[dan1234]

I found those those bike online for $150 (US dollars) and thinking of getting it.
the owner don't know the model name and I can't find any info about road bike from Biria (it's a german company).

any tips/links/help would be great!

https://img535.imageshack.us/img535/8595/dscn3409p.jpg

https://img37.imageshack.us/img37/986/dscn3410r.jpg

https://img9.imageshack.us/img9/7461/dscn3411l.jpg

 

[dahut]

$150?! What are you waiting for?...

 

[dan1234]

what about the down bar shifters? it might be less convenient than handle shifts, no?

 

[Pancho's Balls]

It's a $150 bike. What do you expect?

 

[wim]

Some info on the company.

Biria was a German bicycle company which took over the East German people's owned MIFA bicycle factory after East Germany ceased to exist in 1990. The company built German Postal Service transport biycles, then branched out into other types of bicycles.

In 2005, Biria sold 500,000 bicycles and was bought by the U.S. investment company Lone Star. Soon after the takeover, Lone Star closed the company. In 2008, 21 former Biria employees bought the remnants of the company and re-started production in 2008. For what it's worth, "Biria" is named after Mehdi Biria, the ex-Iranian citizen who took over the former East German MIFA bicycle company in 1990.

Some links:
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS365US365&q=mehdi+biria

 

[blakcloud]

Sorry double post

 

[dahut]

what about the down bar shifters? it might be less convenient than handle shifts, no?

Somewhat, yes. But recall that before we had brifters, we had down tube shift levers. People rode all over and won races with them just fine. Trust me, you can adapt.

 

[tanoshinde]

what about the down bar shifters? it might be less convenient than handle shifts, no?

I recently bought a really sweet older road bike with downtube shifters. I expected them to be a gigantic pain in the neck (perhaps literally), and was planning to swap them out for brifters eventually, but they actually work really well -- so well that I'll probably just leave them.

Compared to brifters, they're a little less convenient -- but the location, at least on my bike, is also totally intuitive. It took me one short ride to get used to them.

I'd say if it's a good bike at a good price, go for it. If nothing else, later on, you'll have a built-in excuse for buying another road bike