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I saw that Peugeot. It could be a fantastic bike, but unless you're really looking to learn all about working on bikes you might want to pass. As for the Centurion vs the newer Trek, if it were me I'd definitely choose the Centurion. However, I also just love old bikes, so I'm naturally going to choose the older one. If your main concern is to get into road biking and you're no more partial to vintage bikes than you are new ones, then the Trek may be a better option for you. But I also agree with PanTerra that the Trek will probably give a considerably harsher ride. It may also be, or at least feel, a bit faster, too. So it really depends on what you want. Also keep in mind that while parts for the Trek will be more readily available at any bike shop, the Centurion will almost certainly be easier to work on yourself. But the most important thing is that either one of them fit you correctly! I recommend test riding as many bikes as you can. If you can ride the Centurion and Trek you'll probably be able to tell which one fits better, whether you prefer the brifters or downtube shifters, which type of ride you like better, etc.
Also concerning fit with old bikes: You may find that with a 58cm modern frame (or 60, or whatever) the bike feels right when you're riding it, and you may also have a little standover clearance with both feet flat on the ground. But with a 58cm vintage frame the fit while riding the bike may be fine, but when standing on the ground you may not have any clearance. In my experience this isn't really a problem with older bikes (unless it's a mountain bike). The bike mainly needs to fit when you're actually riding it. I can count on one hand the times I've straddled my road bikes with both feet flat on the ground: zero times. My current road bike has a 56cm seat tube and a 55cm top tube. If I were to straddle the top tube with my feet on the ground not only is there no clearance at all, but it wouldn't be exactly comfortable, if you know what I mean. But when I'm on the bike it fits perfectly. In fact it's the best fitting bike I've ever ridden, regardless of the top tube clearance.
Yes I did. I was trying to find info about it online. What is the difference between that and the one I posted?
The one you posted has some early DuraAce components, which are very nice, but the one I posted looks like it may be in a little better condition. I'm sure they'd both need a little TLC, but the white one looks like it needs a little more. Personally, I'd check out the light blue one first, simply because it's not missing any parts. Peugeot is/was a French company, and the blue one has Simplex components, which are also French and probably all original. The white one has Japanese components, which are excellent (I LOVE vintage Japanese parts) but may not be original to the bike. (Not totally sure about that, though. Maybe someone bought it new as a frameset and added their own components?)
Also, I'm totally jealous right now, because I'd love to find either of those in my size in my area. But I never see anything like that on Craigslist here.
Edit: The white one you posted is actually a "Super Competition" which I believe was a higher model. So the components may be original, which might also explain why it still has French shifters. Though that still seems odd since all the other parts are Japanese. But the seller of the white one mentions that the rear wheel is steel, so I seriously doubt it's original, and it's probably not a great wheel. This could be a problem unless you don't mind having an inferior rear wheel or if you don't mind replacing it. On the other hand, the original rear wheel (and the one on the blue Peugeot) probably take a Malliard Helicomatic freewheel, which can be a pain if you need to remove it because they used a special tool. I had an old Peugeot with one of these and the lock ring kept coming loose. It wasn't a huge probably because I could carefully tighten it with a set of channel locks, but having the tool would have been ideal.
Last edited by Lamplight; 06-15-2013 at 07:54 PM..
Wow old dyna-drive pedals! Those were cool. But keep in mind you cannot change pedals w/o an adapter. The spindle on dyna-drives is much larger. I notice it doesn't have the original toe clips either, those are unique to the pedals as well and might be tricky to find. The rear derailleur hanger boil also looks cracked. Could be a challenge finding a replacement. The 531 Reynolds tubing is excellent though. But for me this bike's worth about $75 and mostly as parts. $230 is too much imo.
I have been trying to figure out what model and year this specialized is: specialized bicycle
The owner doesn't know. He is willing to take $150, but I am worried that maybe the shifters are going bad. If I got that one I wouldn't get to see it until I already have purchased it because it is in my hometown, not where I live now. I would have one of my family members or friends pick it up for me.
It looks like late 90s or so, but I couldn't even guess what model. Looks like all aluminum, including the fork. Shimano 105 components are pretty good, and the slipping gear is probably not a shifter issue, but more likely just an adjustment issue. That's probably not a bad deal unless the frame or fork is cracked, which is possible but not terribly likely. Even if you bought it and found something catastrophic like that, you could still use the parts on another frame if push came to shove. Just be aware that all that beefy aluminum will most likely give a very harsh ride.
That slipping could be just an adjustment issue but it cold just as easily be a stretched chain, worn out chain rings, etc. that would be a PITA for the OP since he doesn't know how to work on bikes.
I agree the the ride can be harsh but remember that many many people rode those kinds of harsh frames for many years. And by the time the OP gets to a level where the harshness is more noticeable than on other frames, he may be ready to upgrade. And to top it off, the harshness can me minimized with wider tires or a little less psi.
I think I may be able to get him to go down to $125, he has a time restriction.
Looks like it's probably a good, even not knowing the exact model. But then again, I'm a fan of yellow. You'll want new bar tape and I would get matching pedals.
The slipping gears could be a number of things. If it were me, I would in the very least check it out and see if either of the chainrings are worn or if the cassette needs to be replaced. Really, you can't expect to get a perfect bike for a couple hundred but this may be a good one for the price.
The thing that sticks out at me from the pics is the rear derailleur hanger. It's in an awkard forward looking position. Maybe some others can chime in with their opinion on that.
If you are not comfortable assessing the slipping, maybe the seller would let you take it to a shop for an evaluation if you leave something with him.
Best of luck
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