Hetchins Magnum Opus Deluxe 23" 2007 David Millar

[malky]

Hetchins Magnum Opus Deluxe David Miller Build 2007, For Sale.
23" Seat Tube 22 1/2" Top Tube, Racing Geometry 74 // Wheel size 700c x 25 max, no mudguard eyes.
Reynolds 531 comp throughout
Built new in 2007 original owner. I am selling due to lack of use, there is little evidence of use on this bike, brake blocks/tyres show very little wear.
I built this as a more or less modern day Hetchins, with Ahead set, steerer with Campag threadless headset, All Shimano Ultegra exept for Stronglight Impact cranks, with TA Rings, and TA Axis Light bottom bracket bearing which now cost £106 alone. This was so that I can use a nice small inner ring on the triple chainset, which is 26 tooth. Deda Newton Bars and Zero 100 stem. Easton Seat Pin. It has done 1614 Km , or 1003 Miles, which is very little.
These frames do not come cheap, best part of £2000, plus a long wait.
Condition is immaculate apart from one tiny now touched up chip to the top tube.
Contact me for further info, details of gearing or anything else. I can send lots of pics, the colour is Tobacco, with gold head tube.
Price is £1800 and I wont be taking offers, it will certainly reach that area on Ebay, but I do not want it on there if possible.
Tried uploading pics, but it comes back file too big.

 

[Grease Monkey]

Some photos would be good. I've seen these modern build curly frames before, nice as they are
they don't tend to get anywhere near an original vintage Hetchins on value though.

 

[malky]

They are the same spec, Bob Jackson built frames for Hetchins when they were in South End, and David Millar left the Jackson company with the rights to build the Hetchins frame, only difference is the fork crown is not double plate now, or the round Reynold fork tubing. Cant understand buying rusty old frames from Ebay then re furbing, may as well get a new build. I also think you will find the cost now more or less the same as it was in the old days, a skilled worker earned around £15 a week then, so sorry I don't agree with you at all. As for pics I cant upload them, anyone really interested and knows what these are will be patient enough to send email address and I will forward lots of pics.

 

[Grease Monkey]

GLWS

 

[Midlife]

.......Just curious but didn't Paul Riley Build the Frames in Preston at the request of David Millar back in 2007?

Shaun

 

[Grease Monkey]

Hetchins Magnum Opus Deluxe David Millar Build 2007, For Sale.
23" Seat Tube 22 1/2" Top Tube, Racing Geometry 74 // Wheel size 700c x 25 max, no mudguard eyes
These frames do not come cheap, best part of £2000, plus a long wait.
Condition is immaculate apart from one tiny now touched up chip to the top tube.
.

I think you just answered your own question. I could lay my hands on at least two pukka vintage Hetchins built by the master himself locally, within a few days and have them refinished to perfect cosmetic condition and still have change out of £600 for the entire process... Minus the chips and touch ups of course. I think if you want top dollar for this bike (your ad seems to suggest so) then eBay is the only outlet for that. Though you may be surprised at what kind of offers you receive.

Bob Jackson will build you a custom sized Vulcan curly frame with 'vibrant' stays and Magnum Opus lugwork or £850. They are also available 'off the peg' in a variety of sizes.

 

[Grease Monkey]

BRIEF HISTORY OF HETCHINS MERGE WITH BOB JACKSON:

We all know the history of  Hetchins turning frame building into an art form, ever since its introduction the Hetchin's name has been held in high regard by very many cyclists. This is not just because of its distinctive frame incorporating the rear vibrant triangle ('curly stays') and ornamental cut-away lugs but also the high quality of manufacture and general standard of finish. The main facts concerning the history of the firm are generally known but many may not be familiar with the merge between Hetchin's & Bob Jackson.  

