Museum Bikes For Sale

1987 Gitane Vitus 979

Vitus 979 “Gitane”

It’s not a Gitane. While we’re at it, it’s also not a Cilo or a Peugeot or a Motobecane or Cycles France-Loire or anyone else. It’s a Vitus 979.

Vitus was a tubing supplier to a lot of different brands and offered this complete frameset as an option too. Somebody like Gitane, a bike maker with a dozen different steel models would label a Vitus frame as their own (usually omitting the giant Vitus decal on the top tube) and voila! Aluminum bike.

Vitus 979 framesets were made of small diameter 5086 aluminum tubing that was slip-fit onto aluminum sockets and then glued into place using a heat-activated type of epoxy. Bikes like this one were lighter, springier, and in a lot of instances, more comfortable than what steel bike brands had to offer

Vitus front end

Synchro shift levers

6 speeds

This bike and it’s parts were at the forefront of the mid ‘80’s road bike design revolution. We already mentioned the aluminum frame with its glued joints replacing the traditional lugged steel frameset. As for the parts…

The Look ski-binding style pedals had only recently gained a “foothold” among bike racers, replacing old-style toe clips and straps.

C Record Cranks

Mavic GP-4 tubulars

Indexed or “click” shifters, already popularized in ‘87 by Shimano and Suntour, get the Italian interpretation on this bike courtesy of Campagnolo. I believe we have Chorus Synchro II shifters here, the second version without the little auxiliary lever the first iteration had which allowed the rider to revert to friction shifting on the fly in case the indexing didn’t work. Campy did pretty well with the shifting on this bike considering that they didn’t produce entire drivetrains like their Japanese counterparts. Campagnolo had to design their indexed shifting without knowing whose chain would be used or what kind of spacing to expect the third-party freewheel to have. By about 1990 Campagnolo brought production of these parts in house.

Chorus derailleurs

Huracan Crono saddle

Oh hey, how about the saddle on this bike? It’s not a traditional leather model by Selle Italia or Selle San Marco, which is notable given how traditional road bikes had been for so many decades. This is a Lycra-covered gel saddle mounted on a real racing bike, a Huracan Crono model that resembles the Selle Italia Turbo Bio model that was fairly popular in ‘87.

Complimenting the stripped saddle on this bike we have Benotto plastic handlebar tape.  Popular in the 1980’s for some unknown reason, Benotto tape offered absolutely no padding and hardly any more grip than a raw aluminum handlebar.  So if you wanted shock absorption you were out of luck but at least you could pick an option from among about 30 colors.

This bike is for sale from our museum collection. It’s a 56cm size, good for a rider 5’8” to 5’10” tall, and perfect for enjoying a retro-themed Eroica ride just a tiny step ahead of everyone else. Only $1499.

1984 Raleigh Elkhorn Mountain Tour

1984 Raleigh Elkhorn

This is not just an old mountain bike. This is a grand daddy to modern gravel riding and bike packing. Buy it because you want the comfort and stability of a long-wheelbase steel adventure bike with an added dash of vintage authenticity.

Overhauled and outfitted with Suntour ratcheting thumb shifters, Deore XT cantilever brakes (with the original motorcycle-size levers), Takagi triple crankset and a Nitto Bullmoose handlebar. Updated with a sealed cartridge bottom bracket, Kenda Small Block 8 tires and Velo Orange saddle.
Good fit for a rider between 5’7” and 5’9” tall. $599

More photos in the 1966 to 1985 museum section

1993 Klein Rascal

1990 Klein Rascal

The Rascal was Klein’s 3rd tier mountain bike following the Adroit and the Attitude in the lineup. The ad copy suggested that the Rascal should be considered an “entry level” racing bike, but if you happened to watch or line up at an elite level NORBA race in 1992 you would have noticed Tinker Juarez had selected the Rascal as his racing bike. Tinker probably hadn’t been “entry level” since racing BMX bikes as an eight year old kid.

