Hi folks. Further to my post on 28 Apr, I've added a few pics of my 1998 Orange E4 Race. It is completely original spec and I hope you agree it's in a reasonable state for the age. Any idea on a fair price? Should I sell to fund a road bike or keep it?
1998 Orange E4
- Thread starter mikeT
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Old School Grand Master
Most people find using the ..how much is my xyz worth helpfull
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... start=3465
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... start=3465
sylus
Old School Grand Master
The mods will take care of it, just repost your question in the xyz thread, good luck
Also if you are 100% sure it's a 98 then the xyz thread you need is here
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... &start=150
the one i listed earlier was the upto 97
Also if you are 100% sure it's a 98 then the xyz thread you need is here
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... &start=150
the one i listed earlier was the upto 97
It is definitely a 1999 E4 - you can tell even from your low-res pictures (hint, we need better pictures), but the serial number also confirms this.
It's difficult to comment on whether you should sell it to fund a road bike. I wouldn't, but then I do want an E4 and I don't want a road bike. Maybe you're the other way round.
What's holding you back, whether in enjoying the bike or selling it, is the Spyder fork. That's why I would say don't sell it, at least not yet - a. if you don't try it with a fork worthy of the frame, you'll never find out how good it is, b. if you sell it with the Spyder, you won't achieve its full value.
It's difficult to comment on whether you should sell it to fund a road bike. I wouldn't, but then I do want an E4 and I don't want a road bike. Maybe you're the other way round.
What's holding you back, whether in enjoying the bike or selling it, is the Spyder fork. That's why I would say don't sell it, at least not yet - a. if you don't try it with a fork worthy of the frame, you'll never find out how good it is, b. if you sell it with the Spyder, you won't achieve its full value.
Thanks for the feedback. Sorry the pics are a bit poor but had to compress the file size in order to post. The forks aren't the best but they are the original set that came with the bike. I would ideally like to keep this bike but may have to offload to bolster the fund for a road bike (depending on how much it is worth - I have absolutely no idea and would appreciate even a rough guide).
Yes, that was the standard spec that you got for £1,299, but although the XT groupset was fine for that price, the Spyder R was the weak link. Ideally you could have scaped together some more pennies for a Pace, but it's easier said than done.
I think my 98 E4 may be worth more than yours, even though your frame looks in very good shiny shape, just because I've got a 98 RC36 on it. In general, older aluminium bikes don't fetch as much as you might think, because aluminium buyers want disc tabs. My frame cost me £63, which is ridiculous really considering what a good frame it is. But Oranges in general are very good value indeed on eBay. I really don't know why, as they have a great reputation, but maybe familiarity breeds contempt? I don't see you getting more than £250 for it on eBay, and could be less, you just never know. I would advise offering it on here first, as there are plenty of Orange enthusiasts on the forum, and plenty of people well up to the task of upgrading the forks.
I think my 98 E4 may be worth more than yours, even though your frame looks in very good shiny shape, just because I've got a 98 RC36 on it. In general, older aluminium bikes don't fetch as much as you might think, because aluminium buyers want disc tabs. My frame cost me £63, which is ridiculous really considering what a good frame it is. But Oranges in general are very good value indeed on eBay. I really don't know why, as they have a great reputation, but maybe familiarity breeds contempt? I don't see you getting more than £250 for it on eBay, and could be less, you just never know. I would advise offering it on here first, as there are plenty of Orange enthusiasts on the forum, and plenty of people well up to the task of upgrading the forks.
Many thanks for the help although I'm a bit disappointed at the suggested price - getting your frame for £63 is an absolute bargain. I think I will be tempted to keep it in the garage just in case rather than getting mugged on Ebay. Looks like my budget for the road bike will have to be lower!!
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