Classic & Vintage - Early 90's Paramount on CL - $275

Is this a good deal?
http://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/bik/1028370345.html

No it's nothing exceptional. If you want something of value, go with Paramounts built in the US. That's a mass produced frame from Asia. Expect to pay a lot more though for a US Paramount.

Its a fair price .No great deal.The higher the number pdg the better the bike.Pdg 3 is not the best.I would offer more in the $200 area.

These Japan-made Paramounts are sleeper bargains. Lugged OS tubing of the highest order and with detailed, custom lugwork to-boot, they were the top-of-the-line contemporary of bikes like the RB-1 and the Specialized Allez, bikes that commonly sell for $500+ these days. The Schwinn Peloton and Circuit, though beneath the PDG'mounts on the company hierarchy, typically sell for much more than $275 in this shape and they do that without much complaint from the peanut gallery around here.

So what's different about the P'mount? Other than the unicrown fork (sold that way to save a pound of weight off the final build), the P'mounts are better bikes in almost every way. Ask anyone who owns one how they ride. You won't find a negative comment in any of the archives here that's for sure. Build quality and finish quality on these is also typically top notch. Even the people who used to work at Waterford were mightily impressed by these.

These Japan-made Paramounts are sleeper bargains. Lugged OS tubing of the highest order and with detailed, custom lugwork to-boot, they were the top-of-the-line contemporary of bikes like the RB-1 and the Specialized Allez, bikes that commonly sell for $500+ these days. The Schwinn Peloton and Circuit, though beneath the PDG'mounts on the company hierarchy, typically sell for much more than $275 in this shape and they do that without much complaint from the peanut gallery around here.

So what's different about the P'mount? Other than the unicrown fork (sold that way to save a pound of weight off the final build), the P'mounts are better bikes in almost every way. Ask anyone who owns one how they ride. You won't find a negative comment in any of the archives here that's for sure. Build quality and finish quality on these is also typically top notch. Even the people who used to work at Waterford were mightily impressed by these.

While everything you said is true, the bikes just haven't caught on. Maybe they never will. I really believe Chicago built and Waterford, in that order, are the most desirable.

Seller says "OBO." Make one, judge the response and counter. I'd say it is worth a look if it is your size.

Its a fair price .No great deal.The higher the number pdg the better the bike.Pdg 3 is not the best.I would offer more in the $200 area.


These Japan-made Paramounts are sleeper bargains.


Seller says "OBO." Make one, judge the response and counter. I'd say it is worth a look if it is your size.

Its on CL. Everything is not just negotiable...its expected to be negotiated. Anything in the $200's is a fair 'street price' for an end user. Its something that will retain its value so I see no reason not drop mid $2's on it.

Call the seller up say, "I'll give you $200 cash, right now." If he counters with, "how about $250", reply with, "I'll meet you in the middle. That technique seems to work well for me.

I just paid $300 (they were asking $350) for a 1992 PDG Series 3 in like new condition. It doesn't have a scratch, and came with brand new Vredestein tires and a new Selle Italia SLK saddle (one of my favorites). I figured the saddle and tires were worth half the asking price.

FWIW, I really like the way it rides. I took it out on the VA Beach hammer ride last Saturday, and it did fine. It needs something smaller than a 13 cog on the back, but rides, shifts, and handles beautifully.

While everything you said is true, the bikes just haven't caught on. Maybe they never will. I really believe Chicago built and Waterford, in that order, are the most desirable.

For me, it'd be Match, Waterford, Chicago and then Japan. That said, any of the above are excellent bikes. I have a theory (I've explained it before and it never goes over very well) as to why the Japanese P'mounts are stuck in a devalued state and now that the Circuit (a bike built at the same time, in the same factory, but lower on the totem pole) has become a certified object of open CV lust, I believe the Japanamounts are about to receive their just due. This would've happened eons ago if they'ld only've spec'd a lugged crown.

Well, somebody snagged it. The listing's gone.