How Could They???
 

Just encountered some frustration!!! I have no issue taking a bike and parting it out...but...there are bikes out there that deserve to stay whole...I can argue that there are plenty of 1987 Schwinn Circuits out there that parting it out is not really an issue...but...jeez...some bikes...

This is one that was recently sold via eBay...I think many of you probably saw it. It has now been bought and being parted out...and...it makes me very sad to see this...

Here is the link to the eBay auction for the frame/fork...the same seller has some of the parts...while they are maximizing their profit (and I am a capitalist, so I respect that), again...makes me sad...

A s Gillott Road Bike Frame English British Simplex Hetchins Holdsworth No Res | eBay

:cry:

I think that greed has overcome good sense. A bike built like that rarely comes along and deserves to stay period correct with those parts.

The person here even destroyed the wheels to get down to the hubs/freewheel...what a waste!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree, but until the asking price of a full bike exceeds the individual part cost, it is a reality. It is a re-distribution of wealth and parts!

He's a serial offender, with a really weird backstory.

I know...and, like I said, I do a lot of parting out...but...c'mon...jeez...this was a bike that was whole...I wish there was a way to make sure things like this don't happen...the overall intrinsic value of the whole thing exceeds the individual parts.

Just saw that the hubs sold for $500...so, I am sure the person is thrilled at that...but...again...just makes me want to cry!

Worth more dead than alive, but a shame to part it out I agree :(

That is why I hang onto the ones I have and try to fill the gaps of missing parts. My Colnago was missing pedals, post, freewheel, binder bolt and hubs. Only thing missing now is the right chain but I figure that is a consumable part along with the saddle (now a Swallow) and tires. Heck, I have the Campy brake pads too.
[IMG]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7327/...03a97804_h.jpg1983 Colnago Superissimo by superissimo_83, on Flickr[/IMG]

Whew,
The hubs went for over $500. :-s

I hate parting out one bike to build another. But, I will say i get frustrated with the high price of used components, so I almost bought a LeMond a few days ago on Craigslist just so I could strip it, sell the frame, and keep the parts, hopefully for nearly free.

It might be interesting to tally up the sales cost. Perhaps around $2K for the sellable bike pieces?

At first, I was going to defend the seller thinking its probably a build from not that long ago and now just decided to part it out. Was I ever wrong! I read the above links... oh my.

excerpts:
Friday, December 12, 2014
Rene Herse, Cinelli, Frejus, A.S. Gilliot ALL FOR SALE ON EBAY!!

A friend of mine is thinning down the herd in anticipation of a move so he axed me to sell off a bunch of his stuff off. Be sure to check it all out and share the auctions with friends with deep pockets who you think might be interested..ts:

That would be submitting the high bid on the original auction.

But I'm with you on this one; some people just don't have the proper respect for old stuff, and see it as a means to a financial end.

...and it's all in such wonderful condition.

I'm with you, it's a shame the bike wasn't kept together. I just took a quick glance at the auction on my phone, but there are (were) fantastic bits of the build that really compliment(ed) each other. The barcon, FD, RD and crankset were just so pretty together.

Looking at those posts it seems that he was the one selling the bike whole, not parting it out. I agree that someone who would destroy that Gillott just to make a few bucks should be persona non grata on this forum.

Maybe I'm the minority but I don't think it is a problem. The parts are just going to complete other bikes and make many others happy to find the parts they're looking for...I can see the desire to keep things complete and original but it is just some bike parts.

I'd be happy just to get sellers to stop only putting non drive side pics on ads.

It looks like he had a hard time selling the Gillot as a complete bike so had to part it out. The original auction with those Cinellis and the Rene Herse were discussed in the ebay thread a couple of months ago, perhaps dumping so many rare and collectible bikes onto the market at once hurt the sale of the Gillot?

parting out one of my wonderfully rebuilt bicycles that i worked so hard to restore just to clear a few more bucks would feel like killing my brother for his kidneys.

That bike was probably purchased as a frameset originally. I mean, I wouldn't break it up myself, but I'm not too concerned.

No, the original bike sold...and, for the suggestion as to how to stop it is to be the high bidder...I tried!

It said it was a re-spray.... I doubt that all parts were original. It's much easier to find a buyer for a part vs a complete bike of this type. It will just become someone else's nightmare, just because I wouldn't do it I don't mind people parting stuff out, that's how we get good parts for our builds, don't hate the player, hate the game.

No offense to the OP or anyone here, but the sad reality is that as long as the whole is worth less than the sum of the parts, parting out will happen. It's simple economics. I mean, c'mon-- this guy TRIED to sell it as a whole, but couldn't. How is he being a bad guy for then taking the next logical step and parting it out? You could even say it was the community that failed this bike, not the seller, for someone should have stepped up to the plate and bought the damn thing to save it. No one did. How could that happen? How could no one have bought the complete bike to save it from being parted out? The injustice!

I tried selling a pristine complete DA group here, thinking I was doing a service to the C&V community, and offered it at a very reasonable price. I was frankly surprised that I got no takers... not even inquiries or offers. So I parted it out on the big auction site and doubled my original asking price, with some parts left over. (I rub this fact in whenever I get the chance :).) No regrets, I've seen the light. I don't even bother keeping things whole anymore.

His blog makes him sound like a real dick head.
But the bigger dick head is the guy who sold him all that fine stuff.
It' a dick head conspiracy.

No offense taken...and if you read what I wrote...I actually do a lot of parting out...and realize everything that you said. I understand the economics...and take advantage...but...I also understand history...and it simply makes me sad...

One thing that is not true...I DID TRY TO BUY THE ENTIRE BIKE...and, obviously, GOT OUTBID BY THIS GUY (I should say I assume it was this guy).

I am watching all of the auctions of the parts for this bike...and will, most likely, go after the frameset when it comes up (about another week)...so far...

Hubs - $504

Cranks - $355

I stopped bidding/trying to buy this bike at about $800 as a whole...so, if that were any where near the sales prices...

It will be interesting to see the total...

More like killing him for his heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas, and small intestines. Transplantable tissues include blood, blood vessels, bones, bone marrow, cartilage, connective tissues, eyes, heart valves, and skin.

Apparently a human body goes a long way.

haha- I'm so out for any of it. Could just about taste the gorgeous Duprat hollow arm cranks but then the snipers went ballistic.

I don't find this backstory weird at all. He was lucky.

I have a fee bikes I sweated over to build and spent way too much on. No f'ing way I'd sell them complete, the loss of capital would hurt more.

He has a lot of haters I am sure, we all wish this could happen to us, but when I read that he only made $25,000 and spent $10,000... well if f'ing worked for it selling all that stuff. I don't think there is anything wrong with it. Sure the guy selling it probably didn't realize there was a vintage cycling boom going on, but whatever, sounds like he wanted to unload it with minimal effort.

^+1

I'm not here to just stir the pot, I honestly went through these same thoughts just a couple weeks ago.

What I sold on ebay...http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u...pskd2bk6mi.jpg

The guy who bought it turned out to be local and have a thriving business selling parts online. The bike was a racing bike I had bought new somewhere around 1985 and kept all those years without significant change. But it was gathering dust in the basement and I felt that selling it would allow someone to enjoy riding what I didn't ride anymore.

When we met to deliver the bike, I, nervously, asked him about his plans for the bike. He said he would upgrade to brifters and ride it. Maybe he said that because he wanted me to believe it. I won't go looking for the parts to show up for sale. Either way, whole or in parts, the bike will get more use than it was getting from me.