How we work

Specs and history

We checked everything on each model page (production years, tubing, parts, threads, how to date it, known faults and the stories behind them) against sources we could cite. Those include period catalogs, the makers’ own histories, Sheldon Brown’s pages, Classic Rendezvous and other collector archives, and restorers’ reports. When we couldn’t confirm a detail, we left it out or said so. Makers changed parts from year to year and market to market, and forty years of owners have swapped plenty more, so use every page as a starting point and check the bike itself.

No guessed prices

We don’t publish price ranges from memory. A price shows on a model page only when it comes from a dated snapshot of that model’s eBay listings (more below), and it always carries the date we checked. Asking prices aren’t selling prices. Before you make an offer, look at eBay’s sold listings (filter to “Sold items”) for the exact model and size and base your offer on those.

Finding listings

Models without a snapshot link to a plain eBay search for the exact model in eBay’s Cycling category, where complete bikes and frames are listed. Expect parts, decals and other models in the results, and read each title.

Condition and fit first

Old bikes fail in ways a listing can hide. Frames crack at lugs and dropouts, rust inside the tubes, get bent in crashes and get repainted over the damage. Parts get swapped, tires and brake pads go hard, and stems and seatposts seize. And a bike that’s a bargain in the wrong size is no bargain. So we always ask for the frame size, close photos of the lugs and dropouts, and the serial number. The checklist on each model page covers what to look at in the listing and what to ask the seller, and our guide to spotting frame damage goes deeper. We want you to pay the right price for what a bike really is, including what it needs.

Product photos

The big photo on a model page and its cards is a representative image, not a photo of any bike for sale. We make it with an AI image model from several real seller photos of that exact model, then compare it with those photos before we publish. Every model gets the same plain studio backdrop so they look consistent side by side.

So the photo shows what the model looks like, not the condition of any one bike. Paint, decals, parts and wear vary from one to the next, and some small details may be simplified. Judge condition and originality from the seller’s own photos, and ask for close-ups of the lugs, the dropouts and the serial number before you buy. Wherever a representative photo appears large, it carries the caption “Representative photo, made by AI from real seller photos. Every listing differs.” Models without one show no photo.

Market snapshots and picks

For each model with a buying guide, we go through the matching eBay listings on one date. We record how many there are, the price range, where most asking prices sit, and a set of listings with their price, shipping, format, seller feedback and condition. The date sits next to the listings, and by the time you read it some will have sold or ended. The “See every listing on eBay” link always opens the live search. When a snapshot has listings, the model’s typical price on the page comes from it. When nothing was listed, the figure is labeled an estimate.

Then we tag the listings worth a look. Cheapest is the lowest delivered price for a complete, rideable bike. Best value is a bike with some evidence it rides, at a below-typical price. Best for beginners and Easiest to get working go to complete bikes in common sizes that need the least work. Collector’s pick is a sought-after version at a sane price, and Project piece is a cheap bike or frame worth rebuilding. Two warning tags flag listings to approach with care. Check the seller means little or no feedback, and Priced high means well above the typical range with no clear reason. These are judgment calls from the listing text and photos. We haven’t ridden the bikes ourselves, and nobody pays for placement.

Independence

No affiliate links. We earn nothing (see the disclosure). We’re not paid by sellers and we’re not affiliated with any bike maker. We run no analytics or tracking cookies.