+1 especially on that Bianchi Lynx.

Aye, thanks.

On the first one, while it has a nice price at $75, it looks like the fork might be a suspension fork (was trying to avoid those). According to Bikepedia, it seems to depend on the year. I emailed him and asked about it.

On the second one, I was hesitant to contact the seller before (it was previously listed for $180, now relisted at $160) because it seems to be too tall (listing says 51cm, and my calculated size for MTBs is ~44cm - see previous post), and based on other options I was hoping for something a bit cheaper.
I contacted him anyway asking about the height thing - if it fits I figure I may be able to get the price down just a tad lower.

Will see.

The Bianchi is rigid fork (not suspension).
The Specialized is a good fit if you're 5'9". Its not an MTB, but a hybrid (700c wheels). Put slim tires on and it should be like a touring bike w/ flatbars.

Yup, the Bianchi looks like about a 1997; according to BikePedia it came in blue, had a rigid fork, and featured Alivio/Acera components. I'd buy it for $75 if it's in decent shape.

http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/B...Lynx&Type=bike

Hybrids from that era (like that Specialized) are basically mountain bikes with road wheels. They use MTB components, but are meant to be more road-friendly. That being said, a rigid MTB with slick tires makes an excellent road-worthy commuter.

I like the Bianchi just because it's a Bianchi, and therefore seems more exotic. ;)

Sounds good. I'm awaiting their reponses; the only guy that has gotten back to me so far has been the one that listed this Raleigh M50 here.

He says that he'll be taking pics soon and that the model came out around '98. Bikepedia lists models in '99 and '97, so I'm guessing it's a '99 that came out in '98. The 1999 model supposedly has a suspension fork (while models 1997 and older do not), and I'm awaiting clarification on that.



lol

http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/bik/2152458170.html

This is very interesting and I doubt that its still available. It is a touring bike with cantilever brakes. That frame is probably worth the price alone.

The seller of the Raleigh M50 seems to be responsive (haven't heard anything from the other sellers - I'm guessing those are already sold). He emailed back with pictures from his camera (higher res than posted on craigslist), and said the bike was a rigid fork (which is obvious from the pics).

From bikepedia I'm not quite sure what year it is - seller said circa 1998, and it's black in color (which goes with the 1999 model), but it's a rigid fork (which is good but leaves me confused as to the model year).

So this is probably the first one I might actually have a chance on. What do you all think? Is it worth about $110 (if it's in good condition)? Was Raleigh making decent bikes in the late 1990s? Or should I wait for one that's been sitting in someone's garage (this one seems a bit more well used than others)?

This is the link to the CL posting:
http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/bik/2153581683.html
And this is the link to the 1997 model on bikepedia (not sure of correct year):
http://bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeS...=M50&Type=bike

Thanks!

I have been riding a 1994 M60 for the past three years -- over 5000 miles and it has been a solid bike. Over the course of those miles I had to replace the chain, cassette and rear derailleur.

If it is ready to go $110 would be an okay price in your market. You should check everything for wear and I would try to get the cost down a bit. Factor in buying new tires -- almost every old bike I have ever bought needed the tires replaced.

Bug the Bianchi seller. The specialized is nice too.
If I'm the one buying though, I would jump on that Miyata. :)

Looks like based on what the seller said about the components its a 1993 or maybe even older. If its in great shape and tuned up and ready to ride it might be worth $110, but I might just keep looking. You can probably find a better deal than that. These old bikes can be bulletproof, but if they have stuff wrong with them the costs add up fast especially if you have a bike shop do the work. A little patience goes a long way to getting what you want.

I would call and see if they still have that bike. If you decide you don't like a singlespeed you can covert it back to mutispeed or trade it for what you want. That bike is a killer deal. I would sell it for at least $200 here in Lincoln if I let it out of my bike herd.

If only SA isn't too far away (sigh). I'm in Chicago.

Hm... please pardon my obliviousness, but what is special about the Miyata and its frame? Is it the cantilever brakes or the brand or what? It's a bit late at night to call now, but I could email now and then call in the morning.

The reasons I didn't call before were that it's a single speed (hilly area) and it says anyone taller than 5'9" would fit it (I'm 5'9"). I was also kinda afraid it might not have eyelets for a rack and fenders, but I suppose that's something I could have just asked the seller about.

