Pricing an english racer

[dragnusa]

I posted pics of the 3 speed english racer Ive been working on, on my FB page and with in 30 mins I had someone asking what I was going to be selling it for. I dont normally even mess with light weights alone try and sale them. I dont have alot into it but it has new tires and troxel seat with matching hunt wilde grips and I know theres a difference in big city pricing and small town pricing. any input would be great.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

I'd say start at $125 OBO and negotiate from there. I never have any luck selling step through framed bikes or "Girl's bikes" but if it was mine that's where I'd start. Personally I'd part it down and make more off the parts than I could from the whole bike.

 

[dragnusa]

Was thinking 125 too. Something with this one just spoke to me and I had to build it. I have probably 6 or 8 more light weights that I can part out, everything from single speeds to 10 speeds

 

[mikeeebikey]

"Round here," you'd be hard pressed to get a call at $125.00, probably more worth about $60.00 here in the sunniest of Florida.

 

[user 135]

Lube the chain to hide that rust, so it looks like it has been tuned.

 

[Bicycle808]

$75,tops, assuming it's in vgc. Why so low? Well, it's a Sears-branded step-thru with a Shimano 3 speed, so if you bill it as a "English Racer", ppl will likely be disappointed or amused. For the most part, though, it's not got the things that ol' 3-speed enthusiasts lust after; top dollar goes to diamond-framed bikes with sturmey archer gears and classic Brit names (Raleigh, Rudge, Chater-Lea, BSA, Humber, etc). Extra dollars go to bikes with incredibly awesome sprockets, like the hand on earlier Rudge Sports, or the Raleigh bird sprocket, and pimp stuff like dynamo hubs.

I'm not trying to snob on your bike; I kinda like it, especially the brake levers. I'm just recommending that you take what you got into it, and double that, for a fair price. Remember, if you go for top-dollar on craigslist, you'll end up losing money once you factor in all the time you have to spend dealing with craigslist scammers, tool-bags, and d-canoes.

 

[dragnusa]

$75,tops, assuming it's in vgc. Why so low? Well, it's a Sears-branded step-thru with a Shimano 3 speed, so if you bill it as a "English Racer", ppl will likely be disappointed or amused. For the most part, though, it's not got the things that ol' 3-speed enthusiasts lust after; top dollar goes to diamond-framed bikes with sturmey archer gears and classic Brit names (Raleigh, Rudge, Chater-Lea, BSA, Humber, etc). Extra dollars go to bikes with incredibly awesome sprockets, like the hand on earlier Rudge Sports, or the Raleigh bird sprocket, and pimp stuff like dynamo hubs.

I'm not trying to snob on your bike; I kinda like it, especially the brake levers. I'm just recommending that you take what you got into it, and double that, for a fair price. Remember, if you go for top-dollar on craigslist, you'll end up losing money once you factor in all the time you have to spend dealing with craigslist scammers, tool-bags, and d-canoes.

Started calling it a english racer instead of 3 speed light weight cruiser after an older gentleman that stops and chats with me from time to time when Im working on bikes asked me what I was working on and I told him a 3 speed light weight cruiser and he said thats not a cruiser thats a english racer, cruisers have bigger tires. And around me it being from sears and it being a girls bike is a plus.

 

[jerrykr]

"Round here," you'd be hard pressed to get a call at $125.00, probably more worth about $60.00 here in the sunniest of Florida.

I'm thinking the same thing for CL in DFWland. Maybe $75.00 if you play up the new parts.

I try to never put new parts on flip bikes if I can avoid it.
sometimes you have to just to keep them safe, tho.
$$ add up fast, and you have to ask more than they appreciate what you've done.

I bet it will sell, good luck with it.

 

[Bicycle808]

Started calling it a english racer instead of 3 speed light weight cruiser after an older gentleman that stops and chats with me from time to time when Im working on bikes asked me what I was working on and I told him a 3 speed light weight cruiser and he said thats not a cruiser thats a english racer, cruisers have bigger tires. And around me it being from sears and it being a girls bike is a plus.

Interesting. I've gotta go with my gut, here, and tell ya that it's neither English nor is it a racer. It's a light-weight step-thru. I hope you get a grand for it. :mrgreen:

 

[dragnusa]

Started calling it a english racer instead of 3 speed light weight cruiser after an older gentleman that stops and chats with me from time to time when Im working on bikes asked me what I was working on and I told him a 3 speed light weight cruiser and he said thats not a cruiser thats a english racer, cruisers have bigger tires. And around me it being from sears and it being a girls bike is a plus.

Interesting. I've gotta go with my gut, here, and tell ya that it's neither English nor is it a racer. It's a light-weight step-thru. I hope you get a grand for it. :mrgreen:

I know its neither english or a racer, but its the easiest style for people associate with, its like people call any 20 inch with pegs a freestyle bike. At this point I dont care if its called a POS lol. Sold it this evening for $100 and will be picked up by this weekend. No CL or swap listings to deal with, a FB friend seen it on my page and had to have it for his wife that has been wanting a older style bike but didnt want a cruiser.

