Selling 1987 Lotus Excelle

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on July 8, 2012 at 11:24pm

Are you asking for estimates of how much your bike might be worth? I'd say probably around $250 if that's a 700c wheelset.

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Permalink Reply by Joe Willis on July 9, 2012 at 12:02am

Why not just turn this into a nice single speed bike? You can make it so you can put the gears back on.

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on July 9, 2012 at 7:20am

It's a very nice vintage steel bike with Ishatawa butted chromoly lugged frame and forged dropouts with adjuster screws.  The wheels should be Araya alloy 700c and on the rear the 6-speed freewheel & derailleur is an early indexed system. Brakes are 105-level single-pivot side-pulls.

I wouldn't say that $350 would be easy, but if you found the right buyer and the frame is really nice condtion with very few chips or scratches and the rest of the bike is in good shape and tuned it wouldn't be impossible -maybe even a little more. 

The hoods look like they are pretty much gone and the bar tape is hard to tell via a picture.  But all in all it looks pretty cherry for a bike of this age and vintage.

Better and more photos showing the details with close-ups, more information (like what size it is exactly) and a detailed knowledgeable listing is VERY important in selling a bike like this.

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Permalink Reply by Michelle Loomis on July 11, 2012 at 8:46am

What size is this bike? I would be interested in buying.

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Permalink Reply by Albany Park Al on July 11, 2012 at 8:35pm

It's a mid-level bike at best, the 'turkey levers' on the brakes are the giveaway.  That's not to say it's bad, it's not, but neither is it, IMHO, a $350 bike unless it is in perfect shape, completely overhauled, and you find the exact right buyer for whom it's the right size and the bike that was stolen from him in jr high or something.

As is, I think even $250 is optimistic.  Color is blue and white, pretty but not remarkable.  Size looks like 56 or 58cm, so for someone 5'10-6' plus. 

As your friend if HE would give you $350 for it or better yet offer it to him for $300 and tell him he can re-sell it for an 'easy' profit.  ;- )

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