Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - Early 70's Legnano, Campy parts

I'm helping my neighbor sell his old Legnano that he bought in the early 70's. Its mostly stock still, but has had a few upgrades/tweaks. I'd really hate to part it out, so I'm mainly interested in how much the complete bike is worth.

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/8480/drivesidenofenders.jpg


I know its not their top of the line frame, but its in pretty good condition all around. The chrome is still shiny and the paint clean. I'm pretty sure it hasn't been ridden since long before I was born. The wheels are 27" Araya aluminum rims on high flange Record hubs, and they spin smooth and are true as can be. The seat is an Avocet Touring I in pretty good shape.

The drivetrain isn't anything special except for the triple TA crank, although I was surprised to see the Suntour bar end shifters. The front derailleur is Campy, I just don't know what kind. The rear is a Shimano Crane GS, which I know nothing about.

http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/6373/drivetrainnofenders.jpg

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/6673/headonnofenders.jpg


Its in a pretty popular size (about 57cm seat tube c-c), but is a little too small for me. I have the beat up white fenders and frame pump as well, I just didn't include them in the pictures. I apologize in advance for the awful pictures, I'm not very good with a camera. Anybody have a guess what this would be worth?

200 I suppose, more or less depending on whom it would appeal to. Legnano was one of the very first italian brands to have been "mass imported", akin to Frejus, same Co. owned them from the '50s.. Is it Chromor ? Probably is. Or what does it say ? The parts that were changed WERE changed because they worked better, the old European components weren't so hot. The crank looks OK. The paint doesn't look like an early '70s. My brother has a Legnano. Newer but looks older. Then again yours IS a 27" wheel bike, it's old. BUT the brakes may've been inst. for the repl. 27" Arayas. Are the calipers very scant looking Universals ? Don't part it out, it's wrong and the parts are worth nothing. A bike like that needs to be able to be ridden to be appreciated by the buyer. From any perspetive, bustin' it up is wrong. Nobody would want a bare frame like it.
Yours is NOT the less pricey Legnano. whatever you do, take pause, feel it out. If no other reason than satisfaction, don't give it up too cheap. Curious to know what else is on the bike, stickers, other hints.

The brakes are Universal Mod. 61's. They've given me a new appreciation of modern brakes, but once set up right they'll stop you on a dime. The owner said that he bought it new, and only changed a few things, which didn't include the brakes. I'm pretty sure that 27" wheels are original, even if it wasn't this pair. It had fenders on when I got it, and there was plenty of frame clearance even with them on. I think he was using it or planning on using it as a touring bike, which also leans towards 27" wheels being original.

Here's the seat tube and all its decals (thumbnailed so I could use the full size image):
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/438/img2578c.th.jpg (http://img267.imageshack.us/i/img2578c.jpg/)

They're aren't really any other decals other than what's on the seat tube, so I've had trouble identifying it completely. I'm no in a rush to sell, and I'm not even going to put it up until I have enough info about it.

I'm sure the Legnano experts will be along shortly...until then there're a few ways to possibly narrow downa date.

Hubs: Under the lock nuts you'll find date codes
Rear derailleur: Look for a 2 letter code stamped on the backside. The code can referenced on the vintage trek site: www.vintage-trek.com
Frame: The decal says '6 world championships' it was obviously made after #6. My Legnano weakness is showing....#6 could have been in 1950 for all I know!!!

Hello, nice looking bicycle. what did you do with the fenders?

I think it would be worth a lot more than $200 around here. Great looking vintage touring bike with some nice mismatched components. Crane is top end Shimano. I will let one of the Italian bike gurus weigh in. I would consider it a steal at $200.

+1 on $200 being a steal. I'd say at least $500 on the big auction site or in a right local market.

This bike seems to have been modified at least twice: Once in the late 70s early 80s with the Shimano Crane RD (top of the line Shimano; precursor to Dura Ace) and I suspect a chain and a frewheel and once in the late 80s (Suntour bar end shifters, Avocet saddle). The crank could not have been change to Japanese, because the BB is italian in this bike. Suntour friction shifting plays really well with mismatched components, thus is not problem.

Italian touring bikes of that era this side of the ocean are scarce. Add fenders and racks and new rubber and you could potentially get $1000 under the right circumstances.

Wow, you people are more helpful that I was expecting.

