Barenakeddogs

Hello all! My father is looking for information and valuation on his 1975 Columbia Men's 10 speed racer in brown. Bought new, it's been gathering dust. He's quite adamant that it's got some value, but I wasn't so sure. I'm hoping that you'll be able to help! I've been trying to attach photos but keep getting an error. Not sure how to get that to work. Thank you for your time and have a great day!

T-Mar

The boom era Columbia 10 speeds I've seen have all been entry level models with mild steel frames, one piece cranksets, steel rims and stem shifters. Basically, they were department store level and sold for under $100 US at the peak of the boom. So, you're almost certainly looking at less that that, depending on the condition. Of course, we'll need photographs to be sure and judge the condition. Upload your files to a photo hosting site and post the addresses.

AlexCyclistRoch

Here are the choices:

1)Squat
2)Ugatz
3)Bupkis
4)Gornischt

Choose one of the above. Then, know that your bike is not even worth that.

Your bike is, in good working order, worth maybe $10 over the value of it's weight in scrap metal. Not even worth bothering the time to attach a photo. A good candidate for donation to your local 'bikes for the poor' group, nothing more.

daf1009

I concur with @AlexCyclistRoch ... this bike is not worth much, if any thing...

zukahn1 

Great condition ready to ride these are only worth about $75 for a 26 inch wheel model and $100 fir 27's. In typical as found condition needing some work basically worth nothing cost more to service than there worth.

Trakhak

As several have said, chances are the OP's father's bike is not worth much. But there are a few Columbia bikes out there that are worth quite a bit; more than the usual Columbia, anyway. (I'm glad this topic came up, because I think there are probably a lot of people here who don't know the story of the better Columbia bikes.)

I first saw those bikes when Columbia had a booth at a trade show in New York in the early '80s. They had some very nice bikes there, designed by a custom builder named Peter Ouellette.

If I remember correctly, someone (presumably Ouellette) came up with the idea that any dealer who picked up the Columbia lightweight line would then buy a number of Columbia's Asia-sourced road bikes, which would be built with Ishiwata butted chrome-moly tubing and would come in 2-cm frame size increments (very unusual at that time, when most racing bikes came in 2-inch---i.e., roughly 5-cm---increments).

The bikes were to come in only one color (a sort of metallic salmon), which would reduce the dealer's inventory costs. The color was probably meant to be instantly recognizable as representing Columbia's flagship bike line, the way celeste is associated with Bianchi's racing heritage.

Most important was the fact that, along with the bikes, the dealer would get an assortment of handlebar stems and cranks in various lengths and a sizing system for custom-fitting the bikes to customers. Remember, very few bike shop employees in those days had any sort of background or training in bike fitting. Getting one of these Columbia bikes would have been like getting a bike designed and fitted by an experienced frame builder at the price of an off-the-rack bike.

It was a great idea---and maybe a bit ahead of its time, as demonstrated by the number of people who spend a lot of money for separate custom fitting services these days (note that the fitting would have been part of the bike purchase price with the Columbias). Apparently, though, Columbia's reputation as a bottom-of-the-barrel price point department store/hardware store bike line doomed the venture.

Here's a thread from a few years ago on the topic:

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...-columbia.html

AlexCyclistRoch

Well, certainly a Columbia shaft drive rode by Major Taylor in 1906 would be worth something.....

For the OP, humor your dad. Tell him you'd be honored if he bequeaths it to you in his will, and when the day comes, donate it, knowing that it's not worth much of anything, but can still be useful.

uncleivan 

Here you go....

uncleivan 

elcraft

I have never seen any Columbia branded bicycle of this quality! As T-Mar stated, Columbias were always low end, Department store bikes with one piece Ashtabula cranks and the lowest quality components. This model is astoundingly better than I would have expected. The frame material is Cro-Moly, to boot! I would bump the value up over $200 in my local market.
There might be additional "cache" as it might have been the very best offering they ever had! There were Huffy branded, Nottingham clones and, for a time, Huffy co-branded Carlton lightweights, that have this unusual
"surprise quality from an otherwise lame brand" cache.

uncleivan 

It was on craigslist for $25... when I went to pick it up this morning they just gave it to me... I had seen this thread before, and knew what it was in the listing. I have quite a few bikes, but this columbia had me smiling from ear to ear.

ramzilla

Isn't this a vampire zombie thread?

That will clean up real nice. I'd call that equal to a Fuji Club of the same vintage. Fine lugged Ishiwata steel tubing frame. Looks like it's a good value mid range Japanese bike that should sell for at least $225. Maybe more after refurbished with new parts.

bikemig 

Nice bike with a cool headbadge.

uncleivan 

Yes, its an older thread... just wanted to post an example.

Phil_gretz

I've never, never seen one of those Columbia bikes. That's just something. We'll need to hear how the bike rides, once you've restored it. Very impressed.

55murray

Well, that's just great, now I have to pause and take a careful look at the "Old 10 speed Columbia" bikes on Craigslist...

MsTris10

I see tons of Columbias at thrift stores and such. There’s one outside abandoned on the stairwell right now. It’s pretty banged up & weathered but I guess an ok bike trail rider from what I’ve heard. I thought I had found a vintage gem!

Those bike boom bikes trick me every time!

Mendelsber

so my 1976 that I delivered the Boston Globe with isn’t worth anything other than nostalgia?

bikemike73 

Hey Mendelsbar.....

.probably not worth that much.

But if you like it and it's ridable, enjoy it

My friend had a Columbia in the early 70s....probably 1972 or 3.

As others have said.....department store bike that sold for $99.00