Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - Thrift find vintage Bottecchia Unisex

I purchased a vintage Bottecchia Unisex bike (minus wheels) in perfect shape for 15bux. I don't really know anything about the bike, but I was wondering if anyone might have an idea on the value and age. The serial appears to be 367007. this bike looks antique. Everything is original as far as I can tell. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thx, Case.

Use Flickr to post some good pictures.

Need pictures to know for sure but I'll take a stab. There were two "unisex" models of Bottecchia back in the boom period. The one listed in the catalog is the identified as the Unisex and is the most common. It is a basic city bike for men or women with hi-tensile steel frame, entry level components, upright handlebars and a big padded mattress saddle. The other is not listed in any catalog I've seen. It is a French style mixte frame that appears to have been designed as a ladies road bike model with a road saddle and dropped bars rather than a city bike and is comparitively rare. The only difference in the frame itself seems to be in the top tube. On the Unisex it parallels the downtube to the point where it intersects the lower portion of the seat tube and then bends and continues to the rear drop outs. On the mixte style frame the top tube is not parallel to the down tube but rather makes a straight line from the head tube to the rear drop out, intersecting the seat tube around the midpoint. All of the Unisex models I've seen are essentially the same bike as the entry level Bottecchia De Luxe. I've seen the mixte frames in both that trim level and in the "Special" trim level with chrome lugs and chrome lower third of the rear triangle.

Either way, without wheels it's not likely worth much more than the $15 you spent. The Unisex lacks the gracefulness of the mixte style frame and does present a rather ancient look. I'd almost bet money that it dates to early 70's though pictures would help in that respect. If you like the style of it, put a set of alloy wheels on it that you can pick up for $75 of so and enjoy the ride. In excellent condition with the original wheels I would guess a Unisex my fetch $150 on eBay but they are too rare to say for sure.

Thanks for the info Kommisar. Though my hopes for a great thrift store find are now subdued, it's nice to know what I have. If nothing else this has, at the very least spiked an interest in collecting and riding vintage road bikes. Although I don't know much AT ALL about them, I will continue to keep my eyes open. I don't have my digital camera at th moment, but I found this pic from one of your other posts.

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z77/Kommisar89/f837_1.jpg

To my untrained eye, this frame is exactly like mine. The obvious differences are the seat, (mine is more of a padded city bike seat) the handle bars (mine are upright as you mentioned), and the chrome fenders where the wheels once were. Other than that, it is this frame. The bike is in near perfect condition and to me, would look awesome with some dropped bars, a road seat, and like you said, some alloys. Though I'm a dude, I wouldn't mind riding a "unisex" bike that looks like this. I will just claim ignorance if I get ribbed. In any case, thanks once again for taking the time to respond!

I'd give $50 max for that bike as it sits on the table, knowing I have the components to make it go. You can keep the kickstand.
It has "pretty mixte cruiser" written all over it. $55, though, and I'd walk away.

Right now, mixte frames have the local hipsters going, building single speed freewheel bikes for their girlfriends. I think it's a fine thing.

Thanks for the info Kommisar. Though my hopes for a great thrift store find are now subdued, it's nice to know what I have. If nothing else this has, at the very least spiked an interest in collecting and riding vintage road bikes. Although I don't know much AT ALL about them, I will continue to keep my eyes open. I don't have my digital camera at th moment, but I found this pic from one of your other posts.

To my untrained eye, this frame is exactly like mine. The obvious differences are the seat, (mine is more of a padded city bike seat) the handle bars (mine are upright as you mentioned), and the chrome fenders where the wheels once were. Other than that, it is this frame. The bike is in near perfect condition and to me, would look awesome with some dropped bars, a road seat, and like you said, some alloys. Though I'm a dude, I wouldn't mind riding a "unisex" bike that looks like this. I will just claim ignorance if I get ribbed. In any case, thanks once again for taking the time to respond!

This is the other, more common style that sounds like what you have:

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z77/Kommisar89/BottecchiaUnisex06.jpg

Hey Kommisar,

actually it is the body style of the white one only it has fnders and the uprights like the yellow. Kinda weird but the body is exactly like the white one...

Hey Kommisar,

actually it is the body style of the white one only it has fnders and the uprights like the yellow. Kinda weird but the body is exactly like the white one...

You learn something new everyday. Six months ago I had never seen a mixte style Bottecchia like the white one. They don't list it in the catalogs that I've seen. Quite interesting.

I will post some pictures tomorrow. Would the serial number tell me anything about it??

PS Would you consider this a fairly rare bike? Does the worth go up a bit?

I will post some pictures tomorrow. Would the serial number tell me anything about it??

Not that I know of.

PS Would you consider this a fairly rare bike? Does the worth go up a bit?

Yes, I would consider it fairly rare but no, unfortunately I doubt the value is going to go up much. It's still a Unisex. I would be quite surprised if a really clean model went for more than $150 on eBay and it would probably cost you that much to get that one in that kind of shape.

Rare by virtue of the fact that it was not too popular back in the day, and remains so today.

$70-125 Craigslist bike. Possibly less on eBay.

-Kurt

Rare by virtue of the fact that it was not too popular back in the day, and remains so today.

$70-125 Craigslist bike. Possibly less on eBay.

-Kurt

+1 Rare, but not popular. Very limited market, and the bike sounds like a low end model to boot. What is the frame made out of? Is the crank a steel cottered style? Stem shifters? All signs of a low end bike. In perfect ready to ride condition, $100.

Minus wheels, cleaned up, it is a $30 bike.