The real hierarchy to Klein’s off-road offerings involved weight and component integration. The Pinnacle was considered the base model because you could bolt racks to it and it had traditional rear dropouts. The Rascal eliminated those unsightly rack eyelets and shaved away a few grams of aluminum with rear-entry dropouts. The Attitude utilized proprietary headset bearings and integrated component elements like the Klein Mission Control bar while the flagship Adroit stood out with it’s massively oversized (but thin) aluminum tubing, brilliant paint schemes and integration from the handlebar to the fork tips.

Rockshox Mag 20

Deore XT M730

Syncros seat post

I liked Klein mountain bikes. They were pretty, even “plain” candy red ones like this Rascal. They were light, at least a pound or two lighter than the steel Specialized S-Works or Bridgestone MB-1 that I was riding in 1993. Above all, Kleins were modern with their electric paint jobs, integrated components and internal cable runs. If a computer company had been making Klein mountain bikes, it would have been Apple.

This particular Klein Rascal is for sale. It’s a 16” frame size, so it’s good for a rider between 5’1” and 5’6” tall. The original Deore XT equipment works great as does the vintage Rockshox Mag 20 fork. All yours for only $749

Vintage Eddy Merckx

62cm Eddy Merckx

A mid-‘1980’s vintage ride that’s modern enough for everyday use.

The heart of this bike is a 62cm (59cm top tube) Columbus SL steel tubing frame from Eddy Merckx cycles. This one was new in 1984 or ‘85. Instead of sew-up tires you get Mavic MA40 clincher rims and brand new Vittoria Rubino tires. The components are mostly Campagnolo Record from the era but you get the long-cage Rally rear derailleur that supports a more rideable gear range. There’s a Cinelli handlebar and a Nitto stem that will hold those bars in the right spot for someone extra tall.

Record & Rally

San Marco Regal

Centaur calipers

This being a bike for a tall (and probably heavier than average) rider we have brand new Campagnolo Centaur brake calipers which have lots more stopping power than vintage brakes and they still look just right. The chain, freewheel, cables and handlebar tape are all new.

This will fit a rider between 6’ and 6’4” tall the best. $1799.

Davidson Impulse road bike

1990’s Davidson Impulse

This might be the bike you’ve been waiting twenty years to own.

A Bill Davidson handcrafted steel bike. Made in Seattle, with a paint job straight out of a Miami Vice episode. Bill is a big name in the American custom bicycle world. The frame contains dozens of thoughtful design elements, like the Campagnolo dropouts joined to Tange Prestige steel tubing. There’s a chain hook on the seatstay and a pump peg on the steerer tube. The rear brake cable runs inside the top tube, and there are diamond-shaped reinforcements around the bottle cage mounts. Anyway, Beautiful work. Brand new… In probably 1993.

Matching Silca pump

Modolo bars, Shimano Dura-Ace stem

Mavic Helium wheels

The components are mostly new-condition Dura-Ace 7403. You get the slightly more modern Dura-Ace 7700 brake calipers, The slightly older Dura-Ace seatpost and the timeless Dura-Ace handlebar stem with the single hidden entry point for tightening the quill and the bar clamp. The red wheels are the iconic 1990’s Mavic Helium clinchers with Michelin Pro tires.

This is a 56cm size, and it will fit a 5’8” to 5’10” tall rider who prizes comfort, performance and getting the bike they always wanted (even if it’s a decade or two late). Only $1999.

Used Seven Odonata Titanium & Carbon Fiber Road Bike

60cm Seven Odonata $2399

How would you like a nice 18-pound titanium road bike for only $2399?
You’ll have to be fairly tall, this one is a pretty big 60cm size with a 58cm top tube. Let’s call it ideal for a rider between 5’11″ and 6’3″ tall.
The components are all in really nice shape. Highlights include a Shimano Ultegra 6700 group, Wound-Up carbon seatpost, Chris King headset, Torelli Aspect carbon wheels, Fizik Pave saddle, a carbon fork and an Easton aero (flat top) handlebar.

