I am looking for a (used) road bike under like 500 bucks

Question

I am looking for a road bike- something to get me from point a to point b with a nice quick pace. I am looking for maybe some vintage frame somewhere, and no clue where start. And if/when I do find something I wanna overhaul it so it works like well. Which is part two of my question. I would have no clue where to start looking for parts and what parts I would need for the bike to run smoothly. (I am new to bikes). I am 140lbs, and 5'10''

Answer 1

would a bike that had parts on it that worked well be any better than a vuking bike that only worked like well?

Answer 2

1) Craigslist

2) Ebay

3) A local used bike shop (if you don't know where one is, ask at your LBS).

With your budget, I'd avoid vintage bikes. Most vintage bikes, even in great shape sell for less than $100. If you really want a vintage bike, stick only to what used to be top of the line bikes, such as the Raleigh Professional, Centurion Ironman, etc. They and only they are worth anything any more. With $500, you should consider getting a slightly used bike 2-4 years old or even a new one.

For $500-$600, you can get a new road bike at most LBS. Consider waiting a month or so, until the current bikes go on sale. Then you can get a ~$750 bike and stay in your budget.

If you really want a used bike, at that price, avoid anything over ~4 years old. They aren't worth it. With the internet, you can probably find many slightly used road bikes that are just 2-4 years old. They will be in good shape and have reasonably new components. If you get a used bike, have a LBS check it over before you make a final purchase. With your budget, you should be able to find many bikes that originally sold for over $1,000, and are still in great shape. Bikes lose a lot of value in their first year or so, so you'd be avoiding that first drop by getting a slightly used bike. Any bike in this age/price range should be in good shape and not need any additional work done to it.