Mountain Biking - Mystery Vintage MTBs at Church Sale

I normally post over on Classic and Vintage but I need some MTB owner expertise. My church has an annual Yard Sale this coming Saturday. We have two mystery vintage MTBs (his and hers) that were donated. As you can see from the pictures they are both white with no decals, head badges, nor even any serial numbers. The only mark I can find is on the Man's (M) just below the seat post clamp. It is a very small "735" (possibly Reynolds or Columbus tubing?). They are lugged steel frames and the lugs and cast dropouts are the same on both. They do not appear to be repainted. The paint on the Man's is very good, the Woman's (W) paint is fair with some scratches.

The Woman's bike has a chrome front fork, Shimano LF hubs, a Shimano UG 6 speed cassette, Shimano Exage 300CS RD and a Suntour XC Sport 7000 FD, Shimano 200 GS shifters/levers, no name cantilever brakes, Sakae triple crankset, no name alloy rims, and a LaPrade seat post.

The Man's bike has a painted front fork, Suzue HF hubs, a Suntour(?) 6 speed freewheel, Suntour XCD 6000 Acushift derailleurs, Suntour Acushift shifters/levers, Suntour cantilever brakes, Shimano Biopace triple crankset, Araya alloy rims, and a no name (but nice) seat post.

Could anyone help us price these bikes? Or if you have an interest in one or both and don't want to see them go sailing out of here for $10, and can make a donation for a good cause, PM me.

("M" on each picture = Man's MTB --- "W" on each picture = Woman's MTB)

Thanks for your help!

Those are the new '06 Cannondale Freeride bikes.:D

Hey Pastor Bob, any chance the guys in the Framebuilding forum would recognize those lugs? I looked up the Henry James catalog, but couldn't find any '735' reference there.

Looks to me like the lug on the seat tube says "73.5"

Waterford Bikes' site says that the flat/'sliced' cap on top of the seatstay was a Schwinn thing. That help you?

Looks to me like the lug on the seat tube says "73.5"

I thought that might be a possibility as well. The woman's frame does not have this mark. I should have mentioned there are no holes for head badge screws and the man's bike weighs less than 30 lbs.

Waterford Bikes' site says that the flat/'sliced' cap on top of the seatstay was a Schwinn thing. That help you?

Doug,

I noticed that the tops of the seat stays look a lot like my Schwinns.

Waterford Bikes' site says that the flat/'sliced' cap on top of the seatstay was a Schwinn thing. That help you?

That treament was pretty common, my old (late 80's/early 90's) junker Univega had the same thing. I think the key is the brake cable in the fame (on the men's). I don't recall too many bikes sporting that feaure.

I think the key is the brake cable in the fame (on the men's). I don't recall too many bikes sporting that feaure.Yeah, I was thinking the same thing - - kind of an elegant treatment. Exept for that, my best guess is a 96-98 Schwinn High Plains. Couldn't find any pict large enough on the web to confirm it, though.

[EDIT] - - I think I probably meant 86-88 huh? Wrong decade.

96-98, I have a 1995 Schwinn High Plains and it's all welded chromoly construction, i'd say mid to late 80's, especially with those component groups

Suntour XCD 6000 is around `88 or `89

http://www.firstflightbikes.com/_borders/Cimarron86.JPG

That was the closest loking Schwinn I could find, it's an `86 Cimarron

this is Schwinn spec sheet up until 1990 (http://www.firstflightbikes.com/schwinn_specs.htm)

it sounds like (the mens bike ) a 1988 Cimarron with different derailleurs

I don't think it is a Schwinn. Have you ever seen a Schwinn that didn't have a serial number?

the geometry and such as well as component grouping seem to point to late 80's Schwinn, not saying that it couldn't be something else, but it's easy to make a mountain out of a mole hill

atleast look for some other bikes in the 88-90 year range, as that seems to be the age of the components.

look at the similarities between the picture i posted and the one you posted there are alot, and the one i posted is an `86 and your is most likely `88 or `89, so it seems that your bike would be a schwinn as far as tube cuts and lugs

96-98, I have a 1995 Schwinn High Plains and it's all welded chromoly construction, i'd say mid to late 80's, especially with those component groupsI got in a temporary time warp and mixed up my decades :)

I don't think it is a Schwinn. Have you ever seen a Schwinn that didn't have a serial number?

I have never seen a Schwiinn w/o a SN as well...

as far as Shimano Exage 300LX it seems those are around 1990-1992

this is probably a dumb question but did you look on the bottom bracket shell?

this is probably a dumb question but did you look on the bottom bracket shell?

No question is dumb. :) Yes, I looked. When I could find no ID decals, I started looking for a serial number. Head tube, rear drop outs, BB, everywhere. That was when I came across the "735" or "73.5." The funny thing is that I'm certain the paint is original. Do you think they just left the decals off?

The woman's bike arrived sometime this morning while I was out visiting at the hospital. I couldn't believe they were matching his and hers.

Has any one seen these Suntour brakes?

I don't think it is a Schwinn. Have you ever seen a Schwinn that didn't have a serial number?
Bob, Is it possible the mob used these bikes and filed off the serial numbers?:D

Bob, Is it possible the mob used these bikes and filed off the serial numbers?:D
:eek: THE MOB! HERE IN THE MOUNTAINS OF NH!:eek: I better pack the wife and daughter and move back to Atlanta where it's safer! :D :D :D

ATL, safer than NH, that'll be the day, atleast certain parts I suppose, maybe the bikes were stolen and had the #'s taken off and repainted by someone who know what they're doing? I don't know, I still think it's Schwinn.

=Has any one seen these Suntour brakes?

Yes I believe those are known as roller cam brakes, predating canti's. Sheldon Brown's website has mention of them

Looks to me like the lug on the seat tube says "73.5"

Right. That's the seat-tube/top-tube angle the lug is designed to work with.

That's a very high end bike, probably a custom from the mid 1980s. Could be quite valuable, though mountain bikes haven't yet become as collectible as '70s road bikes.

Sheldon "A Beauty!" Brown

Sheldon "A Beauty!" BrownWow! THE MAN himself weighing in on this :D I've referred many to your articles; had no idea you were lurking on BF ready to pounce with your vast storehouse of knowledge. Cool!

Just a quick note of thanks to all your help over here in Mountain Biking. You helped this Classic and Vintage poster price the Mystery Mountain Bikes. We've settled on $50-M and $30-W or best offer. I'm tempted to buy them but I have enough bikes and too little space.

EDIT: Well I just saw the post two above from Sheldon Brown. Now I am really tempted to buy them. My 13 year old daughter needs a new bike. This ought to convince my wife! LOL

I'm interested to know if the Suntour thumbshifter and the Shimano LX300 rd are compatible in the index mode?