danarello

I was wondering what members of the Forums think about this Univega. How does it compare to a Miyata or a Centurion performance oriented bike? Seller is asking $400 for this classic.

bulldog1935

the frame was built by Miyata, and the components are great

Dave Cutter

I love me a Univega. And that is a nice one too. I can't tell if the brakes and rear derailleur are Dura Ace (that would be nice). I am sure Southern California is a much pricier market than here in the Mid West. But I couldn't pay $400 for it... here.

If it was for me to ride (not flip) in the Mid West... if it fits and rides nice with original Dura Ace I'd go $250. And to be honest I don't mind paying a premium (AKA too much).... for what I want if it's in great shape and hard to find. So I might go $300 in this area.

Salamandrine 

They are the same bike as a Team Miyata, but with different decals and paint. That said, 30+ years later, the perception of value of a Superstrada seems to be slightly lower than the ones that say Miyata on them. At any rate, as a top of the line race bike it is certainly worth $400. I have no idea what the current market value is.

AlexCyclistRoch

Yeah, seems a bit high. $300.

bikemig 

+ 1 on these valuations. I wouldn't pay more than $300 in the midwest but $400 seems about right for a high dollar market like SoCal. Plus this is a hot bike, .

Kevindale

As you likely know, the Super Strada (it seems it became one word in subsequent years) was Univega's second-from-the-top racing bike, a couple of steps above the 1980 Gran Premio I just bought in LA for $200. The one I got looked barely ridden, except for a few scuffs on the original seat, and was completely original except for bar tape and missing pedal cages. Univegas don't seem to have the cache that other brands had, or have acquired recently. The dorky, dated 'Univega' decal style is probably part of it, and it's always seemed like a low-rent sounding name ('Univega' sounds like a brand that would be sold at Walmart, at least to me). Of course they were made by Miyata, so they're actually great bikes, and this model was sold to serious racers, but they don't have that same appeal.

My Gran Premio is essentially the equivalent of the Miyata 912, and I think a 912 in the same condition would have sold for a 50% premium (i.e., $300 or so) in Los Angeles. So the good part is that you can get a lot of C&V bike for the same money with a Univega. And this is a fairly unusual one -- I don't see that many of the very top models being offered on CL. Excellent frame, good components.

All that said, this one doesn't look to be in pristine shape, it's not a sexy color, and it seems a little overpriced, especially for this time of year. There are a lot of good quality vintage Japanese bikes, in good shape, in southern California. I think the others have nailed it at $300.

Salamandrine 

You don't see many Superstradas because they sold for about twice what a Gran Premio cost, which were themselves pretty high end in the Univega line up. I worked in a shop that sold them both. Gran Premio was about $550, Superstrada was ~$1000-1100 ish, circa early 80s.

I agree that the decals are dated and dorky looking, which tends to drive down market value, and they simply don't look as cool as a Team Miyata. $300 may well be a better estimate of current market value, so good deal for the buyer. Even so I maintain it is worth $400, if only because it cost ~$2600 when new, adjusted for inflation.

It's kind of funny to me that people will pay $200 or whatever for a vintage Sportour, but complain about paying a little more for a bike that cost 5x as much originally.

Kevindale

Thanks for the specific numbers. That's what I meant when I said that the Superstrada was sold to racers, versus serious enthusiasts like my Gran Premio (or maybe budget racers). It was a super premium bike in it's day, though also one without any of the cache of the Italian racing bikes.

I agree. That struck me when I was cruising the LA CL, which is always full of Univegas. Univega made it confusing, by having a loooong list of models, and by changing the lineup names randomly (and by seeming to have a random-name generator for those names). Plus the frames all look virtually identical in their paint schemes and decals, except for the model decal on the top tube. As a result, you see Gran Premios, Viva Sports, Super Sports, Nuovo Sports all being offered in the same $175-$250 range. The model naming seemed designed to be intentionally grandiose and confusing, and current sellers seem happy to take advantage of that (or buyers are too ignorant to suss out the differences in models).

Still, I think high-end but uncoveted (is that a word?) vintage bikes like a Univega Superstrada don't have the same marketplace value, despite their quality and original pricing. I've never seen a Univega on anyone's list of grail bikes. That might not be rational or logical, but it is what it is.

ramzilla

Most of the high end 80's model Japanese bikes will stop going down at around $300 to $350. But, it also depends on condition. If it's a beater it may only be worth $100.

Salamandrine 

Gran Premios were probably the sweet spot AFA bang/buck. They were race-able if you put a set of sew ups on them. Good entry bike for jr racers or club riders.

Superstradas did not sell by the bushel, that is for sure. By the time you got to that price point, if you were a racer it made more sense to buy a Colnago or similar frame for $600 at the time, and do a parts bin build. Upgrading as you could afford it. Even then that was perceived as cooler. It was more the enthusiast club rider type that wanted a fast bike to ride now that might buy a Superstrada etc.

That's it exactly. They do superficially all look alike. I guess it is good for the smart buyer and bad for the sucker. AFA the low perceived value of high end Univegas, yeah, it is what it is. Most probably need repaints by now anyway.

zukahn1 

This one does appear to have a full matching DA groupo including wheels with a very nice so $400-450 would be about right if it was in good cosmetic shape. With the scratches on frame and parts and odd black spots rough bar tape no hoods I would say $300.

