Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - 1969 Raleigh Grand Prix?

I'm looking into buying this bike, but really know nothing about this era Raleighs.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bik/1160123636.html

Bike looks decent and he is asking $120, is that a fair price/what they are worth?

Any and all comments appreciated!

A few issues I noticed on the bike your looking at:
-The lugs look like someone may have painted them
-The rear derailleur looks like it was replaced at one point
-It's hard to tell from the fuzzy pictures but it may be missing some decals
-I don't think it's a 1969, it looks more like between a 70-75 to me.

The other problem you should consider with some older Raleighs is that they used a 26tpi proprietary thread. That means if something breaks you will need to find another old Raleigh part to replace it. Also the crank set has cotter pins which can be a hassle to some.

Some positives for the bike
-it still has the white carlton brake hoods
-The original leather saddle looks like it's in nice shape
-It looks reasonable clean and rust free
-old Raleighs are awesome

The grand prix was only one model up from the entry level drop bar line but I still think they are decent bikes. Seattle seems to be a pretty hot market and i'd say the price is probably fair given the leather saddle on the bike. Go see it in person, point out problems and try to haggle as low as you can.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww69/oneseekingstillness/raleigh1.jpg
Here is a page from the 1970 catalog:
http://sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/images/70-grand-prix.jpg

How tall are you? I think this is a better buy if it is your size:

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bik/1160116610.html

I'm around 6ft. I am currently riding a 74 Schwinn Le Tour which is 58/59cm and I like the fit. I am kind of just looking for something foreign with a little bit more individuality, that's a little nicer and lighter. I' m not really sure if the Raleigh is exactly what I'm looking for but I thought it was worth a look...

It's a shame that the Univega is too small, as that's a pretty good deal on a pretty good bike.

The Raleigh's pretty cool, and fairly priced, but it probably won't ride much better than your LeTour. The Univega would be a substantial improvement.

Best of luck!

It's a shame that the Univega is too small, as that's a pretty good deal on a pretty good bike.

The Raleigh's pretty cool, and fairly priced, but it probably won't ride much better than your LeTour. The Univega would be a substantial improvement.

Best of luck!
+1 I doubt that Univega will last long. But it would not fit you for sure.

I would pass on that Raleigh, it is nothing special. Fairly priced, but low end. I would wait for something better.

Bummer about the univega, that was a nice deal. If you do buy the Raleigh, just go in knowing that he is asking full market value. There are lots of them out there too, but I have had trouble finding good deals on even the low end Raleighs.