 

[jerrykr]

you found the perfect match. good going!

 

[Wildcat]

Good! You can't match it with a new bike anywhere. It'll probably last for years too. I had a men's 3 speed Huffy I sold for $85, also in great shape.

 

[rickpaulos]

"Cruiser" vs "Racer" vs "Tourist" vs "Mountain". It's all relative or marketing hype. Schwinn called a Varsity a "Lightweight". If a bike has dropped bars, some people assume its a racing bike. Sure, try racing a Le Tour at your local criterium. Upright bars must be a "touring bike". You sure you want to ride that old 3 speed coast to coast with all your gear on board?

That green bike in the photo? USA made, 1-piece crank, with shimano 3 speed hub. $30 is a good price to get around here. Any that arrive at our local coop get stripped down for recycle unless they are in near perfect shape. We have a 1/3 rule. Spending on parts is limited to 1/3 the sales price and on a bike like that even a new chain would bust the deal. About the only parts saved are the shifter, shift cable and seat. Cheapest of the cheap when new, sold at department stores looking to get in on the bicycle boom, and they haven't improved with age. On a par with what wallymart sells today as "mountain" bikes for $79. (the bikes with stickers that read "not for off road use")

Genuine English made 3 speeds will go for more depending on condition and how much work they need which is usually a lot. Very few have had their bearings relubed since the factory and all needed that done long ago. Most owners and many bike shops won't mess with the cotter pins. Most need tires, chains, tubes, rim strips, etc. Many are run of the mill Raleigh Sports. The "off brands" have more appeal. Robin Hood, Dunelt, Triumph, etc. Raleigh & Hercules would sell bikes under house brand names but those don't have wide appeal because few have heard of them. Chrome fenders are a big plus in good shape. All black are just so boring and common. ~1970 was the peak for these 3 speed bike sales before the Varsity and other 10 speeds dominated the market. 1950s or older can go for a lot more. Older is more valuable.

My latest English racer acquisition was a free barn find but it needs a total overhaul, tires, all cables, seat, chain, tubes, rim strips, bearings and a pigeon dropping sterilization. That could run $300 - $400 at a bike shop easy. The last overhaul I did for a friend took close to 50 hours of labor to thoroughly de-crud, clean, polish, etc plus tires, tubes, rim tapes, chain, seat. That was a early 60s Dunelt and it's getting regular use now since it works so well.

rick

 

[mikeeebikey]

Good show old chap! English, French, American, we all get cash! :lol:

 

[Bicycle808]

Genuine English made 3 speeds will go for more depending on condition and how much work they need which is usually a lot. Very few have had their bearings relubed since the factory and all needed that done long ago. Most owners and many bike shops won't mess with the cotter pins. Most need tires, chains, tubes, rim strips, etc. Many are run of the mill Raleigh Sports. The "off brands" have more appeal. Robin Hood, Dunelt, Triumph, etc. Raleigh & Hercules would sell bikes under house brand names but those don't have wide appeal because few have heard of them. Chrome fenders are a big plus in good shape. All black are just so boring and common. ~1970 was the peak for these 3 speed bike sales before the Varsity and other 10 speeds dominated the market. 1950s or older can go for a lot more. Older is more valuable.

rick

Funny that you say that the "off" brands have more appeal than Raleigh; selling online, you'll have more folks after a raleigh sports than
most others, by virtue of the fact that more folks are searching those terms. Also funny b/c the vast majority of Brit bikes imported to the states after 1960 were just rebadged Raleighs anyway. Robin Hood was always one of the "cheap" Raleigh badges, along with Armstrong. (Humber and Rudge) Triumphs after 1954 were Raleigh Sports, often with more budget componentry. By 1957, BSA was taken over by Raleigh, although BSA-spec machines were still available afterwards. Even all the BCC brands (Sun, Phillips, Hercules, etc) were merged with Raleigh by 1960.

On my local Craigs, it seems that the various "tourist" models, with 28" wheels, command the highest prices and are bought very quickly. Of course, Superbes (and off-badged equivalents) command more $$ too. I'm skeptical of chrome-fendered brit bikes, b/c it often turns out to be aftermarket chrome fenders on em. And, for the record, I'm reluctant to call any bike an "English racer" unless it's a "club" model. Even then, I don't tend to use the term b/c I don't want to come off as some kinda hayseed.

Also, the Varsity is, indeed, a lightweight. For the most part, adult bikes with tires less than 1.5" thick were "lightweights", 1.5-2.0 "middleweight"(typically 1 3/4"), and 2" plus were balloon/heavy weight bikes. Yeah, the Varsity weighs a ton, but it's a far sight lighter than a full dress balloon bike tended to be.... And, by modern standards, none of these things are lightweight.