What is this Road bike I got? Again....

[itaa]

Well I got another road bike I have no idea about, at least this one is a real road bike
It's a bit beat up from the pics ( well not masivly but not pristine- but I'm up for a challenge to rebuild it and freshen it up) $48 in auction and I'm picking it up tomorrow.


It's some - PRIMO brand, Have never heard of such bike brand nor can find anything about it so it was a gamble, it wasn't described really good however and I doubt the owner knew anything about it ... I saw 105 markings on derailleurs and near the pedals ,possibly Ultegra marking on front brake lever ( its not good picture but you can see theres a word that ends with- RA on it, what else can end in -ra? ) oh and it has Carbon fork I think from the ''ITM millennium Carbon'' marking? Also it has a shimano 600 marking on front stem.

I know nothing about bikes, but from my few days general research I know thats the stuff you should get.


Anyone maybe knows what is this Primo brand and is it any good? And from what year do you think this bike would be? The seller told he thinks its from 1990 but I doubt that it's that old,maybe 2000? Also if it's as well speced as it seems from those markings would the stuff on it would still be good today after giving it a bit of tune-up? I know the technology moves so fast so just wondering how good it still would be today?
This would be my first road bike and I just wanted something to try out all the ''road bike'' thing and see what's it about.

Thanks.

 

[S-Express]

Looks like a potentially cracked head tube in pic 3 - if so, the frame is scrap. The 1" carbon fork should sell on ebay though.

 

[itaa]

Looks like a potentially cracked head tube in pic 3 - if so, the frame is scrap. The 1" carbon fork should sell on ebay though.

yes that funny looking stuff with the headset was one thing I was kinda worrying about and hoped it would be just peeling off paint, how would you check if it's really actually cracked?

 

[TheDoctor]

Aye - I'd take a very close look at that. It could just be the paint, in which case happy days, but if it's the metal then yes, the frame is history.
Although, for $48 dollars it'd be worth swapping the bits to a new frame, and Ebaying the forks.
EDIT - Scrape a bit of the paint away where that crack looks to be, so you can see the metal.
Don't go mad with scraping, and start at the bottom. If it's a crack in the metal, it'll be totally obvious.

 

[itaa]

Aye - I'd take a very close look at that. It could just be the paint, in which case happy days, but if it's the metal then yes, the frame is history.
Although, for $48 dollars it'd be worth swapping the bits to a new frame, and Ebaying the forks.
EDIT - Scrape a bit of the paint away where that crack looks to be, so you can see the metal.
Don't go mad with scraping, and start at the bottom. If it's a crack in the metal, it'll be totally obvious.

Alright thanks buddy, that's what I will do when I go pick it up tomorrow

 

[winjim]

possibly Ultegra marking on front brake lever ( its not good picture but you can see theres a word that ends with- RA on it, what else can end in -ra? )

Sora, Tiagra, Ultegra, Dura-Ace. It's sort of Shimano's thing.

 

[itaa]

Sora, Tiagra, Ultegra, Dura-Ace. It's sort of Shimano's thing.

I'm a goofus...

 

[S-Express]

Sora, Tiagra, Ultegra, Dura-Ace. It's sort of Shimano's thing.

105.....oh wait....

 

[ColinJ]

That head tube does look really bad! Still, surely the rest of the bits must be worth $48?

PS Is that front quick release lever open? If so, then either it is loose or it has been tightened as if it were a wing nut which would not be secure!

 

[itaa]

That head tube does look really bad! Still, surely the rest of the bits must be worth $48?

View attachment 355578

PS Is that front quick release lever open? If so, then either it is loose or it has been tightened as if it were a wing nut which would not be secure!

Yeah should be worth however not sure If I want to go the route of trying to parting it out ,but still not a bad idea in worst case scenario.
I will ask the seller if I can take a sandpaper/scraper and take that bubbled up stuff away right there and than to see, if there will be cracks= no way

ha I bet you guys must go through at least few bikes to learn all this and to be able to spot everything , have to start somewhere myself. What can be better than a cheapo local bike where you need to put work in?

 

[itaa]

just spent good 2hours on Youtube watching videos on how to inspect 2nd hand bikes,
all in all made a full A4 sheet Checklist with about 30points I should check, I'm not sure if the seller of the $48 bike will be too pleased when I pull out my paper and go through all the points But still.. I don't want to waste my time buying something that might be a dud whatever price it costs.

Went through that list on my cheap MTB which I know very well in about 20minutes and discovered that I have a bit loose bottom bracket and my chain isn't the freshest anymore as well.
So I'm well armed and a bit smarter now to go and inspect that bike tomorrow

If anyone got any info about the PRIMO brand or on the bike it would be really appreciated.
Thanks all.

 

[Fab Foodie]

All of the running gear looks good. What are the wheel rims and hubs?
If the drive train is in reasonable nick I'd buy a new frame from e.g. Planet-x sale or similar or Ribble's winter frame and you'd have a bargain basement decent riad bike. Primo brand is unknown to me.

 

[biggs682]

Buy it and strip the bits off for another frame

 

[winjim]

105.....oh wait....

Yeah I know. 105 just ruins it.

 

[itaa]

off to search for another bike Went to see that bike, and.... It was a bit of a junk
wheels would soon need to be changed, tyres were old and cracked up, the gears weren't really shifting perfectly, I did the chain test and it was seriously loose as well.
The seller seemed unresponsive and didn't really allowed me to sand that stuff up to see if there are any cracks in frame..

I guess I have to thank all for the advice and new things I learned,probably would have bought an old junk which would still be an old bike after you change so many parts on it.. not worth it indeed....