Originally Posted by
shoota
Hey Cooper dudes. I have a line on an early Cooper and I have a couple questions.
- What makes one Ron Cooper bike more desirable/valuable than another?
- What's the average going rate for a bike on the rougher side?
- Anything I should look out for, good or bad, when looking over the bike? (Aside from the normal stuff like stuck post/stem?)
Ron was a one-man shop and he lavished care on all of his frames. Therefore, condition and whether the bike fits you or not are the main determinants of desirability/value. Price depends a lot on location. Here in the SF area I've seen immaculate examples go for a bit over $1,000 and mediocre ones go for around $500. However, bear in mind that prices are high here compared to much of the rest of the country.