# Newbie, looking for older but good road bike to learn on.



## jton219 (Aug 19, 2010)

Hello everyone..

Just recently fell in love with biking (trail riding).. looking to get into road biking more.

I currently own an old Bridgestone Carmel City bike and a Manitou FS mountain/trail bike..

I was looking for a nicer road bike to start road biking with. Don't have much money to spend so i wanted to find an older but higher end bike. I did a little research of some of the better features on older bikes.. I found a Bridgestone RB-1 is perfect, but they are tough to find..

What older bikes are in the Bridgestone RB-1 Territory in terms of quality/weight class/ridability...

i think the main features in looking for are triple buttted chro-mo fames for weight.. and Shimano 105 and up groupsets. weighs under 24 lbs??

some models i see alot on CL are

Centurion Dave Scott Ironman series bikes

Miyata 9xx, 7xx bikes

what other older high end bikes should keep an eye out for on Craigslist??

looking to spend around 250ish. Is this pretty feasible??

Thanks for any help.


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## josephr (Jun 17, 2010)

PJ352 will post something about making sure the bike fits....and I agree completely. Fit is 99%. 

Its not about what brand to get...its about which bikes to avoid! For a long while, some good companies put their names on a lot of cheap bikes --- Schwinn, Peugeot, Nishiki, etc., all in the interest of profit and really put out some crap. You should certainly find a good bike out there for $250. Stay away from anything that has stem-mounted shift levers, single piece cranks, suicide brake levers, stamped dropouts....you should be OK. You can always post a link on here and get second opinions pretty quick.


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## jton219 (Aug 19, 2010)

yeah, i read a few sites on proper bike fit. My friend races on mnt bikes and has been riding road for a few years .. he showed me proper fit and helped me adjust my bike for body position. 

im just looking for a decent used bike and getting good value for my money.. I mean if im gonna buy a 15 to 20 year old bike, i want that bike to have been a good one back in its heyday.


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## josephr (Jun 17, 2010)

jton219 said:


> im just looking for a decent used bike and getting good value for my money.. I mean if im gonna buy a 15 to 20 year old bike, i want that bike to have been a good one back in its heyday.


a good bike then is a good bike now (just may need a little TLC)...crap is always crap. Happy bike hunting! Sounds like you're MTB buddy has your back! Post pics when you find something!


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## jton219 (Aug 19, 2010)

josephr said:


> a good bike then is a good bike now (just may need a little TLC)...crap is always crap. Happy bike hunting! Sounds like you're MTB buddy has your back! Post pics when you find something!



yeah, thanks.. im trying to get the name/models of some of the better ones to look out for.. can you suggest any??

ones i read about..

Bridgestone RB-1
Centurion Dave Scott Master
Miyata Team or 9xx

which Trek, Specialized, Panasonic, Bianchi, motobecane or Peugot should i be looking out for??


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## troutmd (Sep 7, 2007)

Red is a good color ... and the classic's hold their value.

<a href="https://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v385/troutmd/?action=view&current=1ciocc.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v385/troutmd/1ciocc.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>


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## aptivaboy (Nov 21, 2009)

I'm guessing you're talking about old steel, right? The better Centurions and Specialized steel frames (Ironmans, Allezs, Sirruses) are pretty much all good. Assuming it fits and has functional components, those are great starter bikes. If I could make one suggestion, try to get as wide a spacing on the rear dropouts as possible; that will make getting newer hubs and wheels easier. Reasonably priced 123 and 126mm hubs are getting rarer than an honest politician.


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## nickillus (May 3, 2006)

That Ciocc is killer.


