These things worth anything? If not, may need to trick it out :)

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/...psvghs5vui.jpg

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/...pshk6blq9l.jpg

^ shine the trike up and list it for $225

Well, looks like I just won this Batavus on ebay. I forgot all about bidding, opening bid was 9.99 and I threw a max of 35.00 and won at 31.00. I guess the $100 shipping scared people, but its a 35 minute drive for me. Now, what to do with it?

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/...psfb1x7muj.jpg

Get it road ready...then ride it?

How about throwing one of these on it?

http://bikemotorkit.com/image/data/h...ow/mtn-kit.jpg

Bike Motor Kit :: Motorized Bikes, Bike Engine Kits, Gas Bike Kits, Bicycle Engines and Kits,bicycle engine kit parts

Bicycle Engine Kits

Clean it up and ride it, well built but fairly heavy bikes. I've had a few through the garage but never found one to keep as I require an exceptionally large frame.

Single speed, since the components are junk anyway.

The canvas Schwinn seat bag is pretty cool. That's about it.

I picked this up a few weeks ago and finished it up today. It is an '83 Raleigh Competition with Suntour Cyclone derailleurs. I have $35 into it.
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=448941http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=448942http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=448943

Just home from the "hunt"
 

and bagged this:

'84 or '85 Raleigh Prestige, haven't checked the SN yet.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...psx5isbr2c.jpg

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...pskwwn5mf9.jpg

Has some cosmetic issues, worst being the chrome on the chain stays:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...psecheklr2.jpg

The paint issues I can clean up, this I'll just have to live with. Wheels are in really good shape though and tires are newer and still have the mold flash. Has all it's original components except the Quickstand and saddle and I probably would have dumped the stock saddle anyway. Even as neglected as it looks it still rides really sweet.

Thought it was the 85 year that had the chrome stays. Regardless, nice catch ! Raleigh USA, baby !

Thanks, I've seen the chrome stays listed as both years so I'm not sure, no matter, I LIKE it! :D Getting hooked up so I could look at it was like pulling teeth though, I damn near gave up and was going to tell the guy to just forget it at one point. Glad I stuck it out. Wish it had been as "near mint" as he thought it was but I showed him why it wasn't and made an offer accordingly. He countered but I stuck to my offer and he eventually accepted. He still made out like a fat rat, his former employer gave him the bike when he moved a couple years ago, he had nothing in it and it had just been taking up space in his garage.

totally escaped my attention, another killer Raleigh USA ! Looks nice and the price...

Still on the buildup of my 86 Gran Prix. Not much to do but more projects ahead of it.

1974 Tour de l'Europe - the next year they were a darker brown with a Sugino Maxy 3-pin crankset and a plastic saddle. Batavus claimed their paint was the best in the business, but apart from that they're pretty much like a Peugeot UO-8 or a Raleigh Gran Prix - throw on a set of alloy-rimmed wheels and they can be a lot of fun.

I rode mine all over southwestern Virginia in the mid-70s, including a 3-day camping tour with stuff crammed into Eclipse panniers or strapped on top of a rickety Pletscher rack - and if memory serves, the brake bridge is designed for same ...

I have to admit, the paint is pretty nice. The frame paint and even the chrome on the forks are cleaning up really nice. I'm leaving everything as is, new tires, cables, saddle and cables and just use it as a beater bike. Something to ride to work when the weathers bad.

That told me a lot about the bike's history. Poor thing :(, probably got rarely ridden after the owner found a performance bike doesn't make a performance engine. I've seen this concept many times in bike-shops.

Quick photo before it got loaded up in the van -- an all original Trek 420 in my size for $75: https://scontent-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hp...94&oe=55C694C0 . Bonus points for the pump and tire-wipers.

You done GOOD! One small correction though....... it is in MY size. ;)

nice score!! what is that doodily bob on the end of the bar there?

oh nevermind, its the headlight, a quick look made it look like it was attached to the bar end..

Yep. Its actually kinda a cool CatEye lamp that runs off of 2 C batteries.

I think this 420 will be converted to my townie frame (32C tires, fenders, upright bars, single speed, basket + rack), and the 620 currently doing that job will become my road bike (still big tires, no fenders, lots of gears for CO hills.) The frame I had hoped to use as a road frame has a pretty messed up bottom bracket that will probably require going the VO threadless route in the future.

Fantastic deal for a great bike and accessories that came with it. Great find.

One problem though, don't butcher it to make it a single speed, that is a vintage bike that if it's all original is worth quite a bit more than you paid for it, but will be worth quite a bit less if you turn it into a single speed. Find yourself a less valued and vintage type of bike and turn it into a single speed.

Thank you for your concern. I'm quite aware of its value and worth. I won't be hacking off the derailleur hanger or any nonsense things like that. If I ever want to resell it I'd build it back as original with fresh consumables for its sale. But as something I commute on every day a single speed is all I need. If this was some grail bike (a 720 etc) I wouldn't be considering commuting on it. But this is just a 420. So I'll be transferring my parts off the current 620 commuter pictured below and putting that nicer 531 frame back to work as a long-distance road bike.

http://i.imgur.com/Z00TQUZ.jpg

EDIT: But if there is someone in the Denver area that wants to trade the 420 for a nice vintage road frame in a similar size, do let me know.

Love your 620; that's my kind of commuter.

First time I've ever upgraded a bike using Falcon derailleurs, hopefully it's the last time.



http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/...psoexkk0qv.jpg

:lol: It did clean up well. You could probably use those rear brake pads as mini-cobblestones though. Batavus paint looks as good as advertised.