Hugh

My friend asked me to post this for him. His English skills are on the slim side and he doesn't have a computer. He's from Bulgaria.

So my friend has an old Panasonic DX2000 that he bought used about 20 years ago. It's mostly been sitting in the garage, until this year, when his wife started riding with some friends. They invited him along, so he dragged out the old Panasonic, got some new tires, put on some new brake levers with comfier hoods, and got some new shoes and SPD pedals. He's been having a great time riding with the wife and this group, but they're giving him a hard time about riding around on such a dinosaur. This is my friend speaking, of course.

So he wants to cave in to peer pressure, be a good American and buy a new bike to help out the economy. He's ridden some new bikes, but he thought there'd be more of a night-and-day difference between the old bike and the new ones. The new bikes feel nice, they've got all those gears, the STI shifters and those zippy, skinny tires. But the difference in ride just doesn't seem worth the $1000-to-$1200 he was planning to spend. Which is a lot less than many of you folks spend, but it's a big deal to him. That's what my friend says.

So my, er, his question to the good people of bikeforums.net is: Have any of you gone through this? Did you buy a new bike and discover the change wasn't as substantial as you'd expected? Or did you buy the new bike and, after a few days/weeks/months, realize the difference was worth it? Or were you pleased with the new ride from the get-go? Or is there a bunch of us out there, lurking but still riding the old stuff?

One other issue is that my friend is planning on riding an MS 150 next year, along with a century or two. Do you think the old Panasonic will stand up to this, or, after 20 - 25 years, are parts about to start falling off?

My friend looks forward to your thoughts and thanks you very much!

14max

Would you, I mean, your friend be opposed to possibly upgrading the Panasonic? How does he like the ride of the frameset? Is it worth upgrading? Instead of sinking money into a new bike (which can get pretty crazy) he might just consider upgrading the drivetrain (shifters/chain/cassette/derailleurs) to a 9 or 10 speed and go with a lighter set of wheels. That could make the old Panasonic feel like new. Just a thought...

cs1

Panasonic was a very well made bike in it's day. If you asked this question in the Vintage forum they would tell you to keep the Panasonic and have fun. You'll find that in this forum most of the posters like more modern amenities like aluminum, titanium and carbon. Not that they're better just super high on the Bling factor, IMO. I'll probably get severly flamed for that remark but it's true.

New tires, tubes, bar tape and maybe some cables are all you need to keep your er his trusty steed running. Good luck

Tim

HWS

Tell your buddy to save his cash until he's sure he wants to stick with cycling. Fix up that Panasonic. At this stage of the game for him it's more engine than bike.

sydney

Actually, Panasonic made very good to bottom of the barrel junk. The DX 2000 was good enough(double butted cromo tubing) to hang onto and enjoy,but not worth dumping a forutne into upgrades,unless one is a skilled do it yourselfer that can source parts aright.

Hugh

In looking at some other threads dealing with the "upgrade" approach, it seems like a lot of folks tend to advise against too many mods, especially going from the old 27" wheels to 700s, and spreading things out to accomodate a 9 or 10 speed. I'd love to, er, oops, my friend would love to go that route, assuming it's not more work than it's worth. If anyone could point me in the direction of some other threads I might have missed, or some other resources detailing the conversion process, I'd be very grateful. Er, so would my friend.

Thanks.

sydney

That was just lame advice you quoted above....It's more money, time, and effort than that frame is worth,especially since you ooops. your friend don't have a clue about what it involves.If you , oops your friend wants 9 or 10 soeed, just go buy one.

sydney

Considered one could buy a new or good used bike for that kind of money?

johnny99

Is buying a new Taiwanese bike really going to help the American economy?

Try greasing the bearings, truing the wheels, and installing a new set of high pressure tires. You'll be suprised how well an old Japanese bike performs (if it fits well).

I agree that upgrades, except maybe for a new set of wheels, are generally not worthwhile unless the frame is really nice and you plan on keeping it for a while.

cooker

Your friend is riding a classy vintage bike and his ride companions are not sophisticated enough cyclists to realize it.

I bought an 80's Panasonic in 1993 and used it as my main commuter 'til this year...I've put at least 20,000 km on it and the only upgrade was a new rear hub the first or second year. I've replaced tires, tubes, cables and brake pads from time to time, and retaped the handlebars bars every season, and I've had the hubs occasionally repacked. The steel frame on an old bike will last forever and if the rims and hubs are maintained they have great longevitiy as well.

