Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - lotus w/shimano 600

Craigslist has this up http://houston.craigslist.org/bik/1701309573.html

The only bike I know from Lotus w/600 is the Classique. Can anyone confirm if this is the same? Looks like it also has chromed stays and fork.

Looks nothing like my Classique. But if it is in ready to ride condition, it is worth the price. My Classique came with Suntour ARX by the way. I would check the frame material decal. My seat tube and fork both have Tange Champion 1 decals. My stays are chrome quite a bit further up the tubing, and my fork crown is chrome as well.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3131/3113301693_a19435b262_o.jpg

You're right, that's a lot of chrome on your stays. I'll ask for better pics, see if I can't ID it.

Legend perhaps?

the chrome and seat tube paint matches, that's true. probably. Thanks!

I would just get in the car and look at it in person. Price is pretty attractive, even if it is not a Classique. Just make sure it does not have major defects: dents in frame, significant rust, stuck seat post, stuck stem. Everything else (rusty cables, rotted tires, torn seat, etc) can be pretty easily addressed.

I would also look at the tubing decal. Tange 1 is the best, Tange 5 is the worst. Tange 1 or Tange 2 usually means pretty high end bike, well worth the price.

As far as additional pictures from the seller, I would not count on it. And I personally prefer the sellers that can't use a tape measure, can't take a decent picture, can't read the model names off components and the bike itself, can't figure out wheel or tire sizes, can't count the number of gears, etc. They treat all potential buyers the same way usually, which drives off the competition and makes a better deal for YOU. My best Craigs List buy ever was on an ad that was just one word: "BYCICLE". No picture, no brand, no size, no nothing. And yes, the seller even misspelled bicycle..... Ad sat on C/L for over a week, I finally made arrangements to go see the bike (it was an hour away). Turned out to be a nice Cannondale, with full Sante components, cheap.

That's a pretty sweet deal, wrk101. Takes some searching, I assume, but I bet that was worth it :).