Ebay and auction watch: let us know if you see something

[SkipdiverJohn]

Some old Raleigh’s do go for a bomb. A refurbished sbdu 753 frame and forks went for over 1200 a couple of weeks ago

That's very much a micro market though, like the Tomasini. I don't think SBDU production even hit five figures, and nice as they are, it's a drop in the ocean compared to the millions and millions of production line Raleighs churned out over the years. Even within that bespoke market, 753 bikes were always rare and conventional wisdom is they are not anything like as durable as 531's - so less have survived.
Niche models aside, the market for quality steel is a buyer's one, and even more so for gas pipe. My own used 531 purchases total just £90 for three bikes that would collectively have been close to £2.5k new in today's money. You would never have picked up quality machinery at such a low proportion of it's original cost BITD.

 

[midlife]

Was it this "SBDU"...

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=402903

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I don't have the degree of knowledge on those things to say if it's a kosher one or a fake, but I know there's no way I'm going to pay over a grand for a secondhand frame & forks no matter what its made of and who made it.
Put it this way if you were to build half a dozen production line 531 frames and a single SBDU 753 frame, into a fleet of mechanically & cosmetically identical bikes and then ride them all in a back-to-back test, do you reckon you would be able to identify which one was which just from the way it rode? I'm pretty sure I couldn't.
In fact I would say it would be fairly difficult to correctly differentiate 18-23 from 501, and 501 from 531 unless you could accurately weigh them. I've got an 18-23 and a 501 Raleigh with absolutely identical geometry, and the difference in ride feel between them is tiny.

 

[midlife]

There was a cycling mag in the states that commissioned several frames made with different tubing all painted the same. Nobody could tell them apart when riding. Early 80's I think.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

There was a cycling mag in the states that commissioned several frames made with different tubing all painted the same. Nobody could tell them apart when riding. Early 80's I think.

Was it Bicycle Quarterly by any chance? I've read some of those that are available online and they appear to be dedicated fans of traditional lugged steel and the tech of the steel era.

 

[midlife]

There's this article but it's not the one I was thinking about, can't remember which mag either. It's been a while lol

http://www.bgcycles.com/new-page-1

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Thanks @midlife, will have another cup of tea in hand in a minute - then give it a read!

 

[southcoast]

Some brands or makes of bike seem to sell for very high prices, but if you know what to look for and don’t follow the herd, some amazing bargains can still be found.

 

[biggs682]

There was a cycling mag in the states that commissioned several frames made with different tubing all painted the same. Nobody could tell them apart when riding. Early 80's I think.

That does not surprise me at all

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Some brands or makes of bike seem to sell for very high prices, but if you know what to look for and don’t follow the herd, some amazing bargains can still be found.

Certain makes and models seem to sell on their reputation. A Dawes Galaxy seems to be the default go-to choice for a Tourer, with the Raleigh Royal also having a following. Both very nice machines, but are they necessarily that much better than everything else as their values suggest? Generally both tend to go for higher prices used than other, less well known, but similar quality bikes.
A lot of cyclists are ultra-conservative in their tastes, and will only buy what they are familiar with. To buy a name you haven't heard of, or a plain frame with no makers decals whatsoever, can be a leap in the dark. The advantage the well-known bikes have is information availability; I can easily find out details like frame geometry for a popular off-the-peg bike, therefore I know roughly what to expect in terms of ride feel.
For a lesser known or custom frame I am left with looking at a picture thinking "is that a 73/73 frame or is that head tube 74? Would it be too twitchy? Is the ride going to be harsh on crappy road surfaces? What size tyres am I going to get away with fitting?"
When buying online you are taking a bigger chance than a face-to-face sale where you can "try before you buy".
I agree there are plenty of bargains out there, but I tend to go for stuff that is familiar to me but badly described or poorly pictured, rather than venture into the unknown. My own experience says even bikes that tend to sell well can be bought as bargains if you are patient, with an element of luck. i often see two near-identical bikes sell at wildly differing prices within days of each other. It just depends who else is interested. A Trader looking for stock to resell won't pay so much as a private punter, because he needs his profit margin, so will bail out sooner. A couple of determined private buyers getting into a bidding war can result in a silly price.

 

[TTSS]

I don't think my Thorn Sherpa on here qualifies for vintage.

It's the first ones they made from 2003.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I don't think my Thorn Sherpa on here qualifies for vintage.
It's the first ones they made from 2003.

The Sherpa looks pretty old-school to me. I've got a 1991 Raleigh 26" MTB in a 23" size made of 501 and add Marathons, mudguards and rear rack, it's a dead ringer for one. Same goes for the 26" Surlys. They are also essentially re-purposed 26" rigid MTB frames.

 

[biggs682]

The Sherpa looks pretty old-school to me. I've got a 1991 Raleigh 26" MTB in a 23" size made of 501 and add Marathons, mudguards and rear rack, it's a dead ringer for one. Same goes for the 26" Surlys. They are also essentially re-purposed 26" rigid MTB frames.

There's a lot to be said for the older non suspension steel mtb's

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

There's a lot to be said for the older non suspension steel mtb's

You're preaching to the converted. I won't entertain owning any other type. Steel, fully rigid, 26" and preferably British made. It does make me laugh though when the likes of Thorn and Surly market these "heavy duty" touring bikes as though they were a completely new concept, not based on something dating back to the 1980's. The only real difference I can see is the odd extra accessory mounting boss compared to an MTB frame, for which they charge a big premium.

 

[booze and cake]

1 of 4 Pegoretti built bikes badged a Pinarello Banesto, made for big Mig Indurain for the 1994 TDF, the last TDF to be won by a steel framed bike.

You had better sit down @SkipdiverJohn because the BIN price, is wait for it £48,000. I admit that is a bit spendy, but it doesn't sound much when you think of it as a museum piece, which this could easily be.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Miguel-I...304067?hash=item1ccb254e83:g:h~AAAOSw3CdcgRtU