Market for touring bikes?
 

I was wondering what the market is like these days for vintage touring bikes. I know these were a hot item years ago, but I wasn't sure how that is today. Opinions?

They still tend to command a premium but prices are all over the map. Miyata 1000s and Specialized Expeditions are still near the top of the heap plus pretty much anything that has a Bridgestone sticker.

Thanks! Much appreciated.

I know vintage tourers are something of a rare bird. In fact, I doubt most folks here even know what they are.

I'm confidant that a great many folks here know what they are.

I hope so. That would be great!

This thread has 84 pages and growing:

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...-bikes-84.html

There are other threads on vintage touring bikes as well.

As evidenced by the 2 month search I just completed to find a vintage steel touring bike... most sellers know exactly what they have and are determined to wait for a buyer, but the buyers are few and far between. I saw bikes sitting at high prices (relatively, for a vintage bike) for months with no interest.

Cool. I was just going by the lack of response.

As far as I can tell the vintage touring bike market is practically comatose right now. I hope it's just the late summer heat & that things will improve sometime soon. I've got two vintage bikes advertised on CL right now for about the last three months. The only interest so far has been from scammers. I've got two more bikes in storage that I will want to sell sometime in the near future too. Hope that things improve when cooler weather arrives.

Yeah, here too. Very little selling. Actually very little for sale as well. July and August have been sloooowww.

This summer, I was trying to sell an 80's steel touring bike. I installed new cables, housing, chain, and bar tape, and equipped it with F + R alloy racks, fenders and panniers. At $200, there were no takers. I finally gave up.

I purchased a low mileage vintage touring bike this week.

Holy ¢£¶¡. That is depressing. I am glad I don't buy bikes to flip anymore. I do have fond memories of the Trek 720's, Miyata 1000's etc that made some tidy profits.

27" wheeled bikes especially with cantilever brakes will sell at a discount.

The upper echelon, which you noted, will always sell at a decent price.

I am fooling around with an old Nishiki Cresta, which has some nice touring features. I was unsure how much of a demand there was for these types of bikes. I appreciate all the info.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4c16b766f9.jpg

It's Very Market Dependent
 

I've sold four very nice bikes at premium prices this summer in the DC market. None lasted two weeks. The fully serviced and restored condition, great photos, quality of the listing and willingness to answer questions in detail are key to landing the buyer who appreciates the value proposition.

Two of the bikes were sports tourers, a 1978 Motobecane Grand Jubile and a 1983 Fuji America. So, neither a classical touring bike, per se. Just to clarify...

...the tide has turned !! :)

...yes. I can't figure this out. It's almost like nobody wants to build new wheels for them with modern, lightweight, box section rims.

Only if he buys as many vintage bikes as you do. :innocent:

I've bought two this year.


So far...:)

Check back tomorrow- I might be adding to the fleet. Although this one is already a known forum entry.

...I should probably sell some of mine. I really do have too many of them. But I like the way they ride, and have built wheels for a number of them, so you'll just have to buy from someone else. :) Did you know that Acer Mex turned out a Columbus framed touring bike for a couple of years under their Windsor marque ? Neither did I until one came up for sale here out in Rio Linda.

How does it ride?

Pics?

...it's actually a pretty nice ride. Roughly the equivalent of an Acer Mex Windsor Competition (Suntour components and Columbus frame tubing), but with longer chainstays (and possibly not a full Columbus frame for that reason. I'm uncertain about the chainstays.) When I got it it had tubular tyres and wheels on it.

I can't seem to find any current photos of mine with its new wheels and fenders. I'll take some next time I ride it.

Meanwhile, here is a grab from the internet jungle. His is way fancier than mine, but mine fits me better.

1980 Windsor--Touring Elite

1980 Windsor--Touring Elite