Viewing 22 posts - 1 through 22 (of 22 total)
  • Help needed! Retro bike valuation?
  • iain65
    Free Member

    Hi, I’m struggling to work out a value for my mums bike, the frame was made to order in the late seventies and has probably done less than 500 miles in total (my dad passed away in 1982 and my mum never rode after that). The frame is a 531 Dave Yates and has a mix of components:
    Dia compe brakes
    Omega chainset (could be changed for campagnolo grand sport of same vintage)
    Campagnolo headset, shifters, front mech, BB.
    3ttt post
    Cinelli bars and stem
    Not sure about the wheels
    Shimano rear mech
    Tyres are new – I have not got a clue how this happened as my mum has Alzheimer’s but if anyone knows of someone who refurbished a bike in Edinburgh for an old lady please let me know 🙂

    I was going to try for £550 and see what happens, does this sound about right? (My sister is hoping to get a deposit on a new road bike with the proceeds!).

    Thanks, pics below.
    Iain

    suburbanreuben
    Free Member

    That’s nice!
    You’ll get more joy over on Retrobike though:
    http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=46710

    sbtouring
    Free Member

    That is one very tidy bike. Sounds a bit pricey, but I would probably pay that for a bike that nice if i had the money spare.

    twicewithchips
    Free Member

    Oh that’s a beauty. Sure it won’t fit your sister? – be a shame to see that go.

    therevokid
    Free Member

    +1 to the retrobike reference

    crimsondynamo
    Free Member

    Oh that’s a beauty. Sure it won’t fit your sister? – be a shame to see that go.

    I second the motion, one of my mates has bought two brand new Dave Yates frames in the past two years, with exactly those decals! Still top quality and very special.

    iain65
    Free Member

    Thanks, it’s funny but I rode it round the block the other day and several things stood out:

    You could eat a plated meal, hands off with the plate balanced on the bars along a bumpy road easily it’s so stable.
    The brakes are awful, not just bad but 35 year old pads do not work, was going to stick some spare Ultegra ones on but couldn’t 🙂
    Can’t believe I could ever use friction shifters in the past, how I ever got myself in the right gear at the finish of a road race as a kid amazes me as I could barely get one to engage now.

    There are some things that have improved massively in bike technology over the last 30 years but a good bike is still a good bike whatever the age.

    Cheers.

    twicewithchips
    Free Member

    Just had a look at your photobucket and am even more impressed. You’d be mad to let that go, err, I mean what size is it?

    Possibly just the pads that have perished (assume you don’t mean ultegra calipers?). Also, I’m loving the royce inner ring.

    As for friction shifting, didn’t you just whack it in top and hope for the best like the rest of us?

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    twicewithchips – Member
    Oh that’s a beauty. Sure it won’t fit your sister? – be a shame to see that go.

    Your sister’s mad not to use that bike.

    hora
    Free Member

    Sorry I wouldn’t sell it. No way. Even with the vague chance that your mum had it refurbed out of memories/after all this linked with why didn’t she let it go to ruin decades ago like all old bikes that have been unloved?

    Not a chance- 500 is nothing. Its STUNNING. Personally I think its only worth what one person would pay. I paid 175 last year for a stunner that had been stored for 25yrs. Yours is slightly better condition so I’d say 350.

    Priceless and worth more to keep IMO

    iain65
    Free Member

    Thanks, the problem is I also have my dads 1948 bike as well so I’m going end up with far too much old stuff and need to move some of it. I cleared my mums house last year and found a load of old bike bits that I had forgotten about including an Assos crankset, campagnolo super record Ti bolts, lots of worn out tubs and various other bits of discarded stuff.
    Well spotted on the Royce ring, I also had a set of Royce hubs in about 1986 which were brilliant.

    Twicewithchips – yes that is exactly what I usually ended up doing!

    It’s still a mystery to me who refurbed the bike, a couple of old mates have shops in Edinburgh and it was not them, one day I’ll find out.

    ctk
    Full Member

    £400 I reckon- it looks immaculate. Part it put for highest return. Or sell bits off and build with modern gear for your sister?

    midlifecrashes
    Full Member

    That’s wonderful.

    There’s L’eroica festival at Buxton in June. It would be perfect for that. Worth checking to see if they have a forum or facebook group you could make it known to. I wouldn’t split it.

    Edric64
    Free Member

    L`eroica bike for sure

    TiRed
    Full Member

    Lovely bike and I don’t think you are far off on price. Retro bike is the place for it.

    jools182
    Free Member

    You may get more money for it on eBay, depending on how you word the ad.

    Also try the lfgss website. Prices are usually on the low side there but they may be able to offer advice on how much to expect

    Lovely bike and I think you could get £400 – £500 depending on ad and time of year. I’ll also say aim it at L’eroica people, it would be perfect for that

    Shame it has to go

    pictonroad
    Full Member

    For me the frame is the bit to keep. It’s stunning and personal to your family. If I was your sister (I’m not) I’d keep it and turn it into a flippin lovely singlespeed. Round town in evenings or short summer spins when you’re not fussed on getting the proper shoes and kit on. In that form it would be a useful and stunning bike for ever.

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    I’m not seeing £400 at all, though I only know about the parts and not prices of complete bikes.

    The frame is mint and nice but there are loads of 70s/80s framesets on ebay for £100 or less.

    Maillard hubs were cheap and crap/basic in their day, Weinmann brakes also, those rims aren’t anything special, the Campag levers and Fr mech might be worth a bit more but I’m trying to sell similar just now and no one’s biting at £15 each. Michelin World tours are were very cheap and basic also.

    mrbelowski
    Free Member

    While the frame does look lovely, I agree with cynic-al about the rest of it. It’s hard to tell from the pictures, but aren’t those rims steel? Might explain why the brakes are so awful – it’s a long time since I read my original copy of Richard’s Bicycle Book, but I seem to remember something about steel rims needing leather brake blocks.

    iain65
    Free Member

    You’re right in that the bits on the bike are not great and not worth much. The rims are alloy and part of the mystery as I do not know the history of them, some of the other bits were cast off’s from me as a lad. The frame is 22.5”.

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    I agree about the cash value.

    However the real value is greater and one day they will regret getting rid of it.

    Edric64
    Free Member

    Hubs are crap though ,cheap maillard, campag copies

Viewing 22 posts - 1 through 22 (of 22 total)

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