upgrade or replace

This might be jumping the gun, but I'll have a five-year old Trek 1000
road bike (50cm) for sale at the end of this week. If you are
interested, e-mail me at the address below and we can talk about it.

Other than that, I don't have much advice to give as I am only going on
my second bike. The reason I'm switching out has mainly to do with the
type of riding I've found myself doing. Therefore I don't feel very
qualified to add to the upgrade versus purchase new discussion.

Best regards,
--mike

--
Michael Erickson
Senior Technical Marketing Engineer
Logic Product Development
(612) 436-5118
[email hidden]
http://www.logicpd.com

I bought a used (5 yr old) mid range bike off of eBay, but just got
lucky. It is nothing special, but has worked out fine for me (Shimano
RX100 level equipment). I wanted modern shifters and got them. I
didn't know I'd enjoy them as well as I have.

I eventually got rid of my starter bike, a fairly nice old 12 speed Fuji
with equipment probably similar to yours. If I'd been a little more
handy, I might have tried to upgrade the Fuji. It had friction shifters
on the headset, *very* cheap tires and tubes. There was just too much
to do to upgrade it at my level of expertise.

Spread the rear drops to 130mm and you can throw on a modern rear
wheel, a fresh 8spd Sram cassette (32t), a Deore LX rear mech, and some
sort of shifters. The originals if they'll go friction, or some indexed
d/t or bar-end shifters.

Could be done for a couple hundred if you shop around.

Don't forget to get a new chain to ice the cake.

If it's a screw on freewheel, you can get a new 7sp wide range
freewheel and a new derailleur to handle it for a little over fifty
bucks. Clicky shifters will cost you more of course.

DrLith said:

rear derailleur needs to be replaced. suntour 6-spd accushift.

Quoted message said:

I think the freewheel is 12-26 with 52/42 chainrings

If you need lower gears than that, you're probably looking at a triple
crankset or a "compact" double.

If the frame fits perfectly, is in good shape, and is made from quality
tubing, it _might_ be worth upgrading to at least 7-speed with either
downtube or bar end shifters.

If you were to do a complete upgrade to 9 or 10 speed, you would
probably be replacing everything except bars, stem, headset, front
wheel, brakes, seatpost, and saddle.

I upgraded my 1984 Columbus SL frame with a modern 9-speed drivetrain
and have never regretted it. I kept the cost down by doing the work
myself (including building a new rear wheel). I did that about five
years ago, and component prices (especially for the new 10-speed stuff)
has gone up a lot since then.

Modern drivetrains shift much better (both front and rear) and dual
pivot brakes provide much more stopping power.

Most bike shops will steer you towards buying a new bike rather than
upgrading, and in your case that may be the best route. It all depends
how attached you are to the Bianchi.

Art Harris

My 2 cents.

I think there are folk who get real satisfaction from major
upgrades/rebuilds. And there are others for whom satisfying new bike
lust is the way to go.
With what you have to work with it seems to me that either you are
going to do a pretty major upgrade/rebuild or get a new bike. I don't
think there is a "right" answer but rather it depends on what you like.

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]
says...

Quoted message said:

Fine folks at rec.bicycles.misc:

I am debating the various options on either fixing my "vintage" (jeez,
does that make me feel old! "vintage" makes me think grandma's formica
dinette, fer godsake) 1987 bianchi road bike

I've got an older Bianchi that I'm totally in love with. Beautiful rich
red color.

I've chosen the
'slowly...lie...to....my...wife....and....upgrade....a....little...bit..
...at....a....time.....and.....hope....she....doesn't....notice.....'
route.

Today I added two new michelin carbon tires.

I'd go the upgrade route. It's pretty fun, not too expensive, you can
get just what you want, good deals are fun/rewarding to track down, and
you can stand back and look at the bike and SMILE!!!

-Bianchi Bob

maxo said:

Spread the rear drops to 130mm and you can throw on a modern rear
wheel, a fresh 8spd Sram cassette (32t), a Deore LX rear mech, and some
sort of shifters. The originals if they'll go friction, or some indexed
d/t or bar-end shifters.

Could be done for a couple hundred if you shop around.

Don't forget to get a new chain to ice the cake.

If it's a screw on freewheel, you can get a new 7sp wide range
freewheel and a new derailleur to handle it for a little over fifty
bucks. Clicky shifters will cost you more of course.

That was just more than I wanted to tackle on my first bike. Maybe next
time.

"Hell and High Water" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]
says...

Quoted message said:

Fine folks at rec.bicycles.misc:

I am debating the various options on either fixing my "vintage" (jeez,
does that make me feel old! "vintage" makes me think grandma's formica
dinette, fer godsake) 1987 bianchi road bike

I've got an older Bianchi that I'm totally in love with. Beautiful rich
red color.

I've chosen the
'slowly...lie...to....my...wife....and....upgrade....a....little...bit..
..at....a....time.....and.....hope....she....doesn't....notice.....'
route.

You and I have been molded from the same batch.... :-)

When you can top convincing your wife that you need to buy new wheels to
change the tires, then I want to hear it!

BTW, the wheels are supposed to be here either today or tomorrow!

What I'm doing is upgrading my bike with the components I want in a bike.
Then if I still want when the time comes, I can get into a new frame and do
it with a better built bike and it won't be so taxing on my budget to hit
all at once. I can live with a couple hundred dollars a month to add here
and there. I can't chunk down several thousand all at once on a bike.

