Tell me why I shouldn't go buy this awesome $500 bicycle

In My Humble Opinion
1

So a few months ago, my bike got stolen. It was the best bike ever, a restored 1952 Schwinn with chrome fenders. I loved it. After searching pawn shops and staring down anyone and everyone I came across on a bike without seeing it, I have realized that I’m never getting it back.

But I need* a bicycle for transportation. While out checking local bike shops to see if anyone had sold them my bike, I found a bike which was almost as awesome as my old one. It’s a 1963 ladies’ Schwinn, white frame with pink accents, a basket on the front and back, and tassels (yes, that’s right- pink and white tassels) on the handlebars. Plus, there are little flowers painted on the forks! It’s been expertly restored and in much better shape than my old bike.

I like it a a lot. It’s adorable and very “me.” (Tassels? Flowers? Squee!!!) Unfortunately, it’s also $500. There are a few other things that bug me as well. I like the fatter frames and bigger fenders of the 50s** Schwinns, but part of me says “Remember how heavy and hard to pedal your old bike was? Especially riding home from school, uphill, with all your books? Maybe a lighter frame would be nice, since neither of these bikes have different gears.”

I have the $500, I could go pay cash for it tomorrow. Though I don’t dispute that it’s worth a lot of money, and I could probably haggle with the guy and get it a bit cheaper, anything more than $200 for a bike seems like a bad way for me to spend my money. There were several similar bikes I saw at other shops, same era, same basic look, just not-yet-restored so available at a discount (a touch of rust, maybe some pitting on the chrome, but functional bikes). But part of me thinks that if I have to buy a style of bike I’m not terribly crazy about, I oughta go for the coolest one I can find.

This really is a ridiculous purchase, isn’t it?

*I have a car, so I can get around just fine if something’s not strictly walking distance. But every bike ride saves me money in gas and wear and tear on my car, plus the environmental bit is nice. Summer classes have just started, so I drive the 1.5 miles to school twice a week, smacking myself all the way (it’s effing hot though, and with waiting for street lights it’s at least a 30 minute walk). Plus, parking at school will easily cost more than $100 a year, whether you buy a parking pass to park on campus, or park on the street and feed the meters. So, theoretically, if I only rode to school every single week and nowhere else, a $500 bike would pay for itself by the time I finish grad school.

**Anything older than early 60s is hard to find, at least around here, in working condition, and I’d really like to get a bike ASAP so I’m not using so much gas.

2

I think that right there is a good reason to not spend $500 on a bike.

3

Well, I just spent twice that on my bike, so I can’t really chide you over the price as long as it’s something you can actually afford. I don’t get the appeal of fifty-year-old bikes with only one gear, but I guess that’s up to individual taste.

I would point out that knowing how to do basic maintenance and upkeep yourself can be extremely rewarding, especially if it means you can purchase a cheaper, ‘not-quite-restored’ bike and get it up to restored condition for less than the shop’s mark-up.

Can you park the bike indoors? As long as you have cool stuff in public, assholes will try to take it, if for no other reason than so others can’t have cool stuff. If you can’t ensure that this one won’t be reasonably safe from theft, it’s probably better to go with something cheap and uncool that doesn’t stand out from the crowd.

4

$500? My Wife just spent $5000.

5

$500.00 for a one-speed Schwinn? The best reason is that the original owners of the bike would laugh their lungs out to think of it being worth $500.00.

Really doesn’t seem very practical to buy a collectible bike for use as a commuter. You should probably just buy a beater that won’t attract thieves and that you can lock to a bike rack without worrying about it.

6

If you love the bike, go for it. Personally, I’d go for a newer circa late 60’s girls version of a typhoon, which I suspect you could get for closer to $200, in real good shape. On preview, this is close to the bike you are looking at. $500 seems like a lot, and I think you could get one of less than museum quaility that you could scratch without dying a thousand deaths for much less money. I’ve got a 1962 Schwinn Tiger which I paid $225 and a 1972 Schwinn Racer which I paid about $150 including shipping. Plus I’ve got a half a dozen other Schwinns in much worse shape that cost next to nothing (but I’ve had for up to 25 years). If I saw your bike, I’d know you were kewl! Or, go with the classic bike, but put on new aluminum wheels with a 7 speed internal Shimano hub. My daily cruiser is an aluminum framed Jamis Earth Cruiser with said 7 speed internal hub. It weighs about 24 pounds and the gearing is evenly spaced and allows me to climb the 7% grade up to my house. Best of all, it has the classic lines of a vintage Schwinn.

7

I think$500 is an awful lot of money for an “awesome” bike that will be unique and not entirely under your control. Showcase bike? Sure, spend the money. Regular transportation? Maybe not.

If it were a new bike, I’d be less concerned that $500 was a too much money for the purpose. Mostly because new bikes are much easier to replace with something more or less equivalent, should something bad happen. And, if your new bike was in a rack of new bikes, why would someone walk off with yours, rather than the next bike? If your bike is classic and awesome, it attracts attention. This may not be a good thing.

Incidently, since your previous bike was stolen, have you given some thought to how you will protect your next bike better?

