duane041

Sorry for not putting this in the ebay/cl finds thread, I was hoping it might get more looks here. Wondering if this thing would be worth the asking price:
https://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/bik/245134509.html
I've never seen anything even remotely like it. Any ideas as to the quality? I already know how odd and quirky it is.
Thanks!

Rabid Koala

The quality was on par with its contemporaries. Believe it or not, Sears used to have a bike with a Reynolds 531 frame back in the mid sixties. This one looks like early seventies to me. I don't know if I would pay $100, but it is a nice bike.

Little Darwin

That looks a lot like mine, and now that I have replaced the crank with a cotterless and made other updates, it is not an anchor, but still not light.

It was Sears' finest in 1971, and sold for about $80.

https://www.aperfectworld.org/Other_P...s/sears195.jpg

If you look at the bottom of the lugs for the top tube, you will see an interresting assembly technique... the lugs are tacked in place by a welder... at least the ones on mine are.

Just for the joy of riding a department store bike that is worth riding, you might want to pay $50 for it, but not $100.

Mine is sentimental value, since it was a friend's bike in high school. In my case, only the frame headset, fork, seatpost, front wheel wing nuts and brakes are original, everything else has been updated in the last year.

new_dharma

it MIGHT be worth $100.00 IF (and only if):
1) it fits the rider
2) "just serviced" includes a full bearing repack/replacement, new cables if needed, tires in better-than-good shape, etc...basically, if no service is needed for a year (at least).
3) the buyer REALLY likes it.

this bike at $100 is better than most department store bikes of today...yes, you can find this bike for less, but you'll need to do some searching

evwxxx

That bike looks exactly like one I had dealings with back in the early 70's. The bike itself dated from the 60's, I believe. Thru-the-toptube brake cable routing, fluted seatstays, etc. Don't remember if it had a frame material sticker or not. Check the components carefully before buying, the one I ran into actually had Campagnolo steel Record rear derailler and campy flat-cage record front deraillers!!!! I still have them, as for a fact. As I recall, I believe the bike was made by the Steyr company in Austria. It was a pretty nice bike weight-wise too, as I recall. But, if it does not have the fancy components I mentioned above (Campy), but rather something mundane such as Huret deraillers and Normandy hubs and Weinmann brakes, then $100 is a pretty darn steep price to pay! ew

KDB

I found a very Made in Germany bike last spring for $10.00. I put some hours and a few dollars into (maybe $40.00), not including a FD I had hanging around. I gave it to the son of some friends of ours and he uses it to ride about the city.

It is a good, basic bike that was made to compete with the schwinns of that era and it will do a good job. A $100.00 is probably a bit steep; $50.00 may be more like it depending on what yo plan to use it for. Otherwise, keep an eye out at garage sales, etc. You will likely find one sooner or later for $10.00.

duane041

Thanks for the help, gents. I will see if it gets re-listed for a lower price in the next few weeks. I was thinking it would make a nice conversation starter at some of the local organized rides here in Chicago.

Little Darwin

I just looked at the pictures again, there may be after market parts on that bike, or it could be an earlier/better model.

The one I have had stem shifters, the one pictured had down tube shifters.

EDIT: Also mine has QR nuts on front only, a different rear brake bridge and no "Racing Alloy" sticker.

The bike pictured may well be worth checking out!