Bike value help

AltAccount

I'm thinking of selling a "hacker" road bike I've had for years and years. I'm not using it at all, and I've probably lost a few quid by missing the fixie craze…

I've no real idea how to value it, and so would appreciate some advice before I put it on Adverts or the adverts sub-forum here.



It's a lugged steel frame from the 80's. It's Columbus Aelle tubing, I'm not sure of the make or model, I resprayed it years ago.

Condition is fair - it needs a respray and the chrome on the seat/chain stays needs polishing or buffing, but there aren't any dents in the tubing or anything.


The wheels are Mavic MA40 rims built onto Sansin Gyromaster hubs.
They're decent condition - they were handbuilt by a guy who really knew his way around a wheel and they've been straight as a die no matter what I threw at them.

The tyres need replacing due to age.
The screw-on cassette probably needs replacing or rebuilding - it's not spinning freely any more.


The rear mech is Shimano Golden Arrow short cage.
The front mech is Shimano 600 from around the same era - probably slightly newer but not much.
The crankset is Shimano Golden Arrow with 42/52 rings.
Shifters are friction levers - Suntour afaik
All are in average condition.


Brake calipers are Shimano 105 from early/mid-90s. I'll probably keep those.
Brake Levers are Dia Compe with concealed brake cables (I can still remember how cool I thought that looked when I first got them… ).


Bars and stem are Cinelli from early 90s.
Stem is 130mm afaik.



Do you think I should try and sell separately, or would anyone be interested in the whole deal?

What do you think the bits are worth (roughly)? I'll add pics to the ad itself.

Thanks!

studiorat

I'd say it's worth about €70 max.

Stick it up on Adverts you'll probably get 3 times that amount.

slap/dash

70 sounds a bit low. pity its been resprayed.

Squidgy Black

I'd split if I was you, frame just needs a little TLC, replace the cassette and tyres on the wheels and you could get a few bob for them.

You'll struggle to find anyone interested in an old bike with a mismatched groupset.

Tonyandthewhale

Need to see pictures but I'd say it's grand sight more than 70euro. Plenty on adverts who'd be asking 70e just for a frameset - and getting decent offers too.

There are plenty of old gaspipe 80's road bikes with steel rims and shitty sachs huret ecoline groupsets being bought and sold everyday on adverts and the likes. AFAIK columbus aelle is relatively light-weight, not super exotic but not bottom of the barrel if not quite top of the range tubing*.

Shimano 600 and golden arrow were good quality groupsets which are remembered with much fondness and which can both rake in decent money on ebay once you have a full groupset in good condition (which sadly you don't).

I'd say if you put it up on adverts for 200euro you wouldn't be looking at it for long (although obviously this depends on just how fecked the freewheel is). If the wheel or freewheel doesn't turn properly most people are going to feel very sketchy about buying the bike and what other problems might crop up.

*actually, after a little more googling I've found a number of contradictory opinions on whether aelle was lightweight or heavy, straight gauge or double-butted etc so I don't know anymore. It's still nicer than 18-23 or 103 carbolite or the like though.

happytramp

You'll get €200. Maybe more if you knew the brand/model. Certainly get more if you split it.

Aelle is lower end Columbus tubing but still more desirable than the lower end Reynolds tubing. By virtue of it being Italian and therefore seemingly more exotic. However people will be understandably suspicious of a re-painted frame with a Columbus decal. Again, It would be very useful to know the brand.

AltAccount

Cheers all, great info. Looks like splitting it is the way to go.

The bottom bracket is stamped with Cinelli, but I didn't know they did frames. Does anyone know more about the brand/history?

happytramp

AltAccount wrote: »

Cheers all, great info. Looks like splitting it is the way to go.

The bottom bracket is stamped with Cinelli, but I didn't know they did frames. Does anyone know more about the brand/history?

Nope, but suffice to say it's a quality frame. If it was a Cinelli frame (unlikely) you'd be looking at a bike worth several hundred however they also made lug sets and bottom brackets. It's likely Italian or Central European in origin. What is stamped on the rear dropouts?

AltAccount

It's trapped behind some other bikes and one of the words is partially obscured by the skewer, but at the moment I can make out

(Obscured)REV CAMPAGNOLO

Does that help?

Tonyandthewhale

Brev campagnolo means made by campagnolo (but that almost probably only applies to the drop out, not sure if they ever made full frames but if they did they're not common) so we have a cinelli bottom bracket shell, campagnolo drop-outs and columbus tubing. Pretty interesting.

Squidgy Black

I think you should just give it to me. It's the right thing to do.

slap/dash

What size is it? Are the dropouts horizontal?

studiorat

happytramp wrote: »

You'll get €200. Maybe more if you knew the brand/model. Certainly get more if you split it.

There were types of Aelle tubing, R and SL. SL was butted and lighter. Frames with Aelle stickers range from under €60, to nearly €1,500 for a new old stock Battaglin or something exotic. A decent frame set in good condition with the correct stickers and transfers from a dealer can be had for about €220.

