l have an older (late 80s early 90s) road bike that has been sitting around my house for a while.l was going to get it tuned up so l can ride it, but l also wanted to upgrade a few parts to make it better.With the cost of the tune up l did not wanna pay more than $200 so l was wondering what upgrades will make the most difference and cost the least?It is not a super-nice bike (Nishiki) but its not from Wal-Mart, either.Actually, l was given it for free for doing some advertising for a company.l was told that it was a $500 bike back then.About 100 miles on it over 5 years.l do not know much about bikes so l can not really tell you anything about its components/parts.

l do not need a racing bike, l just want something to commute to work (under a mile) with, that is why l just wanna put a little $$ in this one vs. buying a new one.Thanks for the help.
l just want the bike to LAST, too, fellas.Its right around a mile to where l work and l work 5 days a week.Take out rainy/cold/snowy days so figure 40 weeks out of the year x 5days/week= 200 days of riding 2 miles a day is 400 miles a year.Will it hold up.l dont wanna have to do patch-work down the road....

If the tires are not flat.just keep riding it. When something breaks- upgrade or replace it then. A $40 bike shop tune up is your best investment, at the moment. You currently do not ride the bike enough- to see any benefit from parts upgrades. When your weekly distances start creeping towards 50 miles/week- then you will start to appreciate improvements on the bike.

$200? Forget that! Pump up the tires, lube the chain, check the brakes and take it for a test ride. That may be all that is needed.

<1 mile to work? If it fell apart you could still be at work in a few minutes.

if this is ur commuter that maybe throw some reflector tape on it or a flashing L.E.D. light for safety. sounds silly but is actually a VERY smart investment. find the cheapest one u can buy. maybe a very inexpensive headlight too depending on the time of day u commute. maybe new tires if ur current ones r dry-rotted or warn. maybe a pannier rack & saddlebag if u need to carry an outfit or something to work with you. other than that, listen to the other guys, they know their onionz! OH, & ALWAYS wear a helmet!

l think it is a GREAT ride u got there. If you're worried about the bike failing on u during ur commute then u should probably dish out some bucks for puncture resistant tires (incase u have to ride along glassy highways or something). maybe a suspention seatpost for comfort? & to take some of the load off the back wheel if u r a hefty rider? As long as ur bike shifts fine, does not have any loose parts, rides smooth, is visible at night, etc, than u should be good to go. maybe u could use a mirror? its kinda sketchy looking over ur shoulder while aboard a road bike lol. get a tune up & punctrue resistant tubes & tires if you're not a mega weight-weenie :) When u take it to get tuned, tell the guys there what u need & plan to do on the bike & they should help u out as long as they r not money hungry a$$holes like the guys at my local shop

A $500 bike in 1990 or so is going to have everything you need. Check the tires for dry rot and clean the bike up and just ride it. You might take it to a bike shop and have the tires and brake pads replaced and the bike tuned, but l would not spend any money for upgrades.

If the bike is in good condition, just tune it up & ride. With a $200 budget, u can not make a whole lot of improvements, put the money towards annual tuneups. l used to ride about 5500 miles per year commuting to work, & would spend from $150-$200 per year on replacing worn parts(chains, cassettes, tires, wheels). If u can install fenders, they r great for protecting u & the bike from wet road grit. Your ride to work is very short, l used to ride more miles every two weeks than u plan to ride each year. That bike should last for years. The bike l used sold for about the same price as yours did, & l rode it for 10 years, so yours should last u much longer as long as u maintain it. One hint: wipe down & lubricate the chain every 50 miles, it will run much smoother & last much longer.