For Sale H. R. Morris complete road bike ( a one off )
- Thread starter Emmo
- Start date
Guinessisgoodforyou
rBotM Winner
It's gorgeous, it's a sh*t load of cash. You obviously move in different circles to me.
I guess I'm not a serious cyclist because I haven't got £3000 to spend. Now wind your neck in.
I guess I'm not a serious cyclist because I haven't got £3000 to spend. Now wind your neck in.
I mean no insult to you (or question your 'seriousness'), I'm simply pointing out that times have moved on a bit from when I saved up my first months wages to buy a Carlton 531 with full Sun tour group for £300.
The average club cyclist will drop £3k on a bike without even thinking about it. It's become the norm. Take a ride out with any local club and you'll see what I mean.
^ Canuk: "....when your average club rider can blow £3k on a Sunday ride carbon bike, clearly it's not a lot of money to an awful lot of people."
Yes, there will be a few like that even on this a.m.'s CTC Easy Ride, but I guess some will be on the C Card, not cash. And many of the riders have no particular interest in BIKES, only the cycling. Even more true with the many roadies I'll see out this a.m.
I love such bikes, but if I had 3 grand for a bike, wouldn't be that. Where would I ride it? Would it ride better than a modern carbon machine (no)?
Bikes are for riding, all weathers, not "collecting".
Today I'll be on my 10 y.o. Brompton.....
Yes, there will be a few like that even on this a.m.'s CTC Easy Ride, but I guess some will be on the C Card, not cash. And many of the riders have no particular interest in BIKES, only the cycling. Even more true with the many roadies I'll see out this a.m.
I love such bikes, but if I had 3 grand for a bike, wouldn't be that. Where would I ride it? Would it ride better than a modern carbon machine (no)?
Bikes are for riding, all weathers, not "collecting".
Today I'll be on my 10 y.o. Brompton.....
You
A random glance at any club ride round our way you'll see 3K bikes aplenty. It's the norm. Do people buy them just to 'ride' them? Of course not, they enjoy the owning of them, the servicing, the looking after them. Buying a collectable bike is no different. There are dozens of vintage bike rides all over Britain and Europe, and then there's Eroica, where people buy vintage specifically to ride them. Also investing in a classic bike like this, you become a curator. For future generations who might be in awe that bike art like this was even possible. That's a real privilege.
Like I said up thread, the fact that this isn't sold says a lot about the forum. Perhaps it is on the wane. Are there any real collectors out there? I don't mind bike tinkerers, that's fair play as a hobby. If this was Italian or French I'd have snapped it up in five minutes. You'll never lose a penny on a bike like this, and it's a show winner, wherever you go. It would definitely top Eroica Britain. I've seen (and owned) a lot of real treasures over the years, it seems pretty bizarre to me on a specialist forum that bills itself as interested in Retro, that no one has even made an offer on it....
KondratievsBike
Dave Yates Fan
I’ve really enjoyed this discussion – almost as much as I enjoy looking at the bike that sparked it. It will find its home at its right price in its own time. It might be Canuck or it might be me (although that’s less likely while gazelleterry is still selling his Gazelle and Terry) or it might be somebody else.
But I want to add this…
It’s an absolute stunner. And it’s well worth the 3k to the person who has 3k and who wants *this bike*. That might have been me… post bonus I could probably have rustled up 3k. But if I had I’d probably have spent it on a Pennine; or an Ellis Briggs or a JF Wilson because of what means most to me and spent the change on new marble worktops or curtains to keep my lady sweet
I know people who’ve dropped 3k on a new road bike at my club and do so every couple of years and I know people who’ve done it who first touched a bike in the last five years and for whom cycling probably *is* the new golf.
I was one of the ones who saved and saved for his first proper bike (in this case £210 quid for a second hand Raleigh 653 with a mish mash of parts from Paul Milnes in Bradford that gradually got replaced with Shimano 600). But when I was doing that, I would no more have looked at a Flying Gate or a curly Hetchins or fancy Nervex lugs (got the latter on the project list now though) than I would have considered a bike for "sheep shaggers" (Muddy Fox Courier or Specialized Rockhopper) because that particular itch didn’t develop for about another 18 months.
I guess what I’m stumbling towards is this…
There are a lot of folk on here and a lot of wonderful sharers of knowledge & kindness ; of friendship & fellowship; and even free bikes & bits. Some of them might describe themselves as serious collectors. Some of them might be deranged magpies like me flitting about from bike to bike making up for a skint youth spent in a well to do Yorkshire Dales town full of Oranges and 753 and Pace and Campag Croce D’Aune. Some might just be here for the reminiscences and the craic.
But to suggest that there are no serious collectors on here – well I take umbrage at that on behalf of the self-evidently serious and knowledgeable ones I have encountered. And on my own behalf I just giggle and smirk like the deranged magpie that I am
But I want to add this…
It’s an absolute stunner. And it’s well worth the 3k to the person who has 3k and who wants *this bike*. That might have been me… post bonus I could probably have rustled up 3k. But if I had I’d probably have spent it on a Pennine; or an Ellis Briggs or a JF Wilson because of what means most to me and spent the change on new marble worktops or curtains to keep my lady sweet
I know people who’ve dropped 3k on a new road bike at my club and do so every couple of years and I know people who’ve done it who first touched a bike in the last five years and for whom cycling probably *is* the new golf.
