Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - Bad deals or not, Lemond bike, and wheelset

Last week I made new acquisitions. I picked up a used wheelset off of CL, and at a yard/ apt-moving sale, I picked up a bike.

They had a couple bikes at the yard/moving sale, this Greg Lemond bike caught my eye. I asked how much, they said $250, I said it was dirty, and looked like it hasn't been cared for. They explained it belong to her mate, who has been long gone for over a year, and they were moving. I said, $175. I ended up with the bike.

On the wheelset, my acquisition of last month, a Raleigh Competition has a bad rear wheel. On CL, I see a 700cc wheelset going for $200. All, I know is my rear wheel is a 700cc, so I contacted the seller and asked are they willing to negotiate. They said yes, and I ended up paying $130 for the wheelset. Now, will the wheelset fit my Raleigh?? So, did I make two bad deals? Was $175 too much for this bike, and $130 too much for this wheelset? This chit is getting addicting..

Here are the new acquisitions.

http://www.cehoward.net/lawheel29.jpg

http://www.cehoward.net/lawheel30.jpg

http://www.cehoward.net/lawheel31.jpg


http://www.cehoward.net/lawheel33.jpg

http://www.cehoward.net/lawheel35.jpg

http://www.cehoward.net/lemond75.jpg

http://www.cehoward.net/lemond80.jpg

http://www.cehoward.net/lemond81.jpg

Good buy on the bike. Can't comment on the wheelset.

I cannot comment on the wheelset (It's way too modern for what I am used to) , but I can comment on the bike (which is pretty modern for most C&V peoples' standards) :

your bike is a 1999 LeMonde Tourmalet with an 8sp RSX group and a TIG-welded Reynolds 525 (their replacement for 531) frame. And a smallish size... 52ish. I have been scoping lower lever LeMondes of that era for a while to use as parts bikes (because the 7 and 8 sp RSX STI brifters they are on them are perfect for upgrading older bikes to brifters). Those brifters alone on ebay are 3 figures (if you can find them; and, yes folks, 8sp RSX and Sora - don't know about the higher groups, will index fine with a 7sp set up, but you got to set the limits tight). I did not ride a TIG-welded 525 LeMonde yet (the donor bike I got was a 58 - too big to ride), but the frame is very light, pretty close to my smaller 531 and Columbus SL bikes, and the geometry looked like that would be a responsive bike. That's $175 well spent (and you could triple it, if you part it out and ebay it, but if it fits, ride it)

The lowest price bladed, aero wheelsets re-sell for around $100. I can't tell the brand or model from the pics so it's a little hard to be sure but let's put it this way. You either paid what they're worth or you did good, but not screamin' good.
On the bike, geez I'd say you stole it. That's a beauty for that price. Get it tuned and ride it. I have a CF Lemond, very very nice bike. I'd pick up one of his steel bikes for $175 in a heartbeat. Actually when I first saw the pics, I didn't realize it was a brifter bike, and I still thought that was a really good price. When I saw the RSX brifters, well, let's just say $300 would have been a really good price for that bike in ready to ride condition.

Wheels are entry level Shimano. You did good on the bike. Wheels will depend on the model.

Super nice bike. Congrats!