The unicorn bike paradox

[benjabbi]

Money, availability and fear seem to be the main reasons posted above!

Never meet your heros.....you might realise they are just human like you.

Unicorns, magical, mystical elusive beasts that might allow you to fly.... Or.... Just a horse with a horn. You just won't know until you find one.

 

[dirttorpedo]

So I found a perfect garage queen version of my unicorn. I think the asking price is a bit much. So what would you guys pay for your unicorn if it was a mid level tig welded bike?

 

[Tootyred]

More than normal, but less then makes you regret it?

 

[Jamesbike]

Going slightly off piste, coming from a roadie background, when I was a spotty yoof mountain bikes were in their infancy, and I just didn't understand why someone would want to have such tiny wheels and only one gear and have to always stand up to pedal...

There can also be unicorn parts too, I used to read cycling weekly and the Ron Kitching catalogue and also the RJ Chicken catalogue too, and before this thing called the internet I lusted after bikes and certain parts Shimano Dura-ace AX, Campagnolo Super Record, Mavic SSC, these parts eventually came into my price and availability range, but there were some mythical parts, parts that were talked of in magazine articles and advertisments with only suppliers addresses, one such company was ICS which took the already expensive and beautiful Campagnolo Super Record and turned it in to something even more beautiful and precious, modifications and high polishing and even gold plating. Well the thing I lusted after most were the shifters high gloss polish, a graceful curve was added and the centers were milled out and a rubber insert was placed in there... Bellisima... I searched high and low for them every shop I went in I asked and no they didn't have them and it was either not possible or not worth their while to get them for me.

Spool on many years later I a looking at bikes on a thing called Ebay and I see a bicycle in y neighbouring town with a curved pair of shiny Campagnolo gear levers on it, so I bought the whole bike and kept some and parted some out on here and now I have my unicorn ICS gear levers fitted to my gorgeous lusted after Mercian KOM.

Also, I think my Fuquay fits the unicorn moniker as it is a Fuquay and has many of his signature details but it does not have a wishbone rear seatstay, there is also an article about frame building methods with Greg Fuquay featured in it and he can be seen with a non wishbone bike that looks identical to mine... Thus making it a rare beast indeed...

If you have got this far thank you for your fortitude and patience...

Definitely a mercian seen one going cheap - do I don't I?!!!!

 

[retrobikeguy]

kick it, rub your chin then offer half of what theyre asking based on all the rust they cant see inside!

 

[sinnerman]

So I found a perfect garage queen version of my unicorn. I think the asking price is a bit much. So what would you guys pay for your unicorn if it was a mid level tig welded bike?

Its only worth what someone is willing to pay.

 

[dirttorpedo]

Its only worth what someone is willing to pay.

Yes, but unfortunately he's a stubborn one and won't take my offer. Thinks he's sitting on a gold mine.

 

[sinnerman]

Yes, but unfortunately he's a stubborn one and won't take my offer. Thinks he's sitting on a gold mine.

and theres the paradox. You may find money has little to do with it, and its his unicorn too. its all about how much you want it.

 

[Cheshire1980]

If its a unicorn, and its in super condition, then its worth paying that bit extra in my opinion. I bought my matt grey Aluminium O 92, off a chap, for well over the odds, but like mentioned above, it was the sellers unicorn, so selling cheap was not an option for him. Still, don’t regret buying it, for over the odds, have owned 10 Aluminium O’s and this one has been far superior to any of them

 

[ibbz]

the problem with Unicorns is that when you have one, you'll realise there's another and another