TheDTrain

Is this bike worth $45 bucks. Cuz it fits me and I'm gonna buy it. Look at it and tell me what you think. I can't tell what brand it is. Can anyone help me with that?


EDIT - my bad, the file is too big to upload by attachment, i'm going to have to get the picture onto a .mac homepage, stay with me here

EDIT NUMBER 2 - i got it onto a free .mac homepage, it was the only way for you guys to see, i did it all for you, now, follow link below

https://homepage.mac.com/thedtrain89/PhotoAlbum2.html

so what the verdict?

operator

Lool.

mwilding

Sorry, but I can't access your hard drive.

twahl

I'm afraid we aren't going to be able to see a picture that's on your hard drive.

TheDTrain

Click the link.

55/Rad

If you like it - then it's worth the money and more.

55/Rad

mwilding

If it shifts smoothly and brakes without the fork wobbling, I'd say $45 is some cheap transportation!

SenorCardgage

I think if the bike works it should be worth that. It all depends on what you are looking for - to fix that bike up into a good commuter could run you $100 after you start replacing tires, wrap the bars, etc. I think the only place you will find a cheaper price for such a bike (downtube shifters, old ratty tires) would be garage sales where you might only pay $10. Good luck!

TheDTrain

Can you guys tell what brand, model, and/or year of it? Cuz I don't want to email the guy to ask him, just want to find out myself.

sydney

Stem shifters,suicide brake levers,foam bar grips, now if it has bolt on axels and steel wheels,it's certified classic junkue'.

sydney

What's more revalent is that it is junkue'. The rest is just meanngless details.

TheDTrain

You think it's junk? Can you elaborate on why you think that? I think after new set of tires and some cleaning, it's be fine. Guy told me brakes and gears work fine.

ZappCatt

Looks like a good bike to get a ***** on!!!!

TheKillerPenguin

That's the bike pr0n equivalent of Bea Arthur

edit: was more in response to zappcatt than the OP.

sydney

I pointed out some of the apparent hallmarks.One mans junkue' is anothers treasure. Enjoy. Clean it up and ride it till it goes TU. Don't get dilusional about upgrading to CF forks or some high $$ wheels or campy or shimano handlebar shifters.

Pfoot

I think it is worth about $38

oopfoo

You're not going to get a good opinion on this part of the board unless some of the Classic and Vintage retro-grouches are lurking around.

My opinion: if you're looking for cheap transportation, then you've found it, though $45 is pretty steep for a rather ratty no-name (at least, I've never heard of Apollo)--I would check out the local thrift shops for a more suitably-cheap beater. I wouldn't put much into it; it's not exactly a racer, and you're not going to turn any heads in any crowd. To most here, it's junk, unless it's some sort of vintage find that someone, somewhere will like for its sentimental value.

Why it looks like junk: 1) no-name, 2) department-store pedals, 3)lotsa reflectors, 4) stem shifters, 5) cheap, saddle clamp rather than rails and seatpost, 6) foam grips, 7) suicide brake levers, 8) hoodless brakes, 9) stamped crank body, 10) 27" steel solid, bolt-on wheels, 11) no rear derailleur hanger, 12) basic, department-store derailleurs. That said, it's an EXCELLENT town bike or commuter for fun. I love junk, and have a re-made Huffy International that I converted to fixed-gear and rebranded a GNOTTACINELLI (get it? poke poke poke... get it? Not bad for a 30# pseudo-track bike).

Post over on Classic and Vintage, and you'll get a better assessment of what it actually is, rather than just screams of "Trash! Junk! Crap!".

sunninho

Go check it out, ride it. Looks like it'll ride fine and owning a steel bike as your first isn't a bad thing at all

[edit: Well, the stem mounted shifters actually isn't too cool, with STI and Ergo being around for so long.]

sydney

Good catch. Junkue' is highly regarded over there. Plenty of card carrying sunshine blowers too.

ViperZ

It looks to be in good shape for a vintage bike of that era.

It's an Apollo. They were a solid brand name in the late mid 70s-80s sold in Bike stores. They would have been a step-up over the department store bikes. Apollo made a range of bikes from entry level pipes to higher end double butted cro-mo frames with the top line components.

By the looks of it, that bike was not a top line Apollo. It has steel rims, and a cottered crank.

I suppose if you are just looking for something to ride, it would do. If it was say $20, I would buy it just for fun

TheDTrain

oopfoo, I got a few more question if you don't mind. I'm kinda a newbie, so how can you guys tell the bike is steel, not aluminum just by looking at it? Also what exactly are stem shifters and what are good shifters? What characterizes a suicide brake lever, what kind is a good brake lever? What are deraileur hangers and hoodless brakes?

Reflectors I can take off, tires I can replace for around 50 bucks, no? I'll get rid of the foam grips and replace it with the tape grips.

LungRider

I can't tell the brand/model. Looks to me like lugged steel in cosmetically good condition. Check to see if the rear DR hanger is straight, make sure it shifts smoothly, and make sure there isn't a little click or detent at any point in the steering, and make sure you can brake hard without anything wobbling, as someone else mentioned. If it passes these tests, its probably worth the price.

twahl

If you look at the intersections between the different frame pieces, you'll see these socket like things that the frame tubes kind of plug into. They are called lugs. That makes it a lugged frame. The vintage pretty much makes it a lugged steel frame. The suicide brakes are the little extra brake levers that can be reached from the tops of the handlebars. You can not use them, use them, or remove them. They aren't inherantly bad but they do tend to bend, especially if you put a lot of pressure on them, and leave you in trouble if you rely on them. You can always choose to just use the regular brake levers and you'll be fine. The hoodless brakes refers to the fact that modern brake/shift levers are designed so that your hands can be comfortable riding on the top or hoods of the brake levers. The ones on that bike don't have that feature. The shifters are mounted on the stem, which again isn't inherently bad, unless you crash and impale your throat with them or something. They are probably friction shifters rather than ratcheted, which is fine and allows for fine adjustments when shifting. Pretty reliable and easy to maintain.

The bike looks pretty clean cosmetically, which may give it better than even chances of being mechanically sound. If the wheels are straight and everything shifts OK, it wouldn't be a bad bike start out with, and assuming you are going to use it for some basic transportation, don't bother upgrading it much...maybe bar tape and tires if it needs the tires. Put a lock on it and if it gets stolen you won't be out much.

sweeny

Buy it, i started on a $40 **** of **** Miyata Two-Ten. I recommend buying a **** of **** before buying something over $500, because you never know if you are going to like it or not. Also, once you can push a heavy ass bike like that, or my Miyata, up a hill at around 20 mph, you are ready to buy a new bike and enter come races.

P.s. to answer your ***** question, postition your pecker so it points toward your belly button.

allgoo19

No. If you are willing to spend $45.-, you can do a lot better than that. That's pretty close to a Mart bike. Buying used bike takes time. Don't buy the first one you saw. That bike, in my guess, the original price was about $125.-. I have seen some of people I know bought a bike (again, my guess) original price of about $400.- at $50.- at garage sale.