If I were your friend I'd have an LBS overhaul and tune the Panasonic, then I'd ride with a secret smirk at the folly of everyone who assumes their newer bike is better.

RGC

sydney

He'd best make sure his rims are hooked.

BlastRadius

Convert it to a fixed gear.

SesameCrunch

I actually just went through this. I too have a Panasonic DX2000 from 1985. It too sat (or hung) for many many years until last year when I started cycling seriously again. I liked that bike very much, and still do. It was a smooth ride, it works fine. I always felt very fast on it - until I got a 2002 Lemond, and then got an all-carbon Fuji Professional three days ago.

Is there a difference between modern high-tech bikes and a 20 year old bike? Yes, Yes, Yes. The new bikes are so smooth and light and beautiful. It makes me want to ride more. It's a psychological thing.

Now, this does not at all address whether your "friend" should buy one. As we all know, buying decisions are never a rational thing. Your "friend" does not NEED a new bike. But does he WANT one? Can he afford one? If the answes are yes, then I know I would go out and get a new one - WAIT, as a matter of fact, I just did

You asked if your "friend" would regret the purchase. My feeling is that there is no way he would regret the performance of the new bikes. They are that much better. He may have regrets if he doesn't use it much, or he may regret it if he bought something he couldn't afford. But, he won't be disappointed with the difference in performance.

merlinextraligh

My wife had a Panasonic DX2000. She road it occassionally, rarely longer than 25miles. I bought her a Conondale R2000 (CAAD 7, ultegra, kyseriums) for christmas. She loves that bike, rides much more, and has become a strong rider. For her it was a night and day difference.

The DX2000 is not a bad bike, but it weighs over 25 lbs, has heavy wheels , 27x 1 1/8 tires, high tensil steel front fork. Compared to the 18lb, index shifting, carbon fiber fork, aero wheeled bike you can get for your friend's $1200 budget, there will be a big difference doing group rides.

Hugh

This is kind of what I've been going through. There are these two little guys sitting one on each shoulder, saying things like, "Go on, do it. You know you want it," and "If you lay one finger on that poor sweet helpless F60, you'll despise yourself forever."

This is actually a lot of fun. In a real sick way. Thanks for the perspectives, everyone. They're just what I was hoping for. Er, what my friend was hoping for.


(So you gave the new bike the "thumbs up" after the ride in the rain the other day, SesameCrunch?)

chipcom 

It's a decent frame and it works, so why buy something else right this second? Ride it, upgrade as you...err..your friend finds a need, and enjoy. If you/friend want to map out all the upgrades you desire at once, do a simple cost comparison between the upgrades and a new bike.

14max

Depends on a couple of factors such as mechanical ability and having patience finding the parts needed/desired. It's far too easy (and dimwitted) to say go buy a new bike. He should at least explore other options before deciding...

sydney

^^^....The dimwittedness is throwing money at something just because one has a starting point. Some starting ponts are worth it,many aren't.

14max

And that's really up to the OP, not you, not me, or anyone else for that matter...

sydney

Maybe if he knew that would he wouldn't be looking for imput?? I have the appropriate Panasonic refernce in front of me...Do you?

Treespeed

Upgrade the Panasonic. New Kool Stop brake pads, new bar tape, cables and new bearings all around. No point in stretching to get a 8/9 speed hub in there when a nice old 7 speed could be picked up for super cheap. I'm betting for between $2-300/ Euros this guy could get a bike that feels as good as new and will last for years to come. Even if he eventually upgrades he'll have a reliable commuter bike for decades to come.

Treespeed

The Panasonic DX2000

14max

I'm so very impressed by your apparent understanding of the OP's needs by having "the appropriate Panasonic reference [sic]..." at hand to help. He obviously needs a new bike based on the facts that you so readily have close by. You should tell him EXACTLY what he needs so he doesn't make a single error in judgement.

Get over yourself.

sydney

^^^....I at least know what he is starting with..Do you have a clue?

Phantoj

I recently bought a 1996 Cannondale road bike from the original owner for $250. It had barely been ridden - minimal wear on the rim braking surfaces and the tires still had mold flash running down the center of the tread. This bike has RSX 7-speed STI and, with the aluminum frame, is not much heavier than a modern bike.

My point is that there are good used bikes out there, especially this time of year. Craigslist and local internet cycling forums are good places to find bikes you can personally inspect without shipping costs or hassles.

Maybe you can't find a good bike for $250, but I bet you could find someone selling a used bike for $500 that's excellent. Or get a new Sora-equipped bike at that price. You could even take your chances on Ebay!