How do I choose a road bike?

>>1078317
>pros and cons to buying a new one vs old one, choosing one frame material over another kind etc. No clear 'better'
you're right
there isn't really a clear choice to make, because either new or old, as long as it is decent you'll be fine

the main differences are:
>material
newer = alu or carbon
older = chromoly
>weight
newer = lighter
older = heavier
>ride quality
newer = stiffer, harsher (debatable)
older = gentler, smoother (debatable)
>drivetrain
newer = 9, 10, 11 speed
older = 5, 6, 7 speed
>maintenance
newer = easier to find new parts, harder to work on
older = more compatibility between brands, easy to work on
>price
newer = $$-$$$$
older = $-$$$
>aesthetics
newer = modern, aggressive styling
older = classic lines and beautiful paint

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>>1078321

Thanks anon. What kind of bike do you have?

>>1078322
i have an old 90s rigid mtb i commute on and am in the process of buying an old 80s 10 speed road bike
my personal preference is old road bikes partly just because they're so beautiful
modern styling just doesn't do it for me the way old steel road bikes do
and in terms of ride quality, i really do think that old road bikes are smoother than new ones, although i've never ridden carbon, only alu and cromoly

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>>1078324

think I may do the same and get an 80s road bike. I agree about the styling, the ride quality difference totally makes sense, and just as someone who is new to the hobby it doesn't make sense to splurge on a new bike. Are you looking at any specific makes/models of 80s 10speed road bikes?

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Here is mine. I also love the old steel bikes.

>>1078317
MUST HAVE:

1 1/18th steerer

STI shifters

integrated headset

threaded bottom bracket

shimano hollowtech II cranks NEVER cartridge only on low end trash

carbon forks with carbon steerer tube WITH compression plug some shitty pre built bikes have starnuts in carbon steerers (looking at you giant) and it's a crack waiting to happen

700C wheels an absolute must

dual pivot calipers NEVER DISC
direct mount preferred.

never integrated seat post clamp

alloy seat post, never carbon and fiber grip leads to seized posts down the road carbon seat posts also get scratched to shit and the epoxy yellows under the sun if nude which seat posts tend to be nude carbon

MUST HAVE DERAILLEUR HANGER THAT IS REMOVABLE never buy incorporated

also good bike components are good

bad ones can get really fucking bad. REALLY BAD

> No clear 'better

there absolutely is a clear better in the bike world 99% of components are literal trash, only like 1% of the components are well made

i'd go as far as to say that MOST bikes are trash on the market, what they do is cut corners and build bikes to a price point.

and those corners cut to get you into a road bike at under $300 are STEEP

cartridge bottom brackets from who knows where, unsealed wheel bearings, no name brakes, shitty un coated cables (shimano coats in teflon) that rust.

shitty forks that aren't welded cleanly a lot of bikes are pure garbage seriously

this isn't the auto industry where there is a standard level of quality for car engines

bikes vary and vary widely

>>1078327
What do you plan to use the bike to? Some as old as that is out most sportive porpouses today (like ride with some other folks on sunday) unlike you find some retrovintagehipster cycling club nearby...

>>1078321
>older = more compatibility between brands, easy to work on
No. Modern bikes are reasonably standardised on stem clamp size, bars, only a few seatpost diameters, brake fixings and bottom bracket gangs. Old bikes can have BSA, French or Italian gang - one of which is practically impossible to source and the other just inconvenient, all manner of downright mad seatpost dimensions and semi-incompatible bad diameters that are always off by a tenth of a millimetre. They're also often enough shitfuck hard to work on as the risk is great that at least some shit is seized, worn or damaged.
I'll grant you the rest.

>>1078359
>bar diameters
>and stems

>>1078344
>1 1/18th steerer
>cup and cone hollowtech II
>alloy seatpin won't galvanize in crabon frame

>>1078317
Do you want to ride for speed over shorter distances or long distance with luggage?
Do you want to stick to smooth roads or take on anything in your path?

