Gyeswho

I'm asking for advice on this buy but this can be used for others to ask the family members for advice as well. (Boy this thread won't last for long)
Anyway, at my bike shop the guy is selling a brand new italian frame alone for $300, no fork. He says that he could get a fork for $50 for me. I forgot the name of it but its an official italian racing frame(lugged) due to the detail in the frame. i think its between a late 80's, early 90s frame

Now this is what has me sold on buying:
Its brand new never ridden
Columbus SLX super butted tubing (? - this is the best tubing possible right for that time period right?)
Has the axle springs in it with campy dropouts
Beautiful pink and cream color with chrome chainstays
Cutout Bottom bracket like this: https://i10.ebayimg.com/03/i/000/88/82/1882_12.JPG
seatstays have cutouts in them with italian flag paint like this:https://i19.ebayimg.com/03/i/000/86/2e/5bdd_12.JPG

What I am iffy about:
The frame may be a lil too small (i ride 58 but its 56, will this be a huge problem?)
No fork but can get one for $50

I know this is a steal but should i buy it if it may be too small for me? the guy told me that its not so much the size because i could just buy a long stem for it, so can 2cm in the frame size make it a bad buy in the long run for me? Im 5'11 with a 33 inch inseam, i have a good 2-3 inch space over the top tube.
edit- i did some looking around and stumbled on this https://www.desperadocycles.com/The_L...per_Tubing.htm
now i weight 185 and this is a lil concerning. What yall think now bout the tubing

el twe

You could definitely fit on a 56. I don't think I'd call it a steal, but it's also not a rip-off. Bargain with the guy, can't hurt right?

pyze-guy

A small bike can be made bigger. Mine's too small for me but 8" of seatpost and a longer stem worked fine. I have no clue about if it is a good deal or not. I just picked an old, old Italian lugged frame for free so I'm not in a position to talk about the price.

dmc

you could probably make the size work.

it doesnt sound like a screaming deal... but depending on the brand, its not bad. you can usually get full SLX frame's + fork + headset for around that much on eBay if you wait just a bit. though if you like the paint or it's a hard to find brand, $300 for a NOS frame is probably pretty good.

a fork for $50 sounds about right... the bikeworks NYC straight blade chrome fork is ~$57, spicer forks are around there too, though they are threadless.

dutret

DOC or DOCG?

el twe

Yeah, I paid $80 for my full SLX Casati frameset. And that included Octalink BB, Shimano 600 headset, Tektro brakes, and King SS cage.

TNCLR

The "deal" is irrelevant if they frame won't fit you. You say you ride a 58? Save your money, and buy something that fits. All this "you could make it work" advice is lame and will only make you unhappy down the road. Be a smart shopper.

Surferbruce

i don't think a 56 sounds to small for you. use a stem 20mm longer and i bet you like it more.

dmc

^^^thats an awesome deal though... not sure if the OP could count on that.

i paid ~$250 shipped for an SLX Merckx frameset + unused campy record headset and chorus BB

coelcanth

not just a longer stem, but a taller one too...
i find the biggest problem with riding a frame too small is getting a comfortable saddle to bar drop..
nitto technomics are good for dealing with this..
$350, though, is a lot for a frame that might not fit you nicely

columbus slx was one of their best tubesets i think, 9/6/9 with helical reinforcements...
there was tsx above it, with some thinner walls
sl had the same 9/6/9 wall thicknesses but was actually a bit lighter because of no fluting
maybe it was not as stiff ?

queerpunk

here's another question: how is this frame a specific, needed/wanted improvement over your current frame?

i'm tempted by lots of stuff, but i remind myself to stick to the plan.

baxtefer

axle springs? sounds like a road frame, right?

also, italian frames are usually measured c-t so a 56cm is more like a ~54cm c-c. And they tend to have proportionately shorter TTs. if you're used to riding a more modern 58cm c-c this frame will be too small.

cutout seatstays?

jet sanchEz

Were the seller's eyes darting back and forth and did he appear really nervous? Was he strung out on crack? That is an incredible deal.

To the OP, offer him $250 and if he bites, take it, or maybe $300 with a fork. Columbus SLX is great and you will love it.

moki

oh, the Italian temptation.

Are you going to build a period correct heartbreaker of a bike? If so, I hope you either have plenty of funds and/or patience, cuz going full campy is going to cosssst.

That said, 350 for a NOS frame is pretty damn good, but only if the fork fits right. If the fork is too far off, the bike will ride funny.

Don't sweat the size. I love it when guys are like "My bike is a cm too big, wanna trade?"