Re: [CR] Helyett Sp?ciale

(Example: Component Manufacturers)

Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2011 18:27:28 +0000 (GMT)
From: "Hugh Thornton" <hughwthornton@yahoo.co.uk>
To: Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
In-Reply-To: <000a01cbb4cb$eeddb8a0$cc9929e0$@com>
Subject: Re: [CR] Helyett Sp?ciale


I concur that the corrosion on this bike is not of much concern.  I think it must have been stored inside because the paint is quite unfaded and Helyett's lovely green paint does not weather very well.  However, the atmosphere must have been damp for that amount of corrosion on plated parts.

However, I consider that this bike was made just too late to be highly desirable. Anquetil was no longer riding a Helyett and probably never rode one to this spec.  Also by 1963 Simplex were making better quality dropouts and this frame does not have them, neither does it have a gear hanger.  And the lugs and fork crown are not as nice as Anquetil era bikes had.  It is also strange that it does not have an alloy chainset - a Stronglight 57 would have been ideal.

On the other hand, Heyett Speciale bikes are quite rare and the few that have been on the market in the last couple of years have fetched these sort of prices - just a question of whether the economy has taken its toll on this market.

Hugh Thornton
Cheshire, England


--- On Sat, 15/1/11, Steve Birmingham wrote:


From: Steve Birmingham <sbirmingham@mindspring.com> Subject: Re: [CR] Helyett Sp?ciale To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Date: Saturday, 15 January, 2011, 15:50

There doesn't seem to be much oxidation there that wouldn't be fixed by a bit of scrubbing with a brass brush and some oil. Maybe the seatpost wouldn't clean up all that well, but the cranks and quick releases would come out looking just fine. The unplated bits like the rim eyelets look fine too. They are nearly 50 year old unprotected steel after all.

Sometimes I think we get too hung up on something being perfect, rather than appreciating what it actually is. In this case, a nice bike that's remained unaltered and hasn't been stored all that poorly for 47 years or so.

Steve Birmingham Lowell, Massachusetts USA   

Message: 3 Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2011 04:28:45 -0500 From: George Hollenberg <ghollmd@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [CR] Helyett Sp?ciale To: alex m <alexpianos@yahoo.fr> Cc: Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Message-ID:     <AANLkTimKXpHXo5g57kg68=WD=n6wApSUG2_BPC8qEedi@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Hi Alex: This is an interesting cycle, but its condition seems very poor to me. The extensive oxidation (rust) etc. would seem to be very tough to repair-or, at the very least very costly to alleviate-- perhaps beyond what the bike is worth? *Please carefully describe all the damage -including that NOT shown in the photos*. My Herse experience has shown me that the hidden damage is more problematic than that which is shown. Thanks, George

2011/1/15 alex m <alexpianos@yahoo.fr>
> Ebay item 360336217113
>
> Interesting selection of parts on this bike fitted with innovative but
> short lived French parts that help date the bike quite precisely :
> Mafac Top
> 63 brakes (with their correct straddlers...) and Simplex Prestige
> derailleurs.
>
> I guess the bike is 1963, Anquetil's 1962 win in the Tour de France
> (he moved to Gitane in 1963) must have made this bike a popular choice
> for pro or semi pro riders.
>
> Alexander March
> Bordeaux
> France