Aerzon

One of these popped up on eBay recently. I did a quick search to see if anyone has asked about it and didn't see anything, sorry if this is a redo. Crank looks like DA9000, derailleurs look like DA7900 and it is indeed running a 10 speed in the back. Not sure which generation of Dura Ace the brakes and headset are. Wheels and pedals are Ultegra. According to the description the little paint chip in the right seat stay is the only imperfection with the frame. Current price is listed at $1250 and it's been up for a little while.

Mr. 66

That's quite the range of parts, the hs and brakes are DA 7400. Those are probably original, and most of the remaining is not.

I think this is probably high for a bike that has an inconsistent group. I think I would determine the value of the frame first, then the parts.

This one is out of my expertise, more prestigious than most.

Aerzon

That's the main issue with it, rather odd that such a nice frame hasn't been built with one groupset and is instead 3 different generations of Dura Ace, miscellaneous Ultegra, and some other oddities. Agree on valuing frame and parts separately, especially since someone buying this might want to flip those parts and build it up their own way.

Seller also has it listed as a 14 speed in the "About this Item" section, which makes me question if the quoted 54cm frame size is correct....

Bianchigirll 

It looks as though someone upgraded the drivetrain and wheels at one time. Can you easily sell the wheels, cranks and derailleurs, that is assuming they are not your cup of tea

Unless they are a licensed version I think the brake levers are Dia Compe

TugaDude

Personally, given the story about the builder and the obvious quality of the build I'm surprised it hasn't sold yet. The fact it has a mix of parts doesn't matter to the person riding it as much as it might to a collector. What is the magic in having model numbers match?

A quick story to explain why I feel that way. I played golf with a fellow named Mark once who I later found out had played at the collegiate level. I knew him a little but had never golfed with him. As we were getting ready for our round I peeked at his clubs. He had a basic golf bag, nothing special, and in it was a mish-mash of clubs. Took me awhile but I finally figured there were irons from 4 different sets and woods from two if I remember right. I think he even had a 1 iron, something not many golfers have the courage to even hit, much less put into their bag. In addition, none of the clubs were of the modern, oversized, cavity back design. Anyway, we set out to the first tee and he outdrove my driver with his 3 wood. He then proceeded to land his second shot on the green and sink the put for a birdie. We began the round birdie, eagle, birdie and it was then that I asked him about his experience. This was in a charity golf tournament by the way. We were both invited by one of our customers. He was obviously the ringer and I came alone for fun. We ended up winning the tournament handily. I asked Mark, the fellow with the assorted clubs, about his set. He told me it had taken him years to build, and that in his mind each club was the perfect weight, loft and bounce for his game. I looked over at my perfectly matched, oversized head, graphite shafted clubs and just shook my head. What's that about not judging a book by the cover?

Maybe the owner of that bike built it up just the way he/she wanted. Or not, but I hope you get the point.

wrk101

I do hate the ad, calling it a grupo. Geez. On the other hand, beautiful frame. Should ride just fine with that mix of parts. I wouldn't be surprised frame and headset alone are worth asking price.

And it is OK to overpay for a bike as long as it fits your budget. I have overpaid for stuff on occasion (hard to believe but its true), and I have no regrets. When I buy to resell, then I get more focused on price. I have different rules for keeper stuff.


Check the seller's feedback and make sure he has positive feedback on selling and packing bicycles. Doing it right is involved and I've seen bike shops do a poor job of it.


Tesch bikes HAVE sold on ebay, complete bikes from $800 to $1500 (I have access to Terrapeak that gives two years sales history).

repechage

Frame appears in very nice shape.
yes, components have been updated, at one point this was just an out of date racing bike.
the changes can be undone.
parts value recoup is there, cost for alternative 7400 series parts not a big spend unless one needs "new" appearing.

probably a 55 center to top.

I ask appears reasonable.
I have too many bikes including one Tesch S-22. Built for speed they are.

wrk101

FWIW, there are other Tesch for sale right now. One slightly larger, full Campy, but its an auction with a day left. If it were my size, I'd be sniping that one.

This last year, I have been intrigued by American custom builders. Picked up a Stout, a Mikkelsen, a Moulton, and a Jeff Lindsay Mountain Goat. Two have moved on.

GrainBrain

For reference Andy_k has some frames for sale in C&V, with a Gitane with potentially neat provence - asking $400 for just the frame set.

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...e-55-57cm.html

Seems like the Tesch is being sold at cost. There was a guy near me selling period correct high end steel bikes and those were in the +$2k range.

I'll see a bike like this and compare to what a new similar build would cost. A Soma Pescadero frameset is $800 for instance.

wrk101

Agree, vintage bikes can still be a compelling value. For the price of a bottom end road bike at a bike shop, you can often get a top of the line vintage bike. My self imposed rule is no bike purchase over what an entry level LBS road bike sells for. I've bought close to 1,000 bikes over the years. I have only crossed this rule once, with my 1973 Chicago Paramount.

Me, given a choice, I'd rather have a custom built Moulton (or whatever American builder you know), than a generic, made in China, new bike. Go to a LBS with $1200 in your pocket. See what kind of road bikes you can buy.

At some point, collectibles can surpass the price of a new replacement. We aren't there with 99% of the vintage bikes out there.

