Murray bikes? Thoughts? Help!

[BoLiles]

I found a lugged Murray road bike on CL with horizontal dropouts, looks kinda newish...it's selling for $20.

I have no clue about this brand...is it Chinese made? Are they junk? I am only intrigued because of the lugged frame...

Any thoughts, guys/gals?

 

[deorman]

Murray is a low-end brand which produces both junk and perfectly good recreational bikes. Look past the steering head and seat-post at the rear wheel, past the front wheel at the rear wheel, past the rear wheel at the front, then down past the steering head at the front wheel. If the back wheel looks anything but perfectly aligned, or the front wheel isn't centered, I'd move on, unless there's a component that you like enough to spend your 20.oo on. Road bikes need to be perfectly straight much more than cruisers do, especially w/vertical drop-outs.

 

[BoLiles]

thanks man for the advice...it has horizontal dropouts and Suntour derailer components which I'd sell back on CL for $10.

I just thought if its straight it could be remade as a low-buck fixie for around town for me or someone I know.

 

[BoLiles]

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/bik/1383724889.html
There's the pic.

 

[deorman]

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/bik/1383724889.html
There's the pic.

address correction. I guess my brain jumped to the dropout conclusion instead of reading correctly .

 

[Bendix]

i know we all try to be as supportive and positive as we can here on rrb, but i won't sugar coat it- that bike is the lowest of the low and they should pay to have it hauled away. btw, i'm no snob, i've been repairing bikes of all price points for the last 25 years, it just is what it is...... :|

 

[BoLiles]

i know we all try to be as supportive and positive as we can here on rrb, but i won't sugar coat it- that bike is the lowest of the low and they should pay to have it hauled away. btw, i'm no snob, i've been repairing bikes of all price points for the last 25 years, it just is what it is...... :|

That is the feedback I wanted...honest. I need 26" wheels and a saddle for my longsuffering project more than I need a beater road bike. If I bought it I was going to clean it up and do a low buck single speed conversion and flip it. Not now, hahahaha

 

[RZ94]

bendix....why the hate for Murrays? Low end bikes can last, if one reassembles the bike the right way...not how the minimum wage dude slapped it together in 20 minutes at the dept store....

This particular Murray Road bike runs on ALL its original components except for a new 5 speed rear freewheel, seat, tubes, tires, brake pads, cables, bearings, chain, and handlebars. Oh,......its a 1971 model with no less than 5000 miles on it.....still on its original wheels, brake calipers, and Shimano Lark derailluer. A little bit of know how and maintenance can go a long way, even with a low dollar investment. I paid about $70 for this bike in 1971.....38 years....wow, $1.84 a year plus all the normal wear out items and my treat of a new seat and set of bull bars and grips.....not so bad for an old beater I just put another 20 miles on tonight. But then, this is a REAL USA BUILT MURRAY, not some Chinese POS.

And a few of my other USA built Murrays:

Oldest are from 1964, newest from 1985....all USA made Murrays.

 

[UncleKudzu]

RZ94, do you know when that Monterrey was built? i have one of those, and i must say that it seems like a decently built bike and i do enjoy riding it around the neighborhood.

 

[deorman]

As to the original post, for $20.00 that sort of bike is good for leaving chained up w/a cheap lock at the bus stop, or stripping the suntour off and throwing in the trash, but for what you have in mind, spend another 20-80 bucks and get an old shop quality bike.

 

[RZ94]

Uncle Kudzu,

the blue Murray is a mid 80's model. It was still a USA built Murray. It was originally purchased at a defunct store called Service Merchandise in 1986.

 

[Bendix]

hey, guess what! we have what appears to be the exact bike mentioned in the OP in our junk pile at work. i had a chance to examine it's 'lugged' construction today (i know it's lugged 'cause it says so on a decal :roll: ). there are only a few lugged joints on the heavy, flexible, mild steel frame tubing of unknown origin. they are completely lacking in any detail, craftsmanship, or artistry- in other words they more closely resemble the 'lugs' under my kitchen sink than those on a quality road bike. the bb has the usual minimal dime store bike welds. the puny seatstays are barely attached to the frame. the fork ends are the typical squished and drilled out numbers. the thin dropouts are stamped, then pinched and tacked together. the stem is a cheap stamped/folded steel unit. the wheels are roughly seamed steel with pressed hub flanges and a 5/16 front axle. the handlebars are weak, narrow, heavy, chrome plated steel. i can go on, but let's face it- it would just be depressing..........BoLiles made the 2nd best choice- pull a (very) few parts and toss it.