Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - 1983 Bianchi, celeste color, Columbus matrix tubing, best offer?

I know I've been posting a lot, but that's because I know almost nothing, the sellers often give me little information, and I cannot find information online. So here goes another bike. Seller thinks it is circa 1983 and wants a best offer. Also measured frame to be 21.5", if that helps.

your pics are not showing up. is this bike in the US? matrix on a Bianchi does not ring a bell

That's strange. Pics are showing up on my computer. I don't know about where it was made. let me try the pics again:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5295/5495715621_f38b209867_b.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5218/5496306162_b0ba23f1ec_b.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5293/5495715153_9899603ed9_b.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5093/5495715007_6b4342944b_b.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5020/5495714799_7f1892b82a_b.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5177/5495714639_69ddabe472_b.jpg

Can anyone see the pics?

Things that need repair: tires, tape, chain, brake levers and possibly brake pads and derailleurs. I offered $50 since the repairs would probably add up to at least that much. What do you all think?

Here is a better picture that IDs the tubing:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5175/5497104326_ed649b3226_b.jpg

I think it may be closer to an '85ish, maybe like a Vittoria or a Nuovo or something. are the hubs Miche or Ofmega? it might be worth a bit more than $50 but I certainly would not spend much over two. are the components are fairly nice but just middle of the road stuff.

where is this bike? US? Canada? Europe? (I do not wish to buy it. bikes in different areas have different frame materials, and as I said I do not recall seeing a Bianchi with Matrix)

BTW that is not Celeste, it is Turquoise. I would love to have Bianchi that color especially a '87 Volpe

BTW that is not Celeste, it is Turquoise. I would love to have Bianchi that color especially a '87 Volpe

I LOVE this colour , neat bike.

I think it may be closer to an '85ish, maybe like a Vittoria or a Nuovo or something. are the hubs Miche or Ofmega? it might be worth a bit more than $50 but I certainly would not spend much over two. are the components are fairly nice but just middle of the road stuff.

where is this bike? US? Canada? Europe? (I do not wish to buy it. bikes in different areas have different frame materials, and as I said I do not recall seeing a Bianchi with Matrix)

BTW that is not Celeste, it is Turquoise. I would love to have Bianchi that color especially a '87 Volpe

This makes sense that it is likely mid-late 80's... My 87' Bertoni (likely made by Bianchi) has Columbus "Matrix" tubing. Shortly thereafter, Trek asserted their right to the name "Matrix" and the Columbus tubing became "CROMOR". I is my understanding that Columbus did not carry the "Matrix" name very long, but I've not been able to find documentation to confirm exactly how long.

This bike is in Virginia. Here is some more information to the best of my knowledge.

-the wheels say "elite" on them
-crankset says "GIPEMME" (edit: so are the quick release skewers/axles/whatever they're called)
-front brake reads MODOLO
-I can't read the lettering on the rear derailleur, but the "bumps" on them make me want/wish to say Campy Nuovo Record?
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5014/5497565412_35189cb55d_b.jpg

might be worth a bit more than $50 but I certainly would not spend much over two

Two hundred? I made the $50 offer and the seller might be entertaining more offers, but I told him that I'd meet to check it out. Am I lowballing him? It seems like there is A LOT to fix and that might run me close to $100.

BTW, has anyone seen a bike with that dark spot near the drive chain? It looks like an incomplete paint job, but I can't tell if that's intentional.

Thanks as always.

Anyone selling a quality bike in such terrible disrepair can't expect very much for it --and also should go to jail!
So I would low ball that one, and I wouldn't feel the least bit slighted if I was outbid.


PS - The "dark spot" near the drive chain is the remnants of a mylar guard that was adhesively applied to the right chain-stay. The paint under it is probably intact - you can just apply a new one. Actually the paint on this bike is not all that bad, and it would probably clean up well.

Price you are willing to pay depends if you will be the end user. Are you near a big city in VA? If not it may last a while at the low price.
It needs a lot of TLC but where I live it would last a nano second at $100 and about an hour at $150. IMHO. All cleaned up with fresh consumables and I would say $350+ here in SoCal. I have sold several mid 80's Celeste Bianchi's and they are easy to sell. This color seems unique and most likely just as desirable.

well if I thought someone would take $50 for I would certainly do my best to get it at that price.

are you talking about this darkspot? that is a chainstay protector, a sticker put on the frame to protect it from 'chainslap'

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5295/5495715621_f38b209867_b.jpg

BTW, has anyone seen a bike with that dark spot near the drive chain? It looks like an incomplete paint job, but I can't tell if that's intentional.

It's a sticker applied to the chain stay to protect the paint when the chain bounces off the frame. They are very common and easy to replace although it looks like there is some paint damage underneath where this one wore through (also very common and not a big deal).

^what she said!

Anyone selling a quality bike in such terrible disrepair can't expect very much for it --and also should go to jail!
So I would low ball that one, and I wouldn't feel the least bit slighted if I was outbid.


PS - The "dark spot" near the drive chain is the remnants of a mylar guard that was adhesively applied to the right chain-stay. The paint under it is probably intact - you can just apply a new one. Actually the paint on this bike is not all that bad, and it would probably clean up well.

I was thinking along these lines. I'd like this bike, but the condition in person probably wouldn't warrant $100 or more.


