> > That Herse on the other hand... whole different deal.
> > That bike, once parted out, is probably destined never
> > to be anything near correct again.
> > Someone will buy the frame/fork (maybe) and the buyer
> > will surely realize at some point that it will be
> > uneconomic or impossible to properly refit it as
> > it was. Will the buyer at that point abandon the project
> > entirely or simply complete it with the wrong pieces?
> > Those look to me like the only realistic alternatives.
> > That Herse in its original conception and iteration is
> > probably irretrievably gone forever either way once the
> > boxes are sent out.
>
> The problem here is the demand for parts to hang on modern
> 'Toei et al.' bikes, which make the parts worth much more
> than the whole. If the whole, complete bike was worth as
> much as the sum of the parts plus some, then it would make
> sense for Grant Handley to sell the
> complete bike, or at least a "kit" with all the hard-to-find
> bits that belong together in one auction.
>
> But as they say, the market has spoken, and "it" has
> decided that a new Toei is worth much more than an old
> Herse with original parts.
In some ways, Jan's final point - while true - makes me somewhat sad. Then again, if one is an admirer of this type of bicycle, you might have to wait a lifetime to find one in your frame size. And considering that these bikes had bespoke frames, built for a specific person's physique, an example that truly fits a prospective second-hand buyer might never appear.
Next, there are the shipping costs, which have become exorbitant for a frame. Finally, you have to consider the cost of restoration. Many of these old Herse and Singer bikes seem not to have been treated, over the years, with the level of care they deserve. In any event, if you were in Japan, where would you bring the frame for restoration? To Toei? In that case, from an economic standpoint, it might be better to have Toei build a frame to your measurements and use the old French derailleurs, stem, brakes, mud guards, lights, etc. Cheers, Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)
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