gnarly

Hello everybody! So I'm a college kid, and I need a bike for commuting to work and school. I was thinking about restoring or purchasing a vintage or classic bike, but I'll be honest, I have no idea where to start. I was poking around Craigslist and didn't find much. So I found this page:
https://blog.urbanoutfitters.com/feat...bike?100920apt
and to give you an idea of what I'd like to restore/purchase, click on the picture of the guy with a blue and red horizontally striped shirt, in the second row. He has a cool old Miele bike that he uses for commuting and long-distance travels. I'd like something like that! (Does anyone know what model it is? If you can't see try zooming in by pressing Ctrl and +)

I don't have a huge budget, so I'm not looking for a complete fixer. I'd love to get ahold of that guy's Miele bike though! Any help, or recommendations would be very much appreciated!

PS, how much does a paint job on a bike usually cost?

Fasteryoufool

Some Questions:

1. What's your budget?
2. Where are you located?
3. How tall are you?
4. Do you ever want to sell the bike?

It's important, because all of those factors will influence what you buy, and how you treat it. If you've got a budget of $100, find an old Schwinn Varsity and put it into working order.

I ask where you're located, because there are many people on here that will look and find bikes to suggest for you. Also there are likely to be members in your area that will help you.

How tall you are (obviously) limits your choices due to frame size.

And whether or not you plan to sell the bike at some point in the future determines whether or not you should get a bike painted. As does the bike itself... some bikes it's no big deal on, but some bikes you probably shouldn't.

chris902

Urban outfitters has an online bike shop now? Is there anything more predictable than the fact that none of the bikes they sell have more than one speed on them?

That guy's bike is not the sort of thing you easily track down: it's pretty clearly a frankenstein like combination of a 1980s 10 speed frame (and not a super common one, even in Canada) with new rims, a fixed gear, a new fork, etc. Do you want to ride a fixie or do you just mean you like that general look?

Check out the English three speed thread on this forum. A good Raleigh sport is probably ideal and can be had for a reasonable price. I use a 1977 Raleigh Sport that cost $70 for a short commute and riding around town and it suits my needs perfectly.

cycleheimer

Suggestions....

**grab a new bike right now from Nashbar using their 20% of a single item sales promotion**some way below half-price (start at about $120), just pay S&H ($35+/-)**light assembly required, and a few adjustments***

a) Older hybrid with 700C wheel set and places to attach water bottle cages, fenders and a read rack. Very versatile.
b) An old English 3-speed in good condition if you only ride 1 to 4 miles over level terrain.
c) A decent Japanese road bike from the '80's if you are looking to rack up some relatively "trouble free" mileage.

If used, try to get a solid, well-made bike with good frame material and components in as close to perfect, original condition as possible if you plan to keep it for a long time. Don't worry about it needing new tires/tubes (as long as it is taken into consideration in the price), since they can be purchased inexpensively online and are easy to install.

Paint jobs...

$5 "rattle can" paint jobs do not hold up very well, and destroys the value of anything other than a $20 beater.

$75+ "pro" paint jobs aren't usually worth it for the average bike, since you're better off putting that money into a different bike that doesn't need a paint job (if the paint job is important to you). Financially, an original paint job & decals in good condition is usually best. Better off being more selective when purchasing a bike, and putting the money otherwise spent on a paint job into getting a better quality bike and/or new tires, accessories, etc.

Buy your tires, tubes, cables, etc. online and save some serious cash. Try places like Niagara Cycle Works and Nashbar.

Andrew F

Maybe, probably not in the end. Remember, gnarly is "a college kid", I think spending a few extra dollars for a tube at your LBS can really be the better deal. For instance, if You have to replace a cotter on your 3spd and all the banging and cursing won't make it move, a good relationship with your LBS will come in handy. Or a jockey wheel crumbles and you gotta get to class in an hour, simple jobs with the right tools and the fix is done in minutes as opposed to the time and effort spent scrounge up the tools and a place to work.

cycleheimer

Or having a friend on campus who is a competent bike mechanic...trues wheels, adjusts brakes and deraileurs, etc. You hang out, work on the bike, talks about sports or other stuff, and all is well.

banjo_mole 

1. Support local business. We're a country run by corporate interest, and we need to vote with our dollar, and enrich our communities. Local, all the way.

2. On that note, ugh! Urban Outfitters- All of those people look like they're made out of plastic and trying to sell me an idea that I don't agree with.

The tandem had a derailleur... But it was missing it's stoker.

For The Love Of English 3-Speeds There it is! Go there!

Good luck with your adventure, and keep your eyes peeled. Cycleheimer's A, B, and C pretty much sum it up.

jimmuller 

The thread title is: I need help with my first vintage bike?
Are you asking if you need help? How would we know that?
Welcome to BF. (Ah, as a "college kid" surely you know that ending your sentence with a question mark means you are asking a question. Yeah, I'm being a curmudgeon.)

