Hetchins Magnum Opus!! Does it get any better than this?
 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2006681119...84.m1423.l2649

I watched this and I fancied a punt at £800 :lol:

I'm still laughing about it now!

WOW... beautiful, but $7,000+ USD is a lot of coin for a Bob Jackson Hetchins!

Meh. Looks like a trophy wife for an old guy thet never gets ridden either......

Lmao awesome! Or put another way, what's the point in having something that's to good to ride!

Is it? Not a David Miller?

I paid $2,200. for my 60th anniversary frame, but I had just sold a house so it seemed like nothing...

Forgive my ignorance about Hetchins bicycles, but were they ever ridden by pro teams in races in the past? Did they have the curly stay design when they did?....

Chombi

I'm not a Hetchins expert, but my understanding is yes, they were raced professionally many years back and did have the curly stay design (brilliant stays). I heard one story, which sounds innacurate, stating that racing then was done without decals, so Hetchins made the stays in part to distinguish their bikes.

DBAKL - $2200 for a Hetchins seems far more palateable. I thought I read in the description that the OP's was an 87' Bob Jackson, but I wouldn;t swear to it either. $7,000 just seems like a lot of money.

One thing to remember is that you can have a brand spanking new custom for you Hetchins frame made for well under $2,000 (depending on conversion rates).

Hetchins were quite popular as racing bikes in the late 1930s up until the early 1960s. It has been suggested that the curly stays were a marketing tool, since back at that time amateur racers were not allowed to have logos on their bikes. This is subject to debate, however. I am not sure they ever competed in the Tdf, and doubt they did. Clearly, in the modern age of the Tour, the design became obsolete.
I agree that is a beautiful bike, but way more than I would pay, even if I could afford it. While the 50th Anniversary components add some value, the absence of the box and replacement card really reduces that.
edit: Sorry, I made the mistake of doing a little fact checking before I hit "post reply". Great minds think alike.

Magnificent! I like that it has 50th Anniversary too.

Anyone wanna buy my Bob Jackson. Lugs are not as fancy but at least it has chrome stays. Its a steal at 3,500 :)

Yes - will you take $450? :)

Your stays are bent.










someone had to say it.

Perfect description! The 50th anniversary gruppo is already like this on its own, but to put it on a Hetchins... I still remember the first Hetchins that I saw in the 70's, the owner was so proud of his bike (which he never rode), and every single one of the employees of the shop ho-hummed it.

$7k and no eyelets for fenders :(

Ah, that was just for the frame... only pic I have, built it with nice Campagnolo NR including triple crank. Sorry, didn't read Bob Jackson made.

I think 2200 is what they go for. It's what I'd expect to pay for one. Gorgeous at any rate.

If I had this bike, I'd be crazy enough to ride it, but not crazy enough to ride it in the rain.

I feel like I've seen this bike on eBay before. Definitely a gem.

Yes, it seems inaccurate. Following is some discussion from the Classic Rendevous Archives on this matter:



From: Peter Brown
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:10:48 +0000
Subject: Re: [CR] unorthodox frame designs with no brand markings: a CR

Yes in essence that's true - the ruling by the RTTC (the time trilling body)
was in 1938 after most of the unorthodox designs were introduced.


However the makers did like their frames to be readily identifiable
regardless of whether they were being raced or being ridden on the Club
run...



Hilary Stone, Bristol, British Isles



Peter Brueggeman wrote:

In reference to a Baines Flying Gate, Harvey Sachs said "...My guess is that
this, like the "curly" stay Hetchins and the "Cantiflex" with "diadrant" (?)
recurved forks was an effort to do almost anything to make your brand
identifiable in races where no brand markings were allowed. ..."



My unschooled understanding is that the use of unorthodox frame designs to
make brands identifiable where no brand markings were allowed (in British
racing) is a recurring CR urban legend, and there's been no documentation to
back this up?



I checked the CR Archive and couldn't find anything but it is a tough topic
to keyword search.

Peter




Hilary is correct when he says that the RTTC rules (actually recommendations
to be incorporated in club rules) were adopted by the RTTC in 1938. However,
those rules were simply copied from the rules of the previous organisation,
the Road Racing Council. You can see copies of both sets of rules at


http://www.photobox.co.uk/my/album?album_id=239708098


The double page is from a 1933 Cyclists Diary (the earliest edition I have)
and shows the RRC rules, and the 2 single pages are from a 1938 edition of a
diary and shows the very similar RTTC rules. So the RRC rules predate the
introduction of such frames as the Bates with diadrant forks and Hetchins
with Curly stays. There has been much discussion on this list and elsewhere
as to how much such introductions were to circumvent the rules or for sound
engineering principles, and I don't believe there is any conclusive proof to
support either option. However, some of the old timers racing at the time
tell me that they never regarded any of the "funnies" as an attempt to get
round the rules, but there was always discussions about whether or not a
particular frame rode better, and opinions were personal and varied and not
usually based on any engineering principles. There was certainly no
requirement for riders to remove or cover badges or transfers, and if a
photograph of a name did appear in a publication no blame was attached to
the rider, unless of course it could be interpreted that he was promoting a
particular brand. The rule was not binding on publishers either, and the
quality of reproduction in those days was such that transfers were rarely
legible.


The rules on clothing were much more strictly enforced and observed by the
riders. There was one incident when my brother, riding in a 12 hour event in
the late 40s, sewed a strip of sequins on to his sleeve so that his feeders
could pick him out at a distance and be ready for him, and there was some
discussion as to whether or not he should be allowed to start. He did start,
and when he won in record time there were further discussions as to whether
the record should stand. In the end common sense prevailed and his record
stood until the next year, when he won again, still wearing his sequins.


So I think this is another of those myths that grows with each telling until
everyone believes the last version they heard, and probably adds a bit to
it, but by going back to original evidence this myth can be dispelled.


Peter Brown, Lincolnshire, England.

The final price for the Hetchins was a little bit more than the current "Buy it now price" right now for this well documented 1989 7-11 Team issue Eddy Merckx. An excellent test of form and function in expensive bikes. No question which one I would prefer, but I have never understood the appeal of either Hetchins or Campagnolo 50th anniversary groups.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Eddy-Merckx-...t_19006wt_1562

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/ima...11/full_RH.jpg

I guess you can't have one without another: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hetchins-Mag...item3cbe6b344f

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Hetchins-Magn...ejc!~~60_3.JPG

At least the first bike had the good taste to stay away from gold on gold...

I can't speak for the 50th group (I think it is just bragging rights if you have one in the box) but the craftmanship and beauty of a Hetchins especially with fancy lugs and those Vibrant stays is simple and timeless beauty.

I do not have many miles, nor good hard sweaty ones (but it was built to turn 3hr centuries either) but it is a pleasure to ride and to look at as well.

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...7&d=1321454534