1993 Bianchi Ibex
 

I'm considering buying a lugged steel 1993 Bianchi Ibex, the personal bike of a manager at a LBS. He has taken incredible care of it--it's in impeccable shape. Most of it is original, but he's put on new shifters, grips, brake pads, cables and housings. Rides nicely (took it our for a long ride, all street, but up some hills and down a very bumpy, cobblestone street I avoid in my car).

I got into this mostly looking for a winter beater (though I would take good care of it) to supplement my Jamis Aurora, which I usually ride. This would be for errands and occasional commuting, but I'd like to have something I could ride on some of the park trails near my house--not looking to get into serious mountain biking at this point.

So here are my two concerns: First, what should I pay for this? Second--since I'm planning to use this in bad weather, is it foolish of me to consider a bike without disc brakes.

Happy to hear any input from those who know better.

Sorry but I posted mis-information about the Ibex. I mistakenly looked up '2003' versus '1993'.

Based on WRK's post below I'd say $50-100 maximum depending on condition an maintenance. Not a penny more.

Thanks, Jim. He's asking considerably less. Any thoughts on my brake question?

He wants $150. Some of my knowledgeable friends are saying $100. He's already come down $100. I'm paralyzed with indecision over 50 bucks at this point.

Per bikepedia, that bike came with Exage components, and an MSRP of $725. Bikepedia is sometimes right, sometimes not. If it is a build similar to the bikepedia, then its a $125 to $150 mountain bike, in pristine, ready to ride condition.

Myself, given the age of the bike, I prefer a rigid frame bike (no suspension fork). Realize that fork has almost 20 years on it. Lots of good mtbs from that same era, like the Trek 900 series. My 1992 Trek came with Deore LX and DX components, nice lugged steel frame, really sweet bike. I see similar ones around here, for $100 to $150. There was a 1993 930 a couple of weeks ago for $75.


Vintage MTBs get zero respect from the marketplace, and make terrific bargains for the uses you have planned.


http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/B...Ibex&Type=bike


Well, I see your post with the $150 price. Given it is in excellent shape, that price is probably close. My preference again is for a rigid frame bike, but the choice is yours.

One thing I love about the old mtbs is that it is really easy to change the personality of the bike. Just swap out tires, and you can turn a rugged trail bike into a nice commuter.

I think I'd like a rigid fork, too, Bill, but unfortunately it has a Rock Shox suspension fork. It's not lockable, either, but riding it didn't feel bad. I figure, later, if I'm patient, I can find a rigid fork to swap out. Might be a fun project. I'll see how it rides as-is.

It is configured just like the Bikepedia entry--Exage components. It shifts beautifully. As for the braking, I rode it on a wet day. They were adequate. Could be some Kool Stop pads would make a difference, but the fact is that, if I want a decent MTB with disc brakes, I'm paying more.

Thanks for the response, Bill. It's helpful.

$150 is probably a fair price for that bike, but there are certainly better deals to be had. If you search CL you'll be able to find better deals but the bikes might not be pristine and ready to ride. It's up to you whether you want to shell out more money now for a perfect bike, or wait for a good deal that needs some work.

Old suspension forks are a bit of a gamble. Sometimes they're shot and sometimes they work just fine. Since you rode the bike and feel the fork is ok, I wouldn't have any reservations about buying it.

FWIW, I picked up a 2004 (?) Gary Fisher Sugar 4 full suspension bike a month ago in perfect shape for $150 from some kid who outgrew it. Awesome bike, but sadly too small for me. Resold for $375.

According to an old issue of Bicycling, $725 is the orignal MSLP and it does sound correct. Exage LT bicycles with Rapidfire Plus and front suspension were selling in the $600-$750 range.

If you're agonizing over $50, why not split the difference and offer him $125? After all, it is in great condition and my understanding is that Pittsburgh is a fairly hot market. Put the $25 towards buying a used, seized fork, which will give you the rigid front end.

Relatively low risk deal here. Say you buy the bike for $125 and ride it for a while. Then all of a sudden, you spot a sweet deal on a rigid frame MTB. So you scoop up the rigid frame bike, and resell this one. Chances are, you will get out whole (resell for around $125). I do this all of the time. Often, I end up finding a better deal on the replacement, and making a little on the swap.

On MTBs, I started with a Trek 800, paid $100 for it. Several months later, I found my Trek 950 for $50. So the Trek 800 went on the market for $125, and it sold.

Great advice from everybody. We settled on $125. Bottom line: after weighing all the pros and cons, I just like it. There's some appeal to the lug frame, too. I'm a guy who has a rotary phone next to his bed and on the wall in the kitchen: I like stuff that was made well and still works after a long time.

And, as a number of you said, it's low risk. Find something better and resell it at no loss, so why not. Detoured through the park on the way home and got a little muddy. Starting to think my failure to grasp the appeal of mountain biking up 'til now has something to do with not having had a mountain bike. It's fun to go over and through stuff instead of around it!

Thanks again to everyone for the input. Put my mind at ease and made it easier to pull the trigger on a bike I wanted.

I'm learning to wrench, but I'm not good yet, so ready to ride made a difference. Took it to the mechanic at my LBS and he couldn't find a thing wrong with it. He's gonna let me hang out with him this winter to learn more about how to work on bikes, which I'm looking forward to.

Ah, well, Jim. It looks like I gave him 2500 pennies too many, based on your maximum. It's okay, I guess. Those pennies were awful heavy and lumpy to carry around in my pockets!

I think $125 is fair to everyone. I typically sell vintage MTBs in the $100 to $150 range (although I have stopped picking them up, I do have quite a few left in the queue). Last one I sold for $160 a couple of weeks ago (gave the buyer $80 trade in for his MTB, so it wasn't a clean/cash deal). Wouldn't you know the one I sold was a rigid frame Bianchi.....

Since the one you bought is in great shape, that tips the scale in favor of the deal. Consider that unless you have the skills/tools/interest/time/space to rehab a bike, then paying a little more for one ready to go is a good investment. While I typically find mtbs in the $10 to $30 range, they all need full service, often need tires, chain, shifters, cables, housings, bearings, and grease, grips, pedals. Such a service at a local shop would run > $200 (probably closer to $300). Only because my time is "free" and I work hard to manage supply cost does it make any sense at all. It's one reason I don't mess with MTBs anymore, except as keepers.

The one I sold last week took new tires, tubes, bearings, grease, brake cables, housings, grips, bottle cage, and a saddle; along with a thorough cleanup.

That seems right, Bill. I really can't stress enough how surprised I was by the condition of this bike, given its age. The thing that struck me most is that the new shifters, brake levers, cables and housings didn't stand out from the original frame or Exage components. Some tiny scratches on the handlebar, that's all. I've decided just to feel good about the purchase, including the suspension. I've never had a bike with that, and it was mighty comfortable bouncing through the park today. Didn't ride it far on the street (only about 10 miles), but didn't feel like I was losing too much energy when pedaling. Don't think I'd tour with it, but fortunately for me, my other bike is a touring bike.

Thanks again to all for the help and advice. It's much appreciated.