trying to identify this bike for appraisal...

so, my girlfriend acquired this bike from a recently deceased uncle. her aunt gave it to her knowing she bikes. unfortunately, its way too big for her. im assuming its a 57cm.

i know its a univega via de oro, but beyond that, im a bit perplexed about it as i try to appraise it for a sale on craigslist.

first thing i noticed, was that it had 622c wheels? there is plenty of clearance for larger wheels. so then i turn to the interwebz. there seems to be a shortage of info. i came across the bike in purple as i tried to identify the year. im assuming its a 1996 based on some other people selling them and an image search.

but all the pictures show a hybrid setup with flatbars, and with 700c wheels. this bike has drops, and adjustable stem and sti shifters. it is STX RC throughout the drivetrain and brakes. 6061 aluminum frame.

the frame is in perfect condition, i dont think it was even ridden once. but i cant figure out why it would have such drastic changes made to it, which would make it so much more expensive to put together than just buy a bike in such a class with the requested set up as standard, and all that to not even ride it.

as far as i know, the STX is midrange for shimano, and im guessing this is a midrange bike as a hybrid - if thats what it originally was. and so is this a bike in pristine condition that is worth no more than $200 - $300 on craigslist?

thoughts?

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Permalink Reply by Mike Fiasco on September 27, 2012 at 8:12am

Isn't a 622 the same size as 700c?

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Permalink Reply by Legacy Frameworks on September 27, 2012 at 8:18am

700c has a bead seat diameter of 622mm

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Permalink Reply by spencewine on September 27, 2012 at 8:26am

Looks like an early hybrid with drops instead of a flat bar. This summer I picked-up a late 80's Bianchi Volpe and my research into that model led me to find that some of the early-to-mid-90 Volpe's were hybrids in the same order. It looks like this model eventually morphed into what is currently the hybrid aesthetic (mountain bike-ish), where as the Volpe moved more toward road bike aesthetic. Regardless, it looks like it would make a great commuter for someone.