Binky

Gentlemen:

Although I have been avoiding acquiring bikes because they tend to fill up the house unless I am careful, but this morning I spied this vintage 14-speed Japanese Quintana Roo bike that showed up on the local buy and sell for the price of a couple of cases of domestic beer, and made the effort to pick it up.

It has Araya wheels with clincher tires and the full alloy RADIUS group - Suntour Radius alloy derailleurs and shifters, Sakae Radius cranks with decent alloy chain rings, and Dia Compe Radius cantilever brakes.

Filthy, I know, but it has potential. Most of the marks on the frame are peculiar little blue splashes in the paint, not scratches.
The name scribbled in cursive on the top tube looks like "Liz Downing" but might be somehing else.

Can anyone suggest a date of manufacture and an approximate value ??

Binky

randyjawa 

Great find! You don't see all that many Quintanna Roo bicycles these days. I live in a remote area, an area not really conducive to road biking and, with that in mind, I can only wonder how this managed to find its way all the way to Thunder Bay...




I cannot really comment on the OP bike's value since unusual steeds usually don't have the same kind of value as better known bicycles. That said, were I thinking of buying the bike, my top offer would be $100.00 CND. If I were selling the bike, I would shoot for $250 to $300 CND.

My eight speed Roo is, without a doubt, the lightest and fastest bike in my little vintage collection. It is mechanically sound but cosmetically challenged. Just might get around to paint, art and a full restoration one of these days. However, if is more likely that I will just sell is - hundred bucks US and its yours (plus cost to ship).

3alarmer 

.
...the company specialized in marketing to the triathlete demographic. I'm sorry, but I have no idea of the year and possible current value of yours.
As stated in many places in this and the C+V sales forum, prices seem to be way down on this stuff.

Tri bikes set up like yours are a hard sell, because all the tri guys are looking for the latest, lightest, and most aero. so not steel, and not that sort of wheel.

They are longer wheelbase bikes, so pretty comfortable to ride.

Mr. 66

As for age, more guess than anything. I going to say about 1988-90.

The serial number may have the indicators of whom the manufacturer and date.

jdawginsc 

Assuming the Radius is original, your guess is as good as any on the high side. 1991-92 is probably close.

albrt 

Nice bike. We had one of these at the co-op a few years back and it seemed to inspire a lot of ooohs and aaahs. It kept getting reserved by people but never bought, until it finally disappeared mysteriously. That was the impetus for us to start inventorying and locking up sale bikes.

I don't know the southern Ontario market, but I would be more optimistic than $100. I think I could get $300 or more here in Phoenix but it might take a while. The market is crazy though. A few months ago nobody was buying steel road bikes and now we have people asking about them every time we're open and we don't have many available. That's for co-op bikes in the $150 to $250 range, not the high end or collectible stuff. The market for nicer vintage bikes seems to be super depressed.

wrk101

As always, just look up component codes and add six months. All the Suntour bits are marked.