1970 Atala Super Professional
 

I've had this bike for 50 years. I'm trying to find out it's value. It's completely original except for newer bar tape. Any help is greatly appreciated. Alas, I keep getting informed that I am not allowed to post photos until I have made 10 posts. Since I'm a newbie, that's not possible. If you message me I guess I can send pictures.

You can upload photos to your gallery on your user page. We can then see them there.

Thank you TagaDude. I have managed to get the pictures in my album.

I checked and it appears you have no albums currently. Please check the status on your end. Thanks.

Orange with Campanutello what more could you ask for.


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8a9ec249a.jpeg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8484bac33.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bbada9fc9.jpeg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...81dbffb94.jpeg

Bianchigirll, how did you access those? When I go to the poster's page, I don't see anything. Thanks!

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thanks to roadvulcan & Bianchigirll for sharing the machine ;)

plusses for value -

original finish

original kitting

no damage

top-of-the-line model

wheels are evidently a second set since they are constructed with Nuovo Tipo hubs rather than Record

lug pattern: Prugnat 62/d

minor note for Rizzato fans -

interesting to see that junction betwixt paint and chrome on taper tubes is straight
on many quality models from Cesare this is done in a vee shape
the manufacturer seemed to go back and forth between the two

Lygie badged Pro of 1970 -


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1ede0552e4.jpg
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The bike definitely has value. The components themselves have value. This might be one of those instances where the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. I love the look, the chrome lugs, the patina, all of it. Bianchigirll mentioned the orange, and she makes a good point as it is a coveted color. The overall finish is not great. Paint doesn't tend to last long over chrome unless it has really good prep.

Maybe there's an Atala fan here who can give you a proper valuation. As it stands, I'd say plus/minus $400 to $500 and more if you sold the frame and parts separately. That's my best guess.

Very nice bike.

I agree that the wheels are not original. If I am counting correctly, the freewheel looks to be 32T, does a Campy NR work with such a large cog?

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would be inclined to vector a bit northward

values can vary widely depending on location and venue for the transaction

greatest value would be realised with a well done listing on a national or international site but then one must be willing to ship

Atala is a well-known marque with a positive following in the U.S. due largely to the efforts of Sal Corso at Stuyvesant in NYC

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Thank you Bianchigirll for finding the pictures. Thanks to all of you for your input. There is a guy here that restores vintage bikes and he has offered me $300 for it. I'm reluctant to let it go for that much. Honestly, I'm reluctant to let it go, period, but I should. I think it's better for me to be the one to decide where it is going to go. It was my first road bike and I loved riding it. I can't really ride it anymore, yet I keep it. If I had more wall space, I would hang it!
I appreciate what juvela said about posting it on a national or international site. Do you have any suggestions for where? I know shipping is a factor.

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my guesstimate is that if you were to post it on a site with a large national or international readership it would achieve in excess of seven hundreds

you might find the difference between that and your local offer to make it worthwhile posting...

appreciate how difficult if may be to decide to part with it

here is an image of the catalogue page for the 1971 model Professional -

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4de3919f53.jpg
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$300.00? Not a chance in the hot place, in my opinion. Were it my bike, I would want double that and probably ask for three times that offer. I have a bit of experience with a very similar, if not exact same model, and I sold mine for a heck of a lot more than $300.00...
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...67121cdd7b.jpg

I've looked to buy one of these on and off for a while. I've saw one go on eBay at $500 that was in decent shape. I've seen them listed for significantly more and they seemed to languish. This bike could be worth more. COVID and supply chain disruptions have helped raise bike prices but perhaps not as much for vintage bikes as for more modern bikes since most people don't really want a vintage bike like this.

Denver is a big city. I'd say $500 is a likely floor. I'd list it at $750 or so on FB marketplace and CL and see what happens. You can always drop your price if the bike doesn't sell at the higher price. If you were local to me, I'd buy it at $500.

I know this will sound crazy, but profit isn't always important to people. If he's satisfied, he's satisfied. There's no doubt the bike is worth more, but in the end, it's his call.

