At 6:11 AM -0400 10/9/08, Michael Schmidt wrote:
>
>The Japanese dictate the current market price (atmo) for French high end
>bikes so I would say the answer lay within the land of the rising sun.
>
In the next issue of Bicycle Quarterly (now at the printer), there is an interview with the people from Toei, the Japanese framebuilder and constructeur. They say they make about 15 complete constructeur bikes a year. Many of those are equipped with classic French parts.
With restorations, you have a hope of reuniting bikes with their parts, and there is a somewhat finite supply of Rene Herse bikes that are missing their cranks. With new bikes, you have a "drain" of 15 complete component sets every year, of parts that no longer are made, parts which were quite rare to begin with.
How many new bikes are being equipped with Campagnolo Super Record? And there certainly are many more Super Record groups in this world than Maxi-Car hubs or Cyclo derailleurs with aluminum arms - not even to speak of Rene Herse cranks.
The only "hope" is that some day, there will be reproductions, and this might take the pressure off the market.
I agree with Alex that an original bike should be worth more than the sum of its parts. When you buy an original Herse, you pay for the parts, and get the frame as a gift.
Jan Heine
Editor
Bicycle Quarterly
140 Lakeside Ave #C
Seattle WA 98122
http://www.bikequarterly.com