[CR]FS: Ultimate Bikes incl. Confente, Herse, Baylis, and More!

(Example: Framebuilding:Paint)

From: <hersefan@comcast.net>
To: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:08:18 +0000
Subject: [CR]FS: Ultimate Bikes incl. Confente, Herse, Baylis, and More!

Hi CR folks,

Time to sell some "ultimate" machines that I've been holding back on - but growing business and other interests means time to move some treassure. All first come first served - photos upon request (will take them later today). First one to commit gets the machine or frame. Due to time constraints, no overseas shiping - sorry. Payment by paypal or by check (will probably wait till clears before shipping). Ground shipping and packaging included in the price to the lower 48. Here it goes...good luck!

Mario Confente Frame/Bike Kit. Second to last one built, never built up! 57cm to top with 56cc top tube. Darkish metalic blue. Super Record headset is complete. Comes with all parts to make into a bike including NOS old logo Cinelli 66/42 bars and Stem, NOS padded old logo Unicanitor saddle, and a full period correct 1978/1979 super record (steel bb and pedal spindles) group. Italian spokes and Fiamme ergal rims and Regina oro chain and freewheel included as well. The whole deal! And will include 2 of the last production Italian (not period correct) Clement Crit Seta Tires. Be the last person on earth to assemble an NOS Confente! Paint is a bit understated but is very cool in the sun. A few very minor paint blems from beeing oogled all these years but they are very slight. Built orignally for one of the Fuller brothers (Olympic track rider), frame sat in a garage for decades until I bought it in about 1995. Folks from the east coast will remember seeing the frame sitti ng at the Bicycle Classics shop in Needham years ago. Serial number 031. When I bought it I confirmed numbers with Jim at CycleArt and Brian Baylis was familiar with both the rider and the frame. $ 8,800

Rene Herse Demontable. 53.25 to top with 55cc top tube. The sister bike to the Demontable shown in the Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles. This was the wife's bike to the husbands in the book. Idetical paint and parts except shorter Rene Herse cranks (165's I think), has Campagnolo Con Denti pedals (for easier grip?), an Ideale saddle, and importantly has upright bars. Similar overall condition to the one in the book, but has a few more paint blems but might have slightly fewer miles (but not really sure). Needs some final assembly (fenders not attached, bike probably should have an overhaul for sure). Demontable bikes are very rare, and painted ones are far and few between. My understanding is a mediocre one recently fetched 7K on ebay (missing significant parts), this one is complete and really nice. Plus, you get to have a bike that is identical to the famous one in the book! $ 8,200.

Goeland City Bike. The one written up in Bicycle Quarterly a year or two ago. Just under 56cm to top, with a 56cc top tube. Workmanship on the frame is extraordinary. There were two tiers of Goeland frames, and this one is tops. Unpainted, few would be able to tell that it isn't an Herse. Very elegant rear rack (not tubular, but super cool), bike did not have a front rack). Has full lighting, 650b wheels. Bike is a bit scruffy and needs some overhauling and cleaning, I think one of the alloy cotterd crankarms is bent, and the front hub is rough (and chainguard is not really attached, might need to tweak some hardware). But, for a reasonable price you get a bike that when gone through will be a spectacular machine. I rode it around the block "as-is" once and if felt wonderful! City bikes were the rage at the handmade show, and this is one that defines how it should be done! $ 1,200

Bianco City Bike (frame/fork only). Bianco built frames for the great french racers and also tought Alex Singer how to build frames! This frame was built for Jean DeJeans who was the president of the French touring association and a legendary rider. DeJeans was great buddies with Daniel Rebour and also was an importer into France of cool goodies such as Harden Hubs and Brooks saddles. This frame is truely one-off. It has a 126mm rear spacing but with a cyclo hanger - and I know it was originally equipped with Harden Hubs! The bb is threaded bsc. It is designed for a very wide 700c tire with fender clearance, and no provision for front deraillieur. Intended for use with long-reach side-pull brakes. Very odd but very unique machine for a very famous individual. Cool workmanship of a very old style. Ugly original I believe black paint with plenty of blems (might want to refinish but I don't know). Bianco had no decals or badges since he was the behind the scenes builder to the stars. $ 1,000

Brian Baylis full bike. Well actually its slightly apart right now. Frame is 57cm to top with 55.25cc top tube. It pains me to sell this absolutely gorgeous machine, but the heard must get thinned. And if all goes well, at some point I'll buy an AeroTour from Brian (I've been loving Brian's bikes for years, but I mostly ride Randonneur type bikes these days and the top tube on this one is a tad short for me anyway). Frame is a fun Lavender with blue seat and headtubes, cobalt lugs, Nervex lugs with his basic (not insane) cutouts that are "extended" with some purple bands on the seattube. Not understated, but not completely over the top. Frame has a few paint blems, but still shows wonderfully well. Only frame glitch is the chainhanger peg on the seatstay is broken off, but that really doen't matter at all. Parts are a 50th anniversary Campy group that is starting to show some blems (the bike has been riddern) but is still reasonably nice. Will include fresh brake hoods. Wheels are not on the bike, but will find something (not 50th anniversary) although rims may not match. The original 50th ann hubs (missing skewers) are also included but they've been slotted so not sure what you will do with them. Bars and Stem are Nitto (stem is really long). $ 4,300

Mike Kone
Boulder Bicycle
Rene Herse Bicycles Inc.
Boulder CO