.
...Atala made so many levels of bicycle, and for some reason I don't see many of the top ones around here where I live.
I have one I got here with pretty crappy remaining paint that I repainted, because I liked the way it rides.

But I think someone has to be knowledgeable enough to recognize that bike for what it is, and also the right size to ride it. Still $300 seems low, but I don't know how much work it needs.
Chrome looks very good in the photos, so that bumps the price +150 from me, from whatever baseline you start at. The paint and decals are kinda spotty (as mentioned, typical of Italian paint over chrome.)
So that's maybe -$150. I'd call the cosmetics overall a wash. It does look like it needs tyres, and who knows what the wheels might require. Still, it's clean overall, and has all the right stuff on it.

If I were buying it here right now, even on Craigslist, I'd expect to pay north of $500. Down in the bay Area, north of $650-700.

If you really are experiencing pain selling it, list it maybe high on your local CL. Then you can tell yourself you're trying, and not get too stressed about how many offers do or do not appear. Doesn't cost anything to list it on CL at $750-800, and it will help you eliminate some of the low ballers, who just want to part it out on ebay. There used to be a lot of those guys fishing on CL. I don't know about now.

Beautiful bike-- what is the frame size? Some frame sizes are more in demand than others.

I have found Denver to be a very soft market value wise on vintage bikes. As a result, I am frequently a buyer there. Anytime a road trip passes through Denver, I will end up finding 4 or 5 bikes. Arrive empty, leave full. If I stay for more than a few days, I usually find too many and end up donating off several. Donated four finds last time I was in Denver.

So getting full value in Denver IMO would be difficult. On that evil auction site on the other hand, I can see $750 or higher.

Among bikes I have acquired in Denver include a Crescent Professional, a Recherche (Dave Moulton), two 1983 Stumpjumpers, a 1984 Stumpjumper, and a 1985 Stumpjumper, my mid 1970s Sakae 4000 Professional, two 1984 Trek 850s, Eddy Merckx Century, Katakura Silk (full chrome), and many more. Denver is a great place to be a buyer, not so hot as a seller.

I find FB marketplace to be the WORST place to sell a bike, but the BEST place to buy a bike. I have several theories for why.

Selling to me means eBay. You must be willing to pack and ship. You WILL receive a 1099 from eBay managed payments. Don't panic, but you will get one and its up to you to prove the proceeds are not all profit. I'd be tempted to list it there, Buy it Now, for $800 plus shipping. The market will tell you if that price is too high (won't sell).

We see a lot of so so bikes on here, and a rare something special. This is in that latter category.

Agree with @wrk101....Consider the cost of packing and shipping in the overall pricing of the bike,....these 2 factors would be of interest to me when not a local sale. The same holds true for parting out a bike, one can certainly get more for the pieces but the time and effort spent may out way the profit gained.
Time is money... I would opt for a local sale.
JM2C's, Ben
BTW a very nice bike with the right amount of patina for my tastes.

It’s safe to assume that the local guy that restores vintage bikes knows its worth quite a bit more than $300. His offer hints at a higher selling price IMO since he’d probably have to make some profit if he ever sold it.

Many buyers of vintage stuff: bicycles, tools, whatever, use their knowledge to an advantage. In any financial transaction, the person with the most knowledge WINS. Its how it works. I can see this linger in the greater Denver market at the $500+/- price point. Might never sell until someone like me comes along and gladly buys it.

A quick glance at Denver FB marketplace shows a lot of competition (sellers of some very nice vintage bikes) in that price range.

Most buyers out there do not appreciate the better stuff. Its just the way it is.

Thank you for your insight. I had a day to think about it and decided not to sell it to him. I do think it's worth more, and since I brought it out of storage, I'm reminded of why I have kept it for so long. I really appreciate everyone's input.

I definitely have learned that the hard way more than once. I didn't fall for it this time. I decided not to sell it to that buyer.

Very good to know!

Yes. I just didn't feel right about the whole thing. I really appreciate hearing from those of you who are being honest with me.