# 1979 panisonic



## hotrod (Apr 28, 2015)

have a freind trying to sell me this bike for $50.I really don`t think it is worth that much. what do you think?


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## rhenning (Apr 28, 2015)

If you plan on riding it it is worth $50 but if you are planning on flipping the bike that is all it is worth at best.  I try to never buy ladies bikes as no matter what I loose money on them.  Roger


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## bulldog1935 (Apr 28, 2015)

not the highest-grade mixte frame made (Miyata gets that nod and, yes, there were a few nice Italian mixtes), a butted carbon steel frame.. 
The higher grade frame was also sold as Schwinn Le Tour mixte 
It's worth that price.  http://www.panasonicbikemuseum.info/1979-panasonic-bicycles-catalog/ 
My buddy paid $125 for a comparable-condition Miyata (Univega) to strip down completely and build up for his wife - it came out very nice.  
Looks like it's worth $50 for the frame and the paint (though can't see it that well) - but it looks like very low use and good storage.  
Wouldn't take more than cleaning and packing the bearings to take it for ride (OK, tires and tubes).  



  higher grade frame (still c-steel), 12-speed high-grade components


  c steel mid-grade components


   c steel low-grade components  





here's a quote from Yellow Jersey about serial numbers


> Japanese-built Panasonic/National/Matsupoopa frames are of excellent quality at each price range. You can distinguish them from outsourced bikes by the serial number location. Osaka-built frames are serial numbered on the lower headlug. The second digit is the year, e.g., T5M78563 would be a 1985 frame


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## Andrew Gorman (Apr 28, 2015)

Panasonics are nice quality bikes, but mixtes are a hard sell outside of a college town.  And frankly, even in a college town.  In my mis-spent youth the only ladies bikes I could sell were 3 speed English Racers, and since then, 3 speed English racers, 24" Fuji road bikes and the very, very occasional Terry.  As an old girlfriend said, girls are weird.


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## bulldog1935 (Apr 29, 2015)

My daughter's first big bike was a mixte - Nexus 8 to get her anticipating gear shifts on our hills.  (I took 2 teeth from the chainring and added two to the drive sprocket to widen her climbing gears)
It's still her utility bike (and it's a great bike) but I'm sure the mixte frame detracts from it in her mind. 



The go-fast she built summer before last, is of course a diamond-frame Team Fuji  




bad phone photo, and project not quite finished, but here's what happened to the Univega mixte - Nexus 8 and dyno hub.  


 
when you discuss that you can do basically the same thing with one of these as you can a new Rivendell mixte, the appeal should grow at least a bit


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