Steel Vintage

[joshuabalmer]

Hi everyone

Are there any rules I should be following when looking to purchase a vintage steel road bike? I'm looking for a project bike at 23"-23.5" and my budget is unfortunately £100 max at the minute. I want something that I will enjoy riding and that I can upgrade over time. Am I likely to find anything decent at this price?

Ideally I want the frame to be as good as possible and the parts I can upgrade as and when. Are there certain brands I need to steer clear of? Are there certain age/brand bikes that will be harder/more expensive to upgrade?

Any advice you can give is appreciated. I've been scouring ebay/gumtree/preloved for days and I'm now more confused/hesitant to buy than when I started .

Thanks

Josh

 

[raleighnut]

The price does seem to have increased quite a bit over the past couple of years, maybe people have realised how good those old steel bikes were/are then again there's the fashion element. It might be worth looking in 2nd hand or junk shops very often there are 1 or 2 steel racers amongst the old MTBs outside.

 

[sittingbull]

It depends whether you wish to buy a vintage bike and keep it true to it's year or renovate with modern parts. I'm going down the modern parts route but I've got a "blank frame" to start with. Had I bought a complete period bike it would be (for me anyway) a difficult decision to destroy it's heritage. Although you could argue this could be reversible, depending on the modifications. Neither route is cheap and trawling for parts can be time consuming and sometimes frustrating. It is very satisfying to obtain those elusive parts though.

The biggest issue for me was finding a frame with 130mm rear dropouts to take a modern hub. Some of the later steel frames were built to 130mm but I think the majority are 126/127mm (or even less if older). In many cases this can be increased to 130mm by cold setting but without the right knowledge this can cause damage.

Reynolds 531 frames are popular and this is the minimum (or it's Columbus equivalent) I would consider. There's nothing special about 531, it was pretty much the standard amongst cyclists but it now commands a premium and picking up a bargain is difficult. A decade or so ago 531 bikes fully equiped with 105 were turning up in skips regularly. A friend of mine collected a number of such unwanted bikes. I wonder how many unwanted MTB's will be pulled out of skips in years to come?

For your budget you should be able to find a frame/forks, but be prepared for it requiring a re-spray costing at least as much again.

@biggs682 will be able to advise better and may have some suggestions.

 

[Cyclist33]

Hi everyone

Are there any rules I should be following when looking to purchase a vintage steel road bike? I'm looking for a project bike at 23"-23.5" and my budget is unfortunately £100 max at the minute. I want something that I will enjoy riding and that I can upgrade over time. Am I likely to find anything decent at this price?

Ideally I want the frame to be as good as possible and the parts I can upgrade as and when. Are there certain brands I need to steer clear of? Are there certain age/brand bikes that will be harder/more expensive to upgrade?

Any advice you can give is appreciated. I've been scouring ebay/gumtree/preloved for days and I'm now more confused/hesitant to buy than when I started .

Thanks

Josh

If you can get to Walton Lea Garden near Warrington they have a place there that sells old bikes, you might be able to pick something up cheap that just needs some tlc and parts upgrades...

 

[joshuabalmer]

What do you think of this people? Worth the money?

http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/111170793/classic-raleigh-clubman.html

Josh

 

[raleighnut]

Snap his hand off Looks a blinder for a ton. Try to pick it up yourself though if poss

 

[joshuabalmer]

Brilliant!! yeah im only down the road from him so I can nip down tomorrow if he still has it. Can anyone direct me to a basic checklist to follow when buying second hand on here?

 

[raleighnut]

Get a receipt with the frame no on it (under bottom bracket) other than that if the wheels and frame are OK the rest is just servicing but budget on a new chain @ £8

 

[joshuabalmer]

It depends whether you wish to buy a vintage bike and keep it true to it's year or renovate with modern parts. I'm going down the modern parts route but I've got a "blank frame" to start with. Had I bought a complete period bike it would be (for me anyway) a difficult decision to destroy it's heritage. Although you could argue this could be reversible, depending on the modifications. Neither route is cheap and trawling for parts can be time consuming and sometimes frustrating. It is very satisfying to obtain those elusive parts though.

The biggest issue for me was finding a frame with 130mm rear dropouts to take a modern hub. Some of the later steel frames were built to 130mm but I think the majority are 126/127mm (or even less if older). In many cases this can be increased to 130mm by cold setting but without the right knowledge this can cause damage.

Reynolds 531 frames are popular and this is the minimum (or it's Columbus equivalent) I would consider. There's nothing special about 531, it was pretty much the standard amongst cyclists but it now commands a premium and picking up a bargain is difficult. A decade or so ago 531 bikes fully equiped with 105 were turning up in skips regularly. A friend of mine collected a number of such unwanted bikes. I wonder how many unwanted MTB's will be pulled out of skips in years to come?

For your budget you should be able to find a frame/forks, but be prepared for it requiring a re-spray costing at least as much again.

@biggs682 will be able to advise better and may have some suggestions.

Thanks for that sittingbull. Much appreciated!

 

[joshuabalmer]

Sold unfortunately! Ah well back to looking

 

[raleighnut]

Not surprised, you could almost get the money back on those Campagnolo shifters

 

[sittingbull]

It's a sellers' market at the moment. With the current cycling boom and the upcoming TdeF, bikes are being bought by those for whom a cycle is a fashion accessory rather than a lifestyle choice. When they realise it requires some effort and commitment the bike will be consigned to the back of the garage/shed.In due course the second hand market will be more favourable for buyers and the skips will be busy again (although eBay seems to end up with many items fit for the skip and someone will always pay over the odds not realising the costs involved to get them back on the road).

 

[biggs682]

@joshuabalmer gumtree is good for bargains but you just need to be quick of the mark

 

[Cycleops]

[QUOTE="joshuabalmer, post: 3163327, member: Can anyone direct me to a basic checklist to follow when buying second hand on here?[/QUOTE]
Check the wheels. Do they run true? Are the spokes reasonably tight? Hold the front brake on and push the bars back and forth, any play here indicates worn or poorly adjusted head bearings. Look at the chain wheel and cassette and check for missing, pointed or worn teeth. Do the wheels line up? Frame straight? Rock the cranks from side to side to check for wear in the BB.

Buying an old bike can be a money pit so if the bike fails on many of these points you could be in for spending a bit of dosh!