Getting a new bike (where new means new to you, not neccessarily factory-fresh) is a good idea. I’m not sure getting this bike is a good idea. But it can be hard to put a dollar value on happiness.

8

You can get a nice modern ride for $500. The problems associated with that bike are going to be there long after the “coolness” wears off.

And, I really can’t believe that that’s the best price you can do on something vintage.

9

Is it a Paramount? If not, it’s possibly way overpriced.

10

$500 for a brand-new bike is barely adequate, I’d say – unless bikes are a hell of a lot cheaper in the USA than over here. £250 is out of supermarket-special territory, but not by much.

11

$500 doesn’t seem like a lot to spend on a bike, although it is quite a bit to spend on a 45-year-old steel bike with one gear. I think it’s a bit overpriced, but not so much so that, if it really floats your boat, you shouldn’t buy it.

Life is short; be happy.

12

My last bike got stolen because I apparently underestimated the amount of “unsavory” foot traffic in the alley behind my place. It’s a short (100 ft) alley that connects one dead-end alley to another, so there’s virtually no car traffic except for my neighbors, and I guess I didn’t see the appeal of it as a shortcut. It apparently is a shortcut for unsavory characters, though, because it got stolen at about 3 in the morning. I heard it happen, oddly enough, but just thought that my cats knocked something over so didn’t bother to check out the noise. I have a hard time believing some lucky bastard with a pair of bolt cutters just happened upon it, they must have seen it there before they decided to take it. So, any new bike I get is living indoors, and getting locked up with 2 locks when out in public.

I have the money now, I just think that 6 months or a year from now there will probably be a situation (car repair, rent, groceries, medical bills, whatever) where I’d wish I had an extra $300.

I don’t want a new bike, as silly as that may seem to some people. I had the old bike for a few years, and the only time I ever slightly regretted it was when I was riding uphill. But then, I’m rather out of shape. Having to work harder to pedal is something I see as a good thing. Other than that, I am just irrationally attracted to the look of the bike. I don’t even want one of the new bikes with classic styling.

I can definitely get a similar bike cheaper, like $150, that needs a little maintenance. I guess paying an extra $400 or so for tassels is silly (which is sorta the reason I posted this in the first place). I dunno. I’m going to hit the bike shops right now, see if they have anything new since a couple of months ago.

I won’t be buying this bike if I don’t find anything else I like. At least not today. $500 is not the best price for this bike, but I could definitely haggle and get it for closer to $400. The guy told me it’s his favorite bike, he was born in 1963, so it’s got a lot of sentimental value which is probably why he priced it so high. He may not actually want to part with it.

13

Yes, $400 for tassels is silly. I am sure you can acquire tassels separately from the bike and install them for less than $400.

14

All right, after visiting 3 different bike shops, I found the bike. At first I was going to get the tasseled bike’s sister, who was unrestored and thus several hundred cheaper, but the last shop I visited had an even better deal.

It’s a 1937 Corsair, not a Schwinn, but similarly styled. It’s black and red, all original, with a torpedo light on the fender (something I was already planning on purchasing anyway, to be street legal at night.) It’s in the same condition as my old bike, partially restored and nice-looking, not quite a beater but not “museum-quality” like the $500 bike.

The ride’s a hell of a lot smoother, compared to my old bike, but the seat hurts my butt so I’m going to get one of those gel seat covers. I may or may not get tassels, black and red might not be girly enough. I got the bike and some accessories (basket, etc) including a new (really good, strong) bike lock for under $250. It’s still going to live in my living room while I’m at home instead of out back, but at least this matches the living room. :cool:

It’s a pretty good deal. Plus I think it looks better than the $500 bike (in terms of frame and fender style, but a bit of the paint is chipped on the frame). So I’m glad I dragged my ass out there today in my hot-as-hell, no A/C car and went to the last shop.

15

I wouldn’t give up on your old bike. Judging by your description, it is probably at the Alamo (hint: in the basement). Hitchhike or whatever you need to do to get there

16

Why whouldn’t you? Because you want to give the money to me, that’s why!
Signed,
Trevor, SDMB Pimp

17

The only way I would pay 500 bucks for that bike is if one of the DC Madame’s girls delivered it and “gave me a ride”.

18

Problems? I have owned several Schwinn bikes from the 60’s and 70’s. They are built like tanks. You aren’t likely to have many problems with it. I would highly reccommed one of these bikes. I picked up a 68 Schwinn Typhoon that I used as a backup bike for years and used it daily for long stretches during some points.

The only problem I had with it was that that bike was never designed to accomodate a 6’5" tall man. I always pedalled it standing which gave me an almost constatnt temptation to bunny hop the thing all over the place. As severly as I beat that poor old thing I never had so much as a wheel go slightly out of true.

The coolness won’t wear off. You may find youself more attached over time, in fact.

19

You can buy modern bikes that look like the old-school models. They often call them “Cruisers.”

This gives you the look I think you’re after plus the reliability of a new bike. Some parts might be hard to replace on a 50-year old model.

20

Very good point.

I had a cool bike once, but I accidentally dropped a nut while I was fixing it and I couldn’t retrieve it.

It took me two weeks to replace it.