>>1078344
>>1078350
one of these fucking days i will single-handedly re-open treblinka specifically to accomodate your worthless fucking ass

>>1078359
>seatpost dimensions and semi-incompatible bad diameters that are always off by a tenth of a millimetre
i do agree with you here
there is sometimes more of a need of fucking with stuff slightly on old bikes to get it to fit
however, drivetrain compatibility between brands for a 10 speed is much better than on a modern bike
and there's more wiggle room for fucking things somewhat and still getting it working reasonably
also, older hubs are easier to service and the frames tend to stand up better to abuse
>shitfuck hard to work on
the only thing that's really that bad is if they have a cottered crankset

>>1078327
>Are you looking at any specific makes/models of 80s 10speed road bikes?
mostly i'm interested in slightly more general purpose commuter/touring oriented old road bikes
if you want to just get around on a bike i wouldn't recommend anything purpose built for racing

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my italian hipster bike

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>>1078317
I have a new alu bike and a 70s OTS and I can tell you that if you really want to get into actual cycling, not just posing around on your sunday drive to the cafe, the performance difference is such that I'd seriously recommend a newer alu bike.

Also, as per >>1078344 STI shifters are a must, downtube shifters are a horrible thing.

>>1078317

I've owned an 1986 Nishiki Prestige (steel) and a 2004 Cannondale CAAD5 (aluminum/carbon)

To get a good deal on an old road bike you are going to have to be able to work on it yourself. This will require at least $50 in tools. Most old bikes will need new cables, chains, brake pads, and bar tape, which will cost you another $50 bare minimum.

Owning my steel Nishiki was a great learning experience. But it cost more than you'd expect.

If you aren't interested in tedious bike mechanic work, I would go for something modern. A newer bike is easier to work on, and there are no issues with compatibility, and will likely be better in every regard besides aesthetics.

A modern Sora road bike will ride better than my Nishiki ever did. But for the record I have sold all of my road bikes, and will probably never get one again. If you aren't looking to go fast, skip the entire road bike idea.

Get a touring bike, much more practical. Or, if you have no interest in carrying shit and going for very long rides, get a used CX bike and put fat road tires on it.

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>>1078317
If you know a lot about bikes, you can get a retro bike, but if you don't, get a newer one.

First of all, you need to know what you are buying. If you won't be able to identify which parts are fucked before purchase, you will either be riding a underperforming bike, or get tricked and end up having to replace a lot of shit anyway.

Some retro parts can be renovated, some can't. If you know how to disassemble them, you can do a lot to improve brakes, derailleur and some other things. There are also those that can't be repaired in any way, things like chain, cables, casette, etc.

If you like working on such things, having a retro bike is a lot of fun. If you buy it and find out that you don't, it's just gonna be a lot of dissapointment. The pros is also the fact that you can gradually invest into it replacing the things that you consider worth the money, eventually ending up with a very well performing bike if you know what you are doing.

Pic unrelated

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>>1079719
>1986 Nishiki Prestige

Here's what it looked like. Beautiful paint.

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>>1078317
Simple:
Scan for good used bike deals.
Ask a lot of details from the seller.
Check stolen bike records with the frame number.
If anything seems too off, just walk away.
Definitely go for as modern as possible. (It will ride faster and feel better. Looks more sleek too.)
Remember, if you look after your bike, it will hold at least 5-10 years.

I got my Trek1.2 2008 (~9,6kg) for about 200$. Best deal ever.

TL;DR the best bang for the buck is second hand modern.

>>1079708
>samefagging sieg

fuck off and die

>>1079722
I would take this over any modern frame just for the aesthetics desu ne~

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Modern bikes (with indexed shifting, brifters, and more gears to pick from) are easier for beginners to learn on, but vintage bikes are often simpler, cheaper, and prettier.

Both old and new bikes are fun to ride, so the best solution is N+1, why not have one of each?

>>1079738
But I'm not even sieg you agressive little faggot.

