Advice on a Steel frame bike

nbuuifx

I've posted quite a few questions up - in summary I'm after a road bike which will be a lot quicker on the road than my boardman MTB with slicks. I don't want to spend too much.

I've been looking at 2nd hand Boardman Road, or Specialized Allez etc - but can't find anything within budget.

I have just been offered a cheap steel bike but don't know if it's a good buy or not.

This is all I know:

hand built longstaff racer
653 reynolds frame
miche seatpost
cinelli stem
c300 brakes
shimano 600 rear mech
mavic cx 18 hand built rims
no marks on frame (pink & white)
needs tyres as was stored in loft, they hold air but show signs of age
lovely thing to ride, weighs as much as a fag paper but too big for owner

The pink and white bit puts me off, and I take it at this sort of age it would have down tube shifters? But otherwise is it any good? Would it be worth a look (it's local) - what would be a good price to pay?

ugo.santalucia

In its days it was a good bike, quality steel, and Shimano 600 was these days' Ultegra. it's just a matter whether you can be bothered to look for vintage spare parts or not. If you can fix your own bike, go for it, otherwise don't bother, as your local Evans cycles will probably refuse to do any work on it.
How cheap is cheap? Where do you live?

nbuuifx

The asking price is £120, I'm in Staffordshire.

Have asked and found out that it has a single downtube shifter. Just a single road crank at the front - Not sure how many gears on the rear.

I do 99% of my maintenance myself, on my mountain bike I've done most jobs inc replacing: cassette, crank, BB, pedals, chain. I've set the gears up a few times. The only thing I have ever paid for was the gears to be setup the 1st time and taht was only £8. We've got a good few LBS round here with proper bicycle experts.

If I'm honest it doesn't sound a bad buy for what it is, but I don't think it's quite what I'm looking for.

Bordersroadie

I ride an old steel with modern parts as my winter bike - sounds like this bike could be a good one for you.

The thing that will make it an easy upgrade or not is how wide the rear axle is. Older steel frames were 126mm, for 5/6/7 speed hubs. Later (about 1990 on) they changed to 130mm, which is the right size to allow a modern 10 speed system to go straight on. A 653 frame suggests it is probably post 1990. Reynolds 653 is a very good quality steel tubing type by the way, and a decent used 653 frame (frame only) will sell for £120+, better ones much more.

It is possible to adjust a steel from 126 to 130 (Google "cold setting sheldon brown") if needed.

Also look at the downtube. If there are braze-on bosses for levers/cable stops this will also make your life easier for an STI system to go straight on but again there are solutions if not.

nbuuifx

I think it'd be an OK bike to buy and sell on, seems a good price etc - but I don't think the bike is right for me. Too much hassle. As it is it doesn't have enough gears and I could spend more than the bike to upgrade it.