Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - Colnago Master Lite Parts, Whole? Value

OK, I couldn't pass up this Colnago this morning. I don't know anything about Italian bikes, but this one looked good, very light weight, good frame material, and Ultegra components. To keep it, I will have to cut the post (the seat tube is fluted, so the post does not lower very far, I need about another 1/2 inch). And I need a shorter stem, reach is a little too long.


UPDATE: The bike is a 9 speed. I have a Cinelli stem and handlebar combo off of a 88 Schwinn Tempo. I think I will swap them with the Colnago parts. It should improve the stem geometry and appearance.


If I don't keep it, what is the value of a bike like this, and is it better to keep it whole, or just sell the frame, then wheels, then the Ultegra group?

This is my first venture outside the $25 to $100 acquisition range of flip material. And this bike is so much better than anything I have, I may have to bounce out another bike in the fleet (like my 2005 Trek SL1000). Hard to keep a SORA bike and flip an Ultegra bike.

The paint has a couple of flaws, on the seat tube and around the bottom bracket. Sorry for the double post on the pics (I put them up on catch of the day, I am kind of pumped right now)....

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3427/3222077871_0329fb0ce6_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3524/3222077673_2029b055a7_o.jpg

I'll try to post a pic of mine later or tomorrow.

Find a shorter seat tube, don't cut that one down.

Gotta run.... and check the basement and see if mine is still there ;)

The seatpost is marked "American Classic 27.2", I can't imagine that was the original product. But I was trolling ebay for something generic I could cut just in case. My pic above shows the lowest I can set the post, due to the fluting in the seat tube.

Cut the post.....Those American Classic posts are hella long to begin with. And please for the love of GOD get rid of that craptactular stem! It's killing me to see that thing on a Colnago (along with the Shimano).
Nice ride! I'd be hard pressed to ever get rid of that.....

Well if you do chop the seatpost then scribe in a new minimum insertion line from your new cut length. I saw one this past summer in the shop where someone chopped a post and then the new owner had the post raised up to the minimum insertion line which was now about 1" from the end of the post, not good.

With the brifters on your's I assume it's an 8-speed on back, so upgrading it to 10-speed on back should be relatively easy. Well, easier on the workbench than on the wallet anyway. ;)

If I put mine up on ebay as a frame only I'd probably set the reserve at $800 and see if it got there. Don't know if I'd get that for it, but don't think I'd settle for less than $1,000 complete as it sits, probably high and haven't tracked what they sell for lately. Mine's got an 8-speed Shimano 600 group on it so I'd probably do better parting out the bike than selling it whole since most any current buyer for it would most likely be wanting 10speed for better neutral support in races.

Have you taken it for a ride yet? Mine just seems to want to corner, it demands to corner, it loves to corner, isn't overly twitchy, but is willing to take any corner at any moment without so much as a desire on your part to take the corner. Did I say it likes to corner?????

I'll post a couple of pics of mine for comparison purposes, then will go check out your other post about it.

And congratulations on the find, I think you'll like it and most likely won't be selling it anytime soon as long as you can get the fit issues taken care of. I believe mine dates to between the late 80's to mid 90's, possibly late 90's, it was a trade show wall hanger then a small LBS wall hanger before I finally got the shop owner to sell it to me. And one note of interest, in the owner's manual it states the bike/frame has a weight limit on it for the rider, I think it is either 220 pounds or maybe up to 230 or so, I'd have to find the manual to know for certain.

Enjoy your new bike, our riding season here is still a long ways off as you can see by the pics.

ps, does your' say "soft paint" on it someplace? Mine has that painted on the frame and I was told it simply means that the paint is uncoated. I was also told to expect people to walk up, read "soft paint", and want to push their thumb nails into the paint to see if it really is soft paint. Just a heads-up in case your's has that on it.

Was surprised that the component codes are coming up late 2002: AG to AJ on Shimano. That would make this bike a 2003. Maybe the drive train is a replacement, but all the components are Ultegra, hubs, brakes, crank, derailleurs (the Headset is Shimano 600). The bike is nine speed. I had guessed this bike was more like mid to late 90s. It has a quill stem, which I thought went out in the 90s. And the Master Lite was replaced by the Master X Lite. Guess I have a lot to learn about Colnago.

Put Cinelli bars and stem on the bike, along with a NOS set of Shimano 600 pedals I had (thank goodness for a donor bike). Also cut the seat post after seeing American Classic post is nothing special.

The seatpost is marked "American Classic 27.2", I can't imagine that was the original product. But I was trolling ebay for something generic I could cut just in case. My pic above shows the lowest I can set the post, due to the fluting in the seat tube.

I suspect the shop that bike came from installed the AM 27.2 seat post, especially if it's the model with the engraved front. It's likely 300mm long, too, so you can cut away. I think the shop is in Charlotte. They put the same post in a Pinarello I had, and I've seen a couple of other higher end Italian bikes from that shop with those seat posts.

I stuck it in a Cannondale where it seems more at home.

Great bike. I'm thinking $800-$1000 after tax refunds make someone go shopping.
In fact, I know a guy in Kentucky looking to spend about that.

I wonder if this could have been someone's sponsored race bike and they finally got an upgrade to 10speed. And please don't tell me you picked it up for $100, congrats if you did though :thumb:

No, its not a $100 find... I wish...

Here's a pic with Cinelli stem and bars (and Nashbar blue bar tape).
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3533/3229049013_7800f50301.jpg

Here's a pic with Cinelli stem and bars (and Nashbar blue bar tape).

Immediate improvement :thumb:

thats a beautiful bike!

Master x Light with Super Record is my dream machine and the Master Light ain't shabby either. The frame and fork retailed around $2200.00. The few that I have ridden were pure bliss.

If you snagged your bike for under $600.00 ----- well then you stole it. Very nice find. :thumb: Lp