The Odonata model mixed carbon fiber with titanium in a unique fashion, going with carbon seat stays and seat tube for vibration damping and titanium in the rest of the frame for ti’s springy qualities.  We just like it for the “Hey, you got carbon in my titanium… No you spilled titanium on my carbon fiber!” Reeses peanut butter cup joke.

Anyway, the craftsmanship is great and the bike rides superbly.

1986 Fisher Mt. Tam

1986 Fisher Mt. Tam

Too bad we don’t have retro-themed mountain bike races yet…

‘Cause showing up on this bike would be awesome.

This Fisher Mt. Tam is in beautiful condition with fillet brazed Prestige butted steel tubes and a sweet Green Bay Packers paint job. Parts include Suntour XC shifters, seatpost, rear brake and pedals. Shimano Dura-Ace hubs with 600EX model cranks, cassette and headset. There is a Deore (deerhead) front derailleur, a Light Action rear derailleur (with Dura-Ace pulleys), Araya RM-20 rims and a Fisher bull moose handlebar.

The bike comes with new Schwalbe tires.

Bull Moose bars

Suntour Roller-cam brake with Overland brake cover

Tange Prestige steel

This is an 18” size, and will fit a rider between 5’6” and 5’8” tall the best. We’re selling it for the same MSRP as in 1986 (without 35 years of inflation) Only $1299.

Use Bridgestone MB-0 (MB-Zip)

1991 Bridgestone MB-Zip

We’re not going to try to sell you on this bike, you already know if you have always wanted it.

This is a 30 year old Bridgestone MB Zip. It was really the best production mountain bike that you could have ridden in 1991 and this one was treated really well over the intervening decades. It will fit a rider between 5’7” and 5’9” tall the best. It is, by far, the coolest bike you could have when rolling up to the start of a modern gravel race or your neighborhood coffee shop. $1499.

Seven Resolute steel road bike

Used Seven with Sram Red $1750

This Seven road bike is a prize that Logan Owen was awarded when he won his race at Star-Crossed cyclocross a number of years back. It’s a new Seven Resolute steel frame and it hadn’t been put together until just recently. Logan decided to outfit it with the Sram Red drivetrain, a Zipp crankset, FSA handlebars and stem, new Fulcrum wheels, a Selle Italia saddle and Vittoria Corsa tires.

This is a 56cm size, good for a rider between 5’8” and 5’11” tall. $1750.

1981 Ciocc Moscow ‘80

Ciocc Mockba ’80

This is a steel Ciocc road bike made in 1981.
It has a 59cm seat tube with a 58cm top tube, a 100mm stem and 42cm Cinelli handlebars. The frame is made out of Columbus SL cromoly steel tubing. The components are Shimano Dura-Ace 7400 (6-speed, with downtube shift levers), the saddle is a Selle Italia Turbo, the pedals are the first generation Look pro models, and the tires are new Vittoria Rubino Pro clinchers.

Good fit for a rider between 5’10” and 6’2” tall. $1299

More photos are in the 1966 to 1985 museum section.

Used Colnago steel road bike

Used Colnago $1499

Want a Colnago road bike but don’t want to walk all the way to Italy to get one? You can walk into our shop and roll out with one now.

This frame was a trade-in. It was made in the mid ’90′s of Columbus cromoly steel tubing, it’s a 56cm frame and it will fit a rider in the 5’8″ to 5’11″ height range quite well.

We built the bike with new Campagnolo Centaur 11 speed equipment, it has hand built wheels made from Mavic CXP21 rims and Campy hubs. An FSA carbon seatpost holds up the Selle San Marco Regal saddle and you get a Cinelli carbon stem securing the handlebar. While it looks like a bit of a vintage ride, the materials and design are quite modern.

You get a threadless fork and headset (that look old-fashioned) gearing that is pretty easy on the hills, and with all of the carbon fiber bits and pieces the bike end up weighing only 18 pounds. Oh, and it will only set you back $1500.

