Looking for an affordable vintage looking track bike...
 

My budget is $450.....

What are my options?

To give some examples of bikes/frames I like the looks of :

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...X/IMGP1692.jpg

http://velospace.org/files/renshojan181.jpg

http://velospace.org/files/marinoni2.jpg

http://velospace.org/files/HPIM0767.jpg

we all want a 3rensho for 450 dollars

There's no magical vintage frame shop, sorry. Same as everybody else: eBay, Craigslist, google searches, Co-ops (if you're lucky), thrift shops, antique shops (both also if you're lucky)...... Just keep looking.

PS good luck finding a 3Rensho frame for $450.


EDIT: OH wait, you said "vintage looking". Sorry for being a bit snippy. Kilo TT (I reckon the fork gives it a vintage flavor), spend the extra $$ on a powdercoat? Or eBay, CL etc, etc

judging by the way you're attempting to enter the fixed gear game, you're going to end up wanting a pista concept anyway. get a head start and buy an 08. they're selling for 550 and will definitely sell out.

it's an easier buy in into the track-bikes-on-the-street scene, trust.

bike or frame?

wow, good point.

In regards to bike or frame, either one.

It seems like finding an old frame/bike on ebay that I like might be worth a go....

What about the EAI brass knuckle, I would rather have steel than alum but .....

Those aren't vintage looking at all

Save a few more clams and get a De Bernardi.

The new Alien frame is lugged...

Sparton too...ebay

I tend to like a clean look, with no modern block lettering or the like...

remove the decals or re-paint...simple.

I just saw a Fuji Regis frame on ebay that I liked, but way too big.

I didn't think about removing decals, is that easy to do?

Thanks.

it depends if they're over or under the clearcoat.

I just paid exactly $450.00 for my Schwinn Madison, pretty much vintage looking but not lugged.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...sonmine001.jpg

I paid 250 for this. of course it was 8 years ago.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2406/...c04b960e_m.jpg

what kind of bike is that?

It's a Viner, but you're not going to find that or any other vintage track bike for $250 anymore.

I paid £210, or around $400 for my EG Bates about 18 months/2 years ago. The secret there was trawling eBay. It wasn't in there as a track bike, in fact, I think the auction was titled Gent's Racing Bike. It's well worth hunting through the really badly titled auctions. You'll have to look at a lot of rusty mountain bikes, but if you get a score like I did, it's worth it. I looked for another for months after, but every track bike I watched went much higher:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...2/DSC00054.jpg

eBay.

I got my Bianchi (lugged Italian made) for under $300 and also paid @ $300 for this frame a few years ago.

http://www.yeahyeahyeah.net/images/serotta4.jpg

Like I've said before, I think the all-too-common practice of making the frame the cheapest part of your bike has no sense to it, but that doesn't change the fact that this Sparton build looks pretty nice:

http://brakeless.ca/images/news/28.03.082/02.jpg

Are we all going to post about our vintage track bike scores, now? We know they're out there, but unless the OP is willing to be patient and do a ton of legwork, he's not going to find anything.

Ask your local meth dude