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Columbia Dream Machine bike worth?

Old 02-26-20, 02:31 AM
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swells95126
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Columbia Dream Machine bike worth?

What year and how much you think it is worth? I think It is a 1979 and worth around a 100. Please give me your thoughts. Thanks

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Old 02-26-20, 06:12 AM
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T-Mar
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Rusted chain, rims and spokes. One piece crankset, nut hubs, stem shifters. Fork blade ends crimped to form dropouts. Rear stays crimped and spot welded to stamped dropouts. This is department store level and the type of bicycle you can often pick up for free at garage sales. Knock a zero off your evaluation and you'd be in the ball park.
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Old 02-26-20, 09:32 AM
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If you can get $10 for it you have done well in my market.

If this bike was donated to the co op I volunteer at, most would go in the scrap bin. I’d save the grips, bars, brake levers and inner tubes if they don’t leak.

Last edited by wrk101; 02-27-20 at 12:14 PM.
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Old 03-01-20, 06:23 AM
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Those bikes were super common around here in the late 70's, early 80's. Most here were bike shop sold, although they were barely 'shop grade' bikes. The fact they were sold by dealers meant they did have parts support and someone who at least knew how to assemble and set the thing up when it was new.

Back in the day, all we saw at most bike shops were Columbia, Roll Fast, Schwinn, and Ross.

The biggest thing hurting this bike is that its a ladies model. Its basically destined to be parts for some men's model at some point.
I had one of these a few years ago, a matched pair of mens bikes, I listed them for $300 for the pair on CL.
They sat for almost a year but finally sold for $250 to an older couple who remembered the brand from years gone by.
Lately, these old bikes from this era seem to sell better than the higher end bikes because its what folks actually owned and rode on back then.
Most people couldn't afford anything better back then and they bought brands they knew that were American made.
I delivered newspapers back in the 70's on a three speed Columbia Sports for years. I wore out dozens of sets of tires, dozens of sets of bearings, and countless Cycle Pro Odometers.
Every morning before school I'd load up the bike at 5am, it had two saddle baskets, and a huge newsboys front basket with lots of reflective tape all over it. It took the years of pounding riding on road shoulders, gravel roads, and through all sorts of weather. Eventually the rear dropouts gave way, so I welded them up and kept using it. I passed it on to the next person who took over when I got out of school and gave up my paper route back then.
I think I paid $25 for the bike used back then. I killed many bikes along that route but the Columbia kept going. My route had 400 customers, I had several bikes all outfitted with baskets, when they dropped off the papers to me, I'd load each bike and have it ready to go in the garage. I'd make one loop, empty the first bike, then return home, hop on the next and keep it up till they were all delivered. It paid for my first new truck when I was 17.
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Old 03-01-20, 10:42 AM
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Are the wheels 26 1 3/8? I'd maybe take the bar and brake levers but the rest isn't really worth it's weight in scrap.
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Old 03-01-20, 01:46 PM
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What's wrong wih 26x1 3/8" wheels?
More than half my bikes use that size wheel and tire.
Just because its not a high end road bike certainly doesn't make it junk. Sure its not worth $200, but to the right person it could hold a lot of memories.
They were very ridable bikes, I grew up riding Columbia and Ross bikes. They were an American made bike, that sold for a fair price and gave good service.
Not everyone could afford a high end imported road bike. When that bike was new, it was likely in the $80 price range brand new. Some kid probably worked for months just to afford one just like it.
One of my favorite beater bikes is an old Columbia single speed 'Roadster' lightweight. The original rims were replaced 25 years ago with then new Araya chrome steel rims,and the bars and stem were replaced with a new old stock Wald parts. The bike is simple, easy to ride, low maintenance and durable. I use it to get around the neighborhood all the time. Its only accessory is a rear rack with a six pack cooler and a can cooler that's zip tied to the handle bars.
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Old 03-02-20, 01:15 PM
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Originally Posted by oldlugs
What's wrong wih 26x1 3/8" wheels?
More than half my bikes use that size wheel and tire.
Just because its not a high end road bike certainly doesn't make it junk. Sure its not worth $200, but to the right person it could hold a lot of memories.
They were very ridable bikes, I grew up riding Columbia and Ross bikes. They were an American made bike, that sold for a fair price and gave good service.
Not everyone could afford a high end imported road bike. When that bike was new, it was likely in the $80 price range brand new. Some kid probably worked for months just to afford one just like it.
One of my favorite beater bikes is an old Columbia single speed 'Roadster' lightweight. The original rims were replaced 25 years ago with then new Araya chrome steel rims,and the bars and stem were replaced with a new old stock Wald parts. The bike is simple, easy to ride, low maintenance and durable. I use it to get around the neighborhood all the time. Its only accessory is a rear rack with a six pack cooler and a can cooler that's zip tied to the handle bars.

Nothing is wrong with that tire size in theory, the problem is there are very few options for tires and none of them are really all that great. For this bike nice tires would be lipstick on a pig anyway, so no big deal.

Nostalgia aside, yes, this is kind of a bad bike. Steel rims = poor braking, especially when wet, all the parts are low quality, it's very heavy, etc. If you want to spend $100 on a vintage bike, you can get one much, much better.

However if it strikes your fancy, no judgement there, go with what you like.
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Old 03-02-20, 02:33 PM
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First glance is decent enough, study it and the cost to set as much as possible right will invert the value.
I would start with the chain, if it can be made to run freely and reliably... as a learning exercise one will be tested, but it could be made to function, not well, but run.
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Old 03-03-20, 08:01 AM
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I haven't seen any issue buying 26x1 3/8" tires lately? Just don't expect to get them from a local bike shop, but just the same, they don't carry any parts at all these days any how.

The biggest killer to it value as a bike is that its a ladies model.
I'd pump up the tires, oil the chain and polish the chrome and paint a bit and see what it looks like.
Chances are it is due for a complete tear down and relube, the 40 year old grease is likely hard as candle wax by now.

If your looking to make money flipping old bikes, the days of making money doing it are gone.
If you like the bike and want to ride it, learn how to fix it up yourself and go riding.
As it sits, its worth maybe $20 if you find someone who likes it or is nostalgic about the 70's. all fixed up, you will likely spend four or five hours on it, most of them cleaning and polishing, and then maybe be able to get $50 out of it to the right buyer. If it were a man's frame, it would be worth about double that all fixed up but you'll have it listed for a long time just to find a buyer.
I find that the only way to sell a ladies bike is to pair it with a matching men's model as a matched set. About half the bikes I sell are matched his and her pairs.
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