on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
beardy
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by beardy »

You are probably right about early 80's.

It is more things than dates. 700C wheels rather than old 27". Cassette and Freehub rear wheel rather than Freewheel or the ability to get a 130 or 135mm axle in the rear of the bike, which generally shows up with having 7 or more gears.

Most compatibility problems can be quickly overcome by upgrading when existing parts wear out. With non-indexed shifters you have a lot of flexibility. The problem is more about knowing what to do and where to buy things. This gets harder the further back that you go.

The seven speed wheels were stronger than later speeds but you can not put more than seven gears on them to match other components. You can put seven speed gears on the later wheels to match older components but the wheel isnt as strong as the originals.

I would not let any of this deter me from a good conditioned bike turning up at around £100 (often less) which is going to be as good as a modern one costing ten times as much when fitted with my choice of components.
ossie
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by ossie »

BeardyWeirdy wrote:Good advice - thanks.

Is there a cut off, in terms of age of bike, where parts become difficult to get ie, should I be wary of going back into the 70's or early 80's as parts will be harder to get or are they still being made?


This is available in Verwood for £85...not far from your location and looks uptogether. You could probably do something with it, it looks like a 90's chromoly frame, 21 inch. I did something similar, new BB, butterfly bars, crankset, wheels etc for £200 but had the tools etc.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Trek-720-Mens ... 3aa9d38dd5
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Paulatic
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by Paulatic »

I would go the used route. In fact I have just taken delivery of a 90's Orange Clockwork and bits. Frame condition is above my expectations and came with some nice Suntour bits. I have a couple of wheels about me also rack and lights so I don't need to buy much more to have a sturdy 26" wheel tourer. Looks like the whole project will come in under £200.
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BeardyWeirdy
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by BeardyWeirdy »

Yes I think I will try and find a second hand bike. I would like to work on a bike, to get to know it anyway. I might cycle over and look at the bike in verwood this weekend.

I love the look of classic trousers, but I might end up going for the more upright, hybrid type route.
mercalia
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by mercalia »

if u go for a classic style Galaxy then u need a 25"/65cms frame for your height - these dont come up very often. I used to have one and am your height so I know even then I had to have the seat pin etc up quite high
BeardyWeirdy
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by BeardyWeirdy »

Thanks for the information, I have been trying to work out what size I need, all my current bikes have compact frames, so the dimensions aren't that helpful! I will keep hunting.
Polite
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on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by Polite »

BeardyWeirdy wrote:Hi All

I am hunting for a bike to tour on - I have got a nice road bike (carbon) and a mountain bike, that has on occasions been used for touring, but it is not ideal.

What I want it for: I am looking to mainly do a week of so road touring, with the occasional path, field or track, so I don't need to be able to ride through jungle or over mountain sides, but I do want to leave the black stuff on occasion. I would like the ability to add front panniers, although I do travel quiet light most of the time. I am 6ft 2 and not a whippet, either in physique or inclination.

So the question is with a budget of about £300-500 all in, am I better off going new, where at least the first few trips are likely to be ok, for example I can get Dawes Galaxy AL for £420 or say Revolution Country Traveller '15 For £499 - where I can probably get a deal on other bit and pieces I want, and the right size!

or go second hand - where I know nothing of the bikes history but can find some nice looking bikes. But the sizing is less easy and there is the problem of all the bikes I like being the other end of the country.

Does anyone have any thoughts?


I've got a nice Dawes Galaxy for sale, it's in Hove. [emoji3]
MarkF
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by MarkF »

Sweep wrote:Am slightly confused mark. The adventure is a nice bike (i have one and may be in touch with questions now and again) but it's another hybrid. I'm not criticising the adventure but why couldn't you use any of your existing hybrids?


My other hybrids are alu and get very well used, I could have used them, could have used my MTB also, they've all toured before. But I wanted a steel bike for touring only, set up for me and to be used just for that purpose.

It actually cost in total £208, bike, wheels, cassette, cogs, chain and tyres and it rides lovely, nimbler than my others. It has a nearly new Charge saddle on it now.

Before
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After
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Sweep
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by Sweep »

Can i ask which model it is and double check wheel size?

Mine is a 520sx, 700 wheels, bought new in around 97 for £220 reduced from about £280. Most bits apart from frame, stem, bars and seatpost have been replaced over the years.

This very weekend am upgrading it from 7/21 speed to the dizzy heights of 8/24 :)
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TrevA
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by TrevA »

mercalia wrote:if u go for a classic style Galaxy then u need a 25"/65cms frame for your height - these dont come up very often. I used to have one and am your height so I know even then I had to have the seat pin etc up quite high


I'm 6 ft 2 in and ride a 58 cm with no more than 6 inches of seat post. I would imagine that 60 cm would be big enough.
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MarkF
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by MarkF »

Sweep wrote:Can i ask which model it is and double check wheel size?

Mine is a 520sx, 700 wheels, bought new in around 97 for £220 reduced from about £280. Most bits apart from frame, stem, bars and seatpost have been replaced over the years.

This very weekend am upgrading it from 7/21 speed to the dizzy heights of 8/24 :)


700c. It is a Ridgeback Adventure 525SX, I don't know the difference between it and a 520SX, I also have a Ridgeback Bullit in my cellar which appears identical apart from a double, not triple chain ring, that bike belongs to my cousin.
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Sweep
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by Sweep »

Will pm you later to avoid boring others with adventure fandom :)
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Bicycler
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by Bicycler »

IF you happen to find a bike in the right size and IF you are sure of your ability to assess its mechanical condition then second hand is the budget choice.

I'd certainly second the advice of avoiding anything with old style 27" wheels and/or freewheel blocks rather than cassettes. Whilst not insurmountable problems for those with such machines, they make less practical sense long term for new purchasers.

Then again, even later 80s/early 90s bikes can bring some annoyances. The cantilever bosses may be too narrow to accept modern replacement canti/v-brakes. 126mm (6/7spd) hubs are not widely available. A 130mm rear end limits you to 7spd, an overly dished road rear wheel, or springing a 135mm wheel in and out. 7spd is making less sense as parts become scarcer. 1" threaded headsets and quill stems...

For me, if buying a bike today, the sweet spot would be a bike from the last 20 years: 700C; 1 1/8" Ahead, 135mm rear end so any modern wheel will just drop in; 8spd (parts widely available on tour and can be upgraded in the future); will fit modern canti/v-brakes (maybe even discs).
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foxyrider
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by foxyrider »

MarkF wrote:After
Image


Still looks like a commuting bike!

I would be looking for a better rack at least - that is just nasty and do you really ride with the saddle at that angle? Its either too high or needs levelling - you must be sliding forward off of that all the time. :lol:
Convention? what's that then?
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