord pretty much complete, so I think I'm gonna go take her for a spin.

e: is there such thing as a bicycle swap meet, and where would one fine out about such an event?

evwxxx

Hopefully you did not part with too large a wad of cash for those bikes.

huerro

our local swap met advertises on Craig's List in the Bikes section.

You might also have a local bike co-op that can help you with repairs and parts (usually in exchange for donations, some volunteer time, or both). Seems like most cities have one now.

Where are you located?

Leroy Diplowski

lol I don't think so, I spent 120 bucks for the bikes and about a dozen vinyls.

I live on the spacecoast in FL (I know you guys aren't gonna believe me about that hill I mentioned earlier, but it's a huge ass bridge) my friend is way into fixed gear bikes, so at least one of the bikes is going to be a fixed gear. I'm looking at the fixed gear wheelsets and there seems to be a good deals from $100-120 on various brands. Are these a good deal, or should I just spring for a set from an online retailer or a bike shop?

cudak888 

$90 too much.

-Kurt

Leroy Diplowski

C'mon, man The Who... on vinyl... oh well I guess I'll just have to enjoy them 4 times as much. I got the concord all ready to rock, and I'm gonna take it on a nice 10 mile ride to my fishing spot tomorrow that should be a good start.

e: oh, and I'm planning on media blasting the other two frames this weekend to get them ready for paint. I was thinking soda, but what do you guys think would be best? The frames all seem to be cro-moly steel so they should hold up fine right?

Im Fixed

Before you buy anymore bikes post here first......been there done that

Esteban32696

If you are going to keep the Schwinn rims, be sure you buy the Correct tire sizes !!! You will more than likely, considering your climate in that area, need cables, brake pads, tires, & tubes. That is a big bridge, & I would want the extra gears to get over it.
I have this set on vinyl,,, " Tommy ", by The Who !