Greetings--- I found the ebay auction text and images for Dr. Clifford Gaves' Rene Herse tandem. This was the SECOND listing of the machine, as the first time around it did not sell. For the second auction the seller also included the seat tube lengths, which were not present in the first auction. Tandem size was 61cm / 58cm. The pertinent parts of the text are quoted, below. And the link to the images is below the text.
"Vintage Parts Rene Herse 50's Vintage Tandem Maxi-Car Hub Stronglight Item number: 150155913371
Starting time: Aug-28-07 11:58:49 PDT
Meet the seller Seller: coffeeride
Item location: San Diego, CA, United States History: 14 bids Winning bidder: sy-2000
Sorry, you were outbid. This item sold to sy-2000 for US $5,000.00.
Description Dropouts: Rene Herse Seattube Captain: 61cm (c-c) Seattube Stoker: 58cm (c-c) Stems: Rene Herse Stem Cap: "La Jolla Cyclery Pearl St. La Jolla" Saddles: Brooks/Ideale Tires: 650B Rims: Mephisto A-Blocs Hubs: Maxi-Car (Rene Herse Modified) Cranks: Stronglight BBs: Rene Herse Sealed Pedals: Lyotard Patruad clips and straps Shifters: Cyclo Derailleurs: Cyclo Smplex front Brakes: Rene Herse Levers: Mafac IF you would like to look at it in person or would like a picture taken of a paticular area of the bike or just have a general question feel free to email me. This bike was originally owned by Dr. Clifford Graves from La Jolla! No Dent, dings or Cracks! I'm relisting it because the last auction winner passed on it. But i will open it up to bidders worldwide. The winning bidder pays the actual shipping cost.I have never shipped an item this big overseas so I will do the best i can to find the best way/price. thanks! Check out my other listings of vintage Bicycle components."
http://s840.photobucket.com/
Cheerio,
Peter Jourdain Whitewater, WI USA
http://www.bicyclingbackwards.com
"For here is entertainment in excelsis, the sight, the sound and the scent of things....Why cycling for joy is not the most popular passtime on earth is still a mystery to me." ---Frank J. Urry, "SALUTE TO CYCLING"
From: Dr. Paddle <drpaddle@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [CR] Timewarp Rene Herse Auction & tandem To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org, "Peter Jourdain" <pjourdain@yahoo.com> Cc: "Matt Gorski" <milanocc@gmail.com> Date: Wednesday, February 2, 2011, 12:33 AM
If I recall correctly, Dr Graves was no six-footer. I recall, with some margin for memory fade, that he wasn't as tall as me (5'10"). With a bunch of disclaimers because of the many years, I'll bet he was closer to 5'8". A tandem with a 25" front would be too big for him. His singles fit me well, maybe a bit smaller than the 23.5" I usually rode. He gave the impression of being a bit diminuitive: not a physically powerful guy by any means. Of course, I always saw him riding in knickers, and it's hard to convey power in knickers.
Doctor was the founder of American Youth Hostels in San Diego. He was the most wonderful mentor to the neighborhood kids who took up cycling. I lived just about a mile away from him in La Jolla Shores when he guided me into cycling.
Cheers!
Kevin
From: Peter Jourdain <pjourdain@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [CR] Timewarp Rene Herse Auction & tandem To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Cc: "Dr. Paddle" <drpaddle@yahoo.com>, "Matt Gorski" <milanocc@gmail.com> Date: Tuesday, February 1, 2011, 6:08 PM
Hi, Kevin---
Thanks for the reminiscences of Dr. Clifford Graves. Wish so much I could have met him.
Dr. Graves' Rene Herse tandem (orange in color, I believe) sold on ebay a couple of years back. Somewhere I think I have the auction photos. If I find them I'll post 'em. It was a pretty large size, a 24 or 25-inch captain's cockpit. Is that the machine you recall?
I remember there being a debate on CR about Dr. Gaves' height. Some folks, looking at a picture of him, thought he was quite short. But looking at his tandem and the size of the tubes (especially the head tube) I believe he was actually a 6-footer. The ebay seller had not listed the dimensions of the machine.
I remember bidding on it and Matt Gorski rooting for me and asking me afterwards if I'd won it, which I did not. I think it might have gone for as much as five grand. I'll have to see if I can dig up the auction info from my archives.
Cheerio,
Peter Jourdain
Whitewater, Wisconsin USA
http://www.bicyclingbackwards.com
"For here is entertainment in excelsis, the sight, the sound and the scent of things....Why cycling for joy is not the most popular passtime on earth is still a mystery to me." ---Frank J. Urry, "SALUTE TO CYCLING"
From: Dr. Paddle <drpaddle@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [CR] Timewarp Rene Herse Auction To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Date: Tuesday, February 1, 2011, 8:28 PM
I visited Dr Graves' garage many times as a teen. I recall he had at that time (1968 to about '71) a couple chrome Herse touring bikes (one that broke apart for shipping) and a chrome Herse racer. He also had a tandem that may have been an Herse, and a tricycle from another manufacturer. At the time I hung out there, he was a bachelor so there wasn't a wife's bike. (He married in the mid-70s, I think, to Katrina Hippen?) I had the pleasure of riding the racer in a ten-mile timetrial a couple of times, and the tricycle once. Doctor was a wonderful guy. My memory may be incomplete or corrupted, of course. Consider the era...
Kevin Montgomery
San Diego, California USA
From: Matt Gorski <milanocc@gmail.com> Subject: [CR] Timewarp Rene Herse Auction To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Cc: sterling@tns.net Date: Tuesday, February 1, 2011, 3:23 PM