Winter Hack

[got-to-get-fit]

Im looking for something to ride in the winter and Sh**e english weather so i can keep my beautiful Bianchi looking sexy.

Ive had a gander on Ebay and there are loads of second hand bikes from the 80's
lots of peugots and raleighs - reynolds 501 steel frames and some of them look in ok nick.

im looking to spend about £50 and then whip it down to the local bike shop for a service and new tyres etc....

Can anyone tell me what i should be looking out for, anything thats a definite no no.
I nearly bought a peugot 103 carbolite for 54 quid on e-bay today but was out bid. Im glad i was now though, cos i looked on another cycling forum and someone else was thinking of getting a carbolite and lots of people said "no dont do it" apparently screw patterns on the components were incompatible with most modern upgrades.
Thats the kind of thing im a bit in the dark about.

Maybe it would be better saving up to about £150 and buying a very cheap new no-name cycle from argos or somewhere?

Oh its a road bike im after by the way not a mountain bike.

 

[RedBike]

Carbolite was a posh name for steel gurder. I'm afriad old frames in general often have the 'wrong' mounts for new upgrades.

If you've got to pay the LBS to fit new tyres and service the bike then you will probably be better off buying a new bike. Saying that, I certainly wouldn't be looking at the likes of Argos.

 

[GrahamG]

I reckon a good rule of thumb for ebay hacks is go for something that's recent enough to have 700c alloy rims. That way you don't have the whole faff of either finding 27 1/4 tyres, or buying new wheels with deep drop calipers. Only annoying thing is that the newer the bike, the less likely it seems that it'll have mudguard clearance & braze ons!

 

[fossyant]

For road bikes, look for 130 mm rear hub spacing (or has 8 speed of some sort fitted). Early 90's and you should be fine.

Most bikes in the last 15 years will take newer components (my two road bikes will still take new stuff fine - the only thing they don't have is ahead headsets - they have the older 'threadded' design.)

The decathlon bikes are pretty good for the money - don't forget if you take a second hand £50 to the bike shop, you'll probably be spending that again on new tyres, chain, block and labour for the service. Don't get an Argos special !!

 

[Ludwig]

I bought an old 80's racer for £40 with a Rossin Columbus frame and has been brilliant. A lot of the 80's lightweight stuff has been well maintained or has had very little use. They are likely to have a freewheel and old style cranks, chainrings etc but they are perfectly usable and quite cheap to upgrade.
You can get a new racer for little more than a £100 such as the Mexican Mercurio machines etc and the Challenge stuff from Argos. They will be a little heavy and clunky but will do a job and be fairly reliable.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

my steel 531 frame is of vintage unknown, but paint job (black with red outlining the lugs) sticks it firmly in the 1980s. it has been compatible with a sora groupset with no problem, other than that the front brake needed a longer "female" bolt to get it on the frame.

 

[TheDoctor]

Check the local paper in the under £50 free ads. I got a hack for £35 a few years back - alloy 700cs, cantis, and a 4 speed nexus. Perfect hack bike. Paid the same or a bit less for the 3 speed sit-up-and-beg with rod brakes and a 3 speed Dynahub. Wicker basket optional on that one.

 

[bobg]

Or look at the ads in the supermarkets or the P.O. Many people these days insist on new cheap rather than old quality, just pop down the local Council tip and see! Dont dismiss the early Raleighs either, I have a 1948 Lenton Sport £0.01 on E Bay, 531, nice geometry, raked forks, very comfortable hack and surprisingly light.

 

[got-to-get-fit]

Thanks for the responses and advice guys some valid points there both pro e-bay and con-ebay.

Im going to try the local papers and supernarkets first but these two are on e-bay and have caught my eye. They are also in my area so are an easy pick up. see what you think and help me out please....

wondering if anyone knew anything about them? or even had one in the past. Neither of them have any detailed description with them so they are propabaly being sold by a non-bike obsessed person, looking to make a quick buck.

1) Peugot Elan - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RACING-BIKE-P...ryZ33503QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

or

2) Raleigh eclipse - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....m=230247396113&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=013

 

[RedBike]

Those two bikes are massively different sizes. One of them (or both?) will be wrong.

Any bike thats sat un-used for 10 years is going to need a lot of work doing to it to get it back into top condition. If you've got to pay a shop to do it then the bike could very easily turn into a real money pit.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I bought an old 80's racer for £40 with a Rossin Columbus frame and has been brilliant. A lot of the 80's lightweight stuff has been well maintained or has had very little use. They are likely to have a freewheel and old style cranks, chainrings etc but they are perfectly usable and quite cheap to upgrade.
You can get a new racer for little more than a £100 such as the Mexican Mercurio machines etc and the Challenge stuff from Argos. They will be a little heavy and clunky but will do a job and be fairly reliable.

No they won't.

 

[Mortiroloboy]

No they won't.

LOL! avoid like the plague.