Fwd: [BOB] Re: [CR]Re: Parting out bikes, greed, capitalism...

(Example: Racing:Jean Robic)

Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2007 06:47:42 -0700
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
From: "Jan Heine" <heine94@earthlink.net>
Subject: Fwd: [BOB] Re: [CR]Re: Parting out bikes, greed, capitalism...


>>That Herse on the other hand... whole different deal. That bike, once

\r?\n>>parted out, is probably destined never to be anything near correct again.

\r?\n>>Someone will buy the frame/fork (maybe) and the buyer will surely realize at

\r?\n>>some point that it will be uneconomic or impossible to properly refit it as

\r?\n>>it was. Will the buyer at that point abandon the project entirely or simply

\r?\n>>complete it with the wrong pieces? Those look to me like the only realistic

\r?\n>>alternatives. That Herse in its original conception and iteration is

\r?\n>>probably irretrievably gone forever either way once the boxes are sent out.

\r?\n>

\r?\n>The problem here is the demand for parts to hang on modern 'Toei et

\r?\n>al.' bikes, which make the parts worth much more than the whole. If

\r?\n>the whole, complete bike was worth as much as the sum of the parts

\r?\n>plus some, then it would make sense for Grant Handley to sell the

\r?\n>complete bike, or at least a "kit" with all the hard-to-find bits

\r?\n>that belong together in one auction.

\r?\n>

\r?\n>But as they say, the market has spoken, and "it" has decided that a

\r?\n>new Toei is worth much more than an old Herse with original parts.

\r?\n>

\r?\n>Jan Heine

\r?\n>Editor

\r?\n>Bicycle Quarterly

\r?\n>140 Lakeside Ave #C

\r?\n>Seattle WA 98122

\r?\n>www.bikequarterly.com