1994 CarbonFrames (Calfee) Tetra-Pro

CarbonFrames (Calfee) Tetra-Pro

This is an early Calfee carbon fiber road bike made in 1993 or ‘94.
It has a 53cm seat tube with a 54cm top tube, a 100mm Syncros stem and 40cm 3TTT handlebars. The frame was handmade out of carbon fiber by Craig Calfee. The components are Shimano Dura-Ace 7400 (8-speed, with integrated brake/shift levers), the saddle is a Selle San Marco Regal, the seatpost is an American Classic titanium model and there is an SRP titanium and aluminum bolt kit spread around the bike. The rims are Mavic Open 4s and the tires are new Specialized clinchers. We’ll include the working Avocet Altimeter 50 cycling computer in the sale.

Good fit for a rider between 5’6” and 5’9” tall. $3499

More photos are in the 1986 to 2000 museum section.

1985 Guerciotti road bike

1985 Guerciotti with Dura-Ace parts $1799

This is a steel Guerciotti road bike made in 1985.

It has a 61cm seat tube with a 59cm top tube, a 100mm stem and 42cm Cinelli handlebars. The frame is made out of Columbus SPX tubing, which is slightly stiffer for tall bikes like this one than the more common SL or SLX pipes. The components are Shimano Dura-Ace 7400 (6-speed, with downtube shift levers), the saddle is a Cinelli Volare, the pedals are Dura-Ace with XL cages, and the tires are new Continental tubulars.
Good fit for a rider between 6’ and 6’3” tall. $1799

More photos are in the 1966 to 1985 museum section.

1990 American M-16

American M-16

A groundbreaking mountain bike from 1990.

American Bicycle Manufacturing’s M-16 (designed with 16” chainstays), in new condition right out of the box. There’s the raw aluminum frame and the Spinner cromoly fork, Shimano’s Deore XT component group (with thumb shifters and round chainrings), Interlock racing handlebars and an American stem, Mavic M231 rims, a Hite-Rite, WTB tires, all of the old goodies.

Just right for a rider 5’9” to 5’11”. $1399

1985 Schwinn Cimarron touring bike

1985 Schwinn Cimarron $1199

Schwinn was ahead of their time. Way back in 1985 they advertised this bike not as a “Mountain Bike” or an “ATB” (All-Terrain Bike), but as a touring bike. Thirty-five years later the bicycle world is awash with bike-packing-gravel-adventure bikes, so the moment is probably just right to update this machine and sell it as the latest and greatest touring bike! In 1985 Schwinn’s ad copy called their Cimarron model an “Outstanding touring bike outfitted with the world’s finest components.” This bike was out of style for awhile, but it’s outfitted with the finest parts once again.

Bull moose ‘Jones” bar

Front rack

Leather touring saddle

Original equipment dating back to the 1980’s include the Suntour XC Pro seatpost and pedals, the Nitto “Bullmoose” handlebar, Shimano Deore XT front derailleur, crank arms and brakes (updated with modern cables and Kool-Stop pads). The frame features sweet riding butted cromoly steel which was made in America, and the whole package rolls around on vintage Araya rims (re-laced with fresh spokes).

2 x 10 Deore XT drivetrain

Wavy aluminum fenders

The drivetrain has been modernized to a new Deore XT 2 x 10 system (that we can make a 3 x 10 if you prefer). You get retro-styled (but modern) 10-speed thumbshifters, a modern chain, a cartridge bottom bracket, 12-36 cassette along with new Velo Orange “Drillium” chainrings.

The Aluminum fenders and slick luggage racks are made by Velo Orange, the tires are new ones from WTB, and the new leather touring saddle will be customized to you once you break it in.

This bike will work best for someone between 5’5” and 5’8” tall, and can be all yours for $1199. If nobody out there grabs this old Schwinn I’m taking it home myself…

1989 Merlin titanium

54cm Merlin Titanium

This is a titanium Merlin road bike made in 1989.
It has a 54cm seat tube with a 54cm top tube, a 100mm stem and 42cm Modolo handlebars. The frame is made out of 3/2.5 alloyed titanium. The components are Campagnolo C Record (8-speed, with Ergopower shift levers and Delta brake calipers), the saddle is a Selle Italia Flite, the wheels are Campy Shamals and the tires are new Continental tubulars. The Time Racing Magnesium pedals are included, but we won’t reduce the price if you want the bike without pedals.
Good fit for a rider between 5’6” and 5’9” tall. $4000

More photos are in the 1986 to 2000 museum section.

