pt12

Hello everyone,

I am new to the forum and was hoping that I would be able find some help with this Bianchi Brava bike. I am looking for a bike that I can use to commute to school. I live in the Seattle area so it is constantly damp and rainy.

I am about 5'6" - 5'7" and so I am thinking that this bike will be a good fit. If it is a good fit, how much would be a fair price for this bike?
Also, I do not know much about bicycles and so I am not so sure what is the significance of the tubing/brake levers, etc.

https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bik/3047892430.html

According to the poster:
Late 80's Bianchi Brava. Bianchi Superset Double Butted Cro-Mo tubing.
55cm seat / 54 cm top.
Triple Drivetrain (indexed) upgraded dual pivot brakes and brake levers.

Also, the Front dérailleur needs to be adjusted and there is a nut missing from the front brake. (According to the seller, the nut should be relatively cheap ~1 dollar at a store like Recycled Cycles)

Any thoughts and guidance would be greatly appreciated! Please let me know if more information is needed.

Thank you!

randyjawa 

Welcome to the Bike Forums.

Your link to the listing does not come through since it has been deleted by the originator, suggesting that the bike is already sold (they go quick sometimes). Needless to say, without that information, there is no way anyone could offer an appraisal of value. However...

Since you are new to the vintage bicycle interest, you might want to learn a bit about Vintage Bicycle Quality, How to Find Vintage Bicycles, and How to Buy/Sell Vintage Bicycles.

Hope you get the time to look through the information and benefit from doing so.

wrk101

+1 In large, hot markets like Seattle, good deals do not last. Even here, the really good deals last about 15 minutes. There are enough scoopers looking for deals on bikes in just about every decent sized market, that the great deals go quickly.

The only way to get a great deal off a public sales outlet like C/L is to get educated up front, and pounce. Deals do not last long enough to get an answer to: "Hey is this a good deal?" And those deals do not last long enough for it to be convenient (I pick up a lot of deals in the middle of the day).

On the other hand, scoopers need the deals to be red hot. So a bike can be priced at market and even slightly below market and last a while.

Bike sounded like a bit of a project. Such projects are best suited for people with the time/tools/training/space/access to cheap parts. I buy projects all of the time, they can be great deals. I bought four last weekend. Projects are my favorite bikes to buy, as the discount is usually hefty. But if you do not have these attributes, then its easy for a good deal to become a bad deal. Even some free bikes can cost more to rehab at a bike shop than they are worth when completed.

Bikes with visible defects like this one, pretty much always have defects you cannot easily see. Someone who does not maintain a brake needing a $1 nut, is not going to properly maintain the headset, bottom bracket, wheel hubs, chain, freewheel, cables, etc. None of this is a deal breaker, but can be costly to address at a LBS.

jyl

[OP, I have sent you an PM, please read it right away]

I browsed Seattle CL for a couple minutes, looking for smaller road bikes. Here are some I found that look interesting - if they are your size, you need to measure your "bike inseam" (search on how to do it) and be sure of the right size. For 5' 6" to 5' 7" I think something in the 50 cm to 52 cm range would be a good initial guess.

I don't know the Seattle market so someone please tell me if I am steering our OP astray.

1. [deleted - never mind]

2. This one is pretty - a celeste Bianchi - and I think if the price were talked down by $50 to $100, it would be a decent buy, assuming no problems and the right size. Can't hurt to try.

https://seattle.craigslist.org/est/bik/3037693854.html
1986 model Bianchi Sport SX roadbike.18 speed. Shimano Exage Sport derailleurs and brakes.Has blemishes cosmetically but no rust or dents.51cm/20 in. cro-moly steel alloy frame. 700cAraya aluminum wheels.
Rides,shifts,stops nicely This is a bike for riders of approx. 5 ft 2 inches - 5 ft 7 inches height.$299.00.Cash only.Send phone number if interested.

3. This looks like a pretty vintage Bianchi with some nice Campagnolo bits. Can't really tell if he's saying there are problems ("fair condition"). Someone more familiar with older Bianchis will need to chime in but the price looks interesting to me . . . but might be too nice to be an everyday school commuter - how sturdy is your lock? The seat will need to be covered or replaced if the bike will be left in the rain, but it has resale value.

https://seattle.craigslist.org/est/bik/3049960362.html
I have a italian made 1981 52cm Bianchi Nuova Racing bike for sale. It has a super nice ride quality and looks amazing with the luggs and the engravings. It has campy Nuovo Record detailers and shifters. and Brooks Seat (leather sattle)
Overall condition is fair.
Columbus double butted tubbing
Ride quality is still amazing.
cash and local only