Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - how do you guys think of this Italvega?

I'm a newbie here and still don't know much about bike.. (I was into cars for the most part)
Recently I moved to San Francisco and just realized that I don't need a car anymore..

Columbus Tubing
Campy Derailluers.
Nisi Wheels
Brooks Seat
Universal Mod 61 Calipers
Original Bars changed to Flat Bars

Asking price is $325.

Any comments please??
thanks

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From Mark Agree via Sheldon Brown's site:


ItalVega was the first brand used by Ben Olken's Lawee distribution company, when they started bringing bikes in from Italy in the early 1970s. They were very high quality bikes. After a couple of years, Lawee started bringing in their bikes from Japan, so the ItalVega name was no longer appropriate. They stopped calling them ItalVegas, and went with "Univega."

All Italvegas were made in the Torpado factory, but not all were high end bikes. Torpado made a broad variety of bikes for different uses (including worker, comfort, BMT, ATB, and even motorized) and plenty of the designs overlapped to where Torpados and Italvegas look the same when naked. I have 4 Italvega framesets here in my basement, all different model designations, and all with different features. Thus far, I have documented at least 8 different feature sets on these bikes.

The low-mid level framesets have the inverted triangle Columbus foil decal, while the better models have the rectangle Columbus foil decal. The lowest models have no Columbus decal at all, from what I have seen ... and they don't feel like Columbus either. All the bikes were finished and built up in Italy, and shipped whole. Therefore, the paint and decal quality is likely Italian (evidence is there, just look at one!).

Italvegas seem to have been produced from the very early 1970s, to about 1977 or so, but don't quote me on that. I own a Super Speciale model, from about 1972, that is loaded (or, unloaded, as it were) with superlight/drilled/milled components of the 70s. It built up into a 20lb. bike, at 52cm. This Super Speciale is what I believe to be the "first generation" of their best bike. In about 1973, they came out with the new and improved Superlight model, and it's clone the Super Speciale. The only differences between these two "new" bikes are the decals, and the gruppos used. The framesets were identical, and incorporated drilled Campy dropouts with diamond shaped windows cut into many of the lug tangs, and a super relieved bottom bracket undershell to boot.I can't make out the Columbus decal from the photo to distinguish, but if it fits and you like riding it, $325 seems reasonable, although you can probably get a comparable Japanese bike (like a Univega) for somewhat less. It would be nice if you could get the original bars and Universal levers thrown in (or accounted for) as well.

Not worth it IMHO. Cottered crankset, low-end campy deraileurs etc. It is a nice looking frame for sure but if it were me, I would pass.

Not worth it IMHO. Cottered crankset, low-end campy deraileurs etc. It is a nice looking frame for sure but if it were me, I would pass.

+1 I know SF is a tough market, but those bikes are glorified gaspipe. They knew how to make them look high end with the chromed lugs, fork ends, etc., and by fitting them with Campy derailleurs (possibly the worst Campy ever produced). It appears the marketing ploy still works!

I think that price is what the market is in San Francisco. I usually take my flip bikes out that way to my brother's place, list them on the Bay Area CL (for up to $100 more than what I can get out here in Sacramento) and just have to worry about collecting the cash from my brother. I'm out some gas money, but he and his wife feed me when I'm out there so it is a good adventure.

A couple weeks ago my brother sold a earlier, rather unspectacular Bridgestone thrift store find for $220. There are plenty of fools out there in the Bay Area who have to have a vintage bike that they can rip apart and modify into a SS/FG ride.

it's a bit pricey, and that's the unfortunate reality of San Francisco...nice looking, but with cottered cranks and Valentino RD, it's not the top model Italvega. I thought these plain guage jobs with stamped DOs were the perfect SS conversion platform a few years back, but now...
it does have a NR FD however, so you get some upgrade for your $325.You still need a car in SF, but mainly to leave...and you can get Zipcars or such for that occasion.

