Can you ID this manufacturer, and maybe value the bike?
Discussion
Mate of mine wants to sell his road bike, he's had it about 4 years and it doesn't get any use now he commutes on an mtb.
Obviously it's a luongo, but do any of you know what that is?
Full spec:
Luongo TC2 Concept, Quattro Mono frame. Carbon stays. 55cm seat tube, 54cm top tube, 165mm headtube, 49cm chainstays (centre axle-centre BB)
Fenix carbon forks.
Ultegra front and rear mechs and sti shifters, dura ace gear indicator.
FSA integral headset
FSA energy brakes
FSA gossamer chain set with 39 & 53t rings. 130mm BCD.
Magic stem
ITM carbon bars
Bontrager carbon seatpost
Fulcrum racing etrto 622x15c wheels.
Vitoria zafiro pro tyres.
Any idea of heritage/background or value would be much appreciated.
Obviously it's a luongo, but do any of you know what that is?
Full spec:
Luongo TC2 Concept, Quattro Mono frame. Carbon stays. 55cm seat tube, 54cm top tube, 165mm headtube, 49cm chainstays (centre axle-centre BB)
Fenix carbon forks.
Ultegra front and rear mechs and sti shifters, dura ace gear indicator.
FSA integral headset
FSA energy brakes
FSA gossamer chain set with 39 & 53t rings. 130mm BCD.
Magic stem
ITM carbon bars
Bontrager carbon seatpost
Fulcrum racing etrto 622x15c wheels.
Vitoria zafiro pro tyres.
Any idea of heritage/background or value would be much appreciated.
I reckon the frame is a 're badged' Monoc. They have used the "TC2" and "Quattro" in their model names, and as far as I can see when I searched images, there's a lot of similarity between that bike and the google images results for Monoc.
I don't know enough to guess at a value, but it ain't gonna be anywhere near what a genuine "Luongo" would be worth.
Have a look at this site... http://www.evovision.net/stopsite/monoc/c12.html ...and scroll down a little, to the "MDH 2003 QUATTRO MONO".
I don't know enough to guess at a value, but it ain't gonna be anywhere near what a genuine "Luongo" would be worth.
Have a look at this site... http://www.evovision.net/stopsite/monoc/c12.html ...and scroll down a little, to the "MDH 2003 QUATTRO MONO".
An aluminium frame, with carbon stays and forks, slung with Shimano Ultegra group and FSA chainset, is pretty good kit. The 'racing 7' wheels are entry level for a branded wheel but better than most makers put on a new bike, to be honest. It's certainly not a pile of old junk. Similar spec bikes new would certainly retail (at a guess) at more than £1000 to £1200, dependent upon manufacturer.
Again, I'm very little help with value, as like many cyclists I value my own bikes way above what a sensible person would be prepared to pay for them second-hand. My all Ultegra 'Merida Road Race 905', with it's Aluminium frame and carbon forks retailed at £1560 in 2010. Merida's current catalogue has their best Aluminium frame priced at a penny short of £1000. That comes with Shimano 105 gearing, Shimano R501 wheelset, carbon forks and unbranded brakes. All the kit on your mate's bike is a step up from that. It's the only help I can give with value, really.
Again, I'm very little help with value, as like many cyclists I value my own bikes way above what a sensible person would be prepared to pay for them second-hand. My all Ultegra 'Merida Road Race 905', with it's Aluminium frame and carbon forks retailed at £1560 in 2010. Merida's current catalogue has their best Aluminium frame priced at a penny short of £1000. That comes with Shimano 105 gearing, Shimano R501 wheelset, carbon forks and unbranded brakes. All the kit on your mate's bike is a step up from that. It's the only help I can give with value, really.
I found this while searching (your post sparked an interest)... http://www.peterbrueggeman.com/cr/luongo.htm ...the 1996 bike on there, although a completely different construction, is finished in a very similar colour scheme.
It's not jam-packed with links or info, but may give you a starting point for some more research.
Maybe maybe your mate's is an 'homage' to the original Luongo bikes, or it might even be the genuine article. Getting in touch with Monoc with a frame number might yield a definitive answer as to whether it's one of theirs or not. Just don't tell them it's masquerading as another brand though
It's not jam-packed with links or info, but may give you a starting point for some more research.
Maybe maybe your mate's is an 'homage' to the original Luongo bikes, or it might even be the genuine article. Getting in touch with Monoc with a frame number might yield a definitive answer as to whether it's one of theirs or not. Just don't tell them it's masquerading as another brand though
Edited by yellowjack on Sunday 16th March 17:05
Getting hold of Monnoc is a very good idea, cheers.
It's just weird how it's still got the TC2 logo, like it's only half an homage!
Agreed it's still a pretty decently spec'd, he's hoping for about £400, do you reckon that's achievable? It's not in bad nick and once I've been over the drivetrain with a toothbrush it'll looks much spanglier.
