Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - 1985 Schwinn Madison Track Bike NOS Never Ridden

What is this bike worth. It belonged to my Local Dealer , Hung above his desk for many years. It is a 23 inch frame. All original , look close and you can still see the nubs on the tires. Columbus Tubing , Sugino 165 Track Cranks , MKS Track Pedals Suntour Sprint Flip Flop Hub . It would be impossible to find a nicer 1985 Schwinn Madison . He passed away a couple of years ago and now I own it. So what is it worth???? I wish it was my size . Too tall for me.
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc185/jmagruder10/mad1.jpg
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc185/jmagruder10/mad2.jpg
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc185/jmagruder10/mad3.jpg
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc185/jmagruder10/mad4.jpg

I don't know the answer but it's my size and I WANT IT.:love:I almost bought one locally a year ago but it just didn't work out.
Very cool bike IMO.

$300-$400 because of the condition. Those were very good track frames, but the set up as you see, is not a track set up (has brakes and is drilled to accept for brakes from the factory on the fork and on the seat stay bridge). So not a real track bike, maybe a fixie before fixies were popular (who said that Schwinn was not ahead of its time and visionary in the 80s? :) ). And that is the crowd that this bike might appeal to, along with some Schwinn collectors.

I might of over paid a little then. I figured a 2010 Schwinn Madison made in china from gas pipe tubing and no name parts are selling for $600 That a columbus tubing USA made 25 year old schwinn never ridden would be worth a little more. I always though of them as real track bikes , I remember seeing them in most of the velodromes as rental bikes in the late 80`s , they just had the brakes removed.

I always though of them as real track bikes , I remember seeing them in most of the velodromes as rental bikes in the late 80`s , they just had the brakes removed.

Rental is the operating word here. I cannot think of anyone who raced with a Madison.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to find old bikes that were never ridden or rarely ridden. Its like a lot of exercise equipment in that regard. I just picked up a 1986 bike, that had been ridden less than 5 miles total in its life. NOS to most people means still in the original shipping box, and sealed. Once it comes out of the box, it is no longer NOS. KInd of like a new car is only new while it is in the dealers lot. Take it home (even on a ramp truck) and it is still considered used.

Obviously in fantastic condition for sure.

The $600 mark for 1980s vintage bikes is really limited to just a few really high end bikes with high end frames. As I recall, the Madison had Tenax main tubes, and the stays and fork were generic cromoly. But as an end user, when you can get a classic for the price of an average new bike from China, you made the right decision for sure.

Thanks all for your help.

What is the bike you have hidden under the sheet?

http://go.bikeforums.net/?id=42X129555&url=http%3A%2F%2Fi217.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fcc185%2Fjmagruder10%2Fmad1.jpg

I bet you could clear 500 if you wait a bit or in a good area. Ebay would be a good start.

What is the bike you have hidden under the sheet?

http://go.bikeforums.net/?id=42X129555&url=http%3A%2F%2Fi217.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fcc185%2Fjmagruder10%2Fmad1.jpg

I was thinking the same thing. it might be the Atala.

I would pay 300 or so for this but your are bassically getting the hubs and frame. the brake esp the levers are nothing great. is the crank a Pista or just a corsa with one ring?

I was thinking the same thing. it might be the Atala.

I would pay 300 or so for this but your are bassically getting the hubs and frame. the brake esp the levers are nothing great. is the crank a Pista or just a corsa with one ring?

Yes it is the Atala under the sheet. Also the cranks are Sugino Track 165 mm cranks , not road cranks. You are right the brakes are not worth anything, but this is the only Madison I have ever seen with t he original brake mounted. They came with the bikes when new , but most dealers opted to not put them on , unless the custmers asked for them. A little more info about the bike. When the Schwinn dealer received the bike from the factory , the rear rim got slighty bent in shipping. They stashed the whole bike still in the box in a storage building behind the building along with a hundred or so other bikes in the building and it sat there for a few years. In the early 90`s they were cleaning out the storage and brought the bike back into the shop relaced a new rear rim on the hub and hung in on the wall along with a 50th anniversary Paramount with a gold plated fork above the owners desk in his office. Last Tuesday was the first day it has ever been outside of the bike shop in 25 years. I remember seeing it hanging there for along time.
I took the brakes off I think it looks alot better .

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc185/jmagruder10/madi2.jpg

Cool! I have the 1986 version and its a classic FG bike. The mild steel is nothing like the top of the line steel Schwinn uses on its Sprint today but it will more than hold its own. Its the first bike meant for FG riding on the road and so its not a true track bike.

I have the "new" version, with almost the same decals as that model. I'd say you could get a cool $600 for it. I'd shell out $400-450 without battign an eye if it was near me, but that's because im a schwinn fanatic... i'd definately hold out for a better asking price froma collector. otherwise its going to get uglified really quick by someone with white rims, etc.

You could easily clear 600 in a good market. One tip: post it on the Madison WI craigslist with a shipping quote. I live there and quite apart from Madison being a crazy market (I've seen several people sell the new Schwinn Madisons for MORE THAN MSRP!!!), the coincidence of the name will add $100 easy. Oh, and you might want to invest in some new 'track' bars.