As for selecting and fixing your bike, if you are on a budget the biggest factor determining what you ride will be what is available. Parts can be swapped on most bikes, but you must start somewhere, and part-swapping costs money too. Look around in your area. Forget buying a used bike that you can't examine in person.

Read Craig's List but be aware that it can be a minefield. Some people list inexpensive bikes with, shall we say, unjustified superlatives, and set a price accordingly. Some bikes on CL have been wrecked. Most important, look for a bent frame.

Good bikes are often snapped up by "flippers", i.e. people who fix them up and re-sell them. That's a good way to go if you have the budget because a good flipper will have fixed, lubed, or adjusted the important stuff. If you want to do all that yourself you must have a good eye for what makes good starting material. Experienced flippers recognize that when a bike is described as "world champion" or "racing bike", it probably isn't.

Consider your priorities. Having a good -looker is nice but such a bike may be more susceptible to theft. Far more important is having a reliable bike that fits you, that has the features you need (gearing, saddle, carrying capacity, etc.), and that is easy to maintain.

phoebeisis

I recently sold a Trek 750- double butted Chrome Moly steel frame-700c with plenty of clearance for up to 40mm tires, and room for fenders, racks-for $210.
It was in excellent shape.

A made in USA bike like that is very versatile.
You can get the same thing a bit cheaper-Trek 930,950,970 if you don't mind 26" wheels.

In general the 70's.80's "vintage" steel bikes on CL are waaaaay overpriced carbon steel-heavy, dead riding- not much bike for the money bikes.
The current "vintage" craze will end-always does-and once again a bike with a good frame will be a good bike.A bike with a crummy steel frame will once again be a crummy bike.
Don't waste any money on a steel frame that isn't at least straight gauge chrome Moly(or 531 but good luck with that).Be careful-some Treks-Trek 700 and 800- have a sticker that says "Chrome Moly seat tube" typical cheapout.

Lugs are OK, but they certainly don't make a frame better(usually make a good frame worth more $$ of course).

You should be able to get a good bike-fully functional-DB Chrome Moly-700c wheels-for $250 or less.No work required-but you will want to tinker.
Don't buy a $250 1972 Schwinn Varsity- it is a crude , heavy bike-UNLESS YOU COLLECT THEM- but you don't.
Charlie
PS Schwinn "made" (in Asia-Japan,Taiwan)lots of decent Chromo framed bikes in the mid 80's- nice bikes-10-12-maybe 14 speed.
Trek actually made in USA lots of bikes with good frames-
The frame makes a bike good or not good-components- parts are parts."Silk purse sows ear"

chris902

None of those bikes are for sale. It's just pictures of bikes ridden by their staff. If you click through it will take you to their bike shop where they sell two models in a wide variety of color combos - one is a hipster fixie with straight handle bars and a flip flop hub. The other is a step through frame cruiser single speed. Endless color combinations, no choice in components or anything else.
Anyway, we both agree on that particular "bike shop", I think.

gnarly

First, let me thank you all very much for responded with advice!
To answer the questions on the first reply:
1. I'd say no more than about $150, I've been saving up. I could stretch it to $200 if I could get a way better bike.
2. San Luis Obispo, CA. I am also frequently in Visalia, CA (the central valley).
3. about 6 ft.
4. I would love to keep the bike for a long time, I don't really plan to sell it, but you never know what the future holds.

I'm fine with the bike not being a total original bike, I just thought if I could get an older frame and put on the new gear it would save me a little $$.

Thank you for the suggestion! I'll check it out and keep you posted.


To clarify, yes I'm looking for that style of bike. I have a mountain bike that I'm fine with, but these bikes usually ride faster, and for commuting they would be much better. I would like it to be lightweight because I have to lug it upstairs (Hence me wanting to have the "vintage", lightweight style to replace the big, heavy mountain bike). I don't need a racing bike, I want a casual bike like the guy in the picture (red and blue striped shirt), with the regular handlebars and such.

old's'cool

Don't expect to snag a bargain on your first foray into the market, unless you have an experienced vintage bike guy or gal doing the legwork for you. But take all the advice above and at least you won't get ripped off.
It's cool that you want a vintage bike and want to keep it for a while. You might get the best result if you can borrow a bike or buy a real cheap beater to get you by while you get up to speed on vintage bikes, before you buy your "keeper". My $.02

Good luck, and keep us posted!

jimmuller 

If I bought a new tandem would it normally come with a stoker? Or would the LBS install one for me? Would it be compatible with Wife 1.0? Somehow I doubt it...