It's just weird how it's still got the TC2 logo, like it's only half an homage!
Agreed it's still a pretty decently spec'd, he's hoping for about £400, do you reckon that's achievable? It's not in bad nick and once I've been over the drivetrain with a toothbrush it'll looks much spanglier.
I saw your thread on BikeRadar, about selling it on his behalf on ebay. The big problem with ebay is that people search for known brands. Well known stuff like Giant/Trek/Specialised can end up selling for almost as much as a new one, high end niche brands can also fetch good prices, but only if several knowledgeable buyers are willing to bid each other up. Monoc and Luongo are unknown brands to the vast majority of newbies, and even to most keen cyclists, so getting buyers to bite based on the 'name on the frame' might be tough. Make sure you sing the spec from the rooftops - make a big deal out of the branded wheels and the Ultegra kit, and folk in the know will get to see it, then cross your fingers and hope it appeals to a couple of buyers who are willing to get into a bidding war.
If it were my bike I wouldn't know where to start really. Your buddy must have a price in mind, a minimum level, so ask him what that is. Then set a starting bid well below it, and a reserve at his 'magic' figure. Then let the bike find it's own value. It'll either pass the reserve and sell, or he'll keep his bike. Take lots of good quality photos of it, and set them out logically, like a tour around the bike, and self edit anything that doesn't actively sell the bike - certainly no blurred or out of focus stuff. With the kit that's slung on the frame I would hope that £400 plus would be achievable, you just need to make sure the bike finds the right audience.
If it were my bike I wouldn't know where to start really. Your buddy must have a price in mind, a minimum level, so ask him what that is. Then set a starting bid well below it, and a reserve at his 'magic' figure. Then let the bike find it's own value. It'll either pass the reserve and sell, or he'll keep his bike. Take lots of good quality photos of it, and set them out logically, like a tour around the bike, and self edit anything that doesn't actively sell the bike - certainly no blurred or out of focus stuff. With the kit that's slung on the frame I would hope that £400 plus would be achievable, you just need to make sure the bike finds the right audience.
AlmostUseful said:
Can't believe they locked it, Jewboi is Avi's (BRS) nickname, we're all one big happy family from the old school. People need to stop being offended on other peoples behalf.
The trouble is, anything with a negative emphasis and 'Jews' together is a touchy subject at the moment, what with the Nicolas Anelka gesture being fairly big news.Nicknames have long been a source of problems, especially when a potentially derogatory/racist nickname is involved. Case from memory, I was in the army, and working with a section commander known to all as "Chalky". A gentle bout of 'banter' between us lowly Sappers and a few NCOs was overheard by a young female officer. She gripped entirely the wrong end of the stick, and several of us were hauled before our troop commander to explain our "racist" treatment of Chalky. Chalky was, you see, a black gentleman. Now this young officer had overheard our whinging banter about having to work late, and our use of his nickname, put two and two together and come up with seven. The point was that Chalky's surname was 'White'. Everyone called White is nicknamed Chalky in the military, in the same way that all Bells are "Dinger" and all Woods are "Plank". No one had even considered the fact that Chalky was a black man when he was 'christened' Chalky, it just followed tradition. It was only when this young university graduate came along and was "deeply shocked an offended" on Corporal White's behalf that we even realised the irony of it. To put it into context, Jim Davidson's act at the time included him impersonating a 'friend' of his, a 'Jamaican' called, yup, you guessed it... "Chalky". Maybe she just didn't find Jim Davidson funny
Back to the subject of the bike, I had one more thought. The use of the TC2 and Quattro Mono names on the frame, along with 'Luongo' suggests to me that it was finished in the red/yellow paint from the factory. Now it may be that 'Monoc' transfers/stickers were removed and replaced by 'Luongo', but if the typeface is the same, the transfers/stickers are likely to have gone on from new too. If so, it may well be that someone was legitimately trading with the 'Luongo' name. I don't know either way what the answer is, but one question to ask is "did/do Monoc build their own in-house frames?" If yes, then they may have supplied some badged as 'Luongo' themselves, if no, then whoever supplied their frames would likely have supplied frames to another company trading under the Luongo name. It's very common with modern carbon fibre frames to see several 'manufacturers' supplying identical bikes, painted and built up slightly differently. The frames come from factories in the far east and are supplied either raw, or pre-painted, to 'brands' to be sold as their own bikes. It's very difficult to get accurate answers on this subject as the 'known brands' are very sensitive about punters finding out that their "Italian Carbon Fibre" frames are in fact mass produced in Taiwan, and available from 'lesser' brands at a lower price too.
Might struggle to get more than £300 as it is not a "known" brand, this time of year people who have that much to spend tend to chase Specializeds or Giants
The components look good though
I would stick it on ebay and emphasise the "heritage" and the decent components you could get a decent price if lucky
The components look good though
I would stick it on ebay and emphasise the "heritage" and the decent components you could get a decent price if lucky
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