Hi all,

I'm not really in the market for buying a used frame right now, but I've seen a lot mention of people buying used frames (typically lugged from the 70s and 80s) versus purchasing new. I thought it might be useful to create a thread where people can provide advice to n00bs (like myself) about how to make an informed / educated purchase of a used steel frame?

While I've just recently purchased my first road-style bike for commuting to and from work (Jamis Aurora Elite- and I absolutely love it), I've decided that I want my next bike to be something that I spec out, purchase, and assemble myself. And getting a used bike frame seemed like a good way to do that, but I've got no idea what to look for, and I figured that was likely true of others.

Cheers,
Brad

not to take the fun away from this section, but the Classic & Vintage section has a wealth of info on discerning sh*t from shinola when it comes to older road bikes. And, for what it's worth, I have several older well-made lugged steel bikes i've rebuilt with modern drivetrains & wheels...carbon threadless forks, etc. etc. it's fair so say however, you should know what you're doing buying + building. In fact, it's probably also fair to say that there are some nice new steel offerings that may be equally nice & offer the advantage of LBS support, a few modern "amenities" (more bottle-holder lugs, threadless headset, 1-1/8", 130mm rear spacing, longer seatposts if you're into that sort of fit, stuff like that), though IMHO you have to get into the real boutique type steel frame construction with a modern bike to match the quality, weight & workmanship of a high end '80s road bike with Columbus SLX or something like that.