My Road Trip Score - fetching a grail
09-18-15, 06:46 AM
#1
Still learning
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My Road Trip Score - fetching a grail
I hate the high cost of shipping bikes in corrugated boxes, but have had friends help transport bikes from Dayton OH, Elwood IN, Grand Rapids MI, and a Kestrel from @Henry III.
If you've read a few of my posts, you may recall I frequently travel a fairly wide swath of the northeast USA to look in on my parents, tend to property maintenance issues or pleasure. I often search CL or eBay local pickups along the Interstate highways I travel. I have acquired many bikes during these excursions, including keepers such as a pristine Serotta Colorado, 1987 Tempo, 1987 Super Sport, Motobecane Interclub Tandem, Peugeot PGN10, PKN10, and a beautiful Miyata Pista from @OldsCOOL. I won't even begin to list the refurb flip candidates I have picked up.
As an Ann Arbor resident for 30 years, I was aware of the old Nobilette bike shop in town, but was unaware of Mark Nobilette's frame building prowess until reading about him in bikeforums.com as well as his unique contract relationship to build custom frames for Rivendell and Rene Herse. These bikes new are well out of my price range and my preference was for an Ann Arbor built Nobilette.
I tracked the lugged beauty below all spring and summer on Boston CL and eBay. I contacted the seller about it over a month ago and told him I would be visiting Cape Cod after Labor Day and love to pick it up. Well I am proud to say, after negotiating date, location, time, and price up to the last minute, I bought this Nobilette yesterday from the original owner. It full Dura Ace and a 58cm Columbus SLX frame.
If you've read a few of my posts, you may recall I frequently travel a fairly wide swath of the northeast USA to look in on my parents, tend to property maintenance issues or pleasure. I often search CL or eBay local pickups along the Interstate highways I travel. I have acquired many bikes during these excursions, including keepers such as a pristine Serotta Colorado, 1987 Tempo, 1987 Super Sport, Motobecane Interclub Tandem, Peugeot PGN10, PKN10, and a beautiful Miyata Pista from @OldsCOOL. I won't even begin to list the refurb flip candidates I have picked up.
As an Ann Arbor resident for 30 years, I was aware of the old Nobilette bike shop in town, but was unaware of Mark Nobilette's frame building prowess until reading about him in bikeforums.com as well as his unique contract relationship to build custom frames for Rivendell and Rene Herse. These bikes new are well out of my price range and my preference was for an Ann Arbor built Nobilette.
I tracked the lugged beauty below all spring and summer on Boston CL and eBay. I contacted the seller about it over a month ago and told him I would be visiting Cape Cod after Labor Day and love to pick it up. Well I am proud to say, after negotiating date, location, time, and price up to the last minute, I bought this Nobilette yesterday from the original owner. It full Dura Ace and a 58cm Columbus SLX frame.
Last edited by oddjob2; 09-18-15 at 06:50 AM.
09-18-15, 06:56 AM
#3
Still learning
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09-18-15, 07:02 AM
#4
Senior Member
Hella awesome! Looking forward to pics and ride report. Any more info about it's history?
09-18-15, 07:55 AM
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I hate the high cost of shipping bikes in corrugated boxes, but have had friends help transport bikes from Dayton OH, Elwood IN, Grand Rapids MI, and a Kestrel from @Henry III.
If you've read a few of my posts, you may recall I frequently travel a fairly wide swath of the northeast USA to look in on my parents, tend to property maintenance issues or pleasure. I often search CL or eBay local pickups along the Interstate highways I travel. I have acquired many bikes during these excursions, including keepers such as a pristine Serotta Colorado, 1987 Tempo, 1987 Super Sport, Motobecane Interclub Tandem, Peugeot PGN10, PKN10, and a beautiful Miyata Pista from @OldsCOOL. I won't even begin to list the refurb flip candidates I have picked up.
