Should I buy this bike?

[Sandwich]

I'm just getting into triathlon training, and I love it. I've always been a swimmer, I love biking and I can struggle through a run. I need a bike though, as doing the inside thing is getting a little old, and you can't ride a stationary bike in a race.

I've been looking for a solid road bike that I can slap aero bars on, just to start out with. I think I'd like something in lugged steel, for that classic feel. Plus it's cheap.

So i've been perusing Craigslist ads, and I came across this bike:
i put this bike together, it kicks ass. its on a lotus road frame from the eighties, its high end with shimano dropouts and its light chromoly. i sandblasted it and gave it some clear coats. 105 cranks, front brakes, deraileurs. 600 brake levers and headset. good bottom bracket. Cinelli stem and bars. Ma3 on 105 6 speed rear wheel, probably not 100 miles on it. mavic aero on sora hub front wheel, fi:zi'iik seat thats in rough consmetic shape, but has tianium rails and just makes the bike look m ore b adass. the one catch is that the wheels need to be trued, the rear one i laced and rode probably 5 times on it and it loosened up, which from what i hear is normal. but either way, that needs to be done. ive got pictures i can e-mail or you can call me at

He wants 250 for it, but I'm not sure it's worth that much. Should I keep looking, or get more interested?

[Squeak]

I am by no means an older road bike expert, but that thing looks like a piece of poop. :) Could be a old huffy. I would keep on looking..

[Pau11y]

Get that thing for a city commuter, no worries about it getting stolen. But only give him like$99.99 for it, SHIPPED.

Edit: Otherwise, no.

[Serial Midget]

I'd run from this bike... great tri training. :thumb:

Anyhow - try to find a road bike that is older but all original and well maintained. A frame that has been sandblasted and repainted is probably hiding something.

[vogey40]

dont get a road bike

[Sandwich]

i love your icon and all, but why not? should I use a trike?

i'm pretty settled on not getting it...250 seemed like way too much, but maybe I was missing something. It does have biopace though.

[dhriderII]

please pass on tha bike, i got luck and got a 2004 r600 for 500 bucks maybe 10 miles on it, alll dura-ace comp. on it... dont be unlucky and by that please... do it ebay and find something else

[Olyroller]

P
A
S
S

[chriskaiser]

It does have biopace though.

Biopace is dumb, doesn't do anything and is bad for the knees.

[Sandwich]

that was a joke.....er sarcasm....which i can understand is difficult to pick up on.

those are things you can fix though...i wasn't sure if this bike (a lotus) was worth anything or would make a good ride.

[dhriderII]

wtf is biopace anyways, ive never even heard of it befor... but then again im not really up to par on the tri gear out there anyways

[Serial Midget]

wtf is biopace anyways, ive never even heard of it befor... but then again im not really up to par on the tri gear out there anyways

Asymmetric chainrings… yet another short lived Shimano innovation.

[dhriderII]

oh kool thanks

[Sandwich]

it's oval shaped, the idea was that the irregularities in your stroke would be made up for by changing crank speed...but if you spin properly, these things would make it feel like you pedalled poorly.

[chriskaiser]

http://www.sudibe.de/fotos/technik/biopace38.jpg

BIOPACE

[dhriderII]

sorry to anyone that might use this but it looks pretty dumb, i guess i might have to get out and try it one day befor i actaully say anything about it

[Sandwich]

no, it's pretty dumb. i don't think you'll offend anybody except for collectors

[dhriderII]

where's the advantage to it tho, it seems to me that it would completely defeat the purpose of a good even spin. but then again thats why i said id have to ride a chain ring like that in order to find out for myself

[Sandwich]

back to the point, would it be unwise to buy a tri bike to begin with? I'm just getting into it, and i'd like to have a bike i can train and ride comfortably, but also race with. I've heard tri bikes can be uncomfortable for extended periods, but I would imagine it can't be that bad if people ride them for 100 mile races...maybe I'm wrong.

Should i just get a road bike, or can I look for a tri bike and make due?

[Wumpus]

I would get a road bike to start with. Tri bikes tend to have steeper seattube angles to put you more forward for riding on the aero bars. I find aero bars really uncomfortable.

[Wumpus]

Asymmetric chainrings… yet another short lived Shimano innovation.


Making a comeback (http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/6807.0.html)?

http://images.velonews.com/images/report/6807.8857.t.jpg