Unknown frame-- would you buy one? this one?
 

Hi, I started the "Bepe" thread in this forum yesterday. I saw the bike today, and the bike is clearly labeled "Bepe". The seller, who turns out to be a faculty for my grad school program, bought the bike in 1983 in Belgium at a bike shop by the name of "Bepe", so that's why it has that name. I looked all over the frame and could find no other identifying info.

I can probably get this bike for $50-60. Would you go for it? Why/ why not? Should I ask for more info? If so, what type of info?

Thanks! I appreciate any and all comments.

50-60$ isnt much. Quality dosent matter, the only thing that matters is if you like it. Quality just helps the cool factor ;)

I'd like to see photo's as well. But at $50, if it is complete, rideable, and in good cosmetic shape I'd buy it on a "pig-in-a-poke" basis. Just for the novelty factor. :)

Yes I'd buy it, but then I have this thing for bikes of the benelux.
who knows it may have been contract made by Kessels or the like.

marty

+1 on Marty's comments. Small shops often contracted reputable builders for their "house" brand. Pics for sure....

http://a.im.craigslist.org/PG/QN/qXc...Y160RiV6vc.jpg

I'm emailing him again to check the frame all over for some indicator as to who manufactured it, where it was made.

Looks real nice! Well worth 60.

I concur. If it fits and is in good mechanical condition, I would buy it at that price.

Me too.

Personally, I recently bought a Caldaro. Never heard of the mark, google search wasn't much help. I emailed the seller and he said that Mario Caldaro was a one-man shop in Rome and that he makes frames for other Italian brands. I took him at his word, and I was very very impressed when it arrived. I'm building it up now and it's turning out to be a real gem. And I'll have the only Caldaro in town.

So take a chance. For $60, no problem.

Add me to the "buy it" list.

And if you don't want it, I'll pay the $50 plus shipping and give you a $20 finders fee to handle it for me. What can I say - I'm a nice guy, and it's my size.......:D

Okay, thanks for all the opinions. I am going to meet the owner again tomorrow or Thurs/Fri, take a little ride, and probably purchase it. I'll keep you updated!

Just logged on and saw this thread.
1st pic looks quite good. Go buy it and enjoy riding it!

Holland/Belgium - just about every shop had 'privatelabel' stuff, from basic to top-O-da-Line. made by any number of builders...
really can't go wrong, from the looks of it. Short-whl base machine with a steep headtube - looks 59cm?
prolly Reynolds or maybe Vitus
best way to spend $50 that I know of...

be aware that there's a reasonable chance the threading would be french - would be good to know before you start refurbing to get it on the road again...
only real critical place, if you keep most of the current running gear, is if you have to replace the freewheel/chain, don't put an English or Ital freewheel on a french thread rear hub... a fast way to a nosedive at some future time. Better to replace the rear hub/wheel with an English thread hub and appropos FW.
looks like tubular rims... ???

It's a piece of junk...you don't want it. Let me save you the trouble an I'll buy it to get it out of your sight and mind. Whew! That coulda been close.

Bepe is a small and rather uninspiring wholesaler/importer of sport goods here in Brussels.Bepe Cycle sprl still exist,avenue Hustin in Uccle but is now more in roller skates and so.Most good brands and shops do ring a bell with me but I didn't know Bepe ,so I suppose it's a budget import or an unsold production of the local mass producers Ludo or Norta,Flandria or Superia had already failed.Not bad but I would not be interested.But I have to admit that here in Flanders,Belgium we are spoiled regarding fine beers,chocolates and bikes and bike champions.

Hey, no need to rub it in! :)

I have a Cilo, vintage '82 or so, that looks almost identical to yours. Chromed forks and all. Has a nice Columbus frame, and Shimano 600 components.