# 85' Bridgestone 700 for $200



## jton219 (Aug 19, 2010)

not sure if this is considered a great bike or if its a collectible or classic, but i saw it on CL and couldn't pass it up. Its a 63cm(bottom bracket to top of the seatpost) Top tube is 57, fits me well. I'm over 6' 1". Its got a Turbo seat, besides that, everything is original. full Shimano 600 6207 group. 

Definitely needs a tune up. My buddy and I are gonna take a few hour and overhaul it. Take everything apart, re grease and put it back together. It desperately needs new cables but still shifts surprisingly well. Still rides smooth.. Araya 20a 700c wheels are built like a tank and are straight..

ill take some new pics after i clean her up in a week or two..here are the sellers pics from the CL ad..He wanted $240, got it down to $200 flat. 

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i just bought a 57cm Univega Gran Rally last week. Clean.. probably gonna sell it to my buddy who is 5" 10" and is starting to get into cycling. Some components (Cranks and RD) seem to be in better shape than my Bridgestone... Probably gonna do a switcheroo before selling to my buddy.


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## jton219 (Aug 19, 2010)

Sheldon Brown catalog page

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bridgestone/1985/pages/07-bridgestone-700.html


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Considering the prices for old steel bikes lately, I'd say you did great.....nice bike


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## racerx (Jan 29, 2004)

*I miss the days when...*

no body wanted old steel bikes and they were given away or at the most $50 buckaroos.

However, I'd agee, you did good. This looks like a keep'er, keep'er original and keep'er on the road for many more years.


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## jton219 (Aug 19, 2010)

I noticed its labeled a Triathalon bike. But looking at the measurements, it looks like normal road bike geometry.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bridgestone/1985/pages/25-bridgestone-geometry.html

73 degree head angle

74 degree seat angle. 

The Stem is really short though..


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

either you're measuring inaccurately or it's got a short tt. regardless, it kinda looks oddly proportioned... maybe because the stem and bars look small for the size- are those original? maybe we're seeing the beginning of rivendell sizing


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## bicyclerepairman (Mar 12, 2003)

Route the cables above & behind the handlebar, not below & in front. The stem does look short, but it might be right for the new owner.


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## frpax (Feb 13, 2010)

Definitely worth $200! Good find!


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## countludwig (Jun 15, 2010)

bicyclerepairman said:


> Route the cables above & behind the handlebar, not below & in front. The stem does look short, but it might be right for the new owner.



curious why you would do that, wouldn't they be in the way when you are riding it ?



based on what Bridgestone stuff is going for on ebay these days, yes, that is a 
fantastic deal ( assuming you like 80's steel bikes...)


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## bicyclerepairman (Mar 12, 2003)

countludwig said:


> curious why you would do that, wouldn't they be in the way when you are riding it ?.....


I do that because:

For the front brake, the cable describes a more pleasing parabola free of the angle created as the cable contacts the bar.

More importantly, for the rear brake, the cable has no means of support. After months of riding over bumps, the cable gets droopy after so many flex cycles, with the cable's entry into the brake lever becoming a stress point and beginning to act like a hinge. Routed behind the bar, the cable is supported preventing downward flex. 10 years later the cable looks just as good as when first installed.

The cables would only be in the way if I was trying to read the brand name on the stem while negotiating traffic.


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## jton219 (Aug 19, 2010)

-not sure if the geometry is really off... the TT is 57.5, the seat tube is 63.5 according to the geometry chart on the catalog. The angles are very road bikeish..i think newer style tri bikes have like 78-80 degree seat angles. This one is 74ish..which i believe is the norm. 

-Stem is def a lil short. Will change to longer one from the univega i have. 

-when i take this baby apart ill try the brake cable re route. Makes sense. 

-its not that i like 80s steel bike best, its that for a new road biker, thats all i can afford right now. i have an 05 stump jumper i use to MTB. That gets more of my money. 


Im really looking forward to overhauling this thing..


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## jton219 (Aug 19, 2010)

how upgradeable are "vintage " down tube steel bikes with todays components??

Looking specifically at the newer style break levers and shifter setups and dereailur setups. . I have a buddy who has 09 ultegra stuff but wants to upgrade to SRAM gear. siad he would sell me his ultegra stuff cheap.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

100% upgradeable as far as what you want to do...you will have to spread the rear triangle from 126mm to 130mm to accept the new hubs..and most likely buy some downtube cable stops for the STI levers.


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## jton219 (Aug 19, 2010)

thats very cool.. just for my own personal knowledge, what is not easily switchable to newer stuff.. the bottom bracket, headset, stem??


