[Closed] are there any specialist shops that sell retro steel road bikes?

EBay? Cycling Weekly classifieds? Certainly collectors advertise in roadie mags, they may sell on as well.

Pretty sure that articles on L'Eroica Britannia last year mentioned a couple of specialist collectors/dealers.

[url= http://www.vintagevelo.co.uk/ ]Vintage Velo[/url] always seems to have a steady supply of retro road bikes.

thanks a lot all.

have just looked on the vintage velo web site,and spotted a lovely bike in my size for £395 (unfortunately i don't have the money to buy it though 🙁

[img] [/img] exactly what i'm looking for.

will have to start saving 🙂

these guys have a few most of the time but not 'top end'

[url= http://www.bespokebicycle.co.uk/bicycles/ ]http://www.bespokebicycle.co.uk/bicycles/[/url]

Get on Retrobike - register - start posting and then put a wanted ad up. Will be by far the cheapest way to achieve what you want. that one pictured is nice but expensive for what it is. Old road bikes are a hobby of mine sadly 🙄 so email in profile if want advice 😀

Blackbeard Cycles in central Bristol do 🙂

Oh and I probably have a few bits and pieces I can send you if you need parts. Nothing special but you are welcome to them.

thanks again everyone 🙂

my plan is to save around £400 for a nice 52cm steel road bike 80's onwards vintage.

something like the pic would be ideal.

for some reason i actually want a retro bike over a new one,they are just beautiful machines (cannot beat the classic steel roadies imho,just mechanical perfection)

goes off muttering about things being better in the old days (where's me pipe and slippers 😳

Have look at [url= http://www.steel-vintage.com/ ]http://www.steel-vintage.com/[/url] Nothing anywhere near £400, but you can always dream

Bargains can be found.
This was £100 via a charity
Mercian made 531 and old campy record
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Did not come with the bag though

Here is one my mates son runs
[url= http://www.pedalpedlar.co.uk/ ]Vintage bikes n stuff [/url]

Also worth a look at http://www.pedalpedlar.co.uk/

Lots on gumtree

Bicycle Ambulance in Cambridge could be worth a look.

I have an old BSA "Tour de France" like we used to lust over in the back of the Littlewoods catalogues. Free to a good home. 🙂

Terry at rusty chains is not far from Chippenham.

Look at Hilary Stones website. Always a bit pricey but could be worse. Try cycle recycle projects although some of them are switching on to trendy prices.
Retrobike a good tip but so is your local tip.

I looked for a long time for a 52cm retro road bike but they are rare compared to the 56 or 58 sizes which seem to be the most common. Maybe the road cyclists were taller in past decades.

One good thing about the older bikes is that they will take modern groupsets quite easily, maybe a little spreading of the rear triangle to make a 126mm spacing 130mm instead may be all that is needed. A lot have 1" forks but as long as you get the forks with the frame it isn't hard to find a headset or stem to fit - you can get quill to ahead adaptors which don't look too bad if you choose stems carefully.

The main issue that put me off in the end was the more extreme position of the older bikes, long stems tend to be needed for cockpit length and the headtubes can be very short so quite a big saddle to bar drop. You can get around this with higher rise stems but that often looks awful and messes with the classic look that drew you to the bike in the first place.

My steel one shown above is now 11 speed 105in silver as of a week ago and works just fine , I chopped the hub down to suit the frame rather then spread the stays out to 130

robdob - Member
I looked for a long time for a 52cm retro road bike but they are rare compared to the 56 or 58 sizes which seem to be the most common. Maybe the road cyclists were taller in past decades.

More like they rode frames that weren't way to small for them, like the current fashion!

The main issue that put me off in the end was the more extreme position of the older bikes, long stems tend to be needed for cockpit length and the headtubes can be very short so quite a big saddle to bar drop.

Hmm given that older more classic frames were designed around a bar height almost level with the saddle, not sure why you think they tend towards bigger bar drops? Unless of course you're looking at frames that are too small for you!?

You should keep looking if you still want one and choose sizing by TT length first, not the quoted size

Hilary Stones website is worth a look, some nice frames there.

531 frames on ebay for £100 or less

Try Lfgss website

Lots of classic frames for sale on the forums there

Be warned, they're pants compared to modern stuff if its day to day use you're after.
If you buy an as original it'll probably be running a 42/52 and a tiny cassette.
Avoid uniglide hubs. Hardly any cassettes about.
Some 80,s frames have very tight tyre clearances as 18/19c was common then.
A good early 130 spacing frame the best

I've a lovely Bianchi TSX in a smaller size that needs moving on.
Will have a measure today.

Theres a Hungarian Ebayer who sells NOS road frames and kit. Looks like quality stuff and as its Europe no import duty etc.

Just type in NOS road frame etc.

