Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - Bianchi for 480?

Hey I just moved too a Vancouver Canada and I am trying to pick up a nice steel road bike to get around. I was looking on Craigslist and I found this beautiful Italian made 1987(The seller claims) Celeste Bianchi. He is asking 480 for it.

What do you all think? Is this worth getting?

http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/bik/1373025543.html

YES I would spend 480 for it. any better pics? the decals kinda make it look like a '89 but if it was bike built for Canada those are a bit different than ours.

naw i dont have any better pics but I do think it is in fact an 87 (or at least has decals like an 87) since there is a velospace page ( http://velospace.org/node/4782 ) of an 87 Bianchi and if you look closely at the, again, not so great pics you can kinda make out that it has Bianchi in blue with those red lines before the name as well, similar to the one on CL.

Never heard toe clips called shoe harnesses. Is that a Canadian thing, or just good descriptive writing?

Never heard toe clips called shoe harnesses. Is that a Canadian thing, or just good descriptive writing?

Haha, well I've only been in Canada for about a month but I am pretty sure they call em toe clips here too.

So is the general consensus that this is a good deal?

well it is a nice bike and I made a slight error. that style decal started in the states in '88 not '89. now since the products offered in canada are different than the ones offered here those decals must have come earlier there.

The Porche of bicycles!
LOL

I think the price on that is pretty high. I had one that looked exactly like that (black forks and stays) with fir rims, modolo brakes, bianchi branded ofmega cranks and hubs and suntour sprint 9000 indexed components.

I don't know about that bike. It could be different. However, it's probably made from lower end columbus tubing.

It was a decent ride, but you can do A LOT better for that price.

yeah, I'm thinkin' that Porsche drivers may possibly take offense at that comparison, although it is a good enough bike...maybe the Porsche 912 of bicycles!

yeah, I'm thinkin' that Porsche drivers may possibly take offense at that comparison, although it is a good enough bike...maybe the Porsche 912 of bicycles!

I always thought of Bianchi as the Alfa Romeo of bicycles.

+2 Price is high to me. At that kind of price, you can find a lot of nice bikes.

+3 There was a Girotto here on eBay, highest bid was $202, 3x9 Veloce, that simply dropped off. It would not have gone for $480. There's a Reparte Corso, much higher end, at $775 and not bringing a lot of action. I know so little about your market or Bianchi's, though, I can only give you NC pricing. I yield to BianchiGirl on the type of Bianchi, and as for Vancouver pricing, crazy.

+4, Whew! After reading the early posts I thought I was losing it when I saw that price! I like Bianchi and I like Celeste Bianchis even more. But for $480ca I'd have to pass. Unless you can come up with something that says that's a high end tubing frame and the components are high end Campy, I'd keep on looking.

+4, Whew! After reading the early posts I thought I was losing it when I saw that price! I like Bianchi and I like Celeste Bianchis even more. But for $480ca I'd have to pass. Unless you can come up with something that says that's a high end tubing frame and the components are high end Campy, I'd keep on looking.
You should check out that Reparte Corso frame in Garner. Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.