Hi, I’ve just started to bike again for recreation and exercise in a town that has a variety of biking routes on and off road. Not interested crazy racing, hills, off-road BMX, or any requirement for daily commuting. Mostly going out for a few hours covering 20 miles or more on paved roads and some inclines & hills, though some routes have rougher pavement or gravely stretches that I can feel with my 700×23 wheels/tires (might be able to fit 25 tires). I currently have a nice 90s Diamondback Centurion Interval steel frame road bike with Shimano Exage 500 series parts. I picked this up a few years ago and it is running well and serviced. I’m 5’9″ and noticed that this bike may be a bit small for me when I’m in the aggressive road bike stance.
I would like to purchase another (n+1) bike(s) to have for learning more about maintenance, tinkering with handlebars / geometry / riding positions, and to have something that may have a bit more clearance for wider tires.
The 2004 Bianchi Giro is listed at $225 marked down from $250 and has been up for two weeks at a nearby town. The tires look flat and it looks like it hasn’t been maintained frequently. I think this model comes with Shimano 105 of the era. This one looks similar in size to my current bike, but may be overall a bit too similar in function to my diamondback. It would need some work, and would maybe be a side-grade overall, but it’s a nice color bianchi and I could have fun tinkering with it.
The 2007 Trek X-02 is listed at $300 OBO and has been up for 4 weeks in my town. It looks like it has a thomson seatpost, and maybe some other additions to the bars? This one may be on the larger size for me, but the Shimano Ultegra hardware and clearance for larger tires seem like a good pick.
Notes from the seller: 2×9 speed drivetrain shimano drivetrain. Paul brakes. Not sure of the exact size, but the rider is 5’11” and it fits them well. Maybe a 50-54 cm frame? The seller says it runs solid and has been in storage since its last tuneup – last year.
I feel like these are both pretty sweet bikes, with the bianchi having some style points and the trek having some fun do-it-all bike points. Which would you choose in my situation or yours? They both seem like a good deal, but may need a bit of maintenance or have things to look out for. I’ve only had steel framed vintage bikes, and these are a mix of aluminum and carbon fiber.
kyocerahydro on
I’d go with trek. more versatile for what you need.
2 Comments
Hi, I’ve just started to bike again for recreation and exercise in a town that has a variety of biking routes on and off road. Not interested crazy racing, hills, off-road BMX, or any requirement for daily commuting. Mostly going out for a few hours covering 20 miles or more on paved roads and some inclines & hills, though some routes have rougher pavement or gravely stretches that I can feel with my 700×23 wheels/tires (might be able to fit 25 tires). I currently have a nice 90s Diamondback Centurion Interval steel frame road bike with Shimano Exage 500 series parts. I picked this up a few years ago and it is running well and serviced. I’m 5’9″ and noticed that this bike may be a bit small for me when I’m in the aggressive road bike stance.
I would like to purchase another (n+1) bike(s) to have for learning more about maintenance, tinkering with handlebars / geometry / riding positions, and to have something that may have a bit more clearance for wider tires.
The 2004 Bianchi Giro is listed at $225 marked down from $250 and has been up for two weeks at a nearby town. The tires look flat and it looks like it hasn’t been maintained frequently. I think this model comes with Shimano 105 of the era. This one looks similar in size to my current bike, but may be overall a bit too similar in function to my diamondback. It would need some work, and would maybe be a side-grade overall, but it’s a nice color bianchi and I could have fun tinkering with it.
The 2007 Trek X-02 is listed at $300 OBO and has been up for 4 weeks in my town. It looks like it has a thomson seatpost, and maybe some other additions to the bars? This one may be on the larger size for me, but the Shimano Ultegra hardware and clearance for larger tires seem like a good pick.
Notes from the seller: 2×9 speed drivetrain shimano drivetrain. Paul brakes. Not sure of the exact size, but the rider is 5’11” and it fits them well. Maybe a 50-54 cm frame? The seller says it runs solid and has been in storage since its last tuneup – last year.
I feel like these are both pretty sweet bikes, with the bianchi having some style points and the trek having some fun do-it-all bike points. Which would you choose in my situation or yours? They both seem like a good deal, but may need a bit of maintenance or have things to look out for. I’ve only had steel framed vintage bikes, and these are a mix of aluminum and carbon fiber.
I’d go with trek. more versatile for what you need.