Price you are willing to pay depends if you will be the end user. Are you near a big city in VA? If not it may last a while at the low price.
It needs a lot of TLC but where I live it would last a nano second at $100 and about an hour at $150. IMHO. All cleaned up with fresh consumables and I would say $350+ here in SoCal. I have sold several mid 80's Celeste Bianchi's and they are easy to sell. This color seems unique and most likely just as desirable.

I live in Northern VA near Washington DC, but this was listed about 40 miles from there in a different craigslist. There were no pictures, the ad was VERY vague, so I don't think many are interested.

Thanks to everyone for the information on the chainstay protector. Also, was I correct in identifying the rear derailleur as a Nuovo Record?

Also, was I correct in identifying the rear derailleur as a Nuovo Record?

yes

Two hundred? I made the $50 offer and the seller might be entertaining more offers, but I told him that I'd meet to check it out. Am I lowballing him? It seems like there is A LOT to fix and that might run me close to $100.

BTW, has anyone seen a bike with that dark spot near the drive chain? It looks like an incomplete paint job, but I can't tell if that's intentional.

Thanks as always.

Even though bike is in relatively poor condition, yes, you are low balling him. The person buying this bike would be best suited to be someone willing/able/ready to do the rehab work themselves. Bike could be rehabbed in that matter for less than $50. Pay a LBS, and you are looking at something over $200.

In a market like DC, fully rehabbed, bike would probably bring over $300.

are you buying this to ride or are you scooping it up to flip? I am not big on aiding flippers.

I believe what you have here is a '86 Nuovo Alloro, it is the first bike I see with that great Turquoise paint and the 'kit' seems to match.

perhaps this was an early production bike as the catalog calls for Bianchi SSpecial Formula Two by columbus.

maybe we just learned something about Formula 2 tube sets. perhaps the bikes were to be Matrix of some sort and as Ecovelo says shrek whined and they changed the name.

I'm buying to ride, but someone is looking at it now. Maybe it'll be classic craigslist and they'll flake.

Bike sold (not to me). Oh well, it was about 1 hr. from me and looked like it needed a lot of repair. I won't lose sleep over this. Thanks for the info everyone.

Edit: sold for $100. Yeah, I definitely wouldn't have done that...

[quote=bianchigirll;12314598]

maybe we just learned something about formula 2 tube sets. Perhaps the bikes were to be matrix of some sort and as ecovelo says shrek whined and they changed the name.


"shrek whined....." :roflmao2:

I learned a great deal from this site:

http://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.com/2007/11/columbus-steel-tubing-for-frame.html.

I have random pages of this in my "bike binder" - and unfortunately can not credit the author. :o

Here it is on ebay. Wonder if it'll get over $300. If that's all that was done to the bike, the pictures and description are very deceiving. The pictures I got show the gears in pretty bad condition, but the seller doesn't mention that. Maybe it's still fully functional, but I don't know. http://cgi.ebay.com/vintage-55cm-BIANCHI-Nuova-Alloro-road-bike-turquoise-/110663935938?pt=Road_Bikes&hash=item19c415a7c2#ht_794wt_1139

Here it is on ebay. Wonder if it'll get over $300. If that's all that was done to the bike, the pictures and description are very deceiving. The pictures I got show the gears in pretty bad condition, but the seller doesn't mention that. Maybe it's still fully functional, but I don't know. http://cgi.ebay.com/vintage-55cm-BIANCHI-Nuova-Alloro-road-bike-turquoise-/110663935938?pt=Road_Bikes&hash=item19c415a7c2#ht_794wt_1139

I'd re-read the ebay description. Sounds to me like the buyer/seller put in a fair amount of work.

I think the bike looks good at this point.

Should do just fine on ebay.

I'd re-read the ebay description. Sounds to me like the buyer/seller put in a fair amount of work.

I think the bike looks good at this point.

Should do just fine on ebay.

I don't know...he pretty much just changed the tires, tape, chain and seat. What's most questionable are his pictures. He made it a point not to show the rust spots on the RD and FD. If it was able to get cleaned, I'm sure he would have done that and cleaned them and then taken pictures of them. Again, I haven't seen the bike in person, but that ebay listing is very ethically questionable to me. Oh well, that's ebay. I just hope that some poor sucker doesn't pay like $400 for it only to realize that some parts can't be salvaged.

That was the EXACT same color Bianchi I bought when I had mine, thats so cool. I was lucky, I sold mine, for almost as much as I bought it for, and to an avid cyclist too. Cool bike. Mine had Campy parts/wheels on it throughout, I practically slept w/that thing, i was so paranoid it was going to get stolen, I wouldnt ride it anywhere I'd have to lock it up. I had a backup bike(a Maruishi) that I rode everywhere else. That got stolen like 6 months later, I bought a Specialized Allez(from seeing it in the movie "American Flyers")then, and had both, till I eventually outgrew them/lost interest.

It's worth $444.95 shipped

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&rt=nc&nma=true&item=110663935938&si=hfL3p6mJgY%252BjJKdXf9UcG0pkRtU%253D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT

It's worth $444.95 shipped

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&rt=nc&nma=true&item=110663935938&si=hfL3p6mJgY%252BjJKdXf9UcG0pkRtU%253D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT

Yeah, he made out pretty well. $100 bike + $50-75 repairs + $50-60 shipping = $200-235 spent. $200 profit seems like it's about right for the amount of work he put in.