Airbourne Valkarie for £200

carl1983

Hi, I have just bought an Airbourne Valkarie titanium bike with Ultegra groupset and ITM Millenium Stem, bars and seatpost it is in great condition and as far as I am concerned an absolute bargain at £200! Would love your oppinions on if this really is a bargain and any review on the bike? I know it was made around 2003-2006 and was a very good ride especially on cornering and soaking up those bumps! Thanks Carl.

nochekmate

Of course it's a bargain at that price (and you obviosly know it too - hence the question ). You could easily double your money (and possibly triple it) by splitting it and selling it. Alternatively keep it and know that you got a good deal assuming all is legit with it.

hypster

I had an Airborne Zeppelin which I bought new in 2002. The weld where the seat tube goes into the bottom bracket cracked at just under five years old and luckily Van Nicholas (who took over Airborne when it folded) honoured the warranty and replaced it with basically the same frame now renamed Zephyr.

That cracked in the same place after only 18 months so VN suggested I try their Chinook (which I think was the Valkyrie). Three years later the new Chinook once again cracked at the bottom bracket weld and was once again replaced by VN.

Two years down the line the latest Chinook has cracked on the downtube this time underneath the head tube and I am currently in the process of VN once again replacing it but going back to the Zephyr. Chalk up two Zeppelin/Zephyrs and two Valkyrie/Chinooks in 11 years, not bad going.

At 58 years old I am not a particularly powerful rider but my 60cm frame is at the larger end of the range which may have something to do with it. I am 6' 4" and 187lbs so not overweight at all so no obvious reason for the failures. Van Nicholas have been brilliant through all this and have honoured their lifetime warranty so no criticism there.

I hope you have better luck than I because they are lovely frames. Just if you start to hear a creaking noise and can't obviously locate where it is coming from, give the frame a very close and thorough inspection. :shock:

noiseboyfeetman

Thats a steal for £200. Oh no its not it's titanium. Enjoy the ride.

paul_smith_srcc

carl1983 wrote:

Hi, I have just bought an Airbourne Valkarie titanium bike with Ultegra groupset and ITM Millenium Stem, bars and seatpost it is in great condition and as far as I am concerned an absolute bargain at £200! Would love your oppinions on if this really is a bargain and any review on the bike? I know it was made around 2003-2006 and was a very good ride especially on cornering and soaking up those bumps! Thanks Carl.

There were two Airborne Valkyrie models, both very good, one had a Sportive set up and the second was their Audax model with mudguard clearance, pannier bosses and a shallower head angle.



The Airborne Valkyrie evolved into the Van Nicholas Yukon; both can be seen in the picture immediately above.

Paul Smith