I do somewhat fancy the road bike speed-advantage-thing, so if it's a good deal and it's still available (probably not on the latter part), I could go try the fit. Also, would it be worth it to put multiple gears on it afterwards?

Thanks.


Edit:
Blast, the Bianchi was sold.

Its a nice touring bike and somewhat rare too. I already have two touring bikes, so my intention for consideraing it is mainly for flipping.

It will serve you well as a commuter too. It just that, you are going to invest a little more to bring it back to a multi-gear form. Not hard to do if you're handy with tools.
Unless you're okay with single speed, then go for it. Just make sure it fits right.

Just call and see if its there. I think there is a pretty good chance it will fit. It doesn't look like a very big frame. You can ride it as is for a while and save up money to convert it back but you might not want to. Seriously just call. :)

Gray Man, would you be willing to travel to Corpus?

http://corpuschristi.craigslist.org/bik/2150573923.html

Hm, probably not unless there's a really good deal (Corpus is 2.5 hours away). I was considering checking the Austin craigslist on Thursday/Friday if I don't have something by then, as I could probably get a ride up there on the weekend (it is <1.5 hours away). It's a lot of travel time with either, considering there's a significant chance it might not work for me (for example, if the bike I go there for ends up being too big, or rusted out, etc.).

Thanks though.

Right now I'm basically waiting until tomorrow morning to see what else pops up. The guy with the specialized crossroads did get back to me (and confirmed that I should probably be able to fit, etc.), but I don't really like the money to bike ratio. Perhaps I'm being too selective though.


Again, thanks all for the help.

http://austin.craigslist.org/bik/2151833983.html

http://austin.craigslist.org/bik/2151365146.html

http://austin.craigslist.org/bik/2151160499.html

http://austin.craigslist.org/bik/2149734304.html

I like the Cannondale and Fuji the best.

P.S.
I lived in Corpus for almost two years. I used to drive to SA to attend gunshows and shoot at gun matches. Memories...
:)

One thing you can do is search in some other CL categories. Search for the words "bike" and "bicycle" individually in categories like "general" and "sporting goods". Sometimes you can find stuff in there that are good deals and not everyone else has seen.

Anyone have a general idea as to how much it would cost to convert the miyata back to multi-speed?

Thanks

So are you saying its still available?

The answer to your questions is it depends. Its not out of the question to say you could buy another bike for $50 or less and move the parts over. It could be even cheaper than that if you find a bike co-op with the stuff you need. If you like the bike then I think you can find a way to convert it to a multi-geared bike pretty inexpensively. You could even just add a rear freewheel or cassette what ever that hub takes, add a rear derailleur and a stem shifter. That would be pretty cheap and easy to do. Of course you could easily spend a bunch of cash if you wanted to convert it back, but if budget is a concern I think you can get it converted within you budget. That bike is worth more than what they are asking for it and would be a great commuter. It looks like its in good shape from the pic.

He hasn't sold it yet, but there's another buyer. I might be able to buy it after the seller gets off work later.
Thanks, that's good to know. It's quite possible that I may like it as a single speed, but I wanted to make sure I have options if that's not the case (given the hills in the area). And, of course, I don't expect to always be in this tight situation, so if it did end up costing a bit more, I suppose I could wait a while to upgrade it.

While you're at it, ask the seller if the original parts are still around. Ask that it be included on the sale. Its really not that hard to convert it back to multi-gear if you have all the parts.

Being 5'9 myself I ride a 19" hardtail and 54cm touring bike (LHT are sized larger). I prefer slightly larger frames for road riding. I had a 17" frame and I felt cramped, but everyone is different.

For a MTB 17-19" should be about right. For road bikes 54-56cm would be about the range. Again, these are ranges and everyone has different preferences and body dimensions (long inseam, short arms, long torso, etc.).

:D

So I now have a blue Miyata SixTen with a triple butted frame.

It's very light (aluminum) compared to, say, the dept store bikes (cheap steel). It has some scratches on it (and some weird stickers), but nothing major. Apparently the seller got it from a thrift store for a hundred bucks a while back or something (was in worse condition), and is trading up to a steel frame because apparently he was advised to not turn it into a fixie.

He gave them to a friend, who apparently can hook me up with them or something approximately equivalent.


It doesn't have a kickstand... is this normal?


I'll post more info later.