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## josephr (Jun 17, 2010)

aptivaboy said:


> I'm guessing you're talking about old steel, right? The better Centurions and Specialized steel frames (Ironmans, Allezs, Sirruses) are pretty much all good. Assuming it fits and has functional components, those are great starter bikes. If I could make one suggestion, try to get as wide a spacing on the rear dropouts as possible; that will make getting newer hubs and wheels easier. Reasonably priced 123 and 126mm hubs are getting rarer than an honest politician.



hehehe....just picked up a set of Dura Ace 7200 series hubs - NOS - $50.  


jton --- all the bikes you mentioned are good IF you can find one thats for sale and reasonablly priced. I certainly doubt you'll find anyone willing to part with an RB-1, and IF they are willing to sell it, they'll probably want a nice load of cash or it'll be in someone's barn in need of a complete restore. 

don't limit yourself to a specific brand or model or you'll find yourself searching for a needle in a haystack or the one you think you want will be outside your budget if you do find it. Since you're a newbie, don't wait to find the "perfect"' starter bike cause that bike doesn't exist. The best bike is the one you're riding.


Edit: Damn that Ciocc is nice...


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## jton219 (Aug 19, 2010)

How is this Peugeot Versailles??

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/bik/1911096259.html

22inch frame..i'm 6' 1''.. thats a lil small right? think thats about a 56cm.


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## josephr (Jun 17, 2010)

I'd bite on that///even it didn't fit...you could find a different frame,wiht the parts, etc...I'm sure that bike is gone now....for 170, it probably moved pretty quickly.


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## jton219 (Aug 19, 2010)

josephr said:


> I'd bite on that///even it didn't fit...you could find a different frame,wiht the parts, etc...I'm sure that bike is gone now....for 170, it probably moved pretty quickly.


I found a Univega Supra Sport.. 61cm Def not gonna pay 400. but i see alot of these on CL..are they any good..

i see 

Supra Sports
Gran Rally
Viva sports

anyone know where these lie on the Univega line of bikes?

From the little research i did, these are Japanese frames..most likely miyata double butted cromo. 

il shoot him a price of $200 if you guys think its a decent deal. 

see them daily.

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/bik/1912955669.html


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## raymonda (Jan 31, 2007)

From around 1987 through 1993, Panasonic was building Schwinns and made some of the best valued road bikes of the era. I would look for 1988-89 Prologue or a PDG/Paramount from 1988-1993, e.g. series 5. The right year Super Sport 86-87 or Prelude or Peleton are great too.

Prior to 1990, or so, Schwinn was still building the Paramounts and many nice Paramounts are available from between 1986-1989.

As for Panasonic, look for 1987-1990.......DX5000 are rare but worthy. Team America's are nice but rarer still.

There are a lot of nice late 80's through early 90's steel bike available on e-bay, with some great values...you just have to keep looking.

As for Centurion's eh......they made one good model.....Ironman....but it looks ugly andnot nearly as good as the Schwinns from the same era.

Bridgestone RB1 was a good bike...better some years than others....but again not widely available.

Try some of the Italians or classics:

Basso
Ciocc
Merckx
Pinerello
DeRosa
Cinelli
Raliegh....ect.....
............ but remember, many of these bikes will require some TLC to bring them back to life.


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## josephr (Jun 17, 2010)

jton219 said:


> I found a Univega Supra Sport.. 61cm Def not gonna pay 400. but i see alot of these on CL..are they any good..
> 
> i see
> 
> ...



looks like a decent starter for 200...400 is way outta line though. problem with CL is there are a lot of folks who shop CL like its the home shopping network...so, there are folks out there asking more than the bike would typically go for. _*I'd go see it.ride though before making any offer. *_


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## jton219 (Aug 19, 2010)

raymonda said:


> From around 1987 through 1993, Panasonic was building Schwinns and made some of the best valued road bikes of the era. I would look for 1988-89 Prologue or a PDG/Paramount from 1988-1993, e.g. series 5. The right year Super Sport 86-87 or Prelude or Peleton are great too.
> 
> Prior to 1990, or so, Schwinn was still building the Paramounts and many nice Paramounts are available from between 1986-1989.
> 
> ...



Thanks a bunch, ill keep an eye out for some panasonics. lets see if this guy responds to a 200 offer on the univega.


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## raymonda (Jan 31, 2007)

jton219 said:


> Thanks a bunch, ill keep an eye out for some panasonics. lets see if this guy responds to a 200 offer on the univega.


I would say that you could do much better than the Univega, which I wouldn't pay more $100.00 and use it for a beater bike.

Keep looking, you'll find something much better.


