Sekine road bike
 

I found a vintage Sekine on Kijiji and the person is asking $460 for it. My gut tells me it is not worth near that much. I'm thinking I should offer no more than $200 for it.

Here is a description (I'm not allowed to post photos yet):

"Classic Sekine road bike. Made in Japan prior to 1973 before Sekine moved production to Canada. The bike is nearly all original. It was recently fixed and tuned up by a professional and is in excellent condition. Wheels are true and 10 speed gears work flawlessly. Schwalbe puncture-protection 32mm tires - almost unworn. Front brake pads are unworn; rear brake pads are brand new. New bar tape. New cables for drivetrain.

Standover height: 89 cm / 35”. Top tube length: 57 cm / 22”. Seat tube: 62 cm / 24.4” Downtube shifters. Cantilever breaks w/extension levers.

Bike is ready for joyful road riding – or the new owner can easily turn it into a gravel bike. Rim width and frame clearance allow for wider tires (38-41mm). Fenders and rear rack can be installed as bike has all necessary eyelets and mounts.

It’s up to the new owner: keep it as a road bike or convert it into a gravel bike. Either way it looks fantastic and retro, all while being a reliable and quick commuter."

What do you guys think?

Thanks in advance 🤙

So little real information in that ad, such as what is the frame made out of, component model, and so on. Most of the Sekine's I have seen were low end.

When an ad is full of fluff, I assume the meat is not there. Not always true, but often that is the case. Someone who takes that much time to write fluff surely could have mentioned positive attributes if it had any.

I'm kind of doubting cantilever brakes. Back in that era, those were quite rare. I've seen plenty of sellers call center pull caliper brakes "cantilever". Of course, without a picture, this is a guess.

Seeing the pictures, my guesses appear to be on target. Me, that bike is a BIG PASS even at $200 (or $100).

Learn how to spot bottom end bikes: steel rims, stamped drop outs, claw rear derailleur hanger, stamped steel RD, turkey levers, likely steel handlebars and seat post, steel hubs, steel crankset. Its not about brand, its about the build.

I love vintage bikes, but IMHO, at the low end, riders are better off with an 1980s rigid frame MTB. Aim high, get a good one. Midrange MTBs will have better brakes, triple crankset, better components, handle almost any tire width and yes, they can be LIGHTER in weight than bottom end road bikes.

Pic Assist - https://www.bikeforums.net/g/picture/25853429

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b38b301c9c.png

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6764dabcf3.png

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b9aea6fb78.png

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...aedd2c0925.png

I would value this bike at about the cost of the tires, assuming they’re new.

:lol:. Fair enough, thank you.

Ok, so my gut was right after all :P
Plenty to digest in your reply - I appreciate the detailed info :)

I will pass on the bike after all.

Cheers!

Ok, so my gut was right after all :P
Plenty to digest in your reply - I appreciate the detailed info :)

I will pass on the bike after all.

Cheers!

That dork disk is shiny (and I like the cutouts). Wouldn't pay that for the bike though.

Oh yes this bike is a hard pass at 460.

paper thin dropouts like this are a dead giveaway to a lowend bike. Although there are plenty of older very nice bikes that don’t a derailleur hanger they can be harder for a novice to sort out from the chaff
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...547103ffa.jpeg
This beefier stamped dropout is a better quality frame but may not always be a full ChroMo frame and fork.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...edff113d7.jpeg
A forged dropout is a good sign of a quality frame especially if stamped with Campagnolo, Suntour, Shimano, Columbus etc.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...74fc4c6af.jpeg

Right on, thanks for the info Bianchigirl.
I'm almost tempted to send her the link to this thread lol, but I'll just let it be.

Happy riding everyone 🤙

I seem to remember, back in the day, that SEKINE bikes were all the rage. I think a friend of mine might have one squirrelled away.

We had a decent Sekine frame at the shop. I think it sold for around $275, nicely built out with decent but non-matching components. The guy who bought it absolutely raves about it.

It was a later and better frame than this one.

I have to say that this ad is a load of doodoo. I worked in a bike shop in Ottawa in 1975 where we sold Sekene bikes that were built in Canada. Every single one of them, even the least expensive were much better quality than the one in that ad. The thought that the ones that were not built here were better is ludicrous. Some were, some weren't. I would expect to be able to buy that particular bike at a garage sale at the end of the day for about $25 if I wanted it, which I wouldn't

Lmao! Fair enough man, thanks for your input :)

I'd value it a bit higher since I'd love to get that pie plate for my Sekine SHS 271, :)