I’m about to move to a city soon and wanted to get a bike to be able to commute to work, get groceries, get around, etc. maybe get a workout into if I fall in love with it is this a good option description that has an ultegra group set, bit pics show a shimano derailleur. 27” wheels.
by dice2012
4 Comments
It looks good to me. More importantly, does it fit? Don’t be too hung up on the specs. If the bike doesn’t fit your height, you’ll have a bad time.
I really appreciate the mounting points for a rear bike rack. Most road bikes don’t have them. A bike rack is mandatory for commuting IMHO.
This is a cool, classic bike. It looks mostly original and well kept. Going with a bike of this age you are making some sacrifices compared to modern bikes. The shifting takes a bit of getting used to. The single pivot brakes don’t have as much power. You are limited in tire options. And numerous other compromises you will make with a 40 year old bike.
That said, it should be a nice ride. I love these old drivetrains, they clunk right into gear. The nose of the saddle is angled down, try leveling it out so you aren’t sliding forwards constantly. This is quite old for an aluminum frame, so give it a visual inspection for cracks. The small diameter tubing they used looks like it is steel, but is thick aluminum.
The price seems good. Give it a test ride. It’s a big bike, so you should be fairly tall for it to work. As a commuter you will be limited on accessories. You can’t fit traditional full coverage fenders. You can do those silly looking clip on ones though if you must. They do ruin the aesthetics of the bike though. A backpack or similar would be best for carrying stuff.
Id be worried about the 27″ wheels, just a bit harder to find replacements.
I have one of these but a 1990 and it has 29″ wheels.
It’s also 126mm spacing for the rear hub, I crammed a 130mm in mine and haven’t had any issues but some people may disagree with doing that on an aluminum frame.
Yes, its a good bike. Shimano Ultegra is a mid-upper tier groupset. Definitely get him to send you the frame measurements c-c of the top tube. You probably want a 56 or 58 cm top tube.
Practically speaking, a newer bike would be a better commuter bike. Its an old bike, so replacement parts may not be as easy to come by, and will almost certainly be used. 27″ wheels are limiting for tires. Downtube shifters are a vibe, but are not as easy to use as modern brifters or flat bar shifters. For 150 bucks it is cheap, so you don’t have much to loose. If you decide you like bike commuting, buy a new bike rather than upgrade this one. This is basically valuable to someone nostalgic for a vintage bike or some hipster who wants to restomod it.