Query for collectors: only your size and all is fair game?
03-04-17, 07:03 AM
#26
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You have like 8 or more really fine French bikes, right?
03-04-17, 07:09 AM
#27
Full Member
I have plenty of bikes to ride, the older and rarer they are the less they are used, the oldest and rarest are wall hangers so size doesn't matter. If I waited until I found a bike in my size for what I collect I would never find one. I'm pretty much at a stage now where I have everything I want so it would take a pretty special bike for me to add another.
03-04-17, 08:07 AM
#28
Velominatus
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Bikes: 1986 SBDU Raleigh, 1984 Raleigh Corsa, 1980 Allin Stan Butler Special, 2 x late 1960s Roberts, 1978 Philbook, 1964 Allin Belgique, 1959 Allin Stan Butler Special, 1951 Higgins Plus Parfait, 1951 Hobbs of Barbican, 1913 Centaur Featherweight.
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I don't really consider myself a collector, as quite a few of my bicycles have been in my, or my family's ownership from new.
Where I have acquired other frames or bicycles it is through contacts. For example, I have a super rare - I've not seen another - Allin* Belgique, which came to me from a friend who is a relative of Charlie Davey (record breaker and Olympian - 1912 road race in Stockholm). Charlie is celebrated in the Golden Book of Cycling (1959).
My collection is very focused and every machine has a back story.
Thanks for reading.
John.
*Bill Hurlow once told a retired frame builder friend that he'd only ride an Allin if he couldn't ride one of his own!
Where I have acquired other frames or bicycles it is through contacts. For example, I have a super rare - I've not seen another - Allin* Belgique, which came to me from a friend who is a relative of Charlie Davey (record breaker and Olympian - 1912 road race in Stockholm). Charlie is celebrated in the Golden Book of Cycling (1959).
My collection is very focused and every machine has a back story.
Thanks for reading.
John.
*Bill Hurlow once told a retired frame builder friend that he'd only ride an Allin if he couldn't ride one of his own!
03-04-17, 11:27 AM
#29
Full Member
I don't really consider myself a collector, as quite a few of my bicycles have been in my, or my family's ownership from new.
Where I have acquired other frames or bicycles it is through contacts. For example, I have a super rare - I've not seen another - Allin* Belgique, which came to me from a friend who is a relative of Charlie Davey (record breaker and Olympian - 1912 road race in Stockholm). Charlie is celebrated in the Golden Book of Cycling (1959).
My collection is very focused and every machine has a back story.
Thanks for reading.
John.
*Bill Hurlow once told a retired frame builder friend that he'd only ride an Allin if he couldn't ride one of his own!
Where I have acquired other frames or bicycles it is through contacts. For example, I have a super rare - I've not seen another - Allin* Belgique, which came to me from a friend who is a relative of Charlie Davey (record breaker and Olympian - 1912 road race in Stockholm). Charlie is celebrated in the Golden Book of Cycling (1959).
My collection is very focused and every machine has a back story.
Thanks for reading.
John.
*Bill Hurlow once told a retired frame builder friend that he'd only ride an Allin if he couldn't ride one of his own!
Allin Cycles - Croydon
03-04-17, 11:34 AM
#30
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In pairs?
I think all mine in my size range are rideable with a bit of air and a 10 min tweak. Being in France there are some bargains in smaller sizes that mean I have some spare frames. At some point I'll sell them or give them away, but they don't sell well here.
I think all mine in my size range are rideable with a bit of air and a 10 min tweak. Being in France there are some bargains in smaller sizes that mean I have some spare frames. At some point I'll sell them or give them away, but they don't sell well here.
03-04-17, 11:48 AM
#31
Senior Member
I tend to buy lower & mid-range bikes and mostly get ones I can ride. Unless I'm specifically getting one for someone else and generally know their size (just bought an '83 Lotus Special mixte in a youth size!). If I only want to harvest parts then it doesn't matter.
03-04-17, 11:52 AM
#32
enginerd
Thread Starter
My experience is the opposite of yours-- bigger frames are extremely easy to find and usually cheaper. Modern sizing theories seem to suggest a smaller bike for most riders. Because of that, bigger frames will sit. And sit. There's absolutely no premium on them, and unless things have changed drastically, this even holds for eBay.
Bikes smaller than 58 get sold.
Bikes smaller than 58 get sold.
Another thing that grinds my gears is the older Cannondale (and others I suppose) method of sizing by seat tube center-to-top with a good size extension beyond the top tube. That means in vintage Cannondale speak, I ride a 66cm which few dealers ordered which actually measure 63cm c-c.
I'm continually hunting for a 63c-c/66c-t Cannondale Criterium or 3.0/2.8 road frame. Most are listed as larger than they really are.
Last edited by EnzoRWD; 03-04-17 at 11:53 AM. Reason: typo
03-04-17, 12:04 PM
#33
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I only buy frames that fit me -- 56, 57, and 58cm. With a mortgage and a teacher's salary, I buy bikes infrequently, and I'll only buy a bike if it 1) fits me, 2) is cheap(ish), and 3) is a bike that is awesome enough (per my tastes) to keep forever. I only have three bikes at the moment, and I try to ride them equally (with slight preference towards the Colnago!).
03-04-17, 01:38 PM
#34
Velominatus
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Lincolnshire Wolds, England
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Bikes: 1986 SBDU Raleigh, 1984 Raleigh Corsa, 1980 Allin Stan Butler Special, 2 x late 1960s Roberts, 1978 Philbook, 1964 Allin Belgique, 1959 Allin Stan Butler Special, 1951 Higgins Plus Parfait, 1951 Hobbs of Barbican, 1913 Centaur Featherweight.
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John.
03-04-17, 07:04 PM
#35
Vello Kombi, baby
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That is true - the ones that do come up for sale do tend to sit. But I struggle to find track frame that fits. The Romic I picked up recently (listed at 60cm c-c st, maybe 59c-c tt) seemed to fit on paper, but doesn't fit at all.
Another thing that grinds my gears is the older Cannondale (and others I suppose) method of sizing by seat tube center-to-top with a good size extension beyond the top tube. That means in vintage Cannondale speak, I ride a 66cm which few dealers ordered which actually measure 63cm c-c.
I'm continually hunting for a 63c-c/66c-t Cannondale Criterium or 3.0/2.8 road frame. Most are listed as larger than they really are.
Another thing that grinds my gears is the older Cannondale (and others I suppose) method of sizing by seat tube center-to-top with a good size extension beyond the top tube. That means in vintage Cannondale speak, I ride a 66cm which few dealers ordered which actually measure 63cm c-c.
I'm continually hunting for a 63c-c/66c-t Cannondale Criterium or 3.0/2.8 road frame. Most are listed as larger than they really are.
If you're looking for vintage track frames, they're tough to find in most any size. However, with patience they can be found.
Hunting for specific stuff also seems to ensure you will not find it. This is true no matter what you are looking for, not just bikes. Therefore, I hunt for almost nothing. There's a weird zen like state that seems to work best in hobbies such as ours. I have some trouble explaining it, possibly because I don't completely understand it, not being a zen master or anything.
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03-04-17, 07:30 PM
#36
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I ride 62-63cm frames also and I flip bikes to help support my hobby. If I'm buying one to flip I try to stick to medium size and small frames as I've found my size tougher to sell. Frames my size are hard to find around here and they're usually not higher end stuff but if I'm patient they usually sell cheaper. A few years ago I'd jump on any decent road bike my size but I've become more selective, now they have to be towards the top of the line. I've only scored 2 higher end bikes in my size locally and I snagged a couple decent frames off Ebay to build up
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