I've bought dozens of older, steel bicycles over the years. Most of them I've purchased used on Craigslist, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace. One thing I have learned is that you can *never* trust the pictures sellers include with a listing. This isn't to say that sellers are dishonest. It just means that photos typically can't show the true condition of a bike (for better or worse). Depending on your mechanical ability and patience, there can be some hard lessons when you buy a used bike sight unseen. Here are some general tips to help you evaluate if an older bike is a good deal or not worth your time and effort to restore to rideable condition. Buy the seller, not the bike. This applies to almost any item of value, really. If the seller feels wrong, or if the bike is not something they seem to have any connection to, walk away. I always check bikeindex.org to make sure something isn't stolen. Steel . Not all steel is created equal. Look for "full chromoly...
From the RivBike email list: An experiment in noodles Two email updates ago in a mini review of the Losco bar I complained that I couldn't quite grab in front of the levers without having the housing right up against my knuckles. It's an ultra-minor who-cares complaint to be sure, but a couple people emailed me suggesting I install v-brake noodles at the lever to move the housing away from the bars. That's a fantastic idea that I'm ashamed I didn't think of myself especially because we have a ton of those noodles around here. Mark volunteered to install them on my bike and here's what it looks like now:
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