I was one of the ones who saved and saved for his first proper bike (in this case £210 quid for a second hand Raleigh 653 with a mish mash of parts from Paul Milnes in Bradford that gradually got replaced with Shimano 600). But when I was doing that, I would no more have looked at a Flying Gate or a curly Hetchins or fancy Nervex lugs (got the latter on the project list now though) than I would have considered a bike for "sheep shaggers" (Muddy Fox Courier or Specialized Rockhopper) because that particular itch didn’t develop for about another 18 months.
I guess what I’m stumbling towards is this…
There are a lot of folk on here and a lot of wonderful sharers of knowledge & kindness ; of friendship & fellowship; and even free bikes & bits. Some of them might describe themselves as serious collectors. Some of them might be deranged magpies like me flitting about from bike to bike making up for a skint youth spent in a well to do Yorkshire Dales town full of Oranges and 753 and Pace and Campag Croce D’Aune. Some might just be here for the reminiscences and the craic.
But to suggest that there are no serious collectors on here – well I take umbrage at that on behalf of the self-evidently serious and knowledgeable ones I have encountered. And on my own behalf I just giggle and smirk like the deranged magpie that I am
Most blokes I know my age (early 50's) who are still working have 3k lying around to drop on 'luxuries'. I see them at our Vespa meets, and suddenly they'll turn up on something really special. I bought an ex pro Raleigh Castorama 753 for not far from this money, I think of it a privilege to be temporary owner of it, till the next guy. A lot of this stuff just gets lost to time. When its gone, it's gone.
I've had the personal experience of not paying attention to something really worth collecting. About ten years ago I was quite friendly with a ' constructeur' like Morris. I'll name no names, but anyhow he invited me round his house just before he died to see his frame jig and specialized lug mitring tools (most of which he made himself) I think we both thought I should buy them and maybe keep something alive.
In one room he had about 30 unfinished frames, most were complete but not painted. In another room I reckon he maybe had 10,000 + bike brochures, leaflets and posters. They were floor to ceiling some going back to the 1930's. He'd a box full of early Colnago posters, which fetch funny money now.
Long story short he died two weeks later, before I could get back in touch to make an offer, and I went to the funeral. I was speaking to the son who was responsible for the estate, and when I asked what he'd do with all the bike paraphernalia: 'Skipped the lot, load of old junk anyhow'! When I told him the catalogues alone were probably worth at least 100k (there were dozens of early Claude Butler and Ephgrave) his face fair hit the floor.
Salutatory warning - If you see something really rare and you like it,and you've got the cash sitting there doing nothing, buy it. You will probably never get the opportunity again.
I've had the personal experience of not paying attention to something really worth collecting. About ten years ago I was quite friendly with a ' constructeur' like Morris. I'll name no names, but anyhow he invited me round his house just before he died to see his frame jig and specialized lug mitring tools (most of which he made himself) I think we both thought I should buy them and maybe keep something alive.
In one room he had about 30 unfinished frames, most were complete but not painted. In another room I reckon he maybe had 10,000 + bike brochures, leaflets and posters. They were floor to ceiling some going back to the 1930's. He'd a box full of early Colnago posters, which fetch funny money now.
Long story short he died two weeks later, before I could get back in touch to make an offer, and I went to the funeral. I was speaking to the son who was responsible for the estate, and when I asked what he'd do with all the bike paraphernalia: 'Skipped the lot, load of old junk anyhow'! When I told him the catalogues alone were probably worth at least 100k (there were dozens of early Claude Butler and Ephgrave) his face fair hit the floor.
Salutatory warning - If you see something really rare and you like it,and you've got the cash sitting there doing nothing, buy it. You will probably never get the opportunity again.
Guinessisgoodforyou
rBotM Winner
I don't know anyone that has a spare three grand lying around. Are you on drugs? Maybe you should be.
You're beginning to sound somewhat entitled. We get it your acquaintances are rich, you're rich, I'm not, nor is anyone I know or knew. As for now the ignore button offers relief from your stupidity and arrogance.
My sincere apologies to the op
You're beginning to sound somewhat entitled. We get it your acquaintances are rich, you're rich, I'm not, nor is anyone I know or knew. As for now the ignore button offers relief from your stupidity and arrogance.
My sincere apologies to the op
That's pretty rude. So be it, if that's your schtick. Clearly you are out of touch with modern club cycling, where three grand bike is considered 'entry level'... and nothing out of the ordinary. Disposable income (aided and abetted by an 700% property boom) has come on a fair bit since 1980, no? Access to cheap credit and remortgaging has made a huge section of the population half millionaires. At borrowing rates so cheap it makes no sense not to
