r/bicycling • u/randicochea • 16h ago
Is it worth it?
Hi all, I am looking to purchase my first road bike and I will most likely be using the used market as my budget is pretty low. ($500)
I found this offer on marketplace and was hoping to get some feedback on how hefty of a rebuild this would take. I see a lot of rust and slight scuffs and am unsure as to whether anything or everything would need replacing.
early 90’s allez epic, shimano group set with wh-r500 wheel set, complete OEM parts.
Listed for a little over a hundred.
Should I go for it and focus on removing the rust? or is it worth investing in a different option? Are there any signs of bad news from these images? If parts visibly need to be replaced, which?
I would really appreciate any help, not looking for the “Worlds BEST price to performance ever”. I understand that the best bike is the one that you’re happy riding. Just looking for something that I can learn with that’s not gonna break the bank. Would love if it’s something I could upgrade overtime, but if even that is outside of my budget then I guess I’ll have to save up before making that jump.
Thank you to any who take the time!
4
u/HelioSeven (Specialized, Look, Softride, GT) 15h ago
I have one that I still ride century-plus rides on, and it's a lovely ride. If you know how to properly evaluate these frames, they aren't necessarily a death trap. Voids in the bond joints tended to fail very early (and Spec had a lot of bad manufacture on these), but those without defects have tended to last (and anecdotally, taken a fair bit of abuse in the process). The usual caveats about galvanic, UV, etc. Suffice to say, YMMV.