Question about an older Olmo

[rcmorrow]

Hi all,

I wasn't sure where to write this and thought this may be the best place.

I have my Olmo Competition 52cm Columbus SL from 1984/1985 that I used to race. It is in very good to excellent condition, built up with Campy Super Record (with the exceptions below)....also 1984/1985. Wheels are Mavic MA 40 clinchers, 36 spoke DT dbl butted spokes on Campy Record sm flange hubs. The hubs, bottom bracket and track pedals are all Campy Record instead of Super Record (steel axles/spindles so they wouldn't snap).

I am not sure if there is a market for this bicycle or what the value would be for sale, but at this point I feel it is time for me to let it go.

I have attached a few pictures for reference below. If anyone has some thoughts or suggestions I would be very interested on how I should proceed.

I will most likely put this into the marketplace threads once I have some idea of what to do here.

Many thanks in advance !

Bob

[RedRider]

WOW! She's a beauty. An Olmo Competition, in the same blue, size 56, was my first "real" bike built frame up. Your photos bring back great memories.
It had all the great characteristics of Italian steel of that era and was the frame that I compared with all future purchases.

[shovelhd]

Nice bike. A few notes. I don't think Campy made Super Record hubs. The hubs in the group were Record. It appears to be period correct. There is some surface rust on the chrome that you should try and get rid of. I would use CLR on a sponge. The main question I would have about a bike of this vintage is how clean are the frame tubes. Pull the bottom bracket and take a look. If everything is clean, I would say it is worth $900-$1500 depending on how you sell it.

[Columbus SLX]

Buyer's market these days. IMO I don't think it'll sell very easily over $1000 right now, but for $800 it'll move if you clean it up a bit as mentioned above.

Gorgeous bike!

[rcmorrow]

Yes, they are in fact Record LF 36 spoke hubs. I think I stated that in my original post, my apologies if there was confusion.

The hubs, track pedals, and bottom bracket are all Record and steel axles/spindles. When I originally built the bike in 1985 I intentionally choose those because of the possibility of the titanium being too brittle and snapping, as I had seen with others that had used the titanium spindles or bottom brackets.

The internal frame is very clean overall, I have been careful to maintain that over the years, using spray oil to keep a film to prevent any possible rust or corrosion internally.

Thank you for the suggestion regarding the chrome, I will take care of that.

The pricing will depend on the demand. I was guessing somewhere around the $1,000 range myself, but the market for bikes such as this seems to be highly variable from what I have seen over the years. It could go for anywhere from $500 to over $1,500. It would depend on there being a buyer that wants the bicycle though, so I am aware the asking price may not be set very high in the end once I have enough information to put it into the marketplace threads.

Bob

[Gsinill]

Beautiful bike.
Don't know your situation, but given the history you have with it, isn't there a risk that you might regret selling it one day? Just sayin'.

GS

[LouDeeter]

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=129886&highlight=olmo

I listed this one for a friend. It sold last month.

[rcmorrow]

Many thanks for all the suggestions and links from everyone.

GS...point taken.it is hard to let it go, but I don't want to just have a bike stored/hanging for sentimental reasons at this point and not be enjoyed as it should. I also had a Pugliaghi track bike I trained on from the same vintage (1985) that was just beautiful, but about 10 yrs ago now I realized it also just was hanging and not being enjoyed. A collector from NJ purchased it and was very pleased to have found it available.

Sometimes I make the analogy of the older bikes like these as pieces of artwork........very functional artwork at that, but moving from owner to owner over time. I enjoyed building my rides back in the 1980's very much and also learned how to build wheels at that time, having gotten fairly adept at the art of it all, but now, many years later I am still involved with cycling, but not as I used to be.

Bob

[Wilkinson4]

Bob, how many miles on it? Looks really clean. I think the right buyer would drop $900 or so. Fits me, but I don't need another bike. Do we ever? :)

mIKE

[rcmorrow]

Hard for me to give a number of miles to be honest......I built it in late winter (Feb) 1985 and rode for about 2 yrs while I lived in Austin TX, the 85 and 86 season, and it was the only bike I rode all the time...I did have 3 other bikes that I used on and off, but not consistently as the Olmo......it was and still is a very nice ride and the feel of the quality steel frame can't be matched.

If I had to guess it would be somewhere in the 1500-2000 mile range maybe to give numbers.

I left TX after 86 and then stopped riding for quite a while, living overseas and then coming back to the states and settling into a career that didn't allow time for cycling as I used to enjoy. By that time I had the Olmo hanging/stored and really didn't ride it often at all.