Hello OP. The Bianchi is a Columbus TSX, has a 52cm centre to top (50 centre to centre), 53cm TT, with Campag Mirage drivetrain, crank, shifters and Shimano 105 brakes.

We'd were planning on looking for £500 for it, but would move on £400.

Email in profile. Pics when it stops raining.

531 frames on ebay for £100 or less

Yep. I bought my Thorn audax in 531c for £75. That was several years ago tho.

I have a TSX frame, it's about 200gm heavier than 531 and feels less lively.

oldgit - Member

Be warned, they're pants compared to modern stuff if its day to day use you're after.
A good early 130 spacing frame the best

They are not pants, just different. I still love the ride of an old steel frame, more comfortable but of course more flexy too.

It's easy to spread the rear end to 130mm also.

Beware internet advice from clueless folk presenting themselves as experts!

email sent to you brant 🙂

Also beware buying crap that's been sold as 'vintage', i bought an old Falcon Strada, a bog standard off the shelf 531 frame with 105 level 80's components for £25 in useable nick.

There was one on gumtree in london not so long ago (I was looking to see if I could copy some decals after getting it resprayed) for over £200 and even in the pics it looked borked.

oldgit - Member
Be warned, they're pants compared to modern stuff if its day to day use you're after.
A good early 130 spacing frame the best

They are not pants, just different. I still love the ride of an old steel frame, more comfortable but of course more flexy too.

Agree with this. May not be as fast at the latest 11 speed carbon bling bling but plenty fast enough for me.

I've got this for sale... http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=318216

Iain

I really didnt think there would be a market for old bikes.

Ive got a Ribble 531 52 cm circa 1992, was one of the last to be done by Terry Dolan for Ribble (I beleive)

Its got all campag stuff on it, which on the whole is not compatible with modern stuff.... or so a lot of people have led me to beleive.

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My Benotto 3500 slx

[i]Be warned, they're pants compared to modern stuff[/i]

Got to agree with the Old man on this. They are almost universally shit in comparison.

^^^^^Nice.

There's a shop that sell Italian imports. Not big names, but nicely original and lots for around the £350 mark.

Stand by my opinion that compared to a modern equipped bike they're pants. However with newer running gear fitted they're very nice, but you're after the whole original package aren't you?
I once got my old Gios full Campag race bike back and couldn't wait to take it out..........Christ it was crap. Friction down tube shifting (can't believe I raced it) poor single pivot brakes, 52/42 on a 19 max cassette was a bit of a shock after all these years as were the tiny levers when climbing. Fitted newer kit but always had trouble with even 23c tyres rubbing.
My current favourite retro road bike won't even take modern tyres and has to run tubs it's so 80's tight.

i may well (hopefully) be doing a deal with a certain brant for his bike 😉

it does sound fab (and what i'm looking for).

will update if it happens (sometime in the not too distant future) just need to ask a favour from someone first (not money i'd like to add 😉

I've had this round the local chaingang(fast one) in summer months no problem .. Runs like a dream and totally silent unlike my carbon or alloy road bikes 🙂

Swiss made Allegro(nothing to do with British leyland !!) Dura Ace 74** super smooth and brakes actually work !

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Early 80's Plus One? My one runs Shimano, and remember it being looked down upon. But looking back I reckon it was better. Love your old Dura Ace.

nickc - Member

Be warned, they're pants compared to modern stuff

Got to agree with the Old man on this. They are almost universally shit in comparison

Agreed compared to a modern bike they are no way near as efficient, but I don't think that makes them "shit". Its not all about the Strava time 🙂

For me the compromise of old steel and modern 11 speed has made the perfect daily ride.
The old campy worked very well but my knee does not and a 42 inner was just to much this year

Weight wise mine old relic is about the same as a modern £750 specailized allez

Remember that if you are really looking for retro, you size as was done in the period the bike was new. I was sized by Raleigh special products for a 56cm top tube. now I use a 52. You also gear accordingly. 😆
Of course you may be happy, like me, with a compromise. I chuckle happily to my self with all those wanting to be all pure for le Eroica UK then try to change the gearing on their lovely race bike to something lower than a 42/2.
Nice compromise is Campag 8 speed. The shifter will cope with almost any mech so you can run a rear mech that copes with a nice big rear sprocket. Use a freewheel to get the sizes you need.

Late 80's I'm sure ties in with groupset .. Frame is possibly early 90's .. Lovely old thing and a joy to ride .. Must say i was blown away with just how good brakes are(not quite as good new 105) but way better than 80's campagnolo I had on a previous retro bike !!

🙂

If you are looking at the classic lugged frames, the usual sizing meant that there was only a couple of inches of seatpost exposed - which is why seatposts were so short then. Basically just enough knacker room standover and no more.

That gets you a comfortable all day riding position.

The beauty of quill stems was you could raise your bar height easily.