AlexCyclistRoch

The problem with Univega: There are litterally still thousands of decent-but -cheap Univegas out threr, which lower it's value. It's like the problem of racing-special Fords: They may be rare, fast, and desirable, but they still have the Ford brand name on them. These are the sort of 'affordable classics" I look for.

BTW, it looks like it;s my size; will he ship???

howsteepisit

There are thousands of low-level bikes of most brands that don't seem to hurt their value. Think Bianchi, Peugeot, Schwinn, Raleigh, et al.

mstateglfr 

Miyata bikes litter ebay and craigslists by the thousands and a massive % are entry level.
I mention this brand specifically since it's discussed in the thread as an example that commands more $ than univega.

Kevindale

I think it works very differently for different marques. Schwinn built up a tremendous reputation over decades, and it's pretty easy to differentiate the quality ones and the bike boom models. Same with Raleigh though to me they're so common and made so many nothing-special models that I have no urge to seek one out. Treks are like the cockroaches of bikes, they're everywhere and you can't seem to kill them off. I've come to appreciate that some of them are very special, but that's mostly because there are so many vocal and dedicated Trek lovers for certain models (and Lance helped make them super legit). Bianchi and Peugeot have that cache, especially Bianchi, again from decades of history and associations with racing, etc. And they're sexy looking bikes! Centurions are another (like Univega) Japanese bike that was sold by the millions, but they've had a dedicated following for about as long as they've been around, and the high end models are very common and well known.

Univegas don't have websites and books and cults devoted to them, at least compared to other marques we've mentioned. They weren't around long enough, they didn't have their own factory, they didn't have famous cyclists winning famous races, they had graphics and advertising that look now like a satire of the 1980s, there are tons of them around, and as noted they all look pretty much alike. And the model naming seemed cribbed from Italian bikes, but they were made in Japan. And as noted the really high end ones are rare, but in this case rarity seems to lead to obscurity.

That all makes the better Univegas among the best bargains in C&V. This would be a great $300 bike. But few of your fellow riders are ever going to look at this bike and say they're jealous.

Edit: as for Miyata, they're better looking bikes, and they made their own bikes and earned the reputation of making excellent bicycles. I would have certainly paid more for a 1980 Miyata 912 than I did for the Univega I bought, even knowing they were nearly identical in functionality and quality. The intangibles are just different. Why will people pay more for, and lust after, 1980s Campy components even knowing that many Suntour components were better/lighter/cheaper?

howsteepisit

Kevin, I was talking about bikes that have a full range of bikes, from entry level to pro level in reply to the previous poster who implied that because Univega made some entry level the value of the race bikes is lesser. I agree with you, but the low value of univegas is not due to the fact they made a full range, but because the brand never had any cachet.

Kevindale

Yes, I agree with you on that. At the same time, I think Univega provided good value for the cost at the lower end (as opposed to some brands that put out overpriced crap while trading on their reputation), but somehow for Univega it all seemed lower end than it was, at least to the bicycling cognoscenti.

daf1009

Univega is one of the more interesting names in the cycling world...it seems to defy all other brand logic...but not necessarily in a good way. For the most part even their "lower end" bikes were quite decent (again, very similar to Miyata)...but...they seem to not be valued...great little thread...

Fahrenheit531 

In Tucson, AZ I just sold an '81 Superstrada, 52(3?)cm, for $300. That was without saddle, and with Sugino cartridge BB and Cinelli Stem instead of D-A. Otherwise original and in good shape. Took about 3 weeks. Original ask of $400 brought exactly zero interest.



FWIW

StarBiker

Tuscon VS LA?
I tend to think people get carried away on here. They are to hyped on what they think, and not what the potential buyer(s) might think.
You give people a stand over height, and they will still ask if the bike will fit. They don't know anything half the damn time.

Dave Cutter

I think I got $175 for my supra sport... about three years ago.

cirp 

While were on the subject, I'm looking at a Superstrada which I believe to be an 1987. It has Superbe brake calipers and levers, Shimano Dura Ace front brazed on derailleur, Dura Ace stem, Sugino Crank and a Superbe rear derailleur which looks older than an 1987.

Does anyone know if this year came with all Dura Ace, all Superbe or a mix of both.

Fahrenheit531 

LA has the advantages of a massive market, plus prices on everything from rent to a decent burger are inflated there, so I'd expect more to be paid for the Super Strada in that area. But given that mine sold about four days ago it seems a decent point of reference for the OP to work from.

Oh, and incidentally, the buyer was from SoCal visiting Tucson for something-or-other. Probably jumped at mine as a way to duck the west coast pricing.

cirp 

Looks like a good thread to ask about my recent purchace. Just picked up an 1984 Univega Superstrada Olympic Edition. Can't seem to find any information on this edition. Catalog is not consistent with this bikes color and shows aero brakes while this one has non aero. The serial number is M486673. It has Dura Ace AX crankset with dyna drive pedals, AX front and rear derailleurs, AX shifters but non AX brake calipers. Seller states it is totally original and got it from an Uncle who bought it new. Thanks for any information. Here's the link to some pictures. The picture with the crankset shows "Olympic Edition" decal on the right chainstay.
1984 Univega Superstrada Olympic Edition - PaceLinebikesPaceLinebikes