frantik

hey folks, newbie here looking for a little advice on roadbikes

I used to have an 1987 Schwinn World Sport.. from what I've read, it was a middle-range bike, not the worst but definitely not the best Schwinn made.

I really liked that bike, and really regret selling it now. I want to get a similar quality bike, but I don't know anything about road bikes.. what are some comparable brands and makes from that era to look out for?

I'm hoping to not spend a ton of money.. don't need something that was the top of the line, just don't want to waste my time looking at bikes that will leave me disappointed

On a side note, it seems the vintage road bike market has exploded since when i sold my bike.. making me regret selling it even more since there is no way i'm going to get the same bike for the price i sold it for!

anyways, thanks

20grit

Most all of your major brands made a full range of bikes. You'll get varying opinions on which companies, which countries, etc were better. You'll be surprised what you can find bikes for price-wise if you're willing to do some hunting.

rccardr 

Tenax Schwinns from the late 80's are very nice. I'm partial to the '87 Tempo in teal and white, but others like the Circuit, Prelude, Peloton, etc. One of that list in decent shape but requiring tires/tubes/cable/housing/wrap/chain and possibly a saddle sells locally for about $300, perhaps less in a not-so-bike-centric area.

frantik

ok.. well if anyone can just name mid-range models for various brands then that would be cool.. not trying to start any fights or anything :-p

where are good places to look? I've been watching craigslist but even the rusted out POS bikes that need stuff replaced for go for $100+ around here due to the huge fixie scene in my city

edit: yeah $300 + parts to replace is way out of my budget lol.. i sold my world sport for $60 years ago but i think i'm dreaming that i will ever get a decent bike close to that price. lol

marley mission

yeah be on craigs or hit the flea markets - i have picked up almost all of my bikes for under 100 - my peugeot i got for 35 and it rides like a dream - i have an 86 world sport - just came back from a 30 miler this morning actually on the world sport



dont worry about brands - if u are on a tight budget you want to be vigilant on craigs - go check out some bikes and find one you like
big things to check regarding saving dough:

wheels - tires look ok or are they dried and cracked? are they spinning true?
drivetrain - any wiggle in the crankset / BB - concerning noises?
major dents, bends or insults to the frame?
how does it fit ya?
shift and brake systems intact / functioning?

if those areas check out ok the rest you can work with - you'll eventually want to clean it up or even overhaul some bearings but if you can get a bike that is RTR for 100 and under then you made out well and you should enjoy the heck out of it - after awhile you might start to discover that you lust for a particular brand or style of bike but that might take some time to discover your tastes

come here and look at rides - you'll get some ideas about whats out there - happy riding (and shopping)

frantik

cheers... I just noticed the vintage price forum after I posted this thread.. looks like a good place to get an idea of what i should be looking for. I also need to find out where all the flea markets are i guess. luckily soon i'll have a car again cause my MTB isn't so great for long distances

KonAaron Snake 

I haven't found flea markets to be a good place to buy bikes...in my area they generally want over what I see as average CL value and usually are selling pure junk. Scour Craigslist and put up a want to buy ad explaining what you're looking for.

If you're budget is $60, good luck. You should be able to get a world sport for 100ish if you're patient.

frantik

I would be willing to spend $100 or even a little more depending on the condition, I just want to make sure if I spend $100 I get a bike that is similar quality to a world sport. Like i know the Varsity isn't as good as the world sport, but I don't really know if i see a peugeot or something which ones are decent and which ones aren't so good

the main thing i want to avoid is a heavy frame i guess.. everything else can be replaced over time

marley mission

ideally what you look for on craigs is the guy who has had the bike unused for 30 years and needs space in the garage - thats when you get the good deal because really you are doing the seller a favor

flippers are what they are and you'll pay more but their bikes are either RTR or close to it

frantik

yeah the flippers swoop on all the good deals though :X lol

20grit

Peugeot Nice, Ventoux
Schwinn Premis, Prelude, Peloton, Circuit, Tempo, World Sport
Centurion Le Mans RS
Miyata 310 and up
Bridgestone RB-2 (some seem to think they're higher than mid range)
Trek- there are a bunch of 3 main tubes 531 treks out there.

There are many more. As I said, every major brand had mid-range bikes. Look on craigslist, find a bike that piques your interest. Then use google. There's plenty of info to be had on about every model. You can fairly quickly determine the quality using a simple google search.

KonAaron Snake 

The bikes named above are mostly going to be over $150...unless you get lucky. I also don't consider the World Sport a mid-range bike...it's an entry level bike and would be more eqivalent to a Miyata 110, Centurion Accordo, and the other entry level japanese bikes. The entry level Japanese bikes typically sell between 100-150 and I think that's what you're looking for. Personally I think you're better off spending 200-250 and getting a MUCH better level of bike...like a Specialized Sirrus and some of the stuff listed above.

