Recommend me a used full-steel road-racer to find..

[Clean39T]

I think I still have a bit of time before my number gets called by Mr. Sadoff and I have to make a decision on how I want my steel roadie* frame/fork done up...so I'm thinking about hunting a good used model to get a feel for things I may want the same/different in the custom.

This thread has some good ideas.

And this Vetta is my current design inspiration. Traditional geometry, 23/25c tires, steel fork, level TT, 1" steerer, and custom stem.

So, any recommendations for models and years of steel rigs to hunt down that are decently affordable in the current market?

Steelman, Tesch, Kelly, certain Serotta models...what else???

Bonus points if you have one in my size and want to sell it cheap.

Double bonus points if you have one in my size and want to loan it out to a good home for a while

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* still a chance I'll instead opt for a cantilever cross rig, 29er all-mountain hardtail, or something else fun like that...but the RL team-tig has sentimental pulls for me, so it's probably going to be one of those...

[Epicus07]

Just out of curiosity, you have a Kirk Disc cross....why are you considering a cantilever cross bike?

I was hunting for a disc cross bike and "settled" for a custom steel Davidson with cantilevers. stripped down for a rebuild, should be completed this weekend.

[msl819]

My Serotta CRL and Merckx MXL might be a good start. If you lived local I’d be glad to let you ride both, since you dont, I am glad to answer questions. Both are your size. I’d sell the Merckx, not the CRL

[msl819]

I have both an original MXL fork and a Winter built threadless fork for the Merckx, do you plan to run threadless or quill set up?

[bicycletricycle]

We will do no such thing! You have already ridden one of everything.
monostay mondonico, there is a nice one on eBay
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F222922599522

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by msl819

My Serotta CRL and Merckx MXL might be a good start. If you lived local I’d be glad to let you ride both, since you dont, I am glad to answer questions. Both are your size. I’d sell the Merckx, not the CRL

Originally Posted by msl819

I have both an original MXL fork and a Winter built threadless fork for the Merckx, do you plan to run threadless or quill set up?

PM me deets on the MXL (guessing it's this one?). I had one early last year that was 61cm w the 58.5TT - I'd ideally go a bit bigger this time around, but the 61cm was pretty close...

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by bicycletricycle

We will do no such thing! You have already ridden one of everything.
monostay mondonico, there is a nice one on eBay
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F222922599522

That's no monostay, but it is beautiful, and I'd forgotten about it...belongs to our friend Mr. Maddox too, so it'd be even more affordable than shown on the Bay...hmm...

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by Epicus07

Just out of curiosity, you have a Kirk Disc cross....why are you considering a cantilever cross bike?

I was hunting for a disc cross bike and "settled" for a custom steel Davidson with cantilevers. stripped down for a rebuild, should be completed this weekend.

Old school cool for variety - not as a replacement..

[AngryScientist]

i humbly submit three items for consideration, though at least two will be difficult to find on the used market.

1) Steel Spectrum. There is a short but distinguished list, but i would venture to say that no one knows bicycle geometry better than TK.

2) Ritchey Road Logic. Sweet bicycles.

3) Serotta CSI. Often described as one of the finest steel semi-production bikes ever made.


There you have my suggestions, between Ben, Tom and Tom: there is a lot of expertise in putting together a bicycle there.

[Ken Robb]

A stock 62cm CSi would be hard to beat although a C III or Couer d' Arcier (was that the correct name for the steel model with carbon seat stays?) would all ride much the same.

Oh, also any Waterford/Gunnar in the right size.

[campy man]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

i humbly submit three items for consideration, though at least two will be difficult to find on the used market.

1) Steel Spectrum. There is a short but distinguished list, but i would venture to say that no one knows bicycle geometry better than TK.

2) Ritchey Road Logic. Sweet bicycles.

3) Serotta CSI. Often described as one of the finest steel semi-production bikes ever made.


There you have my suggestions, between Ben, Tom and Tom: there is a lot of expertise in putting together a bicycle there.

Never ridden #1 or #2 but it's hard to imagine steel riding any better than a Csi

[Clean39T]

Seems like this one would be pretty hard to beat on a dollars per smiles basis: https://forums.thepaceline.net/showt...hlight=ritchey

And it seems like quite a classic race-oriented geometry that would provide a good comparison test... Would prefer threadless, but I think I still have an adapter sitting around.

[93KgBike]

[KJMUNC]

That Ritchey above is pretty sweet.....but if I had $1k and wanted form/style WITH my function, I'd go with some sweet tutti-frutti goodness. Killer price for this set-up for $1k.....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Eddy-Merckx...53.m1438.l2649

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

i humbly submit three items for consideration, though at least two will be difficult to find on the used market.

1) Steel Spectrum. There is a short but distinguished list, but i would venture to say that no one knows bicycle geometry better than TK.

2) Ritchey Road Logic. Sweet bicycles.

3) Serotta CSI. Often described as one of the finest steel semi-production bikes ever made.

There you have my suggestions, between Ben, Tom and Tom: there is a lot of expertise in putting together a bicycle there.

Originally Posted by Ken Robb

A stock 62cm CSi would be hard to beat although a C III or Couer d' Arce (was that the correct name for the steel model with carbon seat stays?) would all ride much the same.

Oh, also any Waterford/Gunnar in the right size.

Originally Posted by campy man

Never ridden #1 or #2 but it's hard to imagine steel riding any better than a Csi

A CSi, Spectrum, C-III, or CRL would all work - so would a Waterford or Paramount - but I'm afraid the CSi or Spectrum would probably be too nice to qualify as a tester. I kind of have the exact opposite requirements of most right now - I want something racy and for skinny tires, that's long/low - so maybe if one of those is out there it'll be going for less than the usual rate.. Jeff N's Bedford, for example, would be perfect if it was sized differently. I doubt I'll find something that modern that was built with a steel fork and built in long/low race geometry.