1990 Specialized Allez Epic

Specialized Allez Epic

Re-ride the ‘90’s!

This is a Specialized Allez Epic from 1990. It’s a 54cm frame (54cm top tube, 100mm stem, 40cm bars). The frame and wheels are Specialized carbon fiber, the components are Shimano Dura-Ace 7400 (with dual-pivot brake calipers), the saddle is a Selle Italia Flite, the pedals are Time Equipe models, and the tires are new 23c Continentals.

Good fit for a rider between 5’6” and 5’9” tall. $1999

More photos are in the 1986 to 2000 museum section.

1988 Vitus Carbone 9

1988 Kas – Canal 10 Team Replica Vitus Carbon 9

Team Replica Kas-Canal 10 Team bike.

Want to pretend that you’re one of Sean Kelly’s teammates? This is a Vitus Carbone 9 1988 team replica. The carbon frame is a 52cm size (with a 53cm top tube, 90mm stem and 42cm bars). All of the components are period-correct Mavic parts except for the tires (which are new 25c Vittoria Rally tubulars) and Look pedals. The saddle is a French Reydel GTI model.

Good for a rider between 5’3” and 5’6” tall. $1999.

More photos are in the 1986 to 2000 museum section.

1940′s Colson Flyer

1940′s Colson Flyer

The restoration project.

Everybody loves good before and after photos.  A bicycle restoration project is great at showing the damage that the decades can do, and you get to watch as that damage is erased with fresh paint or new chrome.

A while back, this balloon-tire cruiser came to us as a rusty old relic.  The years were not kind to the old Colson.  While the rust was not deep, it was everywhere.  The owner, a fellow named Gerald Taylor, had a history with the bike and wanted to return the Flyer to its former glory.

Colson Flyer “before”

Gerald’s father had purchased the bike upon returning to the Seattle area from the second World War.  Affordable cars were hard to come by in the months following the end of the war, and Gerald’s father figured he could get around on these two wheels just as well as he could with four.  The bike served as a trusty commuter for a number of years before transitioning to recreational use, and finally retiring to the back of the garage.

The crankset “after”

The crankset “before”

The wheels were beyond repair.  By removing the head badge and the reflectors, we were able to find clean bits of original paint, so the new colors would match.  Parts were stripped off of the frame, and the dents were rolled out of the fenders.

Off to the painter (CycleSmith) went the frame, fork, fenders, and chainguard.

Into the recycling went the chain, pedals, and wheels.

The fenders “after”

The fenders “before”

Rusty bits like the chainring, seatpost, fork struts, handlebars and stem made their way to the chrome shop (Art’s chroming in Bremerton).

Some of the parts that you find on old bikes are still made today.  No problem getting a Wald kickstand, and the reproductions of the pedals and saddle are well worth the price.  Appropriate fasteners are just a quick trip to the hardware store (no allen bolts or torx heads on sixty year old bikes, thank you).

The head tube “after”

The head tube “before”

Jeff, who started collecting balloon-tire bikes decades ago, dug up some great matching wheels and tires from a “donor” bike.  Fresh grease for the hubs and some new spokes made them roll and look just right.

Now, I’d like to say this was a quick project.  But it wasn’t.

Sometimes it takes a while to find the right parts.  You have to get on a painter’s schedule (some have months-long backlogs), and it takes a while to get chrome done (Art’s is actually quite fast).  You may have seen the car and motorcycle restoration shows on television where things move lightning fast.  They use an editor.

The headlight “after”

The headlight “before”

I truly wish we were able to finish this bike sooner, as Gerald missed the opportunity to see his beautiful bike all spruced up.  Gerald fell ill and passed away a few weeks before we were able to finish the project.

The “After” photo is the way this bike would have looked when Gerald’s dad first brought it home.

This bike is for sale from the museum collection.  It can be yours, fully restored, for $1500.