Not quite C & V but definitely in the spirit.

https://store.velo-orange.com/index.p...build-kit.html

I don't think this is a sale price. They have advertised it as that group price for awhile now.

While it is a nice looking frame, for that price you can buy a complete, high end vintage bike (or more likely two of them), and have money left over. I recently bought two Paramounts, one Waterford Dura Ace version with an SLX frame, and the other a Series 5 with a Tange OS frameset. Neither was the deal of the century, I bought them from a very experienced (guy sells 200 bikes per year) flipper. Total cost of the two bikes was less than the cost of that VO frame.

This does demonstrate (to me at least), that despite the increase in pricing of vintage bikes over the last five years or so, that vintage bikes can still be a good bargain compared to new bikes.

No offense, but you're in the Carolina mountains. To find even the Series 5 in a bike crazy town like Seattle or Portland would be at least half the price of the VO frameset, let alone a Waterford built one. Even more if they are set up for urban riding (double-eyelets, anyone?) I found good deals like that when I lived in the midwest, but since I've moved out here, I've found ANYTHING with 27s or 700s is worth $125. Even the thrift stores put at least $50 on anything remotely ridable.

What Dylansbob said. There are deals here. But good luck finding them.

I drove 1.5 hours one-way to try to purchase a Panasonic bike today. Got beat to it, and they offered to pay more. This type of thing happens to me at least bi-weekly.

Speaking of that, all of us PacNW C&Vers should pool our money, pay Bill's airfare and room and board, and have him go to town here.

They must have sold a lot more nice 80's era roadbikes in the Carolinas than they did here. I also feel like part of why the PacNW is so bike-dry is that the population has grown significantly out here since then and lots of "outdoor recreation types" have relocated here in the intervening years.

LOL, I've said the same thing a few times. Someone from MSP asked about a price and people from rural areas start chiming in about stupid low price deals you'd never see in a metro area, esp if there's a college population. In Chicago's CL, World Sports go for $150, Varsities $100. The other part is lots of folks don't know what to buy, VO takes care of that for a very reasonable markup. I know people that drop $1000 on a golf weekend, VO gives you a nice bike instead.

+1...I'm in MSP...and things here get silly VERY quickly. Good scores are few and far between. And between the University of MN AND Minneapolis being the most bike friendly city this year the market is very active.

What those of us in urban areas need to do is rent a U-Haul, drive somewhere, and spend a week buying bikes

conversely those of us in the hills need to stuff a U-Haul with varsities and drive to the big city and get 100 a pop for em.

Although I live in the boonies, most of my bikes are not found around here. Unfortunately, most of the bikes in my area are entry level, maybe a step up from entry level at best. So to find the "good" stuff, I either have to get really lucky, or drive.

My last six bikes (including the two Paramounts), all came out of Charlotte. While Charlotte may not be Chicago, its not exactly Hooterville either. Many of my best bikes have come out of either Charlotte, or Atlanta. Charlotte prices are usually pretty typical, not great deals, but not red hot like Portland either.

In my case, I am either stupid enough, or crazy enough, to be willing to drive quite a distance to get a bike. Charlotte is 140 miles one way from here, Atlanta is over 200 miles one way. I do try to pick up several bikes in one trip. Picked up six on my last trip to Atlanta, picked up three each on my last two trips to Charlotte, plus some tools, wheels, saddles, and misc parts. But of course, sometimes you can make a trip like that and come back with nothing....

I also think that you can still find very good deals on eBay. Perhaps not always so good that you'll make a fortune flipping them, but if you're buying to ride it, you can still do well.

Neal

The price of a bike shoots up pretty fast if you consider the cost of fuel and driving time ... especially 200 miles.

Scott

the best thing about VO/Riv frames is that they are going to work with modern components. you are going to be able to fit racks, fenders, larger tires, 130-135mm hubs, 2+ water bottles, brakes will work with no tweaking, etc.

some people have good taste, and less time than money. these provide a worry-free option imo.

I agree but it takes a smart buyer. Raleigh 531 Competition frames run $200-300, one mistake and the VO frame is a deal. I've lost my faith in vintage frames on ebay, I only go for local pickup or stick to CL.

Yes, smart buying and lots of impulse control! Sniping programs are key, too, at least for me.

Neal

LOL, I'm can't imagine what your collection would look like if you lacked "impulse control"

Unless of course you have a truck to pick them up for you...

Yes, Neal's basement is on the "must see" list of Boston tourist attractions!!! It is truly magical..

Scott

I'm with Hooterville. The only C&V bike that has ever been in my CL or buy & sell is a '73 Raleigh Super Course, currently listed for $700.
We may not have bikes, but we have plenty to smoke, apparently.

I''m in Boston, I got a Diamondback in Chromoly for free this past week. Awful lot of luck. Have to worry about nashing of teeth. Also bought a godawful Kent with bent fork for
$10 - luck goes both ways. Didn't see the bent fork until too late.

Have to say it has been quite a while since I scored anything reasonable for free.

Have to say I got a very nice custom made frame from a BF member for a good deal less then the VR Rando. Nothing against Velo Orange, but it more a reflection
of how little value is put on used things.

Ha! Don't think that crusty old driver is going to let me slip by for free! It's not the cost on this one, it's avoiding having to break it down and ship it Fed Ex or whatever.. so I'll pay dearly, trust me.


Scott

Yeah, but you and I are rather in between, which may work out well for us. We're halfway between the boonies and the big city. I've thought of driving to the Poconos to buy and to Manhattan or Brooklyn to sell. It would definitely net a profit, but I'm not sure it would be high enough to make it worthwhile. I did drive to Hartford, CT once and brought back 7 bikes. I made a profit on all of them, but it was a long, hard day of driving. And I sold them here.

I once called one of the big NYC flippers on the phone. His time is very structured. I think it's his full time occupation. His Sundays are for deliveries. He has a van. I think he has buying days of the week, too, and I guess the rest of his days are for fixing and advertising. I caught him while driving, and he barely had a minute to talk to me.

Has this thread derailed or what? Poor OP just wanted to show off a new steel bike.

Maybe, but it's a continuing discussion of the pricing structure of old vs. new. It's kind of interesting to me anyway.

Scott

Odd that the OP hasn't chimed in since his OP.