ral929

I recently purchased a bike from a gentleman and after I paid him the agreed upon price he asked me if I would like another bike that he had in the house. I explained to him that I hadn't brought along enough funds for a second bike. He told me that the bike wasn't for sale and he was giving it to me.

So, out of the basement came a 1985 Batavus Professional. It was dusty but not dirty and appeared to be in very nice condition. Here is a brief rundown of the be and it's components:

53 cm frame and fork made from Columbus tubing.
Components consist of a mixed bag of Shimano 600 and Dura Ace, Campagnola, and Suntour Superbe Pro. Whoever had picked the parts for the bike had done a very nice job in determining which parts to use in the building of the bike.

I will likely keep this bike for my own use for awhile, even though it a wee bit small for me. Based on my limited research the bike appears as if it will be a nice addition to my fleet of bikes.

I have not been able to come up with much information about the value of the bike so I am turning to you folks for some help. I rarely post on this site so I don't believe that I am able to post any pictures. So, fire away with your questions and I will do my best to answer them

Thanks for your help.

Bianchigirll 

You should be able to upload directly from your computer. Click on the Go Advance box at the bottom then in the new window click on the little paperclip.

wrk101

Plenty of information on the web on Batavus Professionals, since components are a mix of brands, some of them are not original. Realize prior owners have had 32 years to make changes, some for the better, some for the worse, some just for convenience.

In general, given the mix of parts, the value is all about the frame and fork. Some of the parts will also have value, to be sold separately. Many buyers of your bike in complete form will basically just pay what the frame alone is worth. Great for them, not so great for you.

Value of the frame and fork is all about condition: rust, paint, decals, dings or dents, etc., as well as the tubing grade: SL, SLX, or whatever. To sell the frame and fork, to get maximum value you are talking ebay, where you have to be able to pack and ship at a reasonable/low cost. Parts could also be sold there, and they are easier to ship (of course, you have to dismantle the bike first, then clean each individual part). Ignore ebay asking prices, sometimes they are a joke. Focus on actual sales. If you don't see a Batavus sale, just look for a similar frame tubing wise that is another brand.

409,000 postings on the Batavus Professional on google, of which, 14,000 are on bike forums alone.

Bianchigirll 

This is Batavus is a beautiful bike!! It is a beautiful darkish red color, everything is shiny and looks showroom new. The component mix is eclectic which is somewhat typical for the era and top end frame. CampI Victory cranks and hubs, with those beautiful Suntour brakes.

The owner was explaining as how he had great difficulty removing a 27.2 seatpost but a 27.0 slid right I suspect it is a SP frame like mine which I was told was SP and takes a 27.0

I'll see if I can get some pics of it.