Several reasons first was i never really got the bike to hang together properly i am not a great mechanic so my collection of parts that is the RRA never felt like i thought it should and i did not feel right selling it as a full fledged put together bike.
All the parts are great nothing wrong with them but someone expecting an RRA in original condition working like it did in 1949 would not be too happy so i felt the best thing to do would be to sell it as the parts i had collected.
Also the project never got fully finished so some of the parts never made it onto the bike and i was not happy with some of my non period touches like brake outers, SA trigger, etc so again i would not feel right selling this as some historic find that would be someones life time dream bike.
So now look at the situation i paid a premium for the parts separate do an ok job putting the bike together now i try to sell as a whole. I would always be honest as you can see in my Ebay add for the frame on faults etc and point out some of the bits not finished not period etc. so how would that read in a sale add, not inspiring and i doubt i would get back the money i have spent on the bits. I don't think anyone would take a big loss on a bike just so someone could have the joy of owing the semi put together bike!!
Like i mentioned i understand the value of original bikes and i have several finds that are amazing one is a 1949 F C Parkes that had never been ridden still had a dealer tag on the bars not a singe thing changed since the day it was on a shop floor it was a crusty mess when i got it but after careful restoration (cleaning not repainting) i have something special that is a snap shot in time.
Now to me this is the one i would be gutted to take apart since you can never ever get back the originality even the rubber grips have gone hard over time but still remain, amazing and worth preserving.
Any other bike that people have built from a frame and spare bits then broken and sold on for you next project is the same as what i am doing hear not destroying any history just passing on rare bits for others to complete their projects. I really felt the list would like to be alerted to the one off bits i was selling i know Raleigh is a popular brand and there are a few USA collectors who would die for these bits like i did when i was looking for them.
Hope this helps to answer the question last thing i am is a classic bike destroyer i have a good size collection of original finish 30's to 50's British lightweights and am very active with the VCC.
Doug Gardner
Reading, England.
On 3 May 2010 01:30, D Gordon <d-gordon@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> So why not allow someone to buy the whole bike to take advantage of having
> all the parts together finally, without having to worry that the one part
> that they need is going to get bought up by one collector looking for just
> one part. That would destroy the chances of your bike staying together,
> which is sad.
>
> Regards,
>
> -Dee Gordon
> Los Angeles,
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org
> [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of
> Doug.G999@googlemail.com
> Sent: Sunday, May 02, 2010 2:51 PM
> To: oroboyz@aol.com; Doug.G999@googlemail.com
> Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: Re: [CR] Lots of very rare Raleigh Record Ace, RRA items listed on
> Ebay
>
> I bought it as separate parts over time and put together a whole bike so i
> cant see the problem with selling off the same way also there are many
> collectors looking for one or two parts to complete there machines so this
> is a way them to complete their machines.
>
> I have put the notice on this list in the hope that RRA collectors could
> get
> the rare bits they are missing and create a few more complete bikes so i
> cant see how that is sad in any way, like i said i purchased all the parts
> separate over a long period of time. As an RRA enthusiast i know these
> parts
> are only of use on an RRA so most likely will go to someone who really
> wants
> them for a project and it will finish off their dream bike.
>
> I agree that 100% original bikes of the era are very rare and i have a
> number of them i my collection and feel very different about them they will
> remain as the came from the shop floor but a bike that I put together from
> a
> collection of parts is a different story.
>
> Doug Gardner
>
> Reading, England
>
>
>
>
> On , oroboyz@aol.com wrote:
>
> > Doug:
>
>
>
> > This is one of the most depressing eBay auctions I have seen.
> > Stripping bikes into separate parts for sale has always been a
> > troubling thing to witness, but this one seems worse to me as this RRA
> > is one we don't see as often complete and mostly original.
>
>
>
> > I am surprised you outed it here on this list, as I would have thought
> > you would sense the reaction might be negative?
>
>
>
> > If there was a way, I might invent a rule for this list against offering
> > stripped bikes, just so I don't have to learn about it, although I know
> > it happens all the time.
>
> > In the end, it just seems a sad thing...
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > Dale Brown
>
> > Greensboro, North Carolina USA
>
> > http://www.classicrendezvous.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
>
> > From: Doug.G999@googlemail.com
>
> > To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>
> > Sent: Sun, May 2, 2010 10:38 am
>
> > Subject: [CR] Lots of very rare Raleigh Record Ace, RRA items listed on
> > Ebay
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > Hi everyone,
>
>
>
>
> > Just wanted to let any collectors of late 40's to early 50's Raleigh
> > Record Ace (RRA) that i have listed a number of very rare and hard to
> > find parts on Ebay. I wanted to let everyone know since these are not
> > just nice vintage bike bit but some super rare items that any RRA owner
> > would really love to have.
>
>
>
>
> > The parts come from an RRA i am breaking to make way for a new one i have
>
> > just purchased I have really fallen for the RRA's something about them is
>
> > very special the one thats going took me two years to get all the parts
> > so i know how impossible some of the bits are to find so please have a
> > look every thing listed with the words Raleigh Record Ace and RRA my ebay
>
> > id is MOJOMOUNTAINBIKE.
>
>
>
>
> > The items going are as follows:
>
>
>
>
> > RRA alloy mud guard wing nuts - Not sure if anyone has ever seen these
> > they were the impossible bits to find made just for the RRA out of alloy
> > they were a quick release wing nut for the mud guard most were lost since
>
> > so tiny but i have a set of 4 listed.
>
>
>
>
> > RRA bag support - This is the original RRA specific support it has the
> > correct mountings to go over the 4 braze on's and lock into place, very
> > rare and this one is in good conditoin.
>
>
>
>
> > RRA alloy seat post - This one is the correct size 25.4 and is the
> > reynolds domed top one i have seen some steel ones that size mostly just
> > standard raleigh but not seen the alloy one like i have listed.
>
>
>
>
> > RRA Chain set - Very nice good chrome with the Heron logo on the chain
> > rings.
>
>
>
>
> > RRA front wing nuts - A set of proper RRA front wing just these slot into
>
> > the drop outs and haver the Raleigh R they are unlike other standard ones
>
> > with the big washer that clamps on the outside of the drop out.
>
>
>
>
> > RRA pedals - These again are super rare not seen many RRA's with the
> > correct pedals most have the lenton type the ones i have listed are well
> > used but can be restored again super rare and hard to find.
>
>
>
>
> > RRA stem - I have a re chromed correct stem again specific to the RRA has
>
> > the same lug pattern as the frame some pitting under the chrome but in
> > hard to polish areas.
>
>
>
>
> > There are other items that came off my RRA that are going up also.
>
>
>
>
> > I hope everyone finds this useful knowing how long it took me to source
> > the RRA only parts i thought it would be good to tell you guys so you
> > dont miss the chance to get the bits if you are restoring, have restored
> > and own an original RRA.
>
>
>
>
>
> > Doug Gardner
>
>
>
>
> > Reading, England
>
>
> > _______________________________________________
>
>
> > Classicrendezvous mailing list
>
>
> > Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>
>
> > http://www.bikelist.org/
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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