Rayleigh Grand Prix and centurion signet?

Question

Buying used "vintage" Rayleigh and Centurion. Need some advice.
My brother and I are looking for used starter bikes for commuting and casual riding. We found a seller on Craigslist and its down to these two:

Raleigh vintage road bike

Centurion vintage road bike

Both $135.

We know very little about bikes and are just looking for something dependable. I have never owned a bike before and my brother has only ever had wal-mart bikes. We're looking for starters that will last us a few years. They look nice but I can't tell what model they are to look up information. Should we buy them? It says vintage but how will i know its not going to break down? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Got more info on the bikes: Rayleigh Grand Prix and centurion signet.

I realize they're probably not amazing fancy bikes but is the price worth it?

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/bik/3968712349.html

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/bik/3940998203.html

Answer 1

That is RALEIGH Gran Prix.



They are not vintage bikes (bikes do not age nearly as well as wine) but they do have some age to them. Centurion changed their name to Diamondback sometime about 1985, so that bike is at least 28 years old. The Gran Prix was their bottom-of-the-line model which had an average original price (they were made, virtually unchanged, for almost 20 years and I think they are making 'em again) of about $130 brand new.



If the seller insists that the bikes were just tuned up, ask to see the repair tag. Tune ups by the owner don't count since it is impossible to determine their skill.



If they are offering BOTH bikes for $135 then go for it. If they want $135 each then keep looking. They are $40-60 bikes. Each.

Answer 2

The word "vintage" in the ads is adding at least $100 to the price of those bikes. Neither was worth that much even brand new and age hasn't improved them. These are both low end examples from those two manufacturers. The Raleigh appears to be in better shape, so it might be worth about $35 tops. The Centurian isn't as well kept, worth about $25 at most . Neither bike could be described as vintage, and in fact neither could 95% of bikes in Craigslist ads. When you see "vintage" substitute "old" in your head and figure the asking price is inflated

Answer 3

Go check them out they are both at the same place. Take cash and offer a lot less then he is asking. The bike needs to be comfortable to ride and working.

Answer 4

Don't buy them. You didn't mention your gender but you said "brother" and let me tell you, boys don't ride girl's bikes and they are both girl's bikes. For that matter girls don't ride girls bikes. The market is flooded with these old girls bikes. No one wants them. Men's frames are really gender neutral. My sister rode a small men's Schwinn Le Tour and it fit her perfect. The Raleigh has steel cranks, heavy junk and the seat and handlebars are wrong.