If the freewheel comes off, you're looking at at least €50 for a new one, possibly €50 labour if you can't remove it yourself or want the wheels trued.
New cables and brake blocks and finishing kit maybe €60 if you're lucky and a chain and a set of pedals another €40 if you shop around.

Bearing that in mind is why I think it's worth about €70 or so. A bike that age in really good nick with decals (and providence) should get €325 and €375 if the seller has spend a bit of time and money on it. People aren't just buying stuff like this as toys or "projects" anymore.

http://www.adverts.ie/bikes/racer-fixie-bike-frame/3574264

http://www.adverts.ie/bikes/mens-mtb-bike/2670157

studiorat

Swap for an iPhone?

AltAccount

Do any of these details help identify the make or spec of tubing?

studiorat

There's something going on there in the cable routing that's interesting and should make it easier to recognize.

AltAccount

The worst thing about this thread?

I came looking for help to sell the bike, I get the feeling by the end of this I'll be spending money to get the gruppo matching and googling for decal sets... :P:D



Also, if any of you are interested in the Peppa Pig toy pram, in the fifth pic, PM me. I'm sure we can work something out!

studiorat

AltAccount wrote: »

The worst thing about this thread?

I came looking for help to sell the bike, I get the feeling by the end of this I'll be spending money to get the gruppo matching and googling for decal sets... :P:D

You'll need the merino jersey for riding it too!

letape

Tonyandthewhale wrote: »

Brev campagnolo means made by campagnolo (but that almost probably only applies to the drop out, not sure if they ever made full frames but if they did they're not common) so we have a cinelli bottom bracket shell, campagnolo drop-outs and columbus tubing. Pretty interesting.

I had a Concorde (PDM replica) frame made with Columbus Aelle tubing back in the day. It too had Campagnolo dropouts - not uncommon for Columbus tubed frames.

Aelle tubing was between Columbus Cromor and SL. It made for a fairly heavy bike. I reckon it was somewhere between Reynolds 501 and 531c.

happytramp

studiorat wrote: »

If the freewheel comes off, you're looking at at least €50 for a new one, possibly €50 labour if you can't remove it yourself or want the wheels trued.
New cables and brake blocks and finishing kit maybe €60 if you're lucky and a chain and a set of pedals another €40 if you shop around.

Bearing that in mind is why I think it's worth about €70 or so. A bike that age in really good nick with decals (and providence) should get €325 and €375 if the seller has spend a bit of time and money on it. People aren't just buying stuff like this as toys or "projects" anymore.

Does need a fair bit of work but the sum of it parts are worth a fair bit too... On Ebay/adverts etc I'd say you could get...

€40 Cinelli bar and stem
€25 Golden arrow rear mech
€20 for the chainset
€5-10 front mech
€50-60 for the wheels.
€80-100 for the frame/fork/headset (unless we figure out what it is)

By the way, what name is on the headset?

studiorat

bit saucy I reckon.

happytramp

studiorat wrote: »

bit saucy I reckon.

All based on recent completed ebay sales. And I was reasonably conservative too. I was shocked at what Golden Arrow rear mechs were going for (anywhere between €30 and €50).

Also if that headset turns out to be a Campagnolo record then we can add on another €20-30. Just bought one for €50 myself, although mine was a Nuovo record and his is more likely to be a super record and less desirable.

Although he might struggle with the wheels since the postage would be a bit off putting.

AltAccount

happytramp wrote: »

By the way, what name is on the headset?

No branding that I can see. I'm pretty sure I put that on new when I was given the frame.

happytramp

Okay, after a bit of research and tip off from a bikeforums user. I found this. (photo near bottom of link)

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=108407

Seems to have the same cable routing. Does yours have and engravings on the forks or tops of the seatstays? Vittorio are a bike shop in Holland that have been making high end steel bikes for years. If it's correct that they are famed for Randonneur touring bikes then it would make sense to build them from a slightly more robust tubeset like Aelle. Either way it's fair to say that your bike frame is custom built, since that cable routing is done by hand and would be a very time consuming process.

AltAccount

No logos on seat stays or anywhere (original forks aren't on it). Cable routing looks like a perfect match!

I wish I hadn't sprayed it now


The lad who gave it to me tended to ride Olmo and Basso mostly, always racers rather than tourers.

It's a proper mystery!!

happytramp

AltAccount wrote: »

No logos on seat stays or anywhere (original forks aren't on it). Cable routing looks like a perfect match!

I wish I hadn't sprayed it now


The lad who gave it to me tended to ride Olmo and Basso mostly, always racers rather than tourers.

It's a proper mystery!!

The one in that link I sent you, the 'strada' was their top of the line model I believe, and that appears to be more of a racing bike than a tourer.

Here's another Dutch custom build with the same routing. http://velobase.com/Velos/ViewExample.aspx?ID=fa1967ea-534c-4861-a9f0-8785698dafd6 But I can't find any others from that builder using the same thing. It seemed more common on the Vittorio's.