Hi folks,
My partner is beginning graduate school in New England this month and as a gift I'm hoping to build her up a nice commuter for a decent budget. Usually I would just find a nice 90s MTB frame, which I'm quite familiar with, but I happen to have a decent 700c dynamo wheel and lights laying around.
I'm not super familiar with older 700c frames and would love some advice on what to look out for. The Miyatas, Univegas, Treks, and such look quite cool, but I don't know how to evaluate them other than maybe the tubes or group set.
The goal is to find something that can:
– serve as a comfortable commuter that can handle longer rides and some light gravel duty.
– be built up relatively lightweight so she's able to lift it occasionally onto a transit bike rack.
– accommodate full fenders, rear rack, etc.
– be snagged for less than $200.
– use straightforward-ish components: down tube shifters seem intimidating and I've heard these older models can have weird hard-to-replace standards. Not looking to drop $$$ on Velo Orange haha.
– look relatively steezy, with cool paint jobs and a sense of style.
I'm hoping I can build it up with mostly parts bin items and visits to my local co-op. If you have suggestions, thanks a bunch!
by OverTheUnderAndThru
8 Comments
Look for touring Frames so you have options for racks etc. 531 tubing is good classic standard for tubing. Depending on how old the frame is you need to check the rear drop out width can match what gearing your wanting. Good luck on your search.
Budget is tight, I know you could probably find a Specialized crossroads frame for that much. [Something like this](https://www.ebay.com/itm/277222897429?_skw=specialized+crossroads+frame&itmmeta=01K2QFHVZTQ5154KE1C3ZSEY82&hash=item408bc5b715:g:Pk8AAOSw~QpoVHoy&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA4FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1eyFztCDAj%2FMHDEpGK5JmwbM6J9ZEtKYbcU3jW%2BoImatfvHSaC203aa2VNsG9WO3%2BtehVoOZlO2rinJEFz2z8zNWCxuBwr%2F3dIAnvHEjyE86t1waz124WOvC2v34gFJFQIrDza7tIlI7MERLm1lJGcFa4wJGacJ4R5XgkHTaX6wWfp%2F%2BuruLD8QT%2FWrDB%2FQZzp6%2BtrsKFL%2FabUjJhYrw9N3l7GB2K1%2BCM9AfxrtHtGY%2Ffq7rm2geuyoeYLM4n7x%2B1attS2Hkpgk%2Fe4hYzryf%2B7o%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4bAx–VZg)
Find something modern enough to have a 130 or 135mm rear end and you’ll be just fine.
I’d 100% look for a hybrid. They’re basically gravel bikes, have good tire clearance and mounts for good brakes, can be built up a million ways, and aren’t sexy and therefore can be cheap. Most were basic tubing, but there are some out there made from True Temper or Tange Prestige. Trek Multitrack 790, etc.
Also what’s up with that sweet Straggler?
If you look through the late 80s into the early 90s, you’ll be pretty set on standards. One thing to look out for is threaded v. threadless headsets, but it’s pretty easy to get road-sized stems for both. Only place you’ll have more headache is if you buy a threaded frame without a fork; you’ll need to know a bit more about the frame dimensions to get a workable replacement.
I typically recommend Trek 520s, Bianchi Volpes, and Specialized Sequoias if you can find them. A Surly Cross-Check would be great but my experience is that they hold their value really well, making it hard to find something resembling a deal. Going to the road side of the world makes for limited tire clearance; I built up a 1984 Univega Sportour and found that it could fit no wider than 28c tires, to my chagrin. Of course, limited tire clearance also means limited fender provisions.
Just as a note, downtube bosses on a frame are fine as long as they’re the side-mounted bosses like the Surly you have pictured; just use cable stops in them. Old frames with top-loading shifters are harder to adapt, though you can always just use a bolt-on cable stop and ignore the hole.
I’m also in New England (Massachusetts), so if there’s any location-specific bike guidance I can help with, just let me know.
Edit: Whoops, forgot to mention the Straggler is just an image I found to serve as an example.
Are you looking for something with drop bars, or flat bars?
There were lots of flat bar 700c hybrids made in the ‘90s, which will fit 35 to 40mm tires, fenders, racks. Everything was well standardized by then, parts are easy to get.
If you’re not looking for a steel frame, specifically, 00s and 10s aluminum flat bar 700c hybrids are starting to show up inexpensively. I occasionally see them in the $200-$300 range, with some combination of disc brakes, internal gearing, racks, fenders, hub generators, lights.
80s and 90s drop bar 700c road bikes will generally have very tight clearances, limiting you to <30mm tires and making fender installation difficult. There are touring bikes that are more suitable, but they’re relatively rare. 70s road bikes with 27” wheels were built for 32-35mm tires, and fenders, though the rims are often steel. They are usually easy to convert to 700c to get aluminum rims, better tire selection, and room to go up to about 40mm. However, this is where you will run into obsolete French and Italian standards that can make things difficult.