tonkaboys

Hi,
Back in 92 or so I purchased a 23" Miele gara 88 in nice shape for it's components to build up a Schwinn Prologue frame I had just acquired. The Miele is far to large for me.

This frame has been hanging in my basement ever since.

It sure would be nice to get it into the hands of someone who would want one of these frames but I have no idea what a fair asking price would be.

It is pearl white with a few scratches, (I think it was owned by a teenager).
It still has the Shimano 600 botom bracket and front deraileur as they did not work for my project bike.

Any ideas what this frame would be worth?

thanks
Matt

sauze

Pictures would really help determine value. Not a ton of people seem to know Miele but I THINK Gara was on the higher end of their production line.

tonkaboys

I'll try to get some pics posted.........I'm a computer idiot.
When I try to post pics my files are too large. I need to get some help resizing.
Yeah, yeah I know what year it is....I'm just technologically impared.

sauze

try hosting the photos on a site like https://https://photobucket.com/ and then posting the link here.

tonkaboys

thanks sauze.

sauze

Where in Canada you located tonkaboys? (An assumption, one generally see's more Miele's up here)

Sorry I can't add much in the way of value, I'd imagine around 50 dollars though probably not a ton more (could easily be wrong here) I know if it was for sale in my area I'd be tempted. Would fit me just right.

tonkaboys

Sauze,
I'm actually in Minnetonka Minnesota.
Minnetonka is just west of Minneapolis.

Thanks for the reply
Matt

tonkaboys

Anybody else have any knowledge of this brand?

T-Mar

I imagine the Minnesota bicycle market is pretty repressed right now. Given that you've been living with a too large frameset for almost a decade, I'd be holding out for another 2-3 months, until the market warms up.

Personally, I think this frame, with bottom bracket, front derailleur and incomplete, non-OEM headset, would go for $100-$125. The Gara 88 was Miele's entry level, racing model, 7th in the line. The frame is not full Cromor. The stays are an unspecified lesser grade, probably Aelle. Cromor is good tubing. Basically, in terms of gauge and weight, it would sit between SL and SP, though it is made from a more economical, seamed tubing. Miele are typically well designed and constructed frames, with Italian design and styling. Consider it a economical, Canadian manufactured alternative to the high end Italian brands.

I'd appreciate the serial number for my database. TIA.

tonkaboys

T-Mar
Thanks for the info.
Believe it or not, I can't seem to locate the serial # on this frame.....any idea where it would be?

thanks again
Matt

ScottRyder 

I've never been able to find any serial numbers on mine either. I've owned three, two Gara's and a Lupa. I sold one Gara (frame only) about a year and a half ago for $200. However, my market is pretty strong and the key is to find someone who knows the brand and ridden them. My other Gara frame will go on the market in the spring.

Scott

tonkaboys

Thanks for the reply Scott.
I was almost afraid to admit that I couldn't find a s/n, now I don't feel so stupid.
You say your market is strong for the brand....where would that be?

Matt

ScottRyder 

Matt,

I'm in the Boston area, it seems like bikes sell for a little bit more here than other smaller locales ... It's not strong for the Miele brand, you rarely see them here. I was surprised, I was using the $200 as a starting point thinking I'd get worked down. However, I got more calls then I expected and it ended up going to a gentleman from Toronto who had been looking for one. Nice bikes, I like them a lot.

Scott

tonkaboys

Scott,
Did you have it listed on ebay.....the classifieds here or......?


Matt

T-Mar

Check the lower end of the seat tube for the serial number.

tonkaboys

Nope, not there.
It's weird to think that a builder would produce bikes without serial numbers.

ScottRyder 

No serial number on mine either .. Matt, I sold it on Craigslist.

Scott

motrheadsroadie

i dont know the year of my gara. i cant find any info on the model at all. mines a "gara road issue" and not a "gara 88" but heres a picture of it anyway. mine came complete with full shimano 600 sis. ive since upgraded.

motrheadsroadie

oh, and my serial number is 90440030

T-Mar

I'm pretty sure that's a 1990, the last year for the Gara, before it got replaced by the Invictus. Unlike the earlier Gara 88, the 1990 version used a full Cromor tubeset.

motrheadsroadie

full cromor makes more sense for a frame as big as mine. the fork has a cromor decal but theres no tubeset decal on the frame.
since youre the miele-info-god, can you tell me what the serial number breakdown is? 90 would be for the year it was made, but what about the other numbers that follow?

tonkaboys

Wow,look at all those record albums in the background, I'm definitely talking to the right people with vintage questions.

T-Mar

Unfortunately, very few members have submitted Miele serial number data. Consequently, there is virtually no base for decrypting their serial numbers. The fact that the first two characters correspond to the model year may be coincidence. It could be that the only the first character corresponds to the year and that it is a 1990 model manufactured in later 1989. It's not like Bianchi, CCM, Centurion, Fuji, Miyata or Nishiki, where I've been able to collect hundreds of samples on each marque and have a very high degree of confidence in the serial number formats.