Old Bike Bit prices

[orbeas]

Just manged to get hold of sum old 'International Cyclesport ' mags and was ammazed at the prices for parts, thought would share some of them.

ICS 1968
Jacques Anquetil frameset £19 5shillings
Vittoria Silk tubs £4-3/6pence
Zeus 'Grand Sport' hubset £6-3/6pence
TA 'Professional' Chainset £10-10shillings

ICS 1971
Carlton Professional Mk 111 frameset £30
Mercier TdeF frameset £17 10shillings
Silk racing tubs £3 -7/6pence
Clive Stuart 'Professional' with crown and Campag H/set £38-17shillings
Holdsworth 'Professional' complete 12 speed bike £174

ICS 1975
Witcomb campag handbuilt frame £40

 

[hamster]

Average wage in 1972 was around £700. So a Holdsworth Pro was 1/4 of your earnings - about £5500 compared to today...

 

[orbeas]

In 1969 when I turned Pro I was working as a mechanic in a Lotus Dealer - weekly wage £17 per week before deductions..

In 1972 when I raced in Belgium I was paid £100 for a Saturday race and £150 for a Sunday...

 

[roadking]

Just manged to get hold of sum old 'International Cyclesport ' mags and was ammazed at the prices for parts, thought would share some of them.ICS 1975
Witcomb campag handbuilt frame £40

£40 is approximately £285 in today's money; taking inflation into consideration.

Jon.

 

[fiks]

Well, custom frames have certainly inflated a lot in the last 25 or so years. In the late 80s, a 531 custom frame would have been around £200-250 (as rough example). But the equivalent now would be nearer £900 (eg Mercian 631 tubing £750 + VAT).

 

[torqueless]

I can still remember doing my sums in the second half of the '70s... By then a new 531db frame started at about £75. Gears/brakes/chainset allow about £50 each for Campag N.Record. All well beyond my reach at the time, so what I've still got from back then is the bits I could afford- saddle, Cinelli bars & stem- not much more than a fiver each, all the bits that weren't made by Campag. Back then I couldn't make the whole bike I wanted come in at less than about £350- not for want of trying. About £400 would get you just about everything that the pros had back then, bikewise..
I wish I had been as seduction-proof back then as I am now..