>>1079751
>Both old and new bikes are fun to ride, so the best solution is N+1, why not have one of each?
this
modern road bikes and an OTS are for different riding styles and situations
but they're both worth having, and fun to ride

>>1079751
I'd say the shifers are the only thing that are easier to work on with old bikes.

>>1079751
a great looking bike that.

>>1078344
disc is clearly superior, wtf are you on

>>1079751
Niiice bike
What model and how much was it?

i'm looking for a road bike to ride to work and back (about 7 mi on smooth roads). not entirely new to bikes, but definitely new to being serious about bikes. i've been trying to get into it for a minute and i'll finally be in a good position to pull the trigger - but i don't know enough to make an informed decision.

should i look at brand-new bikes or is there a decent chance of finding something good on craigslist? what should i prioritize? say my budget is $1000 - what are my best options if i want to really get into riding, not just commute?

>>1082146
https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/bik/6178189437.html

would this be a good pick? this is the most promising i've seen yet, i think

>>1082147
>would this be a good pick?
its a decent entry level road bike made by a good company
i would try to talk the price down a bit, it isn't quite worth $500 imo
but its definitely not a bad ride, and it should be plenty good enough to get into road cycling

>>1079708
>being this wrong

>>1079693
>that slammed seatpost

>>1082147
Get this bad boy: https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/bik/6148744145.html

>>1079751
Seriously can someone tell me the make and model of this bike?

>>1082276
why in the fuck are they charging $550 for this bike. It's an awesome bike but it's a 1986. I paid under $200 for an '87 Miyata 312 a few years ago.

The point of buying used is getting a good bike for cheap, but new bikes at $550-600 are where the value kicks in

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>>1081969
>>1082567
It's a Sannow Sports Eminenza. Sannow was the in-house brand of a Tokyo bike shop run by Takahashi Nagoshira that was open from roughly 1960-1990, and Eminenza was the model name applied to their road frames. All the information I can find online suggests that Sannow frames were custom built, or at least semi-custom. Information about Takahashi and his brand is sparse online, but the brand was regarded well enough that he supplied Japan's track team with frames for the 1988 Olympics.

>>1082606
ah there goes any hope of me acquiring such a bike.
I just want a decent roadbike.

>>1082607
A Sannow is a rare beast, but if you're looking for a vintage roadie in that style it's not too hard to find one. Similar bikes with essentially the same frame and aesthetics were mass produced and sold in the US by many different brands: Centurion, Miyata, and Panasonic for starters.

>>1081969
It looks like an 80s sports touring bike with Honjo fenders, and has been fixed up and color coordinated.

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This is my first time even posting on this board but this is exactly what I need help with too. I'm a college student who needs a bike for commuting a short distance over smooth and mostly flat paths but during all seasons in the PNW. I thought that since the paths are smooth and I mainly care about getting there as fast as possible to make my early sports practice a road bike would be most apt. Do you all agree? I've been eyeing some used ones on CL but don't have enough expertise in the matter yet to decide. Could I post some listings to get some opinions? Pictured is a vintage one my size from a local shop that I was considering. It's $399 but comes with a year of maintenance which would help me as someone who knows next to nothing about maintaining and fixing bikes. I could realistically spend up to about $600 I think.

>>1084179
>the paths are smooth and I mainly care about getting there as fast as possible to make my early sports practice a road bike would be most apt
sounds good
keep in mind that old steel road bikes are mostly pretty tough and reliable
they make very good commuters as long as they're maintained well
>Could I post some listings to get some opinions?
sure, there's no real /bbg/ up right now afaict
>pic
>It's $399 but comes with a year of maintenance
that's a decent old ten speed, but nothing special
should make a good, reasonably quick and reliable commuter
that's more than its worth for the bike alone
however, since its from a shop you can trust that nothing is broken on it
and a year of free maintenance will help you a lot getting started
so it wouldn't be a bad decision at all, although for bike alone id only pay 250
sometimes bikes vary in price in some areas, so def check craigslist too
>knows next to nothing about maintaining and fixing bikes
getting started its nice to have a shop in the picture
they'll make sure any bike you buy is assembled competently
and they can make sure that nothing gets completely fucked
however, over time it is very important to learn to work on a bike
one of life's most important skills, needed when you least expect it
best to start with a bike where everything's done right
but look at how it goes together
learn to fix a flat first and how to clean and oil chain
then as needed learn to replace bearings and cables
if you keep your bike happy it will take care of you
and of course, read sheldonbrown.com

