Buying guides
The homework worth doing before you bid: what fits what (threads, spacing, clamp sizes, indexing), how to date parts by their stamps, what to inspect on a used part, how to tell Nuovo Record from Super Record and Dura-Ace 7400 from 600, what “NOS” should really mean, and building wheels on vintage Mavic rims.
Vintage Road Component Compatibility: Threads, Spacing, Clamp Sizes and Shifting
Will it fit? Bottom bracket and freewheel threads, rear spacing, stem, bar and seatpost sizes, derailleur capacity and indexing for vintage road parts.
Read the guide →Dating Vintage Campagnolo, Shimano and SunTour Parts by Their Stamps and Codes
Read Campagnolo patent stamps and crank codes and Shimano and SunTour two-letter date codes, plus the limits of dating vintage road parts by markings.
Read the guide →Inspecting Used Vintage Road Components: A Pre-Bid Checklist for eBay Buyers
What to check before bidding on used vintage road parts: derailleurs, cranks, bearings, brakes, rims, saddles, bars and stems, and what to ask the seller.
Read the guide →Reproduction, refinished and 'NOS' Campagnolo on eBay: how to check what you are buying
Most suspect vintage Campagnolo on eBay is swapped, polished or misdescribed rather than fake. How to check Super Record claims, NOS claims and date stamps.
Read the guide →Buying vintage Campagnolo on eBay: Nuovo Record, Super Record and 8-speed Chorus
How to tell Nuovo Record, Super Record and early-1990s 8-speed Chorus apart on eBay, which parts interchange, and which stamps to check before you bid.
Read the guide →Shimano 600, 600 Ultegra and Dura-Ace 7400: telling the vintage groups apart
How Shimano 600 became Ultegra, how Dura-Ace 7400, 7401, 7402 and 7403 differ, which brakes are dual-pivot, and which parts mix, before you buy on eBay.
Read the guide →Wheelbuilding with vintage Mavic rims and Campagnolo or Shimano hubs
Choosing hub flange, spoke count and rim (GP4 tubular, MA40 or Open Pro clincher), measuring ERD, and matching spacing and freewheel thread on a vintage wheel.
Read the guide →