prairiepedaler

Just saw this local ad. Why would he so vigorously expend with this old frame?

(I dare say he may be a BikeForums member!)

Ex Pres 

$500C ~ $400US, so that helps. And it's a professionally refinished 531C frame, with a couple extras [most of which I'd remove and sell on] thrown in. Optimistic? Yes. But I've seen worse.

jpaschall

I can't imagine how much the frame repairs must have set him back, so his pricing is probably not that absurd if he would like to recoup a small fraction of that investment. Obviously optimistic, and the finish is likely not going to attract a C&V enthusiast, but I've also seen much worse.

tkamd73 

Beautiful build, if it was my size I'd be on that. Tim

tkamd73 

Looking for a 531 frame in my size. Tim

Slightspeed

Sounds like me, but mine is a Super Course. I have over $1000 in my '73, found in an alley scrap pile as a bare frame with fork, stuck seat post and partial Sugino AT crank and BB. I took it as a low $ blank canvas to have fun with, function over originality. I stripped the ugly green paint, built it up and fell in love with how it rode. So I decided to go nuts with frame repairs, paint and decals. Now it's more than an ugly sweet ride, it's a good looking sweet ride. Originality and $$$ be damned. It's not always about the money. Before, during and after pics below. Call me crazy, but I'm a happy guy.

The Golden Boy 

It's not.

Sometimes a bike is worth more than it's worth. I spent an obscene amount of money on my Trek 400. I've seen other people that have also put outrageous amounts of money into bikes like Trek 412s. They're great bikes, and their lower status in their hierarchy has nothing to do with how nice they are or how well they ride.

I'd have a much harder time justifying replacing a tube for as much, or more money than it would cost to buy a new comparable frame. It's one thing to hang an expensive part on the bike- but you can always pull that part off. With a repair or paint job- the investment stays with that frame.

However, if that frame means something to you- then it's value isn't in the money.

There is also a corollary to that- a bike is only worth what it's worth. Don't expect that "upgrades" like a custom paint job or even fancy parts are going to magically turn a $50 bike into a $1000 bike. A Varsity is still a Varsity, regardless of how much Phil Wood is on it.

79pmooney

Like Slightspeed, I did a lot worse than the OP. I have ~$1000 into my Carlton built Raleigh Competition frame I picked up for $80. Got it stripped and examined by a local builder. He saw no braze under the lugs, so the frame is now brazed, the Huret RD hanger modified to work with modern (non-French) derailleurs, the seat clamp refurbished, another WB cage and several cracks repaired. Powdercoat, no decals so it can pose as a beater. (And, sorry Raleigh, but with your work on this frame, you would have to pay me to advertise for you, not the reverse.)

I now have a gravel bike that can handle anything including the washboard at the bottoms of descents so steep hitting the bottom at reasonable speed isn't possible. And I can trust it. Now a completely old-school 531 racing frame for the rural roads of 50 years ago is a blast!

Ben

Slightspeed

The only real frame issues on my SC were cracks at the seat stay/seat tube junction. The previous genius had also ground off the cable guides to make it a fixie, I presume, so I had new cable guides brazed on, added bottle cage braze-ons, and had the cracks repaired. The frame is straight, solid, and fits me perfectly. Its the most comfortable of all my bikes to ride in the drops for long periods. The frame guy may have touched up around the lugs and seat tube. It looks a lot better after paint than before. Funny thing is, the ugly green paint preserved the chrome on the rear stays and dropouts, to a point that I can live with it - patina I guess. I did use a screw mount rear shift cable mount, instead of brazing on the chrome stay. It all works great, and it was my first bike build.

SJX426 

Hurray for you guys! I have a 610 that I paid too much for but will put extra effort into it to make it mine. I figure it will be good enough for me and should suit my purposes. Part of the compensation is the pleasure from riding it for years to come. $ cannot represent the level of pleasure and enjoyment either in the building or the riding.

55/Rad

Never underestimate what someone will spend on something they are emotionally attached to. There are a million reasons and I've exercised many of them.

Unfortunately, that emotion doesn't always translate to the buyer.

55/Rad

3alarmer 

.
...because it's a Carlton Flyer.

DiegoFrogs

I have a '67 Flyer that I love to ride. Bought for $100 as a frame and fork in lousy cosmetic condition with flaking chrome on the fork. Some day I want to fix some dings, have it rechromed and add bottle bottle and rack bosses, maybe canti bosses or centerpull bosses...

rando_couche

Dingdingdingding!!! We have a winner! A Flyer is not just "a 531 bike". It's something special and pretty uncommon these days. There was one in my size with the original red and blue cromovelato paint job on 'bay a while back. I routinely kick myself over not at least bidding on it.

prairiepedaler

Ok, so a Carlton Flyer is a special breed of collectible frame with some nice tubing. Should we capture the pictures of the guys frame and add it to this thread for posterity? I can't seem to grab the large pictures on that classified site. I can only imagine the kind of offers he's receiving, poor guy. This IS Winnipeg after all.

The Thin Man 

This.

$500 alone would be the cost of media blasting, paint, decals, clear coating and pin striping if you brought just the frame in (sans frame repairs). Last week I quoted a frame for paint at Franklin Frame and even a simple job pencils out to way more than you'd expect. If this size fits you and you like the color scheme, I'd say this is a good deal. Not a screaming deal, but a good deal.

kroozer 

I'd be very tempted if I had any extra money right now. US$400 (and maybe less if you can talk him down a bit) does not seem out of line if you count the extra parts-- sell those off and you've got a lovely frame in excellent condition for around $300-350.