wanted - vintage bike

[instatone]

I am 6'4" 220 pounds looking for a fast and light steel-framed vintage beautiful road bike that is all tuned up and ready to ride. Been looking at vintage bikes lately and loving the look of them. I particularly like when the top tube is super thin and there is a lot of detailing. Looking forward to your bike's pictures and specs! I think 61 cm is the right size for me.

I recently test rode a LeMonde Buenos Ares from 2001 (granted not vintage) and liked it, but it was in poor condition. I really like bikes from the eighties. I would be open to vintage Fuji, Trek, LeMonde, or more obscure frames. I can spend anywhere from $500 - $800 on the bike depending on quality.

[wsbob]

"... Been looking at vintage bikes lately ..." instatone

Might help to name some examples of bikes you've been looking at; brands of the bikes, approximate year made, the kind of metal the tubes are made of (quite a range of tube metal quality and sophistication of technology is available.). What you're prepared to pay. Good quality, older, lugged steel frame bikes are rising in price and increasingly less available, especially for cheap.

[Jeff Wills]

Good place to hang out, learn, and drool:
http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdispl...ic-amp-Vintage

FWIW: I'm your height and weight. I grew up with skinny-tubed road bikes, and they were nice, but my first Cannondale clued me in to how good a really stiff bike could feel. IMO, the "ride" is affected more by tire pressure and construction than by frame material.

OTOH, the look of classic lugged-steel-frame bikes makes me swoon. I'd mortgage my soul for an orange Schwinn Volare, like this fixified bike:
http://fixedgeargallery.com/2007/aug...ceBrashear.htm

[wsbob]

instatone... . Hey, thanks for adding details to your original post, about the kind of bike you're looking for. That helps!

There's good, 80's era classic lugged steel models in all those brands you mentioned. I see them on Portland Craigslist fairly often. $500 - $800 could possibly get you something quite nice in a lugged steel frame with Reynolds 531 or one of numerous other good steel tube metals. Frame geometry and construction may be more critical to ride and responsiveness than the type metal tubing is. If you're 6'4", I'll guess you're may need a 62 or a 64 cm frame. In steel, that get's to looking kind of...well, maybe you already know.

There's so many different models and years, that it would be hard to start listing them. Just spot a vintage bike and research its specs to see if you can be happy with it. People get really wound up in seeking out something they consider so gorgeous they just have to have it.

[Jeff Wills]

Too bad you weren't asking this a year ago. I sold three of my upright bikes- all your size, all steel frames: http://home.comcast.net/~jeff_wills/Gallery/index.html

[wsbob]

instatone...here's a pic of a bike from saturday the 7th craigslist. Probably not exactly what you're looking for (kind of low end, not early enough, color), but it looks to me like it could be a 62cm. Might fit you. Original owner too. Price could be good. Looks like it has road geometry, but look at that old mountain bike seat tube/top tube carrying support he's got on there!


portland craigslist Fuji Del Rey $300

[boneshaker]

Richard Sachs makes nice bikes

[wsbob]

If instatone is still checking this thread for vintage bike leads, this one from today's craigslist might be a sweet deal for his budget range:

One of four pics with the ad.

Raleigh Professional road bike 24.5" frame, $475

Very attractive paint. Wonder if that's original. Those American Classic hubs: heard they're good, but I'm not keen on their general look for this type bike.