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.

You got a nice bike for the money. That was a great suggestion to try and get the old parts. I would get whatever you can from the friend of the seller so if you want to convert it back you can.

Kickstands on nicer bikes are add on accessories so yes this is normal. You can pick a cheap one up for $10 or less if you want one. I would give you one if you lived closer. Alot of my bikes don't have kickstands on them.

I'll look forward to more info and some pics.

Good job! Congratulations.

' sure its aluminum not steel?

If you must get a kickstand, get the one that mounts at the back.
http://www.bikesomewhere.com/bikesom...5307/35455?g=1
That way you can roll your bike forward while its deployed if you have to. But I would get a bike lock and/or a rear rack first before I get a kickstand, but that just me.

Have a safe and joyful ride!

Thanks :D
Yes indeed - I wouldn't have thought to ask otherwise. I'm hoping he'll have the original parts, but if not, oh well.
Ah. I just wanted to make sure; I actually think it's a bit cool not having one (especially on such a slim-looking bike as this). If I find that I need one, I'm sure I'll find one that I like.


Hm, unfortunately I'm not sure if there's much to report (sorry), and I'm not sure whether I have access to a camera (will know tomorrow).
I'm busy adjusting the seat right now getting it all leveled out and to the proper height and such (was a bit interesting trying to figure out how and struggling with getting the seatpost off).

After I get it adjusted, I'm going to finish wiping it down (there was some dirt). I think it may need a paint job eventually due to some scratches, etc (if I decide to keep it for a long time, that is).

Tomorrow I'm going to see about getting a derailleur system back on it, and then I'll start accessorizing it (fenders, rack, lights, etc.)


Thanks. Your posts especially helped to get me into the whole craigslist thing.
Err - no, actually, my mistake. I had thought it was steel, then I think the seller said it was aluminum, and I didn't see any rust on the frame (even though components had rust), and it was lighter than I imagined, so I guess I assumed it was aluminum. However, wikipedia says it's Chromoly [steel], and there are two stickers on the fork that each read "Mangalight Manganese Steel Tubes".
Aye, I'm thinking bike lock ASAP, then fenders and rear rack as convenience/comfort accessories. Might not even get a kickstand.
Thanks.


I think by now the bike is dying to be ridden somewhere... :D

Thanks everyone for the help & support. Definitely better than a Mongoose Paver (which wouldn't have arrived until next Monday if I had ordered it, anyway).

Yeah ride it for a while an make sure you really like it before considering a new paint job. Of course I can't tell from those CL pics, but alot of times the original paint job on a bike even with scratches is just fine. Clean it up and if you want it to shine wax the paint. You can also put some touchup paint (fingernail polish works good) and you will have something to be proud of.

If you are leaving it anywhere unattended the bike lock is the most important thing you can buy.

Well, now I know why it was so cheap - upon further inspection (and removal of the seat post) quite a bit of rust inside the tubes, and some spots outside. Some of the components show rusting as well. :eek:

Oh well.

Is it safe to ride/how do I tell?

The rust might be superficial so I wouldn't worry to much. You might want to get the frame treated with JP Weigels frame saver. Fix whatever needs fixing and definitely a good lock to start off with.

Thanks, I'll try the Frame Saver (and I'm also considering using another chem to remove/convert the existing rust).

As to the lock, I was thinking about getting a OnGuard Bulldog Mini TC U-lock (or the Pitbull Mini) and putting it through the rear wheel rim & tire, inside the triangle as described here, and then also getting a cable lock for front wheel, seat, etc (not sure which cable lock yet though).

I use the Onguard Bulldog Mini 7. I like it because its larger than a mini, but smaller than a standard. A lot of us use the Sheldon method of locking that you cited. With my lock I am able to go through the back tire, both chain stays, and the post I am locking it to.

Depending on your area probably any cable lock should work. Locking is more a deterrent than anything else.