New to cycling, just moved to Portland and looking for a commuter bike that I could maybe also use to get some exercise on the weekends. Found this bike and was wondering what you guys could tell me about it and how much is a fair offer. Owner didn’t specify which year/model this Miyata is. Thanks!
by ChestDayEveryday
5 Comments
I don’t know the market in Portland, but near me, that would be between $250-350.
I assume supply is higher in Portland, so it might be closer to the $250 side or even less.
Far too little information for me to recommend a price. But I’ll just say Portland is one of the worst cities for bike theft. I would not ever leave it locked up outside if possible, and when you do be sure to get a really good U Lock and follow this locking procedure: https://transportation.wisc.edu/2024/03/06/bicycle-security-and-theft-prevention-strategies-an-illustrated-guide/
I can’t read the lettering on the frame, but if it is indeed a Miyata it might be a repaint? Regardless, it’s a classic frame updated with more modern components and wheels. The quality markers I can see on the frame make it look decent, but I’d like a closer look at the lugs before making a more solid evaluation of frame quality.
I sold a similar bike for ~650 a few years back, but the wheels were hand built with quality components, so a lot of the what I’d be willing to pay for this bike would be based on how good the wheels are tbh. If the wheels are pretty basic I might go as high as $400.
The seat is positioned as far back as it will go. If you buy it, try moving it forward a bit to a more normal/ neutral position.
It’s an old enough bike that it uses a quill handlebar stem. It’s a pretty extreme rise and long length. If you need to change it to dial in the fit, it is complicated/ expensive to do it. Most bikes newer than about 15 years have a threadless headset and stem system. There are lots of advantages of this newer type.
I think it might be better to choose a bike that is a little more modern and unmodified.
Hard to say. More pictures would really help. It does have forged rear dropouts, so that’s a sign of a decent frame. It’s definitely been repainted and the parts aren’t original. It will be necessary to know what they are to determine value.