On Thu, Jul 3, 2008 at 6:35 PM, John Betmanis <johnb@oxford.net> wrote:
> At 06:12 PM 03/07/2008 EDT, LouDeeter@aol.com wrote:
>
>>Do I have an obligation from an ethical standpoint to keep
>>the bike as original as possible, because the next owner may want to show it?
>
> Good question. Even if it wasn't going to be shown, there are some things
> one should never do to an original vintage bike. How about a list of Ten
> Commandments for vintage bikes?
>
> I can start it off.
>
> 1. Thou shalt not cut off the derailleur hanger.
>
> 2. Thou shalt not cut off the pump pegs.
>
> 3. Thou shalt not part it out for profit.
>
> Okay, you can take it from there....
>
> John Betmanis
Things that are close to irreversible.
Parting out a Nuovo/Super Record bike is generally no big deal, pretty easy to find more, a few date coded bits aside. Parting out a Herse with Herse-made racks to fit and Herse brakes, stem and crankset or an old French bike with a Juy 543 or custom built racks, stem etc. or an elaborately pantographed bike. Those bikes have been destroyed essentially once parted. All the king's horses and all the king's men likely won't help. It's gone.
Probably the most common and egregious desecration is adding braze-ons to a bike that would never have had them. Or repainting over decent original paint because of some chips and flaking decals or because one simply didn't like the color. Or "upgrading" the equipment and not keeping the original parts with the bike.
All that said, it probably only matters on a small percentage of our on-topic bikes. Most of what we have was produced in large quantities, fitted with components made in the tens or perhaps hundreds of thousands. On a mass produced or semi-mass produced bike boom bike with many hundreds or more similar examples out there... hack off the hanger, 'fixie it", paint it in flat black Crylon, put on stubby flat bars and pink aero rims, sell the original parts on Ebay- meh, who cares?
Kurt Sperry
Bellingham Washington
USA