Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - What's my ole baby worth?

I was once a serious rider, when riding shorts were wool and cycling shoes were Italian leather with nail on metal cleats. I have a 1976 Raleigh Competition MK II 10 speed(purchased new from a shop in Valdosta,GA), believe it's a 22 or 23 1/2 inch Carlton frame, Reynolds 531 double butted tubes, forks and stays. Huret Jubilee Superlite deraillleurs, Zeus crankset 44x52 chainrings, 165mm cranks. Campy braze-on shifters mounted on the down tube(custom job at a Harley shop), Avocet sealed headset, Campy pedals don't remember which ones atm and it's in storage so I'd have to check those for the exact model. Had a crash drafting behind a bus when I hit that lil patch of gravel in the middle of the intersection and had to replace the wheels. Hand built at the BikeWarehouse, now BikeNashbar, Fiamme* rims with again some model Campy hubs with quick releases. The Brooks B-17 Narrow saddle is shot out and the frame is rusted. I thought someday I would restore it but ain't happenin', too old and broke down to ride seriously in my old age LOL. The handbars are Italian but again don't remember the brand or model but nice, same with the stem. As you can see I loved her and did my best to upgrade from the generic components she originally came equiped with. Once did 20 miles in 58 minutes on her before America even knew what the Tour was, but I ramble, what she's worth now?

PS Almost forgot, a Campy seatpost as well.
PPS Just in case, yes we are talking glue-on sewup tires

No clue but the cranks may be worth as much as the rest of it.

Values are tough without pics :)

You really don't want to see the condition she's in at the moment. Needs a paint job, complete overhaul down to the individual ball bearings I'm sure. With some work, new tires, seat and cables she'd ride as good as the day I bought her. This is what she looked like the day I bought her. Don't think I want to sell but I would like a good home where I'd know she got rode and enjoyed again. Original Wienmann centerpull brakes and skeltonized brake levers still on her, also aero spokes on the wheels.

You're not that old here. Plenty of us in the over 50 crowd.

You're not that old here. Plenty of us in the over 50 crowd.

Yeah, I just turned 27x2 last Friday. Try to ride 65 miles every week.

Cheers

Yes we do want to see pics regardless of what condition it is in. Sounds like it is in "been rode" condition, nothing wrong with a bike showing some miles put on it.

I'll be 53 in Sep, but I ruptured 2 discs in my lower back in a military parachuting accident. Lived with the pain for 30 years but in the last few got a limp I couldn't shake. I finally let the VA cut on me about 2 yrs ago. Got rid of the limp in exchange for more pain. Now, I ride a Raleigh M50 mountain bike when my back allows but can't do anything even close to long. Use to catch cars in the traffic circles on post to draft but those days are long gone. Finding this board has me considering restoring the ole lady and giving her a nice spot in the corner to be admired. Probably have trouble finding certain tools since mine were taken in a burglary 10 or so years ago but ain't found a maze this rat can't negotiate yet.

PS I'll see if I can drag her out and cobble her together and get some before pics for ya'll, I kinda used some of her on the M50, replacing the decals will be tough but the rest I think I can fix/restore. When I put her away she was in riding condition.

Now ya got my cyclin' blood to flowing again, I dug around in some boxes in a closet and found the seatpost. I'll have to go to the storage unit soon and grab the bike in the next couple days. As you can see not a bit of shine left on the seatpost.

53!"Your still wet behind the ears" as they used to say.lol.I wish I could remember 53.There are alot of good people here,young and old.There is also the 50 and over forum here that is good.Hope you get back to restoring the old bike the best you can and take it for a few miles.I still have my first "road bike".A 1969 schwinn Varsity.I have many bikes,too many to count but when I ride the old Varsity it brings me back to my young days and a lot of memories when my wife and i would ride together.Try it ,you'll know what I'm talkin about.

Does it have the Jubilee rear derailleur still? That alone would probably fetch a good price.

Be careful before painting a bike. You are likely to decrease its value, while you spend money doing it. Old paint can be polished up quite a bit, then it is part of the bike's patina!

Finding this board has me considering restoring the ole lady and giving her a nice spot in the corner to be admired.

+1

You could probably make a couple bucks parting her out, but what's the satisfaction in that? It would be more fun fixing her up, taking pics and posting them to the forum for others to admire, and maybe taking her for a short spin around the neighborhood - then leaving her on display. I say go for it!

You guys are really killing my chances at stealing this bike away and turning it into a glorious reproduction!

However, I agree totally with you all. At your young age, you have time to take one component at a time, get it right, put it aside, and then, when done, put it all together and live again.

I'd leave the frame for last. Changes in the paint, powder-coat, and decal industry are happening rapidly, so it may just be a matter of time before you can make it like new for a reasonable amount.

Most everything else is elbow grease.

10 jumps. 5 for the Benning and 5 to get wings from the Dept of Navy bureaucracy in charge of my health and transportation. Last one was straight down from a helo, 3000'. It occurred to me then how a turd actually feels.

Well you asked for them so here they are, pics. The paint was redone after I had the braze-on Campy shifters put on, so no patina. Need a better pic of the crankset the Zeus logo isn't visible in this shot. Covered in cobwebs and rust but she's still a beauty to me. A new Brooks saddle and new tires and she would ride now even though she looks like hell.

$25 as-is, minus the Jubilee and Nuovo front hub. For that matter, I doubt if you could sell it for more then $40 with those two parts - most folks would overlook them when they look at the condition of everything else (which will be the first and last thing they'll see - and remember).

On one other note - quite a few folks seem to be looking for the vertically-drilled Weinmann brake levers. Might be another bit worth it to strip and sell.

On the other hand: If you have the tools, and have access to an inexpensive bead-blast and re-spray: Go for it. I don't normally say this (for I'm a refurbish man myself, not resto), but it'll be 100 times better with a decent paint job, and perhaps worth a bit more to boot, if the paint is done right.

-Kurt

Sounds like you and that bike have been through a lot together. Treat her right.
do a full overhaul (or pay a bike shop ~$150 to do it for you), clean up the paint, and keep on riding like you never stopped. If after your first ten miles, you still want to sell that bike, go for it.

I'd put down good money that you'd fall in love all over again and keep her till the day you die.

I'd say every component is salvageable, and a challenge. That's the kind of bike that tends to be done in phases, on and off. 1 in 10 get finished, but it's always a beauty.

LOL, you so funny. I considered a Paramount before I decided the Competition was just as good and less than half the price of a Paramount. Are Paramount's still overpriced? Don't have info on the rare Zeus crankset but I've seen the rear Huret Jubilee Superlight derailleur offered alone for 180.00 but since you ride Schwinn's I'll consider the source. A little elbow grease, a new saddle and 2 new tires and she'd look and ride just as good as the day I rolled her outta the shop new in 1976. Aluminum is aluminum whether stamped with a Normandy or a Campy logo.

Found a pic of her back in the day. This shot was taken in Point Defiance Park a bit south of Seattle in 78-79. Would have been a 40-50 mile ride total from Ft. Lewis where I was stationed at the time. Actually had a flat once and didn't have a spare or patch kit with me and had to walk the 20 miles back to the post in cleats.

Since you were military, I'll not crack on "Oh, Seattle, that explains it." Ooops.