Moving to the valuation sub-forum

WOW I have not heard anyone mention Lawee in years. it was a bad day in bicycles when Univega stopped making bikes. they were not as well known and over priced as trek but they were great bikes for the money.

this Italavega is very nice looking bike. great for sunday morning coffee and bagel rides.

why do "flip" bikes? is everything in life about making money? can't you just own a bike and enjoy its ride and beauty without putting a price on it? I guess a colapse in the value of vintage bikes wil be the next economic crisis we have to bail out

As an actual driver, I don't think it's worth it. In fact, $325 will get you more on ebay with a little patience even when you factor in the shipping.

For comparison. I'm not saying it isn't nicer and I'm not saying it's not overpriced as well. Just for comparison:


Vintage Ital-Vega 62cm - $450 (Arvada) (http://denver.craigslist.org/bik/1134987840.html)

Reply to: sale-jbwkq-1134987840@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
Date: 2009-04-22, 1:03PM MDT


Very nice early 70's Ital-Vega in a 62cm c-t-c seat tube size. Campagnolo and Stronglight components. Very nice example. Model Nuovo Record. (303)463-7566

http://images.craigslist.org/3n83p13laZZZZZZZZZ94m7b866cb5d9081738.jpg

Thank you guys all for good advice... The owner told me he can knock it down to $300.
As I said, I'm still new to the world of bicycles, but I wanna try to start with a vintage Italian bike w around $300 (i know it's hard...)
I like Nishiki or Miyata but since I'm from Japan, I don't really appreciate their real value... I mean I don't drive Japanese cars, either...
But I will keep looking, and if I can buy this Italvega for cheap, I might get it...

thanks again

I gave up buying a vintage Italian bike and got this Miyata Gran Touring instead...and I like it.

I share you lack of enthusiasm for the asian bikes....and cars....guess i'm an old-school europhile when it comes to mechanical things. That said, I own no Asian cars and several Asian (or Asian-built, US/Euro-badged) bikes. For me, flipping a bike is not worth the effort, but I do sometimes sell extra parts I won't ever need on the 'bay. But, for me beyond basic levels of performance & quality, the aesthetics (style, workmanship/craftsmanship, "feel") is very much part of what I enjoy, so i can empathize with wanting an old Italian bike. I'd say keep looking. I'd also recommend looking at Lawee's latter bike products, the Bertonis. In fact, there is one on Ebay right now:

http://i2.ebayimg.com/07/i/001/45/9f/d62e_2.JPG (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=270382036470)

I have the same model in a different color & slightly different spec.

http://www.fiataccompli.com/bike/assets_c/2008/12/NI_full_shot_perspective-thumb-140x95.jpg (http://www.fiataccompli.com/bike/photos/NI_full_shot_perspective.jpg)

I also have a higher end Bertoni with Columbus SLX tubing and newer Campy components.

http://www.fiataccompli.com/bike/assets_c/2008/12/professionale_87_half_light-2-thumb-325x216.jpg (http://www.fiataccompli.com/bike/photos/professionale_87_half_light-2.jpg)

Like the Sheldon Brown implies of the Italvegas, the Bertonis have some extremely high quality construction, but they do NOT suffer from the name recognition price inflation that nearly all of the other Italian bikes carry with them. So, I'd recommend checking out some Bertoni bikes before the rest of the world clues in and their prices go up. That is, if you're still cool with a late '80s "vintage" aesthetic & running gear vs early/mid '70s stuff.
Despite my favor of European stuff, my appreciation of the Bertonis led me to seek out a later Univega and recently I picked up this one:

http://www.fiataccompli.com/bike/assets_c/2009/04/gran_premio_as_bought-thumb-400x253.jpg (http://www.fiataccompli.com/bike/photos/gran_premio_as_bought.jpg)

for $100, in almost perfect running condtion (note, the flat tire...that was all that was wrong with it) and not even enough miles to wear the anodizing off the braking surfaces of the rims.

For even the collegiate/hipster areas of the southeast where I live, the Italvega is expensive...looks like it would be about half the asking price or so from a CL seller and about $20 at a thrift store (either way in likely about the same condition).

That said, the value of the bike for you to ride and enjoy is hard to measure so you've really gotta ask whether there's a big difference between $200 and $300 in the great scheme of things if this is going to get you around town, provide hours & hours of enjoyment & be good for your health. I'd recommend looking around a little more, not necessarily for price, but to weigh out your choices within your price bracket.