[CR] Quetion of whats Collectable

(Example: Events:Cirque du Cyclisme:2004)

From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Michael=20Butler?= <pariscycles@yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: [CR] Quetion of whats Collectable
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2003 11:08:42 +0000 (GMT)

This is purely a personal UK observation. When I first started riding in the late fifties the majority of clubmen road on either Road Path or Road Frames built with 531DB tubes and Nervex Pro lugs. Mostly these were made by one man makers or in many cases made for them and fitted with their transfers. Around the London area these names always spring to mind Southern (StanButcher) Allins, Newtons, Ken Ryall,Carpenter, Rory O'Brien, Fred Dean and countless others. There was a time when you went to a major event at Herne Hill track and the bikes would be stacked up ten deep as far as the eye could see, the majority would be made to this specification where have they all gone.

Similarly anything lightweight made from about 1926 to 1939 is as rare as rocking horse droppings. There are several probable explanations to this, some of the earlier stuff got melted for the war effort as it was no longer fashionable and a lot of the later stuff got given away or sold as their owners never returned from the war. Where are the GA, Buckleys and the R.O Harrisons of this era.

On the question of the less exotic Raleigh Lentons and their Humber and Rudge stablemates, Raleigh RRA, Dawes Dalesmans, Clansman and Deboinairres these have simply vanished into the ether.

The point is collect anything that takes your fancy but my minium would be total originality including paint and transfers (decalls), at least 531 or equivillant main tubes and find a good example from one of the three categories mentioned. They are as rare as hens teeth.

Be lucky Mick Butler Huntingdon UK

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