[CR]How the "Dance for Glee "ended

(Example: Framebuilders:Cecil Behringer)

Date: Sat, 01 Mar 2003 12:30:52 -0800
From: "Brian Baylis" <rocklube@adnc.com>
To: classic rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR]How the "Dance for Glee "ended

Dear Listmembers:

OUCH! Tripped and fell on my face! Now THAT'S going to leave a mark!

I'm not sure how I feel on this matter. I'm just curious what you people think. Some people noticed a short time ago I was "dancing with glee" in anticipation of purchasing the 51 cm Ron Cooper frame outed yesterday. The asking price was $350.00. I contacted the seller and agreed to pay the $350 for the bike as is. I told him I needed until Monday to be positive I had cash in hand for the bike. He responded that the bike was mine and he would hold it on my word. I needed time to contact the buyer of a Colnago frame I sold, to get the neccessary cash for the Cooper. The buyer of my Colnago turns out to be out of town until Monday, but was reached by phone and assured me I would have cash on Monday. I knew this Friday afternoon, but didn't get back to the seller of the Cooper on account of all this stuff going on on the list. I figured I could contact the seller of the Cooper this morning and notify him that I had done one better, I now had the $350 in Cash, in my hand (which I had accomplished); not just that I have confirmed that I have the $350 on Monday for sure. During all this I was also trying to work out how to pick up the bike; part of which might have involved a third party to pick up the bike. I hadn't heard back from that person regarding that, so I proceeded to formulate a way to go to LA and pick it up myself. I suggested to the seller I could pick it up or we could meet at the Rose Bowl ride if he wanted to join us; and we could exchang cash for bike on Sunday.

The responce from the seller was that since I didn't contact him last night he felt obligated to sell the bike to someone who had offered him $500, take it or leave it today only. Humm. Obviously someone who lived near the seller. I don't know for sure, but I get the impression the bike got sold. I'm bummed, but I told him if for some reason the bike doesn't get sold to that person (yeah right) I'm still interested.

All I can say is I hope the bike gets a proper good home. God forbid that bike gets repainted or built with anything other than period parts. It had better get ridden and cared for by someone who REALLY cares and has the same respect and high regard for the work of Ron Cooper that I have. I will miss riding it; I hope someone else can push it like I can, otherwise I'm sad for the bicycle. Oh well, "if it's too good to be true, then it probably is". It's a dog eat bicycle world.

Only ONE thing would PISS me off bigtime in this situation. I think I've been pretty reasonable so far. If that bike turns up on eBay from the person who bought it (directly or indirectly) I will blow a gasket. That would disappoint me trememdously. Very few people could resist selling the bike on the spot to someone with an extra $150 in hand standing in front of them saying "today or never" (even though I would if I had told someone else the bike was theirs on their word). If the transaction took place over email and over a distance that prevents them from picking the bike up by tomorrow and handing the seller cash; then I will feel I got hosed. It was never made clear to me that the bike had to be picked up on Saturday or there was no deal. Our conversations included Money by Monday as far as I knew. I put in extra effort to beat that mark and arrange to pick it up in person on Sunday. Where did I go wrong?

Brian Baylis
La Mesa, CA
Aw, that bike was SOUR anyway. Not!