"Vintage" bikes, building a commuter, and Craigslist

[Certifried]

So, I’ve really been wanting to find myself and old steel frame “vintage” bike to make in to a commuter. You know, one with the ability to mount a rack since my roadie would be completely ruined if I put a rack on it :rolleyes:

There are about a bazillionty Vintage bikes on CL, most of them low-end box-store mass-produced junk that people think are worth hundreds that are really only worth $20. I have found one guy that posts regularly on CL, and am wondering if anyone knows about him. He has this bike up currently:
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/bik/3115842448.html

here’s his gallery
https://plus.google.com/photos/116598188651447503868/albums?banner=pwa

1) any suggestions, gotchas, or things I should think about or be looking for in finding a nice steel frame commuter?
2) anyone know this guy? Or someone like him that might build these old bikes up and sell them reasonably priced?
3) What I can find on this Fuji indicates it was a mid-level hybrid that might be great for what I’m looking for, anyone heard of it? Is the price decent?

Thanks, I know there’s a ton of other questions I should be asking, and this isn’t a simple thing I’m looking at doing. I might be better off just buying a touring/commuting bike and not getting in to such a mess like this. I’m thinking I could gain a whole lot of wrench-smarts by doing this though. And if I can drop a few hundred $$ instead of a few thousand, it might be worth it

Topic

[KLizotte]

Well, I’m learning the hard way that if you don’t buy what your heart really wants right off the bat you end up upgrading six months to a year down the road and don’t save any money in the end.

[americancyclo]

@KLizotte 24207 wrote:

A friend of a friend of a friend recommends this guy in Alexandria: Charles Dewey, 571-212-7231. I’ve been told he builds customs bikes using used/new parts on the cheap simply for the love of biking. He reportedly has bike parts everywhere in his house. I’ve never spoken to him or seen his handiwork so can only go via word of mouth. You may wish to give him a call to see if he has a frame that would suit your needs.

Just saw this guy posting some bikes on CL. I might check his selection out at some point. Anyone else worked with him?

[Author]

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