>>1441761It all depends. Some models of some brands age really well; a 90’s mid tier bike could be better than a 2000 mid tier bike and vice versa. it all depends on price. Ive noticed that if you look, and maybe are willing to put in some elbow grease, a mid-to-high end vintage and a low-to-mid tier bike from 2000’s will cost similar, but you get more bike per dollar on the vintage (but its gotta be nice!). In general, If you’re spending $300 on a 80’s-90’s bike you should not comprimise. It needs to be mid-high tier of a decent company. Avoid collectable shit if you just wanna ride.
Other things to consider is youre probably gonna have to deal with friction shifters on an old roadie, which are actually nice if you are open to them. And theyre also basically care free. Down tube shifters can be converted at minimal cost to barends or stem shifters.
Im a little biased to older bikes, but all this is coming from someone who bought a low end 2014 road bike. Its all about the deal.