As an Ann Arbor resident for 30 years, I was aware of the old Nobilette bike shop in town, but was unaware of Mark Nobilette's frame building prowess until reading about him in bikeforums.com as well as his unique contract relationship to build custom frames for Rivendell and Rene Herse. These bikes new are well out of my price range and my preference was for an Ann Arbor built Nobilette.
I tracked the lugged beauty below all spring and summer on Boston CL and eBay. I contacted the seller about it over a month ago and told him I would be visiting Cape Cod after Labor Day and love to pick it up. Well I am proud to say, after negotiating date, location, time, and price up to the last minute, I bought this Nobilette yesterday from the original owner. It full Dura Ace and a 58cm Columbus SLX frame.
If you've read a few of my posts, you may recall I frequently travel a fairly wide swath of the northeast USA to look in on my parents, tend to property maintenance issues or pleasure. I often search CL or eBay local pickups along the Interstate highways I travel. I have acquired many bikes during these excursions, including keepers such as a pristine Serotta Colorado, 1987 Tempo, 1987 Super Sport, Motobecane Interclub Tandem, Peugeot PGN10, PKN10, and a beautiful Miyata Pista from @OldsCOOL. I won't even begin to list the refurb flip candidates I have picked up.
As an Ann Arbor resident for 30 years, I was aware of the old Nobilette bike shop in town, but was unaware of Mark Nobilette's frame building prowess until reading about him in bikeforums.com as well as his unique contract relationship to build custom frames for Rivendell and Rene Herse. These bikes new are well out of my price range and my preference was for an Ann Arbor built Nobilette.
I tracked the lugged beauty below all spring and summer on Boston CL and eBay. I contacted the seller about it over a month ago and told him I would be visiting Cape Cod after Labor Day and love to pick it up. Well I am proud to say, after negotiating date, location, time, and price up to the last minute, I bought this Nobilette yesterday from the original owner. It full Dura Ace and a 58cm Columbus SLX frame.
09-18-15, 08:06 AM
#6
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Good times! And since it's red, you know it's among the fastest he's built!
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A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
09-18-15, 08:11 AM
#7
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Very nice, congrats on the new bike.
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09-18-15, 08:20 AM
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Great hunt you put on that, OJ2! Very handsome bike and with the Columbus decals on the forks. Love it!
09-18-15, 08:30 AM
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Wow! Beautiful bike! Congrats.
09-18-15, 08:31 AM
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I was a little confused when I saw the title of this thread because I didn't think there was a bike that @oddjob2 didn't own, 
Awesome bike, great score and good job showing the patience to reel this beauty in.
Awesome bike, great score and good job showing the patience to reel this beauty in.
09-18-15, 10:22 AM
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I've seen that one listed on Boston's CL for many months now and wondered why it hadn't been snatched up (though the seller's pics didn't do him much of a favor). Is this a keeper or another flip?
09-18-15, 10:26 AM
#13
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That's a beautiful bike...and he really is a fantastic builder based on what I've seen (unfortunately never ridden). Congrats...a worthy prize.
09-18-15, 10:49 AM
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Score! That's gotta be a keeper. Nobilette's are beautiful frames - looking forward to the detail pics 
DD
DD
09-18-15, 11:56 AM
#16
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When he got a motorcycle dirt bike, it was red. I was so confused as to why this cool guy who wore denim and had the badass brootal (before brootal was born) bike would have a RED dirt bike.
"Red means fast."
I've carried that wisdom my whole life.
Congratulations oddjob!
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Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
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Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
09-18-15, 12:12 PM
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Congrats! Great find. I like his somewhat stubby, scalloped seat stay caps. 
09-18-15, 12:57 PM
#19
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There's one of these near me for sale but I've been able to resist the temptation so far. Is there a site that has a history of Mr. Nobilette's frames? The seller doesn't know much about it.
09-18-15, 01:00 PM
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Awesome. What's the tape on the fork for?
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09-18-15, 01:12 PM
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@himespau, Secures the avocet computer sensor cable.
09-18-15, 01:23 PM
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@himespau, Secures the avocet computer sensor cable.
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09-18-15, 01:23 PM
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