Like the vintage Mercedes Gullwing-in-a-barn story, John. I read the thread through twice to make sure it wasn't a windup; it looks legit, but...
Man -- What a bike to inherit!
I agree with the one poster who thought his GT MTB would be better suited for the trip to China. Not that the Singer couldn't ably do it, depending in its construction...it is just too valuable at today's collector prices.
This brings up a tangential topic...
What do you do with such bicycle-related "stuff" when you either...
a) Can no longer use it
...or...
b) Die?
I have no heirs at present, and there's no immediate prospects in the offing. I'm kinda hoping whoever might end up with my bikes really appreