Pacific Northwest - Best Seattle bike shop to appraise an older Bianchi?

I have a Bianchi Rekord 838 and I can not find it anywhere on the internet. Anyone have a clue as to where I can find out more about it?

About the most knowledge vintage bike person I know is Bob Freeman, co-owner of Elliott Bay Bikes, Seattle. I don't know whether he does appraisals, though.

Are you sure there is no info on the internet, though? I just did a quick google search and got lots of hits....Also I spotted one on Seattle Craiglist today (is that yours?).

condition and gruppo mean as much as anything else.

every used bike eventually becomes worth 100 bucks.

let the market determine its' worth - if no one pays you 450 bucks for it, it aint' worth 450 bucks!!!

Put a thread with pics on "Classic & Vintage" subforum.

Bob is absolutely very knowledgeable about older bikes, the older the better. But be careful about an appraisal from him. If he thinks he might get to sell it for you as a consignment, he'll boost the price beyond what it's worth. Why do you think Elliott Bay Bicycles has got so many consignment bikes that have been sitting in the shop for years?

This bike is a garden-variety, lower-level old Bianchi. I'd be surprised if EBC would want it on the floor as a consignment, as most of the consignments there are of considerably higher value than this bike.

BTW, setting consignment prices is a two-way street. I don't think anyone put a gun to the head of the owners of the consignment bikes at EBC and "forced" them to put the prices on the bikes that one sees there. I would assume the owners are always free to pull the bikes off the floor and put up a listing at eBay....eBay is a remarkable fast and efficient way to determine the value of anything. You just have to be prepared to live with the consequences (that is, your bike will only bring what the market is will to pay the week you put it up for sale).

Bob is absolutely very knowledgeable about older bikes, the older the better. But be careful about an appraisal from him. If he thinks he might get to sell it for you as a consignment, he'll boost the price beyond what it's worth. Why do you think Elliott Bay Bicycles has got so many consignment bikes that have been sitting in the shop for years?

BTW, I saw your original thread about Davidson and Elliott Bay over on the Cascade site. I also know that thread degenerated to the point where the mods over there took it down.

Now I see you've peppered several Davidson-related posts at BikeForums with criticisms of Bill (in particular), and posted photos of the frame you were unhappy with. It seems, in particular, that every time I've suggested in a thread that someone check out at Davidson you've posted a reply criticizing Davidson, Bill in particular, and posting photos of your frame.

I think it's really unfortunate that you got a bad bike, but my recollection of the thread over at Cascade (before it was removed) was that there was more to story, and perhaps details that weren't worth sharing with a public audience.

I've always had a great experience with Bob, Bill, the rest of the crew at EBC, and, yes, Eamon, when he worked there. I've been treated very fairly in the process of putting together a beautiful custom Davidson, and also gotten their help and advice on the old bikes I own (in exchange for a constant stream of parts purchases I get "free" advice that saves me lots of $$, just as it should be...).

Maybe it's best not to rehash this at BF as well?

They've taken plainer as consignment. The prices get marked up so high based on what the sellers hope to get out of it, plus the markup that Bob puts on them. I've no idea why people accept their consignment bike sitting there not selling for years on end. That's their choice, and I won't pretend to understand it. Some consignment bikes do sell, as I know from the experience of EBB selling a tandem for me, but I didn't take Bob's advice on the price, nor did I just leave it and forget it.

I stand by my advice of being cautious about values that Bob would suggest.

I am far from the only person unhappy with things that have come out of EBB (bikes and service). They are living primarily on reputation and loyalty of an aging and practically non-renewing customer base. I just happen to be one of the very few people willing to publicly state that the emperor's clothes, if not missing, are certainly threadbare.

In case anyone is wondering about the pictures, here they are:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dayngerous/sets/72157607704494832/

I have not said that you can't get a good bike out of EBB, or said that anyone who claimed to have never seen what I have is mistaken. What I have said about EBB, especially on this forum, is plain truth with a heavy dose of buyer beware.

I am far from the only person unhappy with things that have come out of EBB (bikes and service). They are living primarily on reputation and loyalty of an aging and practically non-renewing customer base. I just happen to be one of the very few people willing to publicly state that the emperor's clothes, if not missing, are certainly threadbare.

So, how about starting a thread over in "manufacturer and retailer feedback" instead of posting pictures of the same bike every time someone (like me) recommends that BF people take a look at Davidson?

I've met lots of Davidson owners, and seen lots of their bikes. I run into lots of serious riders on Davidson at organized events in the Seattle area and have chatted up a number of them. I shopped carefully before I bought mine. I see the folks in the shop working with customers on a regular basis. I've seen Bill on the floor on his hands and knees explaining to a newbie how to change a flat. Before I ever bought a custom bike there, I took a couple of vintage bikes in for a variety of problems and was very happy with the results.

My judgment is that the vast, vast majority of their customers are happy.

You seem to be pursuing a personal vendetta, not really trying to help potential customers. I won't repeat here the personal details and history that you posted at the Cascade Bicycling Club, butas an outside observer I concluded that there was a lot more to the story than a bad bike or two; and that it's unfair to use your complicated and very unusual experience with Davidson's products to make such negative, personal, and generalized comments about their work. My impression also is that your personal situation is clouding your judgment about how your are choosing to go about publicizing your dispute with Elliott Bay and your hard feelings about the folks there.