I had started to ride a few newer frames as the technology changed as well as enjoying mountain biking too. My racing and training days are many years past for me now.

Now my only road bike has a carbon frame, not the latest or greatest and a much more long ride/comfort geometry, that I am enjoying. It is easier on me as I am no longer a spring chicken ! I still enjoy riding, but not as often, and also at a much slower pace with my 6 and 8 yr old daughters and my wife.....much more fun now with the family.

[redir]

Everything is nice on that bike except the frame size. It's a small bike and small bikes and large bikes tend to fetch a lower price. If you part it out then you will maximize your profit. That campy seat post alone would fetch $75 easily. It would probably be easy to sell that bike for $750 as is.

[cleans up]

It looks right to me, but there are more expert opinions already in.

I'd consider holding on to it, personally. I had an olmo from about the same era that I sold and later regretted. Sit with the decision for a bit, and if it's not sentimental, you need the space or your not riding then I suppose sell. Otherwise I'd keep it.

Thanks for a set of great pics

[fiataccompli]

There is a classic & vintage bike appraisal section at bike forums.net that you could also poll. The moments here sound ballpark from my own "vintage" bike collecting experience. If money were the only object, parting it out on eBay would net the most of that....but you have a great opportunity to make a fellow rider like me ( but not me in this case!) quite happy offering the complete bike. I own a few bikes where the PO wanted me to own it over some higher dollar options because he knew it would be kept intact and actually ridden in my care.

[rcmorrow]

Thank you for the thoughts and comments. I am really looking for a buyer that wants to keep the bike whole, and not part it out. Often I don't see any vintage bikes that are kept with the original components of the build for a variety of reasons.

I do ultimately understand and respect that who ever ends up purchasing this bike will do what ever they choose as it will be their property. It would just be ashamed not to keep it whole since it is such a classic racing bike of that era.

[cachagua]

This is only my $.02, but I think you could get a little higher price than folks here have said. . .

As a complete and contemporaneous example of a past era's finest craftsmanship, and in the condition it's in, that bike is a collector's item. Also -- separate item -- it's drop dead beautiful.

Consider listing it on eBay, as a buy-it-now, at a couple of hundred dollars more than the range that's been running in these posts. I don't think 1,200 or 1,400 would be out of line. It doesn't sound like you're in a terrible hurry to sell, so there's no disadvantage if it takes a few months, and pricing it high will help ensure that the buyer is someone who appreciates it for what it is. Best of all, starting with a high price is a position you can back away from -- price it too low, it sells, it's gone, and there's no going back.

Another thought: list it high, with the option for people to make offers -- as you receive offers, feel the potential buyers out about their attitude and their plans, and give yourself the chance to select a buyer whose intentions are close to yours. Perhaps it'll be a real enthusiast, perhaps you'll feel like giving them a deal, and everybody wins.

[Llewellyn]

Wow, lovely bike - an Italian classic for sure :)

And it might fit me too :banana:. I might be interested if the OP does decide to sell, and would be prepared to ship to Australia

[rcmorrow]

I lived in Australia for a bit, in the suburbs of Brisbane, in Taringa....it was really wonderful.

Not sure about shipping costs to you, but if you are seriously interested we can research it and see what it would be.

Bob

[Llewellyn]

Sent PM

[rcmorrow]

I went down to my tools and parts storage and found tools and parts specific to this bike also that I will include with it. I attached photos below, but thought I should give a brief description also.

The tools include Campy spanner wrenches, bottom bracket and headset wrenches, the Peanut Butter wrench and cranks removal bolt.

Freewheels that are complete are 2 suntours, and then on the left is a Regina CX (the bike currently has a Regina CX on it also) and extra Regina cogs.

The chain rings are a Super Record 52T, and then the other two are Record, a modified 52T outer and then a 44T inner.

The bars are various Cinellis and Cinelli stems. A Campione Del Mondo, a Giro D'Italia, and also a modified drop bar, using the Cinelli black 1R stem (not sure if the stem is a 1R as I don't remember the catalog naming of them at this point). The longer stems are 100mm for the black, 95mm for the silver 1A, and 70mm for the short silver 1A.

I thought I should include these parts as they are really specific to the Campagnolo equipment and this bike.

Bob

[rcmorrow]

Posted a thread about sale of this bike in the sales threads here:

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=132539

Please let me know if anyone needs any detailed pictures of the bicycle and I can provide those to potential buyers.

Bob