Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - If i were to put my Gitane TdF up for sale?

What would be a good price to sell it for?
Heres some pictures of it, not: the stem in the picture is broken, but i have an exact replacement coming in the mail.


http://s453.photobucket.com/albums/qq254/The_Emo_Gearhead/1975%20mystery%20road%20bike/


It does need some work, like the brakes barely work(but im used to the brakes on my bmx bike where i can lock up the back tire) Once i install the stem i do need ot rerap the handle bars. It has no front brakes on it(when i got it someone had tried to take the front brake lever off with a hammer), but i do have all the parts for them. It has brand new tires and tubes with around thirty miles on them, all of them soft miles. It does need a new seat. Its thirty five years old. I havent seen another Gicante anything around here ever. Its really tall, im 6' 5" and i have to lean over a bit to touch the ground.


What would ya'll try to buy it for? would it be smarter to throw a little more money into it and fix the brakes/seat then sell it for more?

I have around $70 in this bike with the purchase price included.


Thank you,Jeff.

Given the rust, repairs and clean up needed, I would give you quite a bit less than you have into it. With proper and thorough cleanup, you will do much better. But you have a lot of clean up to do on it to get max value. That rust will scare away buyers big time!! Is the frame paint a rattlecan job? It does not look original. I think I can see orange peel on it.

Projects sell cheap, real cheap. Buyers want bikes ready to ride. People buying projects want super cheap deals. I rarely pay close to $70 for a project bike. Is stem or seat post stuck?

There are some nice components on your bike, and then there is a mix of odd components. The FD is way out of place on this bike. That hurts value when the bike is finished.

I don't get what you are saying about the size of this bike. It does not look big to me. Am I missing something??? You are not supposed to be able to touch the ground when you are on the seat. The position of the seat is based on the distance between the seat and the pedals, not the ground. If anything, this bike is small for someone 6-5.


You sure it is not a Gitane?

To maximize value, you would be better off just parting it out. Stronglight crankset and bb will bring good value, as will Crane RD.

FWIW: I paid $14 for a very similar bike, in very similar condition. It was a Peugeot, with a similar Stronglight crankset and bb. I parted it out. But that was a deal (below market). Your bike is worth more than that for sure.

it is a Gitane Tour de France, and I think earlier than '75 since it has those stamped Simplex rear dropouts...but with Gitane you never know! Obviously it needs some work. some rust removal and a few parts replaced. If you soak everything in oxalic acid you might get it looking much better without a ton of effort, but it's still going to take effort to strip it all and reassemble. I like projects, and I like Gitane TdFs, but I wouldn't pay more than $100 in present condition, and I'm in one of the highest price markets. I'd rather pay less and do all the work myself.

I'd part the sucker. First gen Dura Ace RD (badged crane), 531 frame, Stronglight cranks, worth more in parts. Most of it isn't original to the bike. You'll get more than the 75-100 mentioned in the other posts, and you're not tearing up an original equipment bike...

Most times I don't like parting out old bikes, but since nothing appears original except the crankset I'd part this one out in a heartbeat. Clean up the parts for max return.

So how much do ya'll think i could make off of it if i parted it all out? I do have a never used vintage sr stem to replace the broken one, its still in the original box from the company.

So how much do ya'll think i could make off of it if i parted it all out? I do have a never used vintage sr stem to replace the broken one, its still in the original box from the company.
Depends how good a job you do marketing them. Marketing includes cleaning them up so they sparkle, writing great ads, and having super pictures. There is so much variation between lousy marketing, average marketing and awesome marketing. The value is up to you and your skills in this area.

A new stem does little for the value of the complete bike. This bike is a project, with a questionable repaint, rust, and no decals. There is a good chance if someone did buy it complete, they would part it out.

i just paid $100 for a very nice 1972 TDF, good tires, mostly original parts, and previously owned by:) a bike mechanic who went through it thoroughly before sending it my way.