mfarr

Hey all,

I purchased this Bianchi Piaggio a few days ago from an older man. He claims to have got it in the early 80s, but doesn't remember what year exactly, and doesn't remember if he got it new or not. I took it straight to a bike shop because it looks and feels like it has been in a garage for many many years. After a tune up and new cables it rides great.

From the research I've done, Bianchi Piaggio bikes are usually from the early to mid 80s, which lines up - but this bike is a 10 speed. The bike mechanic that did the tune up is convinced that it is a 1974 Bianchi because of this and the numbers. Any information provided would be helpful.

The inside of the saddle has "Taiwan" stamped on it.

It would also be nice to know the value. It is always nice to know if you got a good deal.

Thanks!

Sixty Fiver

Your Bianchi is of early 80's manufacture and was produced in Japan for Bianchi while they were owned by Piaggio... the lack of indexed shifters points to a pre '86 model and the 5 speed freewheel may have been used to replace a 6 speed freewheel.

Your bike mechanic should have been able to date the bike with the components... and these are definately not 70's Shimano parts but rather, early 80's kit.

This is an entry level Bianchi but the Japanese made bikes from this era are of very nice quality.

mfarr

Thanks for the info! I knew I could count on the internet. Any idea of the value of the bike? I understand market value makes all the difference.. so roundabouts will work.

randyjawa 

Vintage Bicycle Value is darn close to impossible to predict. Many things influence the value and some have absolutely nothing to do with the bicycle. If you take the time to look through Vintage Bicycle Value, you might get a better understanding of why it is so difficult to predict how much a bicycle is worth.

You can get very close to vintage by applying the information contained in How Old Is My Bike.

And, by the way, welcome to the Bicycle Forums.

Hope this is a help.

Hope this is a help.

Bianchigirll 

are thise pics pre or post tune up? if they are post tune up the mechanic in question seems to have left your stem too high. if you can read anything on the area below the shifters it needs to be inserted deeper in the steerer.



I agree on the age it looks very '83/84ish to me.

as for the value? would you have paid $50 more for it? $20? whatever you paid is the value on that bike for your area. it looks to be in great shape but you didn't get some uber rare highly sought collector peice worth 10x what you paid.

I'll try and remember to tonight to look for more info on the exact year and model but the Z series brakes, tourney crank and 3 tube ChroMoly main lead me to think it is a Sport or Special.


OK I am 99% sure this is a '84 Sport.

wrk101

To your original question, I would say neither. Most bike mechanics know very little about old bikes, its not what they are accustomed to working on. So no to that one. As far as the internet, it is the land of everything, from the truth, to BS, and everything else inbetween. What do I trust? I just look up the date codes on the parts on your bike. Just about everything on that bike will have a date code. Some parts are probably not original, but enough of them will be for the date codes to be pretty accurate. +1 Early to mid 1980s.

As to value, the Asian Piaggio bikes I have seen have been similar to yours: stem shifters, steel handlebars, claw derailleur hanger, steel seatpost, sometimes steel rims, basically an entry bike from that era. Yours has a cromo main frame, which is a plus. Paint on yours looks excellent.

Really depends on what market you are in as to value.

Sixty Fiver

And yet... we seem to have nailed everything except the value of the bike which is really variable due to markets.

Out here in PDX a bike like this would probably bring in $350.00 - $400.00 while in YEG I might get half of that lesser amount only because the bike was in such nice shape and that Bianchi bicycles rate higher prices.

TugaDude

+1 Bianchigirll. Looks like I can see the max. insertion mark (faint horizontal line) well above the headset.

As far as value, as stated above, hard to determine. I would say in my area it is a less than $200.00 bike. Even in great condition, which yours looks to be in.

Location, time of year and what is in fashion all determine price. I've sold some bikes within one day that I wish I had listed for higher prices. At the end of the day I figured I got what I listed it for so I couldn't complain. I've listed other bikes for weeks without a single sniff. And the prices were eminently fair. Tells me that they just don't have a following.

I agree with the statement above regarding Bianchis. Almost anything with Bianchi is going to sell pretty quick. At least in my experience.

TugaDude

BTW, I test rode a Cannondale once where the stem was barely inserted into the head tube. In fact, I could see the expansion wedge sticking up above the headset. I brought it to the attention of the seller and he just shrugged and told me he liked it that way. I couldn't believe the lack of concern, but your can't fix stupid.

I'm glad that folks on here care enough about safety to take the time to question things.

Bianchigirll 

I stil say it is simply worth the purchase price plus or minus $10-20.

mfarr

These are post tune up. Thanks for your comments. That's a great point about the value of the bike. I feel as though I would have paid more than I did for the bike.. So by this logic I got a great deal! Optimism is a good way to live life.

wrk101

Wow! Here in Hooterville, $150 max. Just shows what the local market means to value!

As to the abilities of people on this list, I would put many on this list well ahead of most of the internet. We have several/dozens of avid collectors and afficionados of many, many brands. From Schwinn to Bianchi to Peugeot to Raleighs, to you name it, there are usually multiple people on the list with knowledge on any of them.

Giacomo 1 

OK, what the heck is PDX and YEG? ( I'm going to hate myself for asking...)

Sixty Fiver

These are the airport codes for Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

I am Canadian and my new wife (woot !) is American and over the past 4 years have spent a lot of time travelling back and forth and PDX feels as much like home as YEG.

Am still shocked at the prices for used bicycles here as they are often double what I am used to seeing in my little corner of Canada.

jeepr

Not just Hooterville (that's the restaurant chain, right? ) About the same around me, maybe 170ish, only because it says Bianchi on it.

Bianchigirll 

I believe Work refers to the ruaral area of N.C. where he lives as Hooterville from the town on Green Acres. my brother lives in Havlock NC and calls it Hooterville.

wrk101

Yes, it is reference to Petticoat Junction/Green Acres (both of them were in Hooterville). Middle of nowhere = Hooterville. Actually, I am not in the middle of nowhere, but it is my reference to an average market. You can see some sky high pricing at places like San Fran, NYC, Portland, OR, and a few others.