1983 Bruce Gordon (Not Rock'n'Road or Chinook)
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1983 Bruce Gordon (Not Rock'n'Road or Chinook)
I need the wisdom of the collective to get a sense of a reasonable asking price for the pictured Bruce Gordon. It was built in 1983, confirmed by the serial number (Gxxyy83). I am helping a friend sell it. He is the original and only owner (other than the SF shop that sold it, that is).
It has less than 1,000 miles on it, probably less than 500 and maybe less than 200. I believe the shop that sold it got it as a frame and built it up in house. This is more or less how it was equipped when my friend bought in the first half of the 1990s. In any event, it sat around the shop around for 8-10 years until my friend bought it. He rode it on a couple short tours I was on with him, but not a lot more than that. It has been garage-bound for 20 or 25 years. It came with the BG-made racks and fenders (ignore the fender lines - my friend took the front fender and rack off years ago and I haven't been able to get the front fender to line up correctly. I'll probably remove the fenders for selling but will include them in the deal.)
Everything works well enough for a short test ride, but nothing more than that - after so many years It needs an overhaul. I will leave that for the purchaser. I hope to sell this here in the Bay Area in person.
Here are the details. All measurements are by me, meaning pretty accurate but not up to aerospace standards..
Frame:
Unknown tubing (no sticker). ST 58cm ctc; TT 57cm ctc. 73.5* head tube angle. 72.3* seat tube angle. 104cm to 105cm wheelbase and 43cm-44cm chainstays, depending on where in the rear dropout you put the rear wheel. 85.5cm standover. I assume British threading all around, but have not stripped it down to confirm. The paint is not Concours pristine, but it is in very good to excellent condition, especially considering it is 40 years old. Not a lick of chrome anywhere.
Drivetrain:
Campy NR triple crank, 51/41/36, 172.5mm, "Strada (2)" on the back (that's a 2 in a circle). Shimano Deore DX rear derailleur, a slant panto version, so clearly a later replacement. Campy 3-hole front derailleur. Suntour barcons, the slightly ratcheting ones we all know and love. I DNK what the chain is. Campy black pedals, Cinelli toeclips, Avocet straps. The clips look like they just came out of the bag.
Wheels:
36 spoke. Phil Wood hubs with some surface rust on the barrels, not bad but they are not show pieces. They have a allen wrench attachment instead of standard quick release; kind of annoying, especially the front wheel with the rack in place, but theft resistant. Ambrosio 19 Extra rims. Standard issue Suntour 5sp freewheel. I DNK what the spokes are. Wheels spin very nicely and are true.
Braking:
Campy single pivot calipers, domed QR lever, replacement non-Campy pads (integrated into the post, so no holder). Shimano 105 aero levers.
Cockpit:
SR "Modolo" bars (black, scratched to hell by my friend when he installed them - no problem functionally, but kind of ugly). Specialized stem. Way too many layers of bar tape. Seat: Avocet Touring III. Seat post: Campy one-bolt, 27.0mm.
As I said, it needs an overhaul - it still has the original cables and I believe the original rubber. Tires hold air, but I would not trust them for more than around the block.
So, what'cha think a reasonable price is for this bike? Thank in advance.
It has less than 1,000 miles on it, probably less than 500 and maybe less than 200. I believe the shop that sold it got it as a frame and built it up in house. This is more or less how it was equipped when my friend bought in the first half of the 1990s. In any event, it sat around the shop around for 8-10 years until my friend bought it. He rode it on a couple short tours I was on with him, but not a lot more than that. It has been garage-bound for 20 or 25 years. It came with the BG-made racks and fenders (ignore the fender lines - my friend took the front fender and rack off years ago and I haven't been able to get the front fender to line up correctly. I'll probably remove the fenders for selling but will include them in the deal.)
Everything works well enough for a short test ride, but nothing more than that - after so many years It needs an overhaul. I will leave that for the purchaser. I hope to sell this here in the Bay Area in person.