Just type an ad into CL saying you're looking for an older bike like a Schwinn World Sport.

JunkYardBike

Garage sales.

frantik

yeah right now it's the end of the month so i got bills but i will be posting an ad soon.. in the meantime i've been keeping an eye out for good deals. i'd love to get a "much better" bike but I would be happy with anything like the old world sport i had

Keep the names coming..

asuperstar103

I see a lot of vintage bikes at flea markets in the WV and OH areas. I do a lot of festivals and flea markets in the spring and summer months. I'll try to get some pics this year and post them. Seen some really nice ones and most were priced around $100. I'm not really into riding vintage bikes, but I do like to look at them. :-)

due ruote 

+1 This is probably your best bet for finding a deal. Hit up as many as you can, and if you don't see any bikes, ask. Maybe they'll pull one down from the rafters. I'd look for something Japanese - Miyata, Univega, Centurion, Fuji, Bridgestone, etc. As much as I like French bikes, I'd stay away from them (unless you find one in really nice shape for a great price) because they use obsolete threading and finding parts can be difficult. Carry a small magnet with you. If it sticks to the rims, move on. Familiarize yourself with tubing decals. If it says Reynolds, Columbus, Tange or Ishiwata, or you see the words double butted or triple butted, put on your poker face. But even then, check the bike over carefully, and don't buy something with front end damage, ie. bent fork.

KonAaron Snake 

I think Due Route's advice is very good and I also think the best value are typically the Japanese bikes. I'd also suggest avoiding the French stuff unless you know what you're doing.

Here's a few other names to be on the lookout for...

Lotus
Panasonic
Kuwahara (a bit uncommon)
Nishiki

Keep an eye out on Raleighs too...they really run the gammut, but many would be comparable to your World Sport.

Avoid anything that weighs a ton, that says Huffy, Kent, Ross (there are a few exceptions, but for a general statement, Ross is usually junk), Next, GMC, and many many others.

frantik

Add to the list of brands to avoid: "Rand International" lol i bought a Rand bike and sold it within a week because it weighed so much and was total junk

thanks to Chris Chicago for the PMed info he sent me.. i cant send pms so i could reply back to you dude

thanks to everybody else for the tips and info.. i think i will try to hit up garage sales and see if i cant find something for a good deal

marley mission

basically avoid any bikes in my sig

huerro

An easy thing to look for on a brand or model that you don't know is the dropouts.

Forged dropouts usually indicated a decent frame, stamped dropouts usually mean you should keep looking.

I'll also add that while you will eventually find a bike for the price you want to pay, it is really worth considering how much your time and effort are worth. You can spend every Saturday and Sunday morning for a month at garage sales and thrift stores to find your $75 bike or you can spend those mornings riding your $150 or $200 bike.

triplebutted

Centurions. Tange 1 tubing.
I was a Italian Columbus tubing snob back in the 80's. Now I love the bikes I actually used see, mostly the Japanese ones. The Italian jobs are just way out of my price league these days. I regret ever getting rid of most of mine back in the 80's. I just rode them and sold them, traded them...whatever. Now I actually take care of my bikes.

RobbieTunes

The best bet is to find a bike, take a quick photo, and ask.

Kobe 

Instead of brands a few things to look for will generally tell you if a bike is a good one, at least in your price range.

1) If it has a type of steel listed, you want at least chromoly, hi-tensile steel is heavier.
2) Turkey levers, those additional brake levers they started adding in the seventies. Lower end bikes usually came with them.
3) Alloy wheels, steel wheels are heavy. You can find out with a magnet.
4) Shifters on the down tube. Lower end bikes usually have them mounted on the stem.

These are just guidelines, and you may have to sacrifice one or more in your price range. Especially if you go the CraigsList route.

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

Just get a Miyata, you can't go wrong. Even a 110 is as nice as a Schwinn World Sport. Besides, outside of bike nerds here most folks think Miyata is a small convertible car.

frantik

thanks to the info Chris Chicago sent me, i now actually know what is a good value and what isn't.. around here any road bike can be listed on CL for $100 - $200 regardless of condition or the quality of the bike.. now at least i know if i look at a Schwinn Sprint that it's below a World Sport.. until you get into the really higher end stuff, they all go for about the same price, so if im gonna buy something i want to get the best bang for the buck

haha yeah it does help to know other brands besides Schwinn.. everybody recognizes that name so they can sell for more