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## jton219 (Aug 19, 2010)

Lol, here is another nice Univega Gran Rally.. seller confirmed "made in japan" so im assuming its a Miyata produced triple butted frame. 

upgraded wth Ulterga hubs, Mavic wheels. its got a newer 8spd cassette. with shimano 600 groupo. 

whatcah guys think??

hes close to my workplace. ill drop by after work for a test ride. 


http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/bik/1900164134.html


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## raymonda (Jan 31, 2007)

Much better than the other bike. This is something you can ride hard and enjoy. The frame is decent, too. Nice lugs, however, it is double butted not triple, if that really means anything.

The seller seems to be asking a reasonable price and if he will go lower you've got an even better deal.


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## josephr (Jun 17, 2010)

raymonda said:


> Much better than the other bike. This is something you can ride hard and enjoy. The frame is decent, too. Nice lugs, however, it is double butted not triple, if that really means anything.
> 
> The seller seems to be asking a reasonable price and if he will go lower you've got an even better deal.


+1 --- much better deal...seems like this second bike is being sold by someone who likes bikes, not trying to make a fast buck.


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## jton219 (Aug 19, 2010)

josephr said:


> +1 --- much better deal...seems like this second bike is being sold by someone who likes bikes, not trying to make a fast buck.



Im going to go look at that bike at 5:30 today.. also found this TREK 2300 carbon within 5 mins distance of the Univega

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/bik/1914972064.html

I think someone stripped it down because it should have shim 600/ ultegra or 105 components acording to bikepedia.. this one is rocking Exage. whatcha think. Carbon frame but lower end groupo, or steel frame with better groupo??


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## raymonda (Jan 31, 2007)

If that is a carbon with aluminum lugs I would pass. The bonding between the two material can fail over time, specifically in the older models. The Univega might be a real sleeper. Decent steel frame with honest parts. It is something that will last a while and hold its value.

The Trek is not very desirable and to boot it has low grade components.


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## jton219 (Aug 19, 2010)

Bought the Univega for $250.. It has everything the guy said it would.. Full shimano 600, with ultegra hubs.. the rims are mavic cxp 21 which i dont think are a very good, but hey they work.. Id guesstimate the bike weighs about 25 lbs. very minor surface oxidation. He confirmed it was a Miyata frame bc of a diamond design in the lugs. 

the riding is very smooth but the drive train makes a bit of noise.. I think it could be smoother if it had the 6 speed cassette it was meant for instead of an 8.. he said the cassette was a cheap "nashbar" one. 

my only real gripe is the shimano 600 pedal cage..it takes me forever to get in an out of those things.... first upgrade is to probably change those out...oh and im terrible at shifting. 

gave it a 4 mile ride to the park today. played some volleyball and rode back.. Felt great. I think its a little small at 57cm...im 6' 1".. I have the seat about 3/4 inches past the "max ht" line for me to get a good extension on my legs. I seem to put too much weight on my hands and wrists. my buddy says" put your weight on your ass, your not peddling stable" is this a function of bad technique or the bike being too small.???

anyway, ill keep it a month and ride as much as i can.. if i love it ill keep it, if not, then im sure a 5' 10"- 6' CLer would enjoy this for 250.

Thank you everyone for your feedback and help..


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## jton219 (Aug 19, 2010)

Pics.. i have no skills with a camera. 

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## raymonda (Jan 31, 2007)

First thing you should do is get a longer seat post. It is dangerous to run the post beyond the recommended extention. 

The position of your saddle does not indicate that the bike is too small but there is much more to fitting than saddle height. You may need a longer or shorter stem, fore/aft of KOP, ect.....

Also, find some brake hoods and put them on. You will find that this will make the ride more comfortable, too. Your brake levers are hanging a bit low and may contribute to some discomfort. Either bring them up the bar or turn you bars slightly up so that you can hit the tops of the hood comfortably.

I think you can get a good fit with this bike with the assistance of someone that knows a bit about fitting. Maybe you can do a swap of services. Promise that if they help with your fit, you'll collage their wall.


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## josephr (Jun 17, 2010)

nice find for $250!


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