Off topic but annyoing - whenever I post to the list I get a return with attachment that says gregb51@lycos.com has blocked the message. Is anyone else getting this? It is quite a pain. Sure I can just delete it, but if someone is blocking, which is fine, they shouldn't also need to waste my time.
Mike Kone in Boulder CO
> The subject line says it all - the frame sold nearly instantly.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Mike Kone in Boulder CO
\r?\n>
\r?\n> > Hi CR folks,
\r?\n> >
\r?\n> > Sitting in front of me is a Jo Routens 650b frame that is a diamond in the
\r?\n> > rough. Probably late 50's or early 60's. Routens bikes have a reputation for
\r?\n> > being great riders, although they are often a bit heavy (such as this one).
\r?\n> > Routens is generally considered to be part of the big three of French
\r?\n> > constructures - the other two being Herse and Singer. (not that there weren't
\r?\n> > other greats, but those are even rarer).
\r?\n> >
\r?\n> > This one is about 57is to top, a smidge under 56 to center, with a roughly 55
\r?\n> > top tube cc. It is a frame / fork with shifters and a painfully cool cable
\r?\n> > actuated front Routens deraillieur. It needs a repaint for sure, although the
\r?\n> > downtube decal is pretty legible. The frame has a headbadge.
\r?\n> >
\r?\n> > Two notable other issues I've caught - there is a rather big dent on the top
\r?\n> > tube near the headlug, and on one of the rear cantiliver bosses the tube
\r?\n> portion
\r?\n> > that the canti slides over is missing. Not sure if that has to be brazed
\r?\n> > (should be able to grab parts from a canti and fix, but may need to be brazed
\r?\n> > on, not sure how those went together). The dent is a bummer, but I sense that
\r?\n> > the tubing is pretty thick on this frame so some body work before repaint is
\r?\n> > probably going to do the trick.
\r?\n> >
\r?\n> > The only really proprietary part missing on this machine is the front rack
\r?\n> (all
\r?\n> > the other parts are missing too, but the rack is tricky).
\r?\n> >
\r?\n> > Price on this is $500 including ground shipping within the US insured. After
\r?\n> > paint, I bet you could be into this frame for less than some of the modern
\r?\n> Asian
\r?\n> > frames sell for new - and this one should ride great and is the real thing.
\r?\n> >
\r?\n> > Mike Kone in Boulder CO