Here are the details. All measurements are by me, meaning pretty accurate but not up to aerospace standards..
Frame:
Unknown tubing (no sticker). ST 58cm ctc; TT 57cm ctc. 73.5* head tube angle. 72.3* seat tube angle. 104cm to 105cm wheelbase and 43cm-44cm chainstays, depending on where in the rear dropout you put the rear wheel. 85.5cm standover. I assume British threading all around, but have not stripped it down to confirm. The paint is not Concours pristine, but it is in very good to excellent condition, especially considering it is 40 years old. Not a lick of chrome anywhere.
Drivetrain:
Campy NR triple crank, 51/41/36, 172.5mm, "Strada (2)" on the back (that's a 2 in a circle). Shimano Deore DX rear derailleur, a slant panto version, so clearly a later replacement. Campy 3-hole front derailleur. Suntour barcons, the slightly ratcheting ones we all know and love. I DNK what the chain is. Campy black pedals, Cinelli toeclips, Avocet straps. The clips look like they just came out of the bag.
Wheels:
36 spoke. Phil Wood hubs with some surface rust on the barrels, not bad but they are not show pieces. They have a allen wrench attachment instead of standard quick release; kind of annoying, especially the front wheel with the rack in place, but theft resistant. Ambrosio 19 Extra rims. Standard issue Suntour 5sp freewheel. I DNK what the spokes are. Wheels spin very nicely and are true.
Braking:
Campy single pivot calipers, domed QR lever, replacement non-Campy pads (integrated into the post, so no holder). Shimano 105 aero levers.
Cockpit:
SR "Modolo" bars (black, scratched to hell by my friend when he installed them - no problem functionally, but kind of ugly). Specialized stem. Way too many layers of bar tape. Seat: Avocet Touring III. Seat post: Campy one-bolt, 27.0mm.
As I said, it needs an overhaul - it still has the original cables and I believe the original rubber. Tires hold air, but I would not trust them for more than around the block.
So, what'cha think a reasonable price is for this bike? Thank in advance.
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Bruce Gordon bikes have quite a following. Look at sold listings on E-Bay. But, I'd expect it to be in excess of $1000.
Do you have panniers with it?
Do you have panniers with it?
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If it fit me, I think I'd pay $2,000 for it. Alas, I don't think it fits.
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Ooh those paint-matched fenders are nice.
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If I were selling this, I'd be tempted to replace the crank with a shimano deore quality triple. It's a better triple and won't lower the value of the bike. You can sell the campy triple separately as it is worth some coin.
#8
Crawlin' up, flyin' down
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Democratic Peoples' Republic of Berkeley
Posts: 5,658
Bikes: 1967 Paramount; 1982-ish Ron Cooper; 1978 Eisentraut "A"; two mid-1960s Cinelli Speciale Corsas; and others in various stages of non-rideability.
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Thanks for the feedback and thought. C&V comes through as usual. I (and my friend) have some thing to consider.
No, those got jettisoned on the 1990s when the front ones came loose on a descent and tried to kill my friend. I thought the vision of the front panniers going around and around at speed was kind of interesting, in a perverse sort of way. My friend. on the other hand, was not amused.
Yeah, they look great. But they mount to the racks, not the frame. Let's just say there is a reason why few, if any, fender makers today do it that way. Once they are on and everything is adjusted, they work just hunky-dory. The problem is getting everything adjusted.
No, those got jettisoned on the 1990s when the front ones came loose on a descent and tried to kill my friend. I thought the vision of the front panniers going around and around at speed was kind of interesting, in a perverse sort of way. My friend. on the other hand, was not amused.
Yeah, they look great. But they mount to the racks, not the frame. Let's just say there is a reason why few, if any, fender makers today do it that way. Once they are on and everything is adjusted, they work just hunky-dory. The problem is getting everything adjusted.
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Tough to value - the truly top end tourers like this are sort of variable. I wouldn't sell for less than $1,500 on ebay, or 1200 locally. This might require patience, as indicated by others.