The moderator at Cascade Bicycling Club reached a similar conclusion:
http://www.cascade.org/Community/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=5&threadid=12260

Having been shut out of airing your grievances there, it looks like you turned to BF.

Just so you know, I have no personal interest in seeing EBB and/or Davidson succeed, it's just that a number of the posts you've made have been in direct response to *mine,* and when you call my credibility into question, it matters to me.

As I mentioned, BikeForums has a specific forum for manufacturer/retailer complaints...you can post something over there and see how it goes.

BengeBoy- PM sent.

I speak up here when I see someone recommending EBB because the experiences of its customers are not 100% good, and nobody else seems willing to speak up and point out that the emperor's clothes are falling apart. When I'm researching something, I value the negative reports even more than I do the positive - because the negative reports often tell me the most.

All Bill had to do to keep me as a loyal customer and friend was treat me like one. I know of a number of other people who have been let down similarly, and they've (for whatever reason) just gone on their way and chosen not to warn anyone else away. I've chosen otherwise.

I won't say that I have nothing against Bill. I am most definitely upset about what has happened and what he chose to do about it. In spite of that, I do not wish to hurt him, but I also do not want anyone else to walk in there expecting him to be as professional and caring as he appears to be and as his fanbase believes he is (and as I used to believe). I ended up seeing a side of Bill that few people ever do, the side the lurks beneath the veneer of wise and caring bikesmith, and (as far as I know) I did nothing to deserve it.

that ti bike looks schweet!

Bill and the guys at Davidson are a great group of people.

so are a lot of the shops around town.

TO THE ORIGINAL POSTER:

take it for a ride, see what everyone thinks, you'll get a few opinions.

I personally think almost all bikes eventually become worth about 100 bucks. when it comes to restoring to ride bikes, the spacing on the rears of older bikes make it not so amenable to run modern drivetrains. the wheels definetly won't go to 10 speeds unless the bike is fairly recent, which yours is presumably not.

so is it collectable? probably not, just a rider. we need to see some pics.

Still take it on a ride around town, ask some bike shops, you can hit a dozen shops in an afternoon no problem. 20/20 cycles on madison might be into it...

BengeBoy - thanks for pointing out the manufacturer and retailer feedback forum. I had not thought to look for one.

... When I'm researching something, I value the negative reports even more than I do the positive - because the negative reports often tell me the most... I do not wish to hurt him, but I also do not want anyone else to walk in there expecting him to be as professional and caring as he appears to be and as his fanbase believes he is (and as I used to believe).

I don't know what to say.

I don't think it's appropriate for me to bring up all the other details surrounding your involvement with EBB, even you posted the details yourself over at Cascade. I just would point out to anyone reading this thread that there is more to the story than is mentioned here. And, I think it would be *highly* unusual for a typical retail customer to encounter the series of events that has evidently clouded your opinion of EBB and Davidson bicycles.

Thus, while you contend you're posting negative opinions to "help" other potential customers, I doubt that other customers would ever have the experience you've had.

Finally, I find it hard to believe that you aren't out to smear someone's reputation: You joined BF on October 6, and proceeded to immediately leave two negative comments about Davidson Bicyles. Your post history shoes that most of your other posts have been about Davidson as well. According to the moderator's note at Cascade, this was about the time you were posting about Davidson over there (that thread was deleted and locked on the 7th).

I don't think you're pursuing this in a reasonable way.

As I've said, I am not the only customer to receive a flawed frame from EBB. But I'm one of very few to speak up and be willing to endure the EBB fanbase shouting me down and crying "but Bill's a great guy". One reason I'm willing to do so is that I used to be an active member of that fanbase, so I understand the disbelief and the preference to think that I'm sort of vengeful nutcase than that Bill would ever treat a customer poorly.

As for the rest of the story - since you have pointed out the feedback area, I will put my experience there. I would appreciate it if you would not try to post your interpretation of what went on based on your memory of what was on Cascade, although you are (of course) welcome to respond to whatever I post.

As for the rest of the story - since you have pointed out the feedback area, I will put my experience there. I would appreciate it if you would not try to post your interpretation of what went on based on your memory of what was on Cascade, although you are (of course) welcome to respond to whatever I post.

Here's what I'm likely to say: This is not about a bad frame, this is about (what appears to be) a personality conflict that has caused you to publicly smear a distinguished member of the Northwest cycling community.

It *is* relevant that your posts at Cascades grew so heated and so personal that the (wise) mods over there shut it down. If you keep it to a frame, it's about a frame. If it goes into the kinds of personal attacks you've been making, it seems to me that the history *you* shared at Cascade is relevant.

I'm done; I wish I had time for a bike ride today...

About the most knowledge vintage bike person I know is Bob Freeman, co-owner of Elliott Bay Bikes, Seattle. I don't know whether he does appraisals, though.

Are you sure there is no info on the internet, though? I just did a quick google search and got lots of hits....Also I spotted one on Seattle Craiglist today (is that yours?).

yes. bob knows his stuff.

at elliott bay we do restorations, and have many employees with industry experience. my former roomate was an employee of bianchi usa from 97-2001, in hayward,ca. i have some inside knowledge, as well as access to bob. and encyclopeida of info.

come see us!

western and lenora.. 2 blocks north of the pike place market. bike parking inside.

m-f 10-7
sa 11-6
sun 11-4

come on down, tell em daood sent ya!