[CR] WTB 62-4 cm Quinn: was Re: Remembering Harry Quinn

Dear List:

A Harry Quinn is one of the frames on my list to acquire.  With Harry gone, it seems appropriate to ask whether anyone has a large Quinn frame for sale or trade.  62-64 cm size is preferred, sport touring geometry also ideal, but would consider any Quinn frame outside of a radical TT or track frame in the size range.

For American riders, Harry Quinn is one of the big six of British framebuilders, made famous by his profile in "The Custom Bicycle" by Colin and De La Rosa.  (Or at least as famous as anyone can be in the tiny world of USA bike enthusiasts.)  The other British builders profiled in the United Kingdom section were the Taylor brothers, Bob Jackson, Mercian, Condor and Woodrup. For us colonials, this book was often our 1st and only exposure to the idea of having a custom frame made.  Shortly after reading the book, I ordered my Marinonni, and the path to bike addiciton started.  In the States, we did see a fair number of "big" frame maker's steeds, like Holdsworth, Dawes, Falcon and of course Raleigh, but the smaller British builders were unknown unless your local shop imported the frames.  One of the great revelations when I joined the CR list was the prolixity of GB builders.  Kind of like breweries in Germany, every town seemed to have one.  (Could someone send me a rack of Licher Brau?) 

Since then I've gone on to own many different British marques like Stan Pike, MKM, Ephgrave and Algurn (and would still love a Flying Scot), but the six originals I read about all those years ago still remain vivid in my imagination.  And even better, now that I own two, they ride great.  I have a Condor and Jack Taylor and I love both of them, the Jackson I've had sitting around for 2 years is finally at the painters and I'm getting a Woodrup at the  end of the month from Mike Goldman.  I can order a new Mercian when the bank account justifies, but Harry Quinn stopped building quite a while ago, and now is no longer with us.  So I, no spring chicken myself, better get off my duff and start seriously looking for the rarest one of the six I still "need".  Someday, when I have all six, I'll get some enlargements made of the book cover and the individual chapters, and display all six at Cirque. 

Any condition okay except I don't want to replace frame tubes or fork blades.  Needing paint is okay, as I am one of the painting fools on the list, but if it needs paint and you can get transfers, even better.  Let me know your price, or whether you want anything else in trade, off list.

Tom (nostalgic) Adams
Manhattan, KS USA