Plissken

I have been looking for a bike to ride around the city in the summer. I have stumbled across two bikes which I like and which I could be interested in buying. However, I thought I should first enquire here to make sure I am not paying an overprice.

The first bike is a Bianchi Vento 609 from the 80's. Everything on the bike is original, even the tires, and it looks to be in mint condition. It's a 21 speed bike and comes with a Shimano RX100 groupset. It is identical to the one in this link: Bianchi vento 609 - Racer - Jeg købte denne cykel tilbage... which were some of the few pictures I could find online of a Bianchi Vento 609.

The other bike I have been looking at is a '88 Colnago SL Cromor Sprint. It is a 14 speed bike and comes with the Campagnolo Chorus group set. The bike is identical to the one in this link: '88 Colnago SL Cromor Sprint | Retrobike. The saddle etc. is the same and it looks to be in a very good condition as well.

My question is what the value of these bikes could be? The Bianchi Vento 609 is currently listed at $720 while the '88 Colnago SL Cromor Sprint is listed at $750. Are these fair prices?

PaintItCeleste

Depends on what you mean by "paying an overprice". Neither of these bikes would be considered practical given that they cost over $700 and you can definitely find excellent bikes for much much less. Many people might consider neither of these prices "fair" since the asking prices are more about name than the quality/capability of the bike.

In terms of actual value, while I'm not an expert on the matter, the Bianchi 609 sounds way overpriced to me. Shimano RX100 works, but is older stuff and hardly collectible. A friend of mine just bought a Novara touring bike with RX100 for about $100 if that tells you anything. I'm not sure what kind of steel the 609 was built with but I don't imagine that it's top of the line stuff. I would guess that the bike's value is nearer $300 if not merely because it's a celeste-colored Bianchi.

The Colnago on the other hand is possibly a fair market price for what it is (I don't know specifically about Colnago models). Campagnolo components always command a premium, as do Colnago frames. Someone else here can surely comment more accurately. Columbus Cromor was one of the lower tier steels so while it's quality, it's not upper-echelon stuff. Of the two bikes, the Colnago is a better buy (provided they both are in equally good condition) as Colnago and Campagnolo will always fetch higher prices (hold their value) better than most.