gthomson

I hope this is cool as this is NOT my bike but a bike someone has posted on FB marketplace but I really like it. If this is not cool, i will delete this post. I don't think there's anything special about Velo Sport bikes but they made decent frames, decent components for someone looking for a mid level bike. No disrespect to the owner, but he's asking more than what I want to pay for it. Asking price is $320, do you think that's high?

randyjawa 

$320.00 for the Velo Sport is quite high, in my opinion. Here, in Thunder Bay a hundred bucks cnd tops. That said, prices vary a lot from market area to market area. That same bike in a major city, such as Vancouver or New York might fetch$200.00 - $250.00 if the bike is in safe to ride running condition.

gthomson

That's what I thought as well, maybe if it was Italian or Campagnolo? then maybe the price could be justified but I'm pretty sure from what T-Mar has said, VeloSport was a CDN company that put out the likes of Norco, Nishiki, etc... which were decent, but not special.

I think you are right about the value and the market. Toronto is a bit of a vintage bike bubble because they are so popular with the downtown crowd. I was just there today picking up a new frame and there's an old C&V bike locked to every pole on the street. The shame is, they are left out to the elements and dying a slow death.

The further you get outside of the GTA they are just old bikes kicking around that need to be moved. I've seen a number of adds on FB or Kijiji for nice bikes, much cheaper than what it would list for in the GTA.

ramzilla

For $320 it better have brand new rim tape, tubes, tires, chain, brake pads, & handlebar wrap. ...................(I can't tell any of that from my view of this picture). Rack is nice. But, fenders look kinda wonky. Must have been kept in a garage & used infrequently to look that good. ..................Otherwise, looks like about a $200 bike to me.

garryg

In Victoria and Vancouver market that is not an unreasonable price.

gthomson

6 months ago that would have been the same here in Toronto but I think it would be hard to sell in the off season which is probably why it's still on FB a month later. We'll see if this year is anything like last year and the bike market continues to be crazy. I have a nice Sakai bike I'll probably sell if it is.

blakcloud

That is certainly COVID pricing for sure. I bet if they wait out until spring they will get $300 for it. Would I pay that price? Not in a million years, that bike at best is $175 but more like $150.

With all that said remember those are Canadian dollars. The American price is 1/3 of that, so basically a $200 American is the asking.

T-Mar

I'm 3 months late to the party but for posterity's sake the subject bicycle is a 1983 Velo Sport Appalache 12. In the this case, the exact model year is easy to determine. The top mount shift levers were introduced on this model for the 1983 model year and the 1984 version was upgraded to cantilevers.

Essentially, it is Velo Sport's entry level, grand touring bicycle. Besides the centre-pull brakes, there are several other cost concession to the price point. These included double versus triple chainrings, an absence of bottle bosses, using the brake bolts to anchor the top of the racks and a hi-tensile steel frame. However, there was a factory installed front rack which is missing on this example. MSRP at the time, would have been around $395 CDN.

Given the GTA market and another bicycle shortage this spring, it wouldn't surprise me if the bicycle sells soon, if it has not already been sold.

Velo Sport was a full range Canadian brand. The examples that typically surface are entry level and mid-range but they did offer a few high models in the mid-1980s with Super Record and Dura-Ace groups. Prior to Bloor Cycle introducing their Santini house brand, they were even used by the store's racing team, which was arguably the top Canadian amateur team of the era. Still, Velo Sport's high grade models weren't very popular. People looking to spend that kind of money, were more likely to spend a little more and get a prestige Italian brand or maybe, if they preferred Canadian, a Gardin, Miele, Marinoni or similar.

gthomson

Thanks again T-Mar. The seller took it off the market a few months ago but it has put it back on at the same price. I think this will prove a good move for him as the market is starting to really heat up. I have been building up my own tour bike with an older frame I have and though it's very low quality, I am happy with how it's starting to look.

Kurtenstein

I bought one for 200$ (CDN) this summer here in the Greater Montreal area. Initial price was 300$ but the owner let it go for a 100$ less. The fenders had dried up, so did the tires, but the brake levers had been changed for 105s. It’s a real smooth tide! Not high end for sure, but a perfect commuter with wich I can teach myself bike mechanics with no worries. I like the colour - thieves probably won’t!