spurdy

Just moved to a new area, and looking into getting my first road bike for commuting. Found this on the local Craigslist:

Takara Olympian

What do you think, will this work as a reliable commuter (I know, anything will "work", but I think you know what I mean)? I've asked him if it's got the braze on's for a rear rack, but he's not sure (checking it out for me.) But I figured either way I could fit one. Fenders may present a problem, but I can figure something out. Since this is my first road bike, I figured I'd see what ya'll thought.

What about price, as far as I can figure it, the Takara's were from 70's / 80's bike boom from Japan. Haven't found out anything about this particular model, but from what I've googled and picked up from BF, this should have been a mid-level bike at the time. $100 seem steep?

I know fit is a very complicated question, but he says he is 5'8" and it fits him perfectly. I'm 5'10" on a tall day, and I'd figure the 53cm may be good for me. I'm guessing the answer is just to get on the damn thing and ride it. Thanks as always!

Sirrus Rider

Looks like it has the braze-ons for a rear rack; however; I'm not sure if it has the braze-ons for the rack stays up on the seat stays.

stringbreaker

No worries about the rack just get the clips like I did for one of my bikes and you are good to go.

tjspiel

I don't think it was common for bikes of that vintage to have braze-ons on the stays. P-clips will work fine.

I'd says it's a good bike for the price as long as it's in good mechanical condition.

anastrophe

That's about going price for your average Japanese bike boom roadie around here. It's a nice frame, forged dropouts, some eyelets. Fender clearance may or may not be an issue, you'd really have to see it in person I think. Downtube shifters are difficult to use in traffic--if you do get it, I'd switch them for something else (either bar-end or brifters), but everyone's got an opinion on that subject. You should poke around at C & V, a lot of people there have 80's road bikes that they use for everyday vehicles.

tjspiel

Since it has a "Light-Action" derailleur I'm guessing it's an 80's bike. I rode an 87 Peugeot all last summer. Downtube shifters are not the greatest for riding in traffic but they're OK once you get used to them. You might have to swing your knee out a bit when pedaling to give your hand some room to get to the shifter.

On the plus side, they are reliable and cheap to replace if you ever need to, - no so with brifters.

anastrophe

True that. And like I said, everyone's got an opinion.

spurdy

I'm going to check out the LBS today to see how much it would be to upgrade from downtube shifters to either brifters or bar end shifters. If that's not out of this world, I may go for this bike. It does look like it has the holes for a rack, which isn't really a big deal either way. If upgrading the shifters proves more then $100 or so, I'll probably just pass in favor of a new bike.

Thanks for your catch on the shifters, and your advice. I hadn't notice that, and it's a big catch.

tjspiel

Brifters are going to cost well over $100. Not only will the shifters need to be replaced, the minimum they come in is 8 speed (I believe), which means you'll need a whole new rear hub and cassette.

Barends - maybe but I suspect by the time labor is included, you'll still be looking at over $100.

Here's what I would recommend. If you have the money, by all means get a new bike. You might also be able to find a bike on Craiglist with barends or brifters for under $400

If not, the Takara is a pretty decent bike for $100. Last night I was riding an older Univega I picked up last summer. It had downtube shifters and you know what? They're not so bad. They're not as finicky as brifters in my opinion. If you're going to be a commuter, it's good to know how to work on bikes. Starting with an older bike is not a bad idea. If you put a Hyperglide freewheel on that Takara and adjust everything properly it'll shift nice and smooth.

spurdy

I hate it when you don't get an update to what the person actually ended up doing, so here you go:

I was put off on the Takara because of the downtube shifters, so I started looking at new bikes (for some reason there are no used bikes in Augusta, Ga). I had kind of zeroed in on some SS FG bikes like the Masi Speciale Commuter. Mostly because I had hit sticker shock on all of the entry level road bikes, and because I wanted to give fixed gear a try. That's when I had the realization that if I was going to drop ~$800 on a bike that I had no idea if I'd really like, why not buy the Takara then convert it later if I wanted to?

So I went and test rode it, and liked it. Mostly because it had some character to it. I think the frames a tad bit small for me, but I think raising the seatpost and stem a bit should make it more comfortable. And at $100, it still leaves me with plenty of money to throw into components! So far I'm thinking the rack and maybe some clipless pedals / shoes. Some inline brake levers eventually to round it all off.


Thanks to all for the comments! And Tispiel, I think you are right that downtube shifters aren't terrible. They just took a little to get used to. I only shifted once during the test ride, but once I took my first ride around my neighborhood, I was shifting a whole lot better. I still think brifters or bar end shifters are the way to go, but for this one, I'm happy.