Here is another example : a wonderful Alcyon racer, totally original in eve ry detail, and every detail is of the finest quality.
http://www.reneherse.com/
Here the questions you could ask are :
Should the bike be restored : I think the obvious answer to anyone in their right mind is NO
Should the bike be ridden : I would say NO (original tyres, original wooden rims). Also there are so many other bikes out there to ride that are non-o riginal, poor original, repainted, that there is no point taking the risk o f damaging in any way a unique example like this.
Should the paint be touched in where missing : I would say NO. The bike is SO original, any touching in would be moving the bike away from it's origin al patina.
Should the bike be cleaned : I'm hesitating. This bike would look great wit h the paint polished up, the nickel brightened up, dust and grime removed. But it also looks great to my eyes as is, and the oil and grime are doing a very good job of protecting all the original finish. Plus with a bike in t his condition you can be 100% sure that no part has been changed or added r ecently. Once the bike is cleaned, you can't tell any more... So if you are going to do a clean job, you should at least document the "found condition " with many photos. Which is what I've just done and sharing with CR.
As an added question : suppose that in 2096 there was one original conditio n Peter Weigle left in the world (Peter Weigle bike I mean of course, alth ough medecine is progressing leaps and bounds, I doubt Peter himself will b e around, or if he is he won't be in original condition). And the Weigle bi ke discovered in some barn is in the same condition as the Alcyon. Would Peter want it to be cleaned, left as is, ridden , repainted to as new condition, put in a museum, or what?
Alexander March Bordeaux France
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