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 Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 12:32 am |
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| antonyfromoz |
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| Joined: 07 Aug 2009 |
| Posts: 6 |
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Dear Chas and Stephen,
I realise that the restoration of most things is more a labour of love than a money making proposition, with the exception of the very rare and collectable. It is just that I have not ridden the bike for so long that I cannot recall much about the experience and I would rather not ship the bike out and then find that I would have been better off spending the money on another, more local, vintage bike from a performance/enjoyment perspective.
Antony |
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When all is said and done, there's a lot more said than done... |
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| Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 4:13 am |
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| sandranian |
| Site Admin |
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| Joined: 27 Feb 2006 |
| Posts: 2701 |
| Location: Southern California |
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| I would say that the ride this bike will afford you will be worth it then. I had a bike of the same vintage...it rode very nicely. |
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| | | | | | | | | Re: Cost of a bike | | | | | |
| Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 12:07 pm |
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| scozim |
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| Joined: 26 Sep 2008 |
| Posts: 629 |
| Location: Ellensburg, WA |
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| verktyg wrote: |
About 2 1/2 years ago I decided to build myself a wet weather "beater" bike so that my nice bikes wouldn't get dirty from riding on wet roads (notice, I didn't say riding in the rain).
Up until then I hadn't recalled ever seeing any Gitanes here in NorCal. I found a 1984 Super Corsa frame on eBay for around $100. I got a crank set with it for an extra $15 and so on. Anyway, I pieced it together with parts that I had or picked up for the job.
I originally intended to spend about $200 max on the project but I figure that it ended up costing me about $400+.
It's become my all time favorite riding and handling bike. While it cost more than I planned which is almost always the case, it was well worth it.
It's not restored by any means, just assembled out of usable somewhat period correct parts.
So like Stephan said if you want to restore a bike do it out of love rather than for the money.
Only a few people make any money off of restoring bikes and they're usually rare hand made high end models.
Chas. |
And, speaking from personally seeing the bike - it is beautiful.
I like the vintage bicycle "thing" to the auto restoration field. Very rarely do you get out of a bike or car what you put into it. However, there is nothing that compares to the satisfaction of having it the way you want it and enjoying the ride. |
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| | | | | | | | | Worthwhile Antony??? | | | | | |
| Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 5:12 am |
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| owen.lowe |
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| Joined: 26 Apr 2009 |
| Posts: 23 |
| Location: Strathfield Sydney Australia |
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Hi Antony (and Chas et al),
You ask whether to restore or not? The worth is in the pleasure of doing. I have a post"Repaint" on the Owners Forum, an Interclub from 1978, and the frame would not bring half the price of the paint job...let alone the cost of all the fiddling and etc etc etc.
My Interclub was as Chas's; a wet road bike, and it did the job so well for many years. But I made the mistake of repainting it, and then had to get another wet road machine - a New Zealand Bauer - because I couldn't bear to see the Gitane dirty.
So, as others have stated, you do the shipping and restoring for love (read nostalgia), or you make contact with me in Australia and I go to your folks' garage etc etc.
Who needs a good reason? |
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1978 Gitane Interclub (steel)
1982 Colnago Oval CX (steel)
1991 Bauer (steel) |
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