Lazyass

I've been cycling since the 80's but all I've ever owned are racing bikes. Now that I'm retired I'm riding every day and want to start doing some longer two day rides spending the night in the mountains. I've thought about getting a Thule rack for my Paramount but I'm also considering a proper bike and I've come across this. My question is, since I don't know much about these bikes or what resale value they command, is $500 a super good deal or about average? I don't want to insult the seller with some lowball offer and am curious if it really is an outstanding deal as I suspect? The owner can't tell me much, she doesn't even know how to measure it properly but I would guess it's a late 80's frameset, splined triple butted (I used to have an '89 Koga-Miyata Fullpro) and it has Ultegra 9 speed components. She said it originally cost $4000.





Koga Miyata Randonneur Extra

Barrettscv 

I have a 1986ish Miyata 615, which is a splined triple butted touring model. I have about $600 in it. It's fully restored and is a wonderful bike.

If the bike you are looking at is fully restored and ready for a lengthy tour, it could sell for $500. If it needs repairs, deduct accordingly.

bikemig 

Well I don't think that bike is hand built in the Netherlands by a highly skilled mechanical engineer as per the CL ad. I also don't believe that the bike cost $4000 when new. That said, this is a very nice bike and looks clean from the pics. That's not a bad price for the bike given the quality of the frame and the level of the components. Agree that if you don't need to sink money into the bike, this is a reasonable price. Touring bikes tend to command a premium in any case.

ijsbrand

Koga Miyata frames were hand-made in Japan, before Miyata moved its factory to Taiwan. The Randonneur Extra shown is a 1991 model, according to the old brochure here.

Normally, it would have had a Shimano Deore drive train. But, normally it would have fenders too, and luggage carriers.

I had several Koga Miyata Randonneur and Randonneur Extra bikes from that era at that time -- one disappeared during the transport to where my travel would start, another was nicked from my shed -- and back then, 25 years ago, they looked the real deal.

However. Would I choose it right now as the best bike for a tour? And then I'd hesitate. The bike as shown needs an overhaul. To make it tour ready I would like new wheels, or at least to respoke the current ones -- also because I have come to see a hub dynamo as necessary nowadays, to power lights and other electronics.

And, the original bike never took the wide tyres I would like to ride now. Riding it with fenders a 32 mm tyre width was the maximum, if memory serves me right. And I'd rather have 37 mm, or preferably 42 mm for comfort, and because it allows you travel on unpaved roads as well.

Also, heavily loaded the Koga Miyata Randonneur was a bit too flexy to my current standard.

At the time, I did not know better. But especially travel bikes have moved on a lot, even light travel bikes.


It had a good ride though, so I probably would take it an a credit card tour, if I still had one.