OK, this is the first vintage bicycle I bought. The seller, a guy from Flen, Sweden had two bikes as part of another deal. I managed to talk to price down from 800 SEK to 500 SEK (about 55 Euro), which in my opinion is still a little too much for the status of the bike.

General Condition of the Mercier (when bought):

• frame is in good condition, but the paint has gone in some parts.
• the pedals were replaced by some plastic pedals
• the wheels are original, but the rust is visible on the rims.
• the handlebar is OK, but I’d change the tape.
• the shifters seem to work
• the saddle is ugly – to replace with a good looking vintage racer saddle
• the rims were rusty