iab

If you are interested in C&V, you will want what is called a Sutherland's manual. It will tell you everything you need know about mixing and matching. It is really quite simple when compared to modern bikes.

And I will entirely disagree that rim-brake rims choice is miniscule. You aren't looking. They are as common as dirt. As for clearance, that is easy too. A ruler and caliper will take care of that.

branko_76 

That's a lot of bike for $70, I hope it finds an owner who really appreciates what a nice bike it is.

gugie 

This is up to a 6 page thread now, but I skimmed through it and didn't find anybody post anything giving what I think is the simple explaination why C&V prices have dropped.

When COVID hit, two things happened to the bicycle business. One, supply chains were disrupted, and two, cycling was something that we all could do. No concerts, no amusement parks, no pickup basketball games, etc. Everybody wanted to buy a bike, new or used. I had my best year ever doing 650b conversions, custom racks, frame repairs, etc. Now there's too much new and used bike inventory. These things tend to normalize if you're patient.

Are e-Bikes eating into C&V sales? I imagine somewhat, but I'm not sure if it's significant or not.

branko_76 

I'm seeing a lot of electric bikes and scooters on the road, they whizz by me regularly on the street and on a path that is supposed to be for "bikes", annoying but at least they're not driving gas-guzzling cars.

What really bugs me is this new obsession with battery powered bikes and power tools. Batteries don't last forever so I hope there is a plan to recycle them, we don't need that crap (lithium, plastic, whatever) in land-fills.

SurferRosa

I bet 80 percent of you regulars fully overhaul every bike that passes through your hands. But how many of you take pics of the bare frame and displayed components before you rebuild it?

Take a few minutes to do that and add them to your listings. Good photography and clear, concise messaging sell vintage bikes far more easily than not.

I remember a regular here (for several years, gone now) started a detailed, pic-heavy bikeforums thread on the rebuild of his Specialized road bike. But when he listed it on Craigs, he included like three pics of the full build sitting in his living room. Text like "I overhauled everything" carry a lot more weight if you back it up.

branko_76 

I did exactly that, the bike sold the next day

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...-rehabbed.html

3alarmer

...now you tell me. But yes, the phrase "custom hand built wheels" seems to get lost in the shuffle. I agree I am terrible at marketing. I always just bought stuff I was interested in exploring, and never took the time to sell off stuff. Probably because I am terrible at marketing.

Not disagreeing, but for some strange reason I always thought that anyone who showed up to buy, would see the obvious in a fully restored classic bicycle, with all the consumables replaced and in perfect cosmetic and mechanical condition. I think that was my first mistake. As to gugie 's point about things normalizing. I hope he's right, but with all the new product flooding in from an oversupply in production (the infamous boom and bust bicycle manufacturing cycle), my guess is that it will take some time to play out. And it will involve some sort of partial collapse of the manufacturing and sales of new cycles. Not unlike the '70's bike boom we always reference, as the era of classic junk bikes.

I do think maybe there's less knowledge about what is, and is not, a high quality older bicycle. So I guess if you're trying to sell something, it's on you to emphasize that. Again, something I have trouble with conveying as a general idea.

I guess if there's one thing in favor of C+V prices rising back from the ridiculous, it's that they're not making very many equivalent bikes now. But again, it would need to become trendy again, to a younger demographic. Not sure how that happens.

SurferRosa

Just rebuild 'em again.

cleverbeefalo

Thanks for the rec. I'll check that out.

Not what I meant. Miniscule compared to non-rim brakes, especially on a budget. Options for truly cushy tires end up being get a bike that was 27" and convert to 700c or get a 700c and convert to 650b. I have no interest in tires smaller than 38's. There are likely bikes that fit that I'm unaware of. But let's say I knew of a model, then the next step is spending time searching for that model in my size and it becomes more and more up to chance. My Panasonic is 650b. I'd love to setup another set of wheels that are more trail oriented. The main choices that are actually in stock for those are Velocity, Brevet, Soma Weymouth, every once in a while Ukai comes back in stock, Velo Orange, and Pacenti. And I have to find compatible hubs that are 7 speed. I'd love to have the option to skip it all and pay for a complete set. That's been pretty rare in my searches, but there's an abundance of full disc brake wheels at the ready. That's more so what I was referring to.

