Well, the time has come to sell the last of the last. Nearly (there's still the Alvin Drysdale track frame and the Bianchi Paris-Roubaix frame, both in California with a certain soaked troll).
For Sale:
1936 Bates Path Racer road frame, Cantiflex tubing with diadrant fork. 22 3/8 seat tube x 23 1/4 top tube (ctr to ctr). Serial #U7771. Track dropouts. Correct but not original Bates 1947 diadrant fork w/ correct lug pattern crown. Oiler at lower head lug and top of bottom bracket shell. Straight, no dents or dings, no signs of a shunt ever, but rear brake bridge is a little crunched from over tightening of the bolt. Needs a respray. Dated by Ray Etherton July of last year. The following is the culmination of our correspondence:
"Hi John, At last---- details of Bates numbers U7771...Model Utopian, sold to Mr.Syret of Bristol, England, on the 18.11.1936 10845...Model Vergrandis, sold to Mr.Holley of London SE9..late 1947 The Utopian was NORMALLY road frame, but could well have been specified with track ends...The Records pre 1953 are not detailed enough. These are all the details I can find. If they were later frames, then I could give a bit more detail. For 'period'parts for the frame, best to contact Martin Coopland at Classic Bikes (my old business) RECLASSICBIKES@AOL.COM You will find find him very helpful...may take a little while tho' Best Regards Ray "
Includes original headset, steel cottered bottom bracket, left crank arm, and alloy domed seat post. She is as I found her. Imported a few years ago from England by my friend Andrew Long . This is one I really wish I had time for (can youse say "ASC" hub). But DEAL I MUST! So...... I paid $295.00 and will flip her for the same plus $20.00 shipping Fed Ex ground in the U.S.A. Or else she goes into storage for "some day". J-pegs ready.
John T.Pergolizzi
New York, New York
1-212-308-5903
1-917-770-2025