I've still got the fenders that were on it (see below) but they're pretty beat up and have a few notches cut out for a light generator. I took them off mainly for pictures.

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/6936/drivesidewithfenders.th.jpg (http://img16.imageshack.us/i/drivesidewithfenders.jpg/)


One issue that I forgot to mention (you can sort of see it in the picture above) is that the original rear fender braze-on's were somehow ripped off, and then a new pair brazed on. It was never repainted so some of the chrome around the dropouts is discolored.

There is only one set of braze-on's, so I'm no sure I could get a rack on there, or can you just use the same braze-on for both the fenders and a rack?

I'm in the Seattle area, so I can probably get a good price for it. I'd really hate to box it up and ship it though. I'm not very keen on shipping, although if I did put it up for sale online I'd include a professional boxing in the shipping price.

Difficult to estimate, but $200 would be a steal. To the right appreciating afficionado, perhaps $3 to $400.

Are those Bluemels fenders? I would leave them on, they can probably be made to look decent.

Difficult to estimate, but $200 would be a steal. To the right appreciating afficionado, perhaps $3 to $400.

OK, if you consider a one hundred dollar disparity a steal, I'll cocende that. More reasonable than a thousand as suggested. It won't get over five hundred either. Not pinnin' YOU out just thought I would take the op. to more or less agree. It would take an afficiando to appreciate the .................................

Fact that it's a city bike. Not a racer. We've established that. Call it a tourer if you will. Italians don't have the same touring ways that Anglos do. Not big on what we call touring. The foreign visitors yes, the folks there, no. Hence the "scarcity" of "touring bikes " I don't see braze-ons ... ? Look at those stays !

In the absence of gurus and experts I'll weigh-in again. JakcBenimble it IS A NICE BIKE. It could be in the '70s. That color is a Frejus Color. I wrote earlier of the connection between Frejus & Legnano. It's common knowledge and well documented that the Legnano Race Bikes were lime green. The Co. had a great deal of success earlier on, well before the '70s, not after as far as racing. From way earlier, the Legnanos were raced by Copi, Bartali and others. Frejus by Bartali in some years. No need for me to be accurate or overdo it. All simply to give you an idea. Race bikes, NOT tourers, NOT city bikes rouse interest. Not discourage you from getting more. Members here seem to think it's worth alot, why not !

Thomas Avenea was the first importer of Fregus, Legnano, Bottechia, Guerccotti in the the United States.
Just now, I saw a bit of weak imfo. on him. Having visited his stores in the '70s thru '90s 'till he died the blogs are of little of interest to me. He wasn't my bud or anything but I knew him, talked to him when I went to both of his stores; NYC then West Haverstraw. He DUG fixies and raced 'em against young dudes with gears. Competive in his fifties in Sommerville NJ races & others some 48 yrs. ago.
Cousins of mine bought Legnanos, 2.. my brother has one. Uncle got the Frejus then a Paramount (bro still has that too). Uncle, now gone, was involved in collegiate racing , late '50s, early 60s so his crew bought from Tommy... more to it but... Anyway, his shop was loaded with Legnanos in Harlem. They changed little from year to year; just call it a "seventies bike" and you'll be fine.
Not a Guru or an expert, witness or otherwise. Just an eye witness and an Italian

Theres a "6 VOLTE Campione Del Mondo " Legnano City Bike on bay for $125; it's way older and rougher.
Not as nice as the OP's if anyone's interested. Still waitin' on that Italian Guru.

The fenders are in fact Bluemels fenders (Club Special). I don't know anything about them, other than that they're very beat up. There are chunks cut out, pieces cut out and bent back, scrapes all over the place, and a couple of light creases. I'm planning on offering them with the bike, I just don't feel like working on them myself very much.

And yes, I realize it is a nice bike. I'm used to working on and riding 9/10s bikes with STI shifters and modern parts, but even I can appreciate this bike (although its too small to do any real riding). It appears to have been kept inside for most of it life, so its in amazing condition compared to what I'm used to seeing. I recently converted my dad's ancient 10 speed Torpado to 14 speed using mostly new parts (made a thread about awhile back), and it was a nightmare to work on compared to this.

Old and New: What do you mean you don't see braze-ons? What are the things that the fenders are attached to? Maybe my vocabulary is wrong, but I thought that's what those were.