July 7, 2008 at 3:31 pm
#8497
Matt
Participant
It is a 30 year old bike, “vintage” and “reliable” are not entirely mutually exclusive, but close to it.
The 550 won’t overpower you, even as a first bike. The 750, probably not. But it will be heavy. The brakes and handling on these bikes will be pretty poor by modern standards.
Just like owning a 70s car, it is a different experience. Either you love it, or hate it.
If you go this route, don’t do it with any images in your head of it being cheap. Parts are hard to come by, and you’ll have to get your hands dirty doing a lot of the work yourself. To some, that is the appeal. To others it is a headache.