If you were talking about upgrading a Schwinn, I'd say to just replace it. A
Bianchi is a fine bike and worth the upgrades, if you can stand riding the
older frame when you do the upgrades.

As always: YMMV

"DrLith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Fine folks at rec.bicycles.misc:

I am debating the various options on either fixing my "vintage" (jeez,
does that make me feel old! "vintage" makes me think grandma's formica
dinette, fer godsake) 1987 bianchi road bike or else trying to find
something newer. I'm probably going to consult live and in person at the
local shop this afternoon, but I'm interested in a variety of inputs.
There are several considerations that I will try to lay out in an
organized fashion:

1. the bike: the biggest problem is the rear derailleur needs to be
replaced. suntour 6-spd accushift. not sure the exact model. I'd also like
new pedals, as I have lost 1 dustcap and all the bearings for the current
set, but maybe it's no harder to find a vintage dustcap than it is to find
toe-clip style pedals these days?

2. the usage: mostly commuting, 12 mi/day on constant hills. But I'd also
like something that I could use for crosstraining, entry-level triathlons,
or the occasional daytripping. I used to do some touring back when I was
young and childfree, but I don't see that happening aagain in the next 5
years.

3. more about the bike: it's probably got 10k miles on it, cro-moly frame,
21 lbs as outfitted with what were once nice mid-grade componentry that
are all probably showing their age. It still makes my heart flutter, but
of course you also wonder if 18 years worth of technological advances
might make for a better/faster/more troublefree ride? I bought the bike
for $800 in 1987 dollars.

4. the only thing that I would seriously like to change (but is not
strictly necessary) is the gearing...I'd have to go check, but I think the
freewheel is 12-26 with 52/42 chainrings. It was perfect for east central
illinois where I bought the bike, but the low end is just not low enough
for my flabby little legs and all the hills around where I live now.

5. The bike would also benefit from the usual minor tweaks, like repacking
everything, new cables, brake hoods, handlebar tape, etc.

So, here are the options as I see them.

(a) minimal repair--"new" vintage derailleur and either new pedals or the
parts to make my old pedals functional. Maybe $50 for parts, plus a some
labor?

(b) more aggressive upgrade--would it be possible, or sensible, to just go
ahead and replace all or most of the drivetrain in one fell swoop? Not
sure what this would cost, and it's possibly more complex than I would
want to tackle myself

(c) upgrade the whole bike. The problem here is I don't want to spend what
it would cost to get an equivalent mid-range bike, new. Life would be
groovy if I could pick up something like a 3-5 yo used bike in good shape,
but the fact that I need a 50 cm frame or equivalent, and that I
definitely want a road bike and not mtb/hybrid makes this somewhat more
challenging. I'm sure I could get *some* money for the bianchi from the
right buyer.

Your opinions/thoughts/observations would be greatly appreciated!

Hell and High Water said:

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]
says...

Quoted message said:

Fine folks at rec.bicycles.misc:

I am debating the various options on either fixing my "vintage" (jeez,
does that make me feel old! "vintage" makes me think grandma's formica
dinette, fer godsake) 1987 bianchi road bike

I've got an older Bianchi that I'm totally in love with. Beautiful rich
red color.

I've chosen the
'slowly...lie...to....my...wife....and....upgrade....a....little...bit..
..at....a....time.....and.....hope....she....doesn't....notice.....'
route.

LOL. Are you also totally in love with your wife? Ya shoulda married a
woman with an older Bianchi. If'n ya keep lying to the one you did
marry, mebbe you'll get a chance!

Quoted message said:

Today I added two new michelin carbon tires.

I'd go the upgrade route. It's pretty fun, not too expensive, you can
get just what you want, good deals are fun/rewarding to track down, and
you can stand back and look at the bike and SMILE!!!

There is that. I may be slower, fatter, and uglier than anyone else on
the road, but dammit, I've got a bianchi in original celeste.

In article <[email hidden]>,

DrLith said:

Your opinions/thoughts/observations would be greatly appreciated!

My opinions
1) You do not know what you want, and we cannot tell you.

2) You are not passionate about working on bicycles.

I have a bicycle that I continued to ride and work on for
years. Finally I realized that to put more parts and work
was contra-indicated. Bought a new frame and built the
exact bicycle that I always wanted. The old bicycle is a
Raleigh International frame. I ride it and love it.
Probably will give it a make-over some time: internal gear
hub, generator hub, mud guards. The very good hubs on it
will become a second set of wheels for the new bike.

3) Unless you are attached to the frame as I am to mine,
do not spend much on it. Get is running well with the
minimum: new chain, repack hubs and bottom bracket, true
the wheels, new tires, new brake pads. Then give it away
and get the exact bicycle that you always wanted. If the
cog wheels and chain wheels are worn, you have much more
work and expense.

--
Michael Press

If I wanted to update a mid-range bianchi, i'd probably have it
cold-set to 130 mm and put a veloce rear hub, cassette, and derailleur
on it. I might put barcons on it to keep the "vintage" style. Total
cost would probably be about $300. It would be a more italian and
even more classic machine.

MKS has just released campagnolo-type black/silver MKS sylvan that
looks just like vintage campy super leggara. For $30/pair.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7184839195

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA