PedalTraveler

An excuse during a long winter to see some bikes and hear some stories, what's the best deal you've found?

otg 

I got a Schwinn Prelude in working order for 20 bucks at a yard sale last year, built it up and gave it to my son. He has put a lot of miles on it so far, xome of them in the Rockies last year.

Shp4man

I got this pristine Centurion for $20, no kidding. Those are the original tires! Too small for me...damn it.

Michael Angelo 

I got this for $50.00

cb400bill

$45 - 1972 Raleigh Super Course

elboGreaze

Back in '09 , I put an ad in the local paper that I was looking for old Schwinn road bikes . Guy called and said he had two bikes , just come get them . Ended up with a 1983 Schwinn Varsity , Ladies bike , pretty decent shape. The other was a Sports Tourer , sporting a nice Brooks , and 1st Gen DA hubs , good overall shape . Had to talk the guy into accepting $20 . Not a bad day . Still have the Tourer .

RobbieTunes

I sold one of those for about the same price; it was a 60cm and I was younger and dumber, if that's possible.

3alarmer 

.
....has to be my second ex-wife.

RobbieTunes

1989 Pinarello Montello, full Chorus Syncro that worked very well (8sp), Campy Ypsilon wheelset, white Flite, Cinelli steering, aero Campy post. Seller also had a new set of Shimano factory wheels (HB2200 hubs, red CXP30 rims) 2 Elite cages new in box, 2 new water bottles, and a matching Bell helmet. It was in a classified ad in a local sale flyer. $1200 OBO. It had never been out of the house. 70-year old owner, said he was a Big Mig fan, so he had a bike shop build the bike, then realized it was too small. We got talking and his best friend from high school, the USAF in 'nam, and riding buddy in the 60's to the 80's was in my wedding. I told him he could get $1600 easy, maybe clear $2K with the extras. He said "yeah, probably." I told him I'd never paid more than $356 for a bike, but I had an $800 budget (actually, about a $600 budget). I knew a $1000 check would bounce,so I offered him $800. He said he told his wife he'd get more than $800, and said "$801 and it's a deal." I got the whole kaboodle. He refused to let me put it on a bike rack, so we had to move the child seat from the back and put it in the back seat.

I researched the bike and the fear that the decals would start falling off any minute gripped me. Couldn't bear to have that happen; found some NOS Campy pedals that went through the floods here in '99, and put it on the dock of the 'bay... I rode it maybe 1/8 of a mile, and a collector in Chicago bought it. He told me it would not be ridden, just hung on the wall next to his others.

sloar 

I don't like this thread. I could never be this lucky.

RobbieTunes

As far as best deal, well, a bottle of Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill was $1.29 when I was 18. In the right hands, it opened up whole new galaxies.

uncle uncle

I found a early 80's Puch Austro-Damlier AD-SLE (531 triangle), smoke chrome finish, in my size. It was original everything. The lady at the garage sale took $15.00 for it, because that is all I had. She also threw in a thin blanket to shove it in back of my Saturn coupe (where it barely fit). It was my first C&V purchase, and I should have stopped there.

Sixty Fiver

I saved her from a dumpster so perhaps I cannot say this was the best deal ever, but the best find ever.



My friend has done a lot of business in Asia with collectors and said that when I want to part with Edith that there are people he knows who would pay upwards of $2500.00 for what is a rather rare bicycle... and this was some years ago.

It would seem that the PLX was not as widely produced as the PX... I have only come across one other and it was in horrible condition and missing most of it's parts while Edith probably has less than 1000 miles on her.

My thought is that she might go live in a museum some day.

Chrome Molly

I can't decide which...

This Olmo San Remo with full DA for $100


Or this trek 760, as a frame with a bunch of campy bits for $75


Or this for free

fender1

My best deal was:

Late 1960(s) Bob Jackson "Merlin" full NR and Brooks Saddle. Great condition.
1975 Schwinn Paramount (Bad Repaint and had a Paramount Track fork installed) Full NR w/ Brooks saddle.
Late 1980(s) Specialized Epic Allex (Bonded CF Frame) Full 7 speed Shimano 600 group. Great Shape.

Total cost: $240.

jish1969

My 1970 P-15 Paramount was free, a buddy of mine was given it, but it was too big, thought it would be perfect for me. This was before I knew much about road bikes...

rjhammett

I picked up this mid 80s Basso Gap for my daughter. It set me back $14.99 at Goodwill. The Trek 620 was free.

guzziee

Have had many great deals when I used to flip bikes and bikes were easier to find like a $30 bucks Schwinn Voyageur SP, $15 miyata 610, but my favorite find was on a Sunday around 11:00am(very late to be looking for bikes by local flippers standards ). I was on my way home with no finds for that day when I decided to stop by one last flea market, couldn't find a parking spot and almost drove home, finally found a parking spot and right away on the first alley I see a couple road bikes at a spot where a guy usually sells lawnmowers and other tools, as I get closer I read "cinelli" on the down tube, turned out to be an 80's cinelli supercorsa with full super record. Asked for a price and the guys says he wants $160 for both. I completely ignored the other bike until he mentioned the price. Other bike turned out to be a repainted paramount. I ended with both for $140 and went straight home after that . Still got the cinelli

betico

what idiot would put this in the trash. One man's trash another man's treasure

rhm

Fender super champ reverb amp. Yard sale purchase, $35. Sold on eBay, $1800.

Hot? Possibly. No way to know. I did the deal.

KonAaron Snake 

This - curb side pick.

Full disclosure - it's had a LOT of time and money put into it over the years.

obrentharris 

An old friend looked at me one day, looked at the Motobecane Team Champion that had been collecting rust for years in his shop, took it down, and handed it to me.



This is what it looks like now:




An even better deal, however, is the friendship we have kept up after meeting thirty-five years ago in a bikeshop where we both worked.

Brent

Bikes and Jeeps

Fiori $50.


Miele $50.

mechanicmatt

This for a day's worth of work. I never paid for anything on this bike (made it a point) all was gathered through trading. Sold it a few years ago, don't miss it, but it was cool.





Titanium Raleigh SP1000

More details here: https://velospace.org/node/20564

flash2070

I Responded to a garage sale ad for 2 Eddy Merckx. The ad indicated from 9am to 12pm. It was about a mile from my house. I couldn't sleep that night, so I woke up at 5am, waited until 6am, went to the bank, and rushed to the extraction site. I lurked in the shadows until I saw the owners open the garage door at 7am. I made my move. I made the deal for the Merckxs $200 each. To my surprise, he also had another road bike that I had never heard about. It was a PFiffer Frames custom buil for the seller by Mary PFiffer. I asked about the PFiffer, he said $200 also. I only had $500 and offered it to him, and he accepted it. On my way out of his garage I asked him if he had anything else cycling that he would like to give me. Hanging from the garage was a pair of Dura Ace wheels with Dura Ace hubs in pristine condition. He gave them to me. A week later I sold the wheels for 300 on ebay. :-)

Flash