With nicer vintage bikes, you can get both the awesome construction and a lower price than generic new stuff. Now if you want the latest and greatest technology (particularly true with mountain bikes), then you need to go new, or nearly new used.

TugaDude

wrk101 said "Me, given a choice, I'd rather have a custom built Moulton (or whatever American builder you know), than a generic, made in China, new bike. Go to a LBS with $1200 in your pocket. See what kind of road bikes you can buy."

Amen. I generally agree with Thrifty Bill and I definitely do on this statement. If you compare apples to apples, it is difficult to get a quality-built, lugged frame set for anywhere close to the OP's fully outfitted example.

Companies like All City, Surly, Soma, etc. do still offer quality steel frames, but many if not most of them are tig welded. You do find some lugs here and there, but generally speaking once you introduce lugs into the equation there is a significant price bump.

I think most of us understand that there is a certain "soul" to be found in a really good steel framed bike. Can't be explained, but yet there it is.

Aerzon

Good advice, I've had a bad experience with this once already. My one and only vintage road bike is a Panasonic DX-1000 from eBay. It showed up with part of the driver side crank erupting from the box and a badly bent spoke that later snapped on me.

I'm looking to move up the vintage line a bit for this season, not necessarily as far up the line as this Tesch 101, but I'm open to the idea. Think mid-range and up. The search continues, I'll keep an eye on the Tesch while I consider other options. I recently missed a perfect condition, Columbus Cromor framed Miele with full Suntour Sprint, which would've been quite a nice upgrade from my entry level Panasonic.

BMC_Kid 

I think $1200 is a fair price. If it fits you, go for it. I paid $600 for my Tesch built, all original Specialized Team Allez back in 2006. A very similar bike as the 101 and one that I would think, I should be able to get $1200-1500 for it today, maybe more to someone that wants it bad enough.

alexihnen 

$1,250 is a fair price if you're OK with putting some work into it. That said, on eBay you're paying sales tax and then shipping...so $1,600+? I'd wonder about the rear spread - whether it's been reset, or the 10spd rear end just jammed in there. As a buyer, I'd prefer if it were jammed in there and it was still set to 126mm. I've seen a few Tesch bikes listed for quite a bit more. No idea if they sold. It looks like a 54-55cm to me FWIW. I bought my with a Chorus group for less, sold off the group and assembled with DA 7400. It's a great riding bike.

Aerzon

Seller confirmed measurements, it is indeed my size. (53cm seat tube, 54cm top tube)
Offer is for 1100+150 shipping, so 1250 total + tax. (Not sure if the shipping is also taxed?) I'd probably want to sell off the group that's there and make it a complete 7400 or 7700 at some point.

Still not sure about it, it's only February*. Lots of time to find a nice deal before the snow melts...
I'm surprised this one is still sitting to be honest. Although based on my watchlist, eBay seems rather slow for bikes right now.

satbuilder 

I sold an almost NOS 101 frame 4 or so years ago for $750. Might be a good data point for you.

Caliwild

I've seen similar Tesch bikes on local Craigslist under $1K. In today's market, it seems high to me. There are a lot of deals to be had if you're patient. I recently purchased an almost NOS Tommasini in my size with full Dura Ace 7400 groupset for $550. I'm not saying that's common, but there are deals to be found if you're patient and react quickly when you see something you like. The fact that it's been sitting says that it's priced a bit high. I personally wouldn't pay more than $950 for that specific bike (PS: the Tesch bikes are very racy/reactive, so be aware of that). Good luck!

Aerzon

You're right on that part, good things come to those who wait, especially in the used bike market. I haven't pulled the trigger on the Tesch at it's current price because it doesn't feel like a superb deal and I know a sweeter deal will show if I'm patient.

Unfortunately, my old road bike got left behind when I moved just recently. To explain briefly, I'm looking for two types of bikes right now:
#1: A good condition, mid-level, daily use road bike. Something in either steel or aluminum. For use in a trainer and on the road. (Somewhat easy to find)
#2: A high-end, vintage *lugged steel* road bike. Ex: Panasonic DX-5/6000, Schwinn Prologue, Centurion Prestige, Centurion Ironman Master, Bridgestone RB-1, something like that. A racy vintage bike.

I wouldn't consider myself a collector, I just like the rugged, durable feel and value that older bikes present. I'm not big on the more modern offerings. 1985-2005 is the age range that interests me, with early 90s lugged steel being the most ideal. Late 90s aluminum can be nice too. ​I'm being patient and enjoying the browsing aspect, trying not to jump on anything too quickly. Maybe someday I'll post a "Want to Buy" in C&V sales and see if anything turns up.

PS: If any of you are interested in the Tesch, it looks like the listing ends soon. If it doesn't sell, it may get reposted at a lower price. Perhaps someone could snag a nice deal on it, depending on how long it sits. Cheers guys. Thanks to everyone who commented, I'm still following the listing for the moment.

Alan K

About 18 years ago I purchased a Tesch with Shimano 600 tricolor group set from someone I know, who got a custom size built for him. I knew the person and he asked for about $500, which was paid. The bicycle was in essentially new condition. My son like it so it became his. 😉
But I do ride it occasionally. Still a nice and very responsive bike but I had no idea that even with mismatched parts, they are going got that much.
On the other hand, instead of getting impressed by a large number, I think about what common commodities I can buy with $1,200 today and compare it to what $500 bought 18 years ago- may be it hasn’t gone up in value at all.