Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - late 80's bianchi brava specs, pricing?

Hey guys, I have searched and this BRAVA model seems to be little spoken of and little known..

I am going to be checking out a late 80's brava. as far as I know its:

Black/dark blue frame, celeste decals on frame/fork
Made in Italy - decal on seat tube
Shimano 105 thruout.
Ambrosio Durex wheels


sounds to be in good condition, no dents, a couple light scratches.

From what I understand the Brava was an entry level road bike,

What would be a reasonable offer on a bike like this and is there anything I should look for with the 105 gruppo?

thanks in advance!

My girlfriend has the Brava, but with Sora STI components.

Is the bike your looking at have STI levers? What is the asking price, if you don't mind me asking?

We bought it off craigslist for a decent price, it was bought and never ridden basically. She like the ride. Not super light weight, but rides wonderfully.

sti? woah.

ok, this is an 80's older brava.. i don't think STI existed back then? i am not sure, it has downtube levers..

http://images.craigslist.org/3nd3m03obZZZZZZZZZ92qe6a716e6eb341c1a.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3nf3mf3p1ZZZZZZZZZ92qdd646608cb2618c3.jpg

seller is looking for $300 cnd.

ahh, i see. i would offer 250 or so, and maybe let my self be talked up a bit, but not much. 300 would be the highest i would pay if i needed the bike, not just wanted it, but that is just me.

I paid $120 for a 1990 Forza which was the entry level Bianchi for that year (I think). It was made in asia, probably Taiwan. It has Exage 14 speed, downtube shifters and aero levers. The fact that yours was made in Italy adds value to it and 105 is higher than Exage. So I would say Kalifornsky is pretty close. I'd say $200 to $300, but $300 is pushing it. Now if it was Celeste with blue lettering..........

I just bought this 1987 Bianchi Brava full 105, made in Japan, 56cm for $149 on CL here in Boston.

It was from the original owner who said he paid $450 brand new.

You cant tell, but the seat, decals, cables are celeste

i was speaking in canadian dollars, just as a clarification :-)

wow guys,. thanks for the updates and keeping the thread alive.

yeah, the bike seems to look in pretty good shape, but im half hoping someone already bought it tho, cuz its on the higher side of your quotes..

its EXACTLY like the one Jeremy posted, but made in italy.

Jeremy, is yours a 56 or 54cm?

$250 US, if it is in spotless, ready to ride condition. If so, at $250, you are getting a pretty nice bike!

yeah, it would be $300 cnd, ready to ride with a 2nd set of pedals...

im still on the fence, esp when someone got it for $149usd!? wow..!!
the one im looking at is EXACTLY the same, but being made in italy, is it that different?

Don't worry about what others pay. If you are looking for a super deal, then you have to be willing to take on a part time job: looking for deals. And you usually have to be willing to do quite a bit of work on the bikes as well.

I have picked up a lot of nice bikes in the last year for $10 to $40. But that does not affect what they are worth. I picked up a Tempo, all 105 group, for $30, pretty similar to the bike you are looking at. But I look just about every day, hit all the garage sales, etc.

Consider your options, and then buying this bike probably makes sense, unless you are very patient, and are willing (and have the time) to look a lot.

thanks for the heads up wrk.. damn thing is that i AM on craigslist all the time in the office!
just getting to meet sellers is a harder part, that and finding time to wrench on bikes is getting slim, but i gotta say i really enjoy wrenching just as much as riding..!

i'll have to see about talking down the seller.. although i don't want to be a jerk and insult him...

figured i'll bump this again.

i ended up picking up the bike, and its maiden voyage was a good 25km run with some really long/moderate climbs and a very fast downhill section that had me passing cars in its top gear.

Looks to be all original except for possibly brake cabling? Also seems to be stored indoors, 1 pea-sized spec of surface rust, and no fading.

It fit like an extension of my body, which sold me. esp when i was darting thru traffic.

Complete Shimano 105 including friction mode
Headset
Brakes + Levers + Shimano pads
Cranks
Hubs
Shifters
all 105

Original 3ttt bars and Bianchi Pantographed stem

Biopace rings
Original Ambrosio Super Elite 19 Durex rims

All decals in tact.

Some kind of Michelin 700x20c rubber.

I test rode the bike and it flies. Shifts are completely smooth, click into place effortlessly, braking is equally effortless and clamp confidently. Also did really well soaking up the bumps along the way.. and handles great. Rims are nice and true.

Here are the pics:

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/2056/photo1wly.jpg
Shot at 2009-03-10

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/1912/photowat.jpg
Shot at 2009-03-10

I ended up taking her home for $280.. which is about $215USD...

Its all original, and in great working order, it handled the ride home with ease.

Finally, made in italy

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/5838/photo2x.jpg

What do you think?
(yes, i'll make sure to remove at least 2 bottle cages)

beautiful bike! especially since it fits you perfectly. congrats!

It's got SLR brakes and 6 cogs, indicating a 1987 or 1988 model. However, it has the round World Championship decal, so that should make it a 1988 model. Orignal price would have been $500-$550 US. $215 US would not seem unreasonable, in a high priced market. In my region, it would have been about $75 US less expensive.

hey t-mar, is your region toronto?

I always find bikes far inflated around here.... even tho i read of someone that scored a brava for $75....?!?

i just sold mine, which was a 55cm for $280

2001 Brava w/Sora in Detroit area for $200.

http://detroit.craigslist.org/bik/1076063230.html

http://images.craigslist.org/3kd3m53p6ZZZZZZZZZ93f2a86f5a8475a1d72.jpg

i just sold mine, which was a 55cm for $280

wow, was that a 1988 equipped with shimano 105?

pics?!

there is not too much on the lowly brava.. perhaps i can build one similar to the Spinergy Rev-x resource site, i blogged out! lol