flybybye

Hi to all,

my friend inherited vintage Frejus bike and he asked me for help identifying more details on the bike.

His grandfather bought that Frejus bike in 1947. in town Rijeka, Croatia (former Yougoslavia) from Italian pro bicyclist. It is in very good shape and, far as he knows, nothing has been changed on the bike ever - event the tires are original.

Serial number is 014202 engraved on the down tube. Word "favorit" engraved on stem, Simplex Tour De France gear set engraved, "brevetto longhi fiamme milano" engraved on rim, "Pirelli - Specialissimo Corsa - 28" tires, Aquila engraved on leather seat, Ballila FREJUS on brakes, "UNIVERSAL" on lather hand brake handle, "HUTCHINSON - SUPERSPRINT MILANO MADE IN ITALY" on front tire.

There are two original pictures from his grandfather riding the bike later on - in race picture he is on first picture.

Please if you can help us identify what is the potential value of the bike?

Thank you all for help.

Regards,
FlyByBye

flybybye

more pictures

flybybye

two more

rootboy 

Very nice old bike. One doesn't see many from that era, let alone all original. Check out the serial number here as to how it falls in the time line.
Frejus serial number chart

It does look to be in very nice condition. What it's worth depends, of course, on finding the right buyer. In Europe, presumably.
Just a rough guess on my part, but I would say 1500 to $2000.

By the way, if you happen to work on it at all, don't throw ANYTHING away. Not even the original brake cable housings, etc.
Great old Frejus. Those pics of his grandfather are fantastic!

flybybye

Thanks for a quick reply Rootboy! I already checked serial number chart from the link you provided and it seems legit, 40's something.
I will go for another photo-shoot, please let me know what parts are important to take a photo of?
Bicycle is located in Croatia, Europe.

rootboy 

I think your photos cover it pretty well. Maybe some of the hubs and quick release skewers. Perhaps close ups of different parts of the frame. On second thought, if your friend is thinking of selling it, I would leave it as is. Don't clean it. Some collectors prefers to acquire them in exactly this condition. Untouched.

Very nice old bike.

TugaDude

I love that bike! I hope you consider keeping it in your family. Thanks for sharing the pics.

rootboy 

If that had belonged to my Grandfather, I would never sell it.

digger531

I know it would be wrong but I want to ride it.

rootboy 

Me too. I'd ride it!

rhm

Pretty lovely!

I would like to see photos of the saddle, especially of the stamps in the side. Also the rear hub, the hub quick release levers, and the headset. That's all I can think of.

flybybye

I will take some photos and post it. Any other estimate, or 1500-2000 $ should be top limit?

He will probably get the bike cleaned and mended by some experienced mechanic, without changing any parts of course.
Tires are original but ruined - is it better to leave it as is or try to find similar replacement?

lostarchitect 

Wrong?! No, that would be exactly the right thing to do with it.

Dave Cutter

I couldn't even guess at the resale value (I just don't know). The value of such a precious family heirloom cannot be measured in dollars.... IMHO. However... if your friend does wish to sell this piece of his history he should have a nice copy made of the picture of his grandfather on the bicycle. And include it along with a written history of the bicycle.

pathdoc

Amazing how little bicycle have changed over the last 50 years.

american psycho 

Sadly, you are mistaken

KonAaron Snake 

Why is it sad that we have more options and some, fun technology to chose from now?

OP - tires are a pretty personal choice - if you're going to sell it, I'd let the next owner decide what tires they wanted. I've been thinking about value on this and I just don't know...I think the 1500-2000 value is accurate if one of us owned it, but I don't think you should expect that. It takes knowledge and skill to sell a bike, and reputation matters a lot at this level. As a buyer, I'd be concerned about shipping issues on this and possible problems you might not know about. Taking it to a local shop will alleviate some of those concerns, but not all shops are equal and I prefer knowing who I'm dealing with. I would be unlikely to bid anything close to what I considered average value in a situation like this, and would really prefer a local sale.

I think you're best option might be to sell it here, or the C/R list. Both groups have people who facilitate for one another...meaning someone else will check the bike out and possibly even ship it for you/the buyer. I think that might be your best bet. I'd probably ask 1000ish here, keeping in mind no fees or eBay risks of bad buyers.

I am not interested in buying - so it is not self serving advice.

repechage

The tires are not original. But they are old, just not that old. This is not a big deal. Tubulars rarely survived a year on a bike, let alone 50+. I am a bit skeptical on the date too, but not by much. I would reference the patent date on the rear derailleur and the mfg. and the introduction date. 1950-51 would be more comfortable for me. Prior to the introduction of the Campagnolo Gran Sport. The 40's belonged to the Campagnolo Cambio Corsa.

From the images of the bike, having it serviced could well depreciate it. A mechanic with the proper tools and talent to preserve things is needed. If it were mine I would do it, and not be afraid to ride it with newer tires. Something from Clement. Most interested potential owners would want the same thing.

The value of these is quite variable, more referencing needs to be done to get a better mfg. date range, I think some parts like the stem have been changed out long ago. $1,500 is a reasonable expectation. Possibly more if and only if two bidders demand to own it.

The location of the bike will dampen the price, many who have purchased things from other than a Western European country assume there is a risk of the item arriving.

repechage

Simplex Tour de France adjustment

What you don't know can hurt you.

ChargerDawg

That bike should be in a museum. It is fantastic. I would love to ride it as well.

It's like vintage cars. You want it as prefect as possible, but that is not what it was intended to be.

iab

Sweet bike!

The condition is fantastic. Unfortunately a Simplex bike won't sell as high as a Campagnolo bike. Personally, I wouldn't accept anything under than $1500 for it. On a lucky day on ebay you may break $2500. You just need a few motivated buyers.

I'd like to see pics of the hubs. Siamt? I am also curious about the handlebars and levers. I think the cockpit may have been changed over the years. And a picture of the headset would be nice, should be marked Frejus.

awfulwaffle 

That's a really cool bike, I definitely wouldn't sell it.

flybybye

Thanks everybody for sincere advice and tips, much appreciated. I will let my friend decide what to do with the bike. Will keep you posted along with a new set of pictures.

OT:
If anyone wonder how MY hobby looks like, please feel free to check :=)

Over clouds FPV on Vimeo

satbuilder 

There's a guy I spoke to a few weeks back mentioned he had a '49 Frejus. He runs a bike shop in South Jersey. Might be a good person to do some comparisons.

iab

This early 50s Stucchi priced at $2000 has been languishing on ebay for several weeks. A little better quality than your Frejus, but the name recognition is not as good as Frejus. All in all, I think a pretty good comp.

1952 Stucchi Original Finish Magistroni Sheffield Simplex Cinelli | eBay