jamesdak 

So, I have no intention of selling this bike but I'm curious if the direct relation to Greg Lemond effects the value or is it just important to a Lemond nut like me.

Here's what all I've figured out. Greg had these made himself for a group of friends/associates. They appear to be 1999 Zurich's (chrome dropouts) with unique paint. The team was call The Gentlemen's Poodle and Grouse Society. Here's Greg with one of the bikes and the team.




This bike belonged to Tim Swift who also raced for Team Saturn. He's personally confirmed it's his old bike along with validation from the guy he sold it to. From them it went to Alan whom I bought it from. No one seems to remember how many. There's 7 guys in the picture above. They said from a handful to a dozen.

Then last night while looking through a recently acquired 1999 catalog I spotted this picture.




That's six of the guys from the picture above with Greg on the bikes! So there's six of the bikes together, so at least that many were made. I got confirmation last night that my bike is in the picture. The guy in the blue sleeves behind Greg is riding it.

Now here's the bike itself as it is currently set up and ridden.














So, just curious. Does the history of this bike add anything to the value? It's never leaving my stable but I'm curious if my opinion is just biased or if others see this as something special.

Thanks

Bianchigirll 

It should. can you a letter proving who it belonged to?

mstateglfr 

its been a cool bike every time I have seen it over the past year or however long you've had it.
really nice components, excellent frame, and unique fun paint.

To me, those things make it more valuable than other lemond bikes. The history of it is neat, but I would not be interested in paying more just because it was ridden by a guy ive never heard of(swift). Others may want value it more than I due to a random ex-racer having ridden it, to each their own in that.

If this bike were my size and $100 more than another 20 year old 853 road bike with very old dura ace, I would probably buy it due to the beand name and paint. Those things are appealing to me.
it being a limited commissioned bike for some friends and being raced by a guy I've never heard of isnt appealing to me.


SLC is apparently a mecca for more unique vintage bikes. Very cool bike, as always.

joesch

This is good advice.
RE: Tim Swift who also raced for Team Saturn. He's personally confirmed it's his old bike along with validation from the guy he sold it to.
Create a certificate of authenticity (COA), or similar document.
Good to hear you value the history, it is quite impressive, I would also want to keep that in my stable have have the pictures and COA framed to show off in your museum
Thanks for sharing

cb400bill

Have you seen the one that sold on Pinkbike earlier this year?

https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2273741/

jamesdak 

One and the same, LOL! He was the 3rd owner. I saw it listed at another site and worked a deal with him. Good guy!

GrainBrain

$1200 is pretty good with some mismatched parts. That shows how important the lineage is.

I still can't believe the one BF member got his 853 MJ for $200.

jamesdak 

$1200 was the listing price.....


There's a 53 cm MJ listed locally. But for some reason it has Ultegra instead of Dura Ace. Priced at $399.

DMC707 

Super cool

I know of Tim Swift. The backstory behind that bike is really neat . BEcause I like one-off stuff like this, and it is close to my size, i'd have little issue with the original $1200 asking price, but would have preferred it to be full 9 speed Dura Ace . But shouldn't be too hard to find a crankset and bb. Replacing the stem and post is a given (unless those are confirmed as what were on it 19 years ago

Very nice find and again, thanks for sharing

efleigh89

bet it rides really nice with that reynolds tubing and all. id change out that stem and seatpost for something shiny and silver, asap, and just keep them around if theyre original parts.

xiaoman1 

Listed where at 399.00?
Best, Ben

jamesdak 

I swear it was $399 when I posted this but...


https://classifieds.ksl.com/listing/54235551

if it was a 55cm I would have worked a deal for it already.

xiaoman1 

And so it goes

Drillium Dude 

There you go - the value is something less than $1200

Interesting story and bike. I may be nitpicking, but to my mind the second photo - with Greg in the lead on a completely different model - doesn't provide any real photographic evidence of numbers except to say that the four other bikes that can only be partially seen seem to sport similar paint. That's a stretch to say, too, as two of the bikes show the barest amount of their respective frames.

DD

jamesdak 

True Greg is on a different bike but the others are on those bikes. You can see it better (for what can be seen) in the catalog over this scanned image. I first caught on by noticing they were in the same helmet, gloves, and shorts as it the first team pic. And then of course it's the guys that chimed in when I posted this on Facebook confirming they were there and all. Same yellow bar tape, green forks, yellow decals, and the orange seat tube. You can see enough of four to verify this in the catalog. Especially considering how many other Lemonds had those green forks with the yellow Lemond in front (none). Us old Intel guys learn how to piece these things together.

No big deal really though as I'm still in the dark to a total number. I just think it's cool that Tim confirmed mine is there.

That also explains why the bike is so fast. It was close enough to the champ to get some of his awesomeness impregnated into the frame!

I also wonder what else the scanned catalogs at the Vintage Trek site have left out.

jamesdak 

I'm blaming it on the last bike wreck and concussion. Just have not been able to trust my memory since then....

xiaoman1 

James, No sweat, just interested in looking...and perhaps the seller realized the asking price was not high enough when bargaining.
Best, Ben
P.S. Feel better and keep that helmet on !

smoore

Yep, totally agree. Just wondering here; would having Greg's name on a letter of authentication or even, getting him to sign the frame increase (or at least stabilize) the value?

I ride a 49cm, so thankfully I never have to worry about former Pro bikes. Although I think Pantani may have ridden a 50cm at some point and Alan McCormack possibly a 49-50?