Classic & Vintage - justify any bike you ever bought

Just show your SO this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-Simplex-derailleur_W0QQitemZ7202593570

makes that $2 or $3K frame seem absolutely cheap.
$5k Singer? a bargain.

lol, the page isn't responding, but if it can justify a 5k bike then it has to be bad.

Try it now.

I don't think I could put enough :eek: in this post to do justice to my face right now. Yet another item to add to my list of things to pick up when I build a time machine... put it right after the IPO stocks of Microsoft, IBM, and a couple oil companies.

ok, i seriously don't get it. This is a simplex derailleur right? Didn't these always have the reputation of being relatively crappy? I wouldn't pay that for the first rod linked Campagnola derailleur, even if Tullio came back from the grave to hand deliver it, and threw in a set of quick releases., much less a 1960 french derailleur.

Wonder what the Huret jubilees I threw in the trash would be worth.

Is Ebay used for money laundering or something?

Absolutely speechless.

And, surprise surprise, most of the top bidders were Japanese.

One of our collector friends from Japan.

I dont get it either. Like Merlinextraligh said, Simplex certainly weren't the best gear, so it certainly not something you would want to use. This one has to be extremely rare, but why so valuable? Is this a part someone needs to complete a vintage restoration? But I can't think of an entire bike from the 50's or 60's that would be worth almost 7k.

Rene Herse, Alex Singer. The local framebuilders in Japan are building copies of these bikes and outfitting them with original parts, as well. Keeps the prices right up there, if you want the coolest of the cool.

...This is a simplex derailleur right? Didn't these always have the reputation of being relatively crappy?..Not all Simplex were crappy. Even the delrin ones were pretty decent when they were new. That Simplex 60 may have been the finest Simplex ever made; a real "gem" to some collectors. Even the beat up 543 I recently got at the swap meet looked very nicely made. Wish I could find a few more...

The Jubilee regularly sells for $50-$100 with the short cage (early or late model). The long cage version, a bit more. How many did you throw away...?

All of the bidders were from Japan. I appreciate and, to a large extent, share their love, affection and fetish for French bicycles and componentry. If you look at Japanese manufacturers like Toei, they build bikes today that look like they could have come out of France in the 50s… and I think it is great. Having said that, their willingness to throw Yen at the vintage stuff is beyond my understanding (or financial means!). Now, you’ll have to excuse me… I have to go check my box of Simplex derailleurs to make sure I don’t have one like it hiding in the bottom.

I think what I need to do is find where these people are, do a little "Manchurian Candidate" action on 'em, so every time they see a queen of hearts while they're playing cards, they will immediately spend $5K on one of my awesomely rare Schwinn S6 rims.

Just in time. I've been trying to rationalize my next bike purchase.

... Even the beat up 543 I recently got at the swap meet looked very nicely made. ... Nicely made, perhaps, but very poorly designed. Any parallelogram derailleur will shift circles around it (any slant planograph will do even better), without the bonus hazard of throwing the chain into the spokes if the cable snaps or slips. (Those old Cyclo and Simplex bandspring rear derailleurs are "normal low," in contrast to ALL modern rear derailleurs, which are "normal high.") I originally had a Cyclo bandspring on my 4x3 derailleur/epicycle hybrid transmission, which comprised a 14-16-18-20 cogset, a 1/8" (!) chain, and a standard wide-range Sturmey-Archer 3-speed hub with an extra-long axle. The early Campag. Record with which I replaced it worked FAR better.

Nicely made, ...I originally had a Cyclo bandspring on my 4x3 derailleur/epicycle hybrid transmission, which comprised a 14-16-18-20 cogset, a 1/8" (!) chain, and a standard wide-range Sturmey-Archer 3-speed hub with an extra-long axle. The early Campag. Record with which I replaced it worked FAR better.

But what about the ambience? The vintage style? The... the frenchness of it all? aged wine, crusty french bread, and crusty french derailleurs. That's the life!

especially with the moon coming up behind Mt. Fujiama in the background, apparently...

Heck I thought the idea with SO's was to make them ex-GFs so they drop off the occasional box of vintage parts on my porch... you mean you guys have to justify your puchases?

'Tis a rough life you sorry lot lead... Jaysus, I'll be sayin' a prayer for the lot of ya...

"without the bonus hazard of throwing the chain into the spokes if the cable snaps or slips."

Perhaps we should stick it on the "death bike" you guys were discussing a while back.

The Japanese sure are inneresting... last couple of French frames I've put on ebuy, I've gotten emails from Japan about the frames... not even Singer or Herses, just nice Motobecanes and Jeunets, albeit in midgie sizes...

The Jubilee regularly sells for $50-$100 with the short cage (early or late model). The long cage version, a bit more. How many did you throw away...?

One front and one rear. Got them for $10 used in 1975.

Pogue,

We can only use those bandstring normal-low on a death bike if
we do not use spoke protector (and this is the best reason
to have one I can think of).
I'm guessing the avg Japanese enthusiast is discovering that U08,
Motos, le Jeune's etc. are good riding FRENCH bikes that don't
cost more than a house (what bike do you put a $6k derailleur on?
none I'm betting). Expect to see a run on them (in my size precluding
my ever having a french bike. . .).

marty