Hey Folks! Need advice/input on a Nishiki International im thinking of upgrading to

Nice old bike. I’m guessing early/mid eighties.

Yes, that bike will be faster and lighter than a cruiser.

However, it is also a traditional ‘level top tube’ road bike where the size of the frame is more crucial to fit your body than most modern ‘sloping top tube’ bikes. This one looks like a 50 or 52 cm, good for someone between 5’4 and 5’7 ish.

Also, it likely has 27” tires which is an obsolete size. There are still a few styles available, but you can’t walk into any old bike shop and expect to have a decent selection.

Also, because it is so old there are some potential wear and maintenance items you should look out for – the primary one is bearing condition… grab the wheel on the top and see if it will have any side-to-side play or rattles. This could indicate damaged bearing surfaces. It’s generally possible to replace bearing balls and cones, but this is much less commonly done now than when this bike was made. If the bearing surfaces in the hub are pooched then there’s not much you can do besides change the wheels, which gives you the opportunity to swap in ‘modern’ 700c wheels for much better tire selection and a bit more clearance for wider tires.

Another thing to check is that the seatpost and handlebar stem are not seized into the frame or fork, so bring a metric allen key set to check when you look at the bike. If the seatpost can’t be moved after loosening the pinch bolt then walk away, that’s pretty much a fatal defect unless the bike fits you perfectly as-is, but even then you should treat the bike as a run-to-failure beater.