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## macalu (Jan 16, 2003)

Complete bike for 200? I think you did well. Enjoy. Love the blue tires.


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## High Gear (Mar 9, 2002)

jton219 said:


> not sure if this is considered a great bike or if its a collectible or classic, but i saw it on CL and couldn't pass it up. Its a 63cm(bottom bracket to top of the seatpost) Top tube is 57, fits me well. I'm over 6' 1". Its got a Turbo seat, besides that, everything is original. full Shimano 600 6207 group.
> 
> Definitely needs a tune up. My buddy and I are gonna take a few hour and overhaul it. Take everything apart, re grease and put it back together. It desperately needs new cables but still shifts surprisingly well. Still rides smooth.. Araya 20a 700c wheels are built like a tank and are straight..
> 
> ...


I have a Univega Gran Rally too that I want to sell. It has the earlier Shimano 600 than the one on your Bridgestone. I'm trying to put a price on it for CL.


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## jton219 (Aug 19, 2010)

I got that Univega for $250.. it was really clean and the guy said he completely tore the bike apart to rebuild/grease it.. so i paid a little premium.. I didnt have to do anything cept get on and spin. This bridgestone needed a lil work. cables rusted ect. 

i think the only other shim 600 older than this one is the Abaraquse one with the engravings. Those are nice too. 

200 final would sound reasonable to me.. The fixie crazy is driving prices up.


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## High Gear (Mar 9, 2002)

jton219 said:


> I got that Univega for $250.. it was really clean and the guy said he completely tore the bike apart to rebuild/grease it.. so i paid a little premium.. I didnt have to do anything cept get on and spin. This bridgestone needed a lil work. cables rusted ect.
> 
> i think the only other shim 600 older than this one is the Abaraquse one with the engravings. Those are nice too.
> 
> 200 final would sound reasonable to me.. The fixie crazy is driving prices up.


Thanks for the info. This bike has the Abaraquse and is in super shape , other than needing new gum hoods. It's like the bike has no miles on it.


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## hamanu23 (Aug 9, 2010)

High Gear said:


> Thanks for the info. This bike has the Abaraquse and is in super shape , other than needing new gum hoods. It's like the bike has no miles on it.


I was told when I started buying bikes never to pass up Abaraquse. I love old rarer Shimano 600 stuff, and just lucked in to a bike with Shimano 600 tri color.


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## High Gear (Mar 9, 2002)

hamanu23 said:


> I was told when I started buying bikes never to pass up Abaraquse. I love old rarer Shimano 600 stuff, and just lucked in to a bike with Shimano 600 tri color.


I put it up on CL last night for $175. We'll see what happens. I don't think this bike has been ridden much and just needs a good cleaning, front tire and some new gum hoods. BTW, are those hoods hard to come by and are they expensive?
Some pics of the old gal.


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## hamanu23 (Aug 9, 2010)

where are you located?


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## jton219 (Aug 19, 2010)

is that rust or grease on the rear derailleur??

Id say 175 is very fair if your in a pretty metropolitan area


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## High Gear (Mar 9, 2002)

jton219 said:


> is that rust or grease on the rear derailleur??
> 
> Id say 175 is very fair if your in a pretty metropolitan area


I feel like a theif. I picked this bike up at a tag sale for $20 a few years back. I ment to clean her up add some new rubber,bar tape and hoods but never got around to it. I knew it was too small for me so my interest was in my other bikes. Anyway, I had two guys interested the first day I posted it on CL. The first guy lived about 45 minutes away but didn't have a car and I said to myself this isn't going to happen. He ended up having a friend with a ZIP CAR pass and picked it up tonight. I guess you rent these cars by the hour and just swipe your card and go. Never knew there was such a thing! He was very pleased. It was very nice to see a young guy interested in a steel bike. I hope this is a ongoing trend. Well anyway, I am adding this money to my fast growing war chest with a vintage '89 or '91 Bridgestone MB-1 in mind (55cm if someone has one to sell me). I would love another road bike ( Eddy Merckx 7-11 team) but I already have three and need something to pull the Burley with along with some adventure trail riding. 
This was the add that made the bike sell quickly.

http://hartford.craigslist.org/bik/1949112502.html VVVV WANTED VVVV


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## jton219 (Aug 19, 2010)

yea i read about ZIP Car in a TIME magazine a year or so ago. Supposedly a hot growing trend. Maybe something you should invest that 1$75 to make some MB-1 money. lol.. Congrats on selling the bike so easily, i'm sure whoever got it is a happy camper. 


that MB-1 is sickkkkk.. goodluck finding one for a decent price. Last check on ebay they are still going for like$ 500+..


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