Puch Brigadier 1978 or 79, what is it worth?
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Puch Brigadier 1978 or 79, what is it worth?
I am the original owner of a Puch Brigadier touring bike, I bought it either in 1978 or 1979. It has the Puch 100 year sticker on it. It has all the original components that came with it when I bought, except for the Brooks leather seat which wore out a couple of years ago, Weinmann brakes and rims, Sakae Custom handlebars, Shimano 500 DRL, the tubing is Puch 482 and it has fancy hand filed lugs. It's a curious mix of European and Japanese components. Wondering if anyone knows what it may be worth?
Last edited by Puch; 03-13-10 at 01:34 PM.
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I'll offer an opinion, but feel free to second guess me on this, because I can't find any information on selling prices for this bike,
Puchs, while not so revered as their A-D brethren, are well regarded and uncommon: The European pedigree and the fancy lugs on this one are big pluses - but the 482 High-Ten tubing, and the turkey wings detract.
Likewise, the surface rust, comfort saddle, and broken reflectors on this one really push the value of this bike way way down, and the only interest you would garner would likely be from flippers trying to low ball the sale.
However - really cleaned up, and in road-ready condition - (like the red one shown below), I would expect it to bring a higher price than it's equivalent Japanese ubiquitous counterparts: Somewhere around $225.
IMO - even without the cost offset - it would be worth the effort to restore it -
1) because it can be a very attractive bike, and
2) because you have had it for so long.
+ There are plenty of knowledgeable people here who can advise if you choose to accept this mission.
Puchs, while not so revered as their A-D brethren, are well regarded and uncommon: The European pedigree and the fancy lugs on this one are big pluses - but the 482 High-Ten tubing, and the turkey wings detract.
Likewise, the surface rust, comfort saddle, and broken reflectors on this one really push the value of this bike way way down, and the only interest you would garner would likely be from flippers trying to low ball the sale.
However - really cleaned up, and in road-ready condition - (like the red one shown below), I would expect it to bring a higher price than it's equivalent Japanese ubiquitous counterparts: Somewhere around $225.
IMO - even without the cost offset - it would be worth the effort to restore it -
1) because it can be a very attractive bike, and
2) because you have had it for so long.
+ There are plenty of knowledgeable people here who can advise if you choose to accept this mission.

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I think that it's very comparable to a similar era Raleigh Record, without the Raleigh name recognition. I'd say $150 clean and ready to go and about $75 as it.
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Thanks for your reply and opinion. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you, on vacation last week. I really do have an attachment to this bike, so I will have to think about restoring it, but I am not mechanically inclined and it would be a struggle. I may be retiring in 1 to 3 years and this may make an interesting project then. BTW, is that red bike pictured yours?
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For what it's worth...I sold my Puch about six months ago for $400...not sure what model it was...it was a high end one with Reynolds 531 frame and fork, full Campy GS group, and Ideale 90 saddle. I miss it...



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+1 $75 as is due to rust. To get top dollar, that rust would need to be gone. Do a search on oxalic, as the frame has enough rust to make an oxalic bath a good approach.
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I know, zombie thread, but the Puch pictured here appears to be a Royal X. This model only shows up on the brochure/poster for 1976, and was sold in small quantities in white and salmon colors. Full 531 frameset, nicely mitered, Bocama Professional lugs, silver-brazed construction, but oddly spec'ed - 1st gen Dura-Ace cranks, BB & headset, SunTour Cyclone derailleurs with Power Ratchet dt shifters, Weinmann Carrera sidepulls, SR bar, stem and seatpost, cheap Gillux saddle, 45/52 x 14-22 gearing - and 27-in Weinmann clincher rims on Normandy Luxe Competition hubs. They'd have done better to have sold it with tubulars like its longer-lived upscale stablemate the Royal Force (full black anodized Dura-Ace). They never got the attention of the more upscale Austro-Daimler bikes like the Vent Noir, Ultima, Superleicht, etc., but the frames were built by the same people in the same facility. My original one got stolen and I searched for decades for one like it - until I stumbled onto MY original one in 2019.
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