Where am I missing the complete 650b's at 126mm OLD in the rear with hyperglide? If it exists I'd be pumped.

iab

Now you aren't playing fair. You want want specific wheels for your specific bike.

But if you are general, most every Italian frame from the 50s/60s will take 700c wheels with 38mm tires. I have always seen at least a couple of examples of that frame at the Madison swap every year. FBM and ebay.it are littered with them for under $300 delivered. If you want to pay a premium, Antonio has a ton of them - https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ssn....m3561.l170197

700c rims or full 700c wheelsets at 126mm are as common as dirt. Get tubulars and you can almost get them for free.

Yes, you will need to switch from your current "standard" that you currently have. But prices are low, it is the right time to take advantage my young padawan.

cleverbeefalo

Hahaha alright fair point. If I could go back and do it all over again I'd probably have purchased a bike that fit fat 700c's, but here I am. Appreciate the good-spirited banter, sir.

Robvolz 

did you say “power tools?”

what wrong w power tools

cinelliguy 

The title of this thread should now be...

Just how far can we stray from the topic?

Guy

branko_76 

Nothing wrong with "power tools", I use them daily for work but 99% have a cord you plug into the wall, no need for batteries.

Steel Charlie

In addition, I'm cheap. I'm also old, fat, and slow. I've ridden high end steel almost exclusively for about fifty years. My two latest purchases are both post-2000 Asian produced steel bikes. Both tig welded. One is a 2005 Specialized Allez Comp (Thermocrom) and the other a 2004 (Haro) Masi (853). Both are 9spd Ultegra. Both ride as fine as anything that I have had. I couldn't buy a set of hotrod modern wheels for what I have in them.
Sometime soon I expect that I will try to sell my Team3V. I don't actually think that I will be successful.

branko_76 

50 years of riding hi-end bikes and you're fat?

orcas island 

Was wondering about that, but it’s all good!

IdahoBrett 

I’ve had 7 bikes listed on my local CL in the last week. Of those 7 I’ve only had 2 ads with pictures that included component and/or tear down and build up photos. Those are the only 2 ads that I’ve been contacted to sell. One is with its new owner and the second is supposed to be picked up this afternoon.

I wasn’t sure having those type of pictures in my ad would matter. But reading your post and experiencing more traffic has me thinking that it might make a difference. So I started to add those type of photos to my listings.

Sample size of one….maybe two. Who knows? It could be that it’s there is more nostalgia for a Schwinn though, because that is all that I’ve been able to sell.

To the overall theme of this thread I have no experiencing selling C&V bikes until this last week. I only returned to bicycles a year ago and have only been a buyer. But my experience so far has been the bikes are selling for less than what the bikes cost in parts.

mhespenheide 

It's long been conventional wisdom that you can make more money by parting out a bike than selling it complete. But it also takes more of your time and effort to create multiple listings, field more emails and calls, and meet with more people.

curbtender

I buy damaged bikes for parts. I just can't bring myself to parting bikes to make money after spending so much time putting them back together. But I guess you gotta do what you gotta do.

merziac

Its kind of what we do.

branko_76 

One concern I have about selling a bike and disclosing the work done is that if something goes wrong, are we liable?

cinelliguy 

I've been waiting 25 years for the market to fall apart. Time to buy some really great stuff!

Guy

merziac

Atta boy, that's the spirit!

C9H13N 

Get a 130mm wheelset and stick it in your frame. Stop making this hard on yourself. Nobody has made 126mm wheelsets for decades.

You can get brand new, fancy silver, 130mm rim brake HG wheelset, even in 650b, in a couple of days, tops.