[CR] re Dropouts on eBay Hetchins

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From: "Peter Brueggeman" <4peebee@peterbrueggeman.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 2010 08:41:18 -0800
Subject: [CR] re Dropouts on eBay Hetchins


Chas. Colerich said "There's a restored 1946 Hetchins from currently on eBay. http://tinyurl.com/yg4b6zt The dropouts look like Campy 1010 style with the derailleur hanger removed. What say you Hetchins experts?..."

I can say something about the bike and the degree of it being rare, which the seller discusses. I have an identical 1950 curley Hetchins (mine sans pump peg and having stamped rear dropouts). The Hetchins Register lists mine as a Nulli Secundus. The Nulli Secundus can look identical to the Super Special, the difference sometimes what it was named; see http://www.hetchins.org/501nulli-01.htm

This bike may be a registered Super Special and is thus rare since surviving Super Specials are not numerous. Surviving Nulli Secundus' are more numerous, so visually it is not as rare as appears from the number of surviving Super Specials. The seller says that you may never see another one at a local show or meeting ever, but you will see another that looks identical (mine) on the occasional vintage bike ride in San Diego (!)

Having said that, one doesn't see curley Super Specials or Nulli Secundus' go by much at all on eBay, so it is uncommon at the least. The downside is that it isn't a Dawes, so you won't be able to share Dawes bragging rights with Barrie.

Peter Brueggeman
La Jolla California USA
4peebee(at)peterbrueggeman.com