Viscount bicycles

[bigr9266]

I had a 75 model Viscount Sebring 10 speed when I was a teen. Unfortunately the bike was stolen. I recently found a 76 model of the same bike in the same blue color. I have completely tore down the bike and gone over every inch of the metal with steel wool. Polished, waxed, and greased it. Looking almost like a new bike now. Is anyone out there familiar with the Viscount brand and perhaps with their values? I am familiar with the death fork they had as I was a casualty of one myself.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

They were a solidly built, but basic quality bike when new and made alongside Falcon bikes in Barton-on-Humber.
The current market in the UK for old steel bikes is low, unless the bike is a rare or exotic specimen, which a Sebring is certainly not. Even in good condition, I reckon you are looking at well under £100 in value.

 

[raleighnut]

They were a solidly built, but basic quality bike when new and made alongside Falcon bikes in Barton-on-Humber.
The current market in the UK for old steel bikes is low, unless the bike is a rare or exotic specimen, which a Sebring is certainly not. Even in good condition, I reckon you are looking at well under £100 in value.

Beggar the value, if you've got a bike you like. I've got a mid 80s Raleigh Equipe that's worth sod all despite me spending around £600 'modernising' it, in fact the only way I'd recoup the costs is by stripping it and selling the parts, not gonna happen cos I love the way it rides/performs.

 

[Cycleops]

Any change of a pic Mr @bigr9266 ? Love to see it. If it's the one in your avatar it's a bit fuzzy.
Are they sought after in the US? Or British bikes generally?

 

[bigr9266]

Any change of a pic Mr @bigr9266 ? Love to see it. If it's the one in your avatar it's a bit fuzzy.
Are they sought after in the US? Or British bikes generally?

I will definitely post s better pic when I'm done with the bike. I think the Viscount bikes here in the USA are sought for in particular by former owners like myself. They are rather hard to come by. Especially for me because I wanted the Sebring in blue with a frame reasonably tall for myself. Took a long time to come across that.

 

[midlife]

There's loads on the Internet about Viscount / Lambert rise and fall. Back in my day the selling point was the aerospace tubing with indestructible welding. Lol. Later lugged ones with panto work were nicely made

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Beggar the value, if you've got a bike you like. I've got a mid 80s Raleigh Equipe that's worth sod all despite me spending around £600 'modernising' it, in fact the only way I'd recoup the costs is by stripping it and selling the parts, not gonna happen cos I love the way it rides/performs.

I agree entirely. When I buy a secondhand bike I do not consider whether I could make a profit on resale. I do always look for a bargain, but only the sort of bikes that I actually want to keep and ride long term. My old Raleigh hybrids were certainly good buys, but once I'd fitted new Schwalbes and inner tubes to them, the cost then roughly equalled the fair market value - so no point in buying such bikes merely to flip them for a profit. I own them purely because they are nicer than anything available new today, plus they were made in the UK.

 

[Rusty Nails]

This place is a wealth of information......http://viscountandlambert.boards.net

 

[bigr9266]

Any change of a pic Mr @bigr9266 ? Love to see it. If it's the one in your avatar it's a bit fuzzy.
Are they sought after in the US? Or British bikes generally?

 

[Cycleops]

That's a beaut. I always think blue is the best colour for a bike.

 

[bigr9266]

That's a beaut. I always think blue is the best colour for a bike.

Thank you, I agree on the blue color.

 

[Rusty Nails]

I got rid of my early 70s Viscount Aerospace Victor a couple of years ago, the same colour as yours. A lovely light bike but I just wasn't riding it enough so it had to go.

 

[tyred]

I've covered 170 odd miles on mine in the past three days. It's one of my favouite bikes although far from standard. Modern Shimano hubs, modern Stronglight chainset, replacement forks (possible from a an old Dawes), tatty paint but it's the bike which i've covered most miles on and still my preferred choice for longer rides.

This was yesterday, braving the elements.

I have no idea what it's worth.