At the time of the move to Southend in Feb 1974 Jack Denny was a man of advanced years and sometime during the mid-1970s Alf subcontracted some of the frame production to JRJ (Bob Jackson Cycles) in Leeds, this was a reasonable choice for a number of reasons. Bob Jackson and Alf had been friends for many years & Jackson's master frame builder Danny Frost had decades of experience, Jackson Cycles also had excellent enameling facilities (Hetchin had always subcontracted enameling anyway). Jack Denny retired in 1977 but continued to build frames in very small numbers and while it is true that Hetchin's shop was a full-service cycling outfitter including mopeds it was the frame building side of the operation which had made it a "marque of distinction". Without a successor frame builder to Jack Denny the shop might have continued indefinitely but certainly with less distinction, it is clear that Alf did wish it to continue and the affiliation with JRJ Cycles appears to have been Alf's solution to the lack of a successor to Jack Denny. 

It has been long suspected that some Hetchins production was subcontracted to Jackson's from about 1977 onwards and some claim that all Hetchins production was made in Leeds from the mid 1970s but this is hyperbole as it is impossible to say how many frames were made at Jackson's and how many Jack Denny produced (presumably only occasionally and part-time, as he did not move to Southend but commuted when needed from his home in London). In 1986 some years after his retirement Jack Denny returned to the Southend shop partly for promotional reasons. Some improvements were made to the shop in Southend to enable him to make production again but one person familiar with the Southend shop at that time claimed that Jack could not have made more than 20 to 30 frames and that he re-retired soon after. It is widely believed that all frame production ceased in Southend in the spring of 1986. Frames made at Jackon's premises in Leeds bear 4- or 5-digit frame numbers starting 86xxx. The first one positively identified is numbered 8601 from Nov 1984 (extant sales receipt) however one would assume that there was a period of overlap when some frames were produced in Southend and others in Leeds.

In 1985 Alf sold the business to a London businessman (who also bought JRJ Cycles) and the new owner placed the operations under new management, operations continued under this arrangement until about 1989 and Alf carried on as a part-time consultant until 1990. David Miller replaced the previous manager in 1989 whom described the shop in Southend as being in "time warp condition." this included new unused parts and clothing from previous decades. In summer 1990 the property in Southend was closed and sold, the remaining stocks were moved to Jackson Cycles in Leeds in order to manage the two operations without the overhead of two separate locations. In 1993 David Miller left Jackson Cycles taking the Hetchins name with him, since then David Miller has been responsible for (subcontracting) the construction of Hetchins frames and the current frame builder is Paul Riley of Preston. Production is currently running at about 12 frames per year, all bespoke. Bob Jackson came out of retirement and bought back Jackson Cycles and since that time it has been run by Donald Thomas.

Jack Denny was born in 1906 and passed away in 1991. Alf was born 24 Sept 1923 and passed away at the age of 72 just 4 years after Jack.

 

[malky]

There are and have been many excellent skilled frame builders that work for different Dealers be it Mercian Bob Jackson Cycle's Hetchins, or who ever. In the end its the spec that matters, and what makes a frame what it is. The reason the Bob Jackson is called the Vulcan is because they don't have the rights to builds Hetchins anymore. Mine is Hetchins Magnum Opus Deluxe, which has extended lug work under the top tube and bb areas. You will find differences between this and the Vulcan.
I know myself as Aircraft Fitter, we work for different companies and our work is under their name, I have however seen some bad work turned out, but that is down to a companies inspection to put right etc.

 

[malky]

Re:

Just googled the Vulcan and scrutinised the lug wok...Quite different on the fork crown,rear brake bridge, bb and under the top tube. On top of the top tube does look the same. It has to be different otherwise I would assume David Miller would be able to challenge them.
Anyway this bike is what it is, and its complete hardly used, what does £1800 get in the modern bikes, not a lot from what I have seen, plenty of mass production though.

 

[KDM]

Some photos would be good. I've seen these modern build curly frames before, nice as they are
they don't tend to get anywhere near an original vintage Hetchins on value though.

I believe grease monkeys direction was and please correct me grease monkey if I'm way off, is that modern versions are not as sought after as the originals. Klein is an example although possibly not the best but you get the drift. Originals in good condition fetch good money but newer versions of the brand rarely hit even half the perceived sellers value. Price is subjective of course and they are only ever worth what someone will pay and because of that it might be worth you trying eBay too even more so as you feel it will easily achieve that price.

Definitely more detailed pictures should be shown as sometimes the link to a thread is passed onto others we know who maybe interested.

I hope your sale goes well.