>>1082606
Thanks for the info as was likewise curious - pic you posted last week got used as my desktop. Really nice looking bike.

>>1084183
Thanks for the response, that's some great info. Here are some of the listings I was eyeing. For reference I am about 6'2" or 6'3".

https://eugene.craigslist.org/bik/6153164173.html This guy said he would sell it for $180.

https://corvallis.craigslist.org/bik/6124791558.html

https://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/bik/6185161075.html

https://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/bik/6170294093.html

These next 2 I could maybe spring for if they were really good deals or something:
https://eugene.craigslist.org/bik/6179642761.html

https://portland.craigslist.org/clk/bik/6188227674.html

>>1078344
>>1078350
Goddamn sieg you still have the nerve to post here you mongrel ? Someone posts his fat fuck face already

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Classic soviet chosse bike
,,start-chosse1988,,
,,Ural1974,,
Only steel f*cking

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No polotic,
Only steel your f*kin f*gts.
Owned this thred.

>>1084200
I'm not sure if you're trolling but none of the bikes you posted are any good. as a fellow 6'3" Portland cyclist I'd be happy to help you buy something and show you how to fix it up. let me know

>>1084865
Not trolling, just don't have the expertise to tell what's good or not, like I said in >>1084179 Also I'm only in town for the rest of today as I have summer classes starting in Eugene tomorrow. I could still use whatever help and advice you could give me though. Also, I measured my height yesterday for the first time in a while and I'm at 6'4" now if it makes any difference in sizing.

>>1084891
ok. try this guy https://eugene.craigslist.org/bik/6140604873.html
that bike is worth $150 to $250 but you could start by offering $100

>>1084891
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bik/6185949661.html
needs to be de-crapified and the dumb accessories thrown away but this is a great bike that's worth every penny of the asking price

>>1084891
https://portland.craigslist.org/yam/bik/6179603340.html
it's nothing special but it's a decent bike and college bikes get stolen all the time anyway. you could get this for $100. don't pay more than $120.

summer is peak bike buying season so the Craigslist deals are not so great. I'll keep an eye out though for more

with a $600 budget, you could do really well at sellwood cycles. have them set you up

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>how do I choose a road bike

You don't, you buy a cyclocross bike. Why limit yourself to tarmac only?

>>1084972
>>1084976
>>1084977
>>1084978
>>1084979
Hey, thanks for the responses and suggestions. I will keep looking as well but mainly in Eugene because it's where I'll be now for a while though I could come up to Portland or somewhere else to look at something really special potentially. So you think a bike bought at Sellwood would generally be a good deal then?

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>>1084825
yes, he's been re-infesting the boards again, unfortunately.

>>1085004
I might be wrong, but cyclocross bikes go way slower then a road bike on asphalt and tarmac and OP is probablly an urbanfag so no need for a cyclocross.

>>1085031
No problem, good luck. Sellwood Cycles isn't cheap but they are fair. And I trust Eric Tonkin implicitly. I'll keep an eye on Eugene as well. If you post a throwaway email or just post back on n I'll be in touch.

>>1085145
Alright thanks, throwaway email is "[email protected]"
Also, I got the guy for the following listing down to $600, thoughts?
https://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/bik/6189382430.html

>>1084179
if it's used, dont be afraid to haggle

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>>1085113
imagine being such an enormous faggot that 4chan posters tell you to fuck off, consistently, across different boards, for YEARS, and you still continue posting.

Kill yourself seig.