Good day all.
I'm taking the next step in a long-term plan (don't ask!), and in the grand scheme of things I've decided that the three RIH-Sport's will have to go. So I'm offering these three late 60s frames (1967 and 1968) for sale to the listmembers.
Allow me please to give you some background on these frames. Most of you
probably know about RIH, a small framebuilding operation based in Amsterdam.
Read more about them here:
http://www.classicrendezvous.com/
RIH itself was and still is a small business, run by only only one man now, mr. Willem van der Kaay. He builds the frames (he's close to 70 years of age now), and holds true to the old RIH geometry; he is still heavily involved in track racing, and last year build over 20 track frames for South Africa.
In the 60s, when the Bustraan brothers were still alive, RIH had a licensing
agreement with Fongers (based in Groningen, way up in the north-east).
Fongers was one of the great names in Dutch bicyle history, famous for its
great quality 'opa fietsen' (grandpa bikes). They were the main supplier to
the Dutch police for instance. Read about Fongers here:
http://www.rijwiel.net/
They probably were in need of more sporting models, and made this agreement with RIH. Geometry was pure RIH, tubing was up to customers choice, from hi-ten to full Reynolds 531 DB. They were handmade, but by Fongers craftsmen. When Fongers was taken over by Batavus in 1970, the agreement expired. A nice touch is the framenumber: it's in the lower headtube lug, just like the Amsterdam RIH's. The difference is that the number ends with a letter, typical Fongers. That's how I can date the frames: using the Fongers system of frame numbering.
Here's a scan of the original brochure of the 60s:
http://www.wooljersey.com/
The frames I'm selling are:
1. #119H, 1968, metallic-blue, 58 c-t seattube, 57,5 c-c toptube;
chrome fork crown, 2/3 chrome forklegs front and rear triangle. Chrome of
front fork is somewhat pitted, rear is great; paint has many small
superficial rust spots, caused by being stored for a long time in a cold and
dark place! So I would say it's cosmetically challenged, but nothing
structural. Pictures are here:
http://www.wooljersey.com/
A very handsome brother can be seen here:
http://www.wooljersey.com/
1. #382K, 1967, metallic-green, 56 c-t seattube, 56 c-c toptube;
chrome fork crown, 2/3 chrome front forks and rear triangle. Chrome still
very good, some pitting on inside of fork crown; paint in very good
condition. Pictures (of the build-up bike) are here:
http://www.wooljersey.com/
1. #169K, 1967, full chrome, 56 c-t seattube, 56 c-c toptube. Chrome
in very good condition, looks rougher than it really is because of some
uneven clearcoating. Pictures (also of a build-up bike) are here:
http://www.wooljersey.com/
Tubing of these frames is not always very clear: # 119H has Reynolds 531 main tubes, that's what I can make out from the remnants of the decal. The decals of #382K say full 531 DB, but I have my doubts. #169K has no decals. I weighed the latter two, they have exactly the same weight (1970 grams), as do the forks (c. 780 grams) I think it's safe to say that these three frames have at least 531 tubing for the main frame!.
I'm asking the following prices:
1. #119H: $ 90, including the (French?) headset and a (Shimano) cable guide for the bb shell
1. #382K: $ 115, no headset, including the (Shimano) cable guide on the bb shell
1. #169K: $ 125, no headset, including the (Campagnolo) cable guide on the bb shell.
Shipping to the USA is $ 85, this is Priority mail and insured. I prefer payment through Paypal, at faro@cistron.nl.
Thanks for reading this longish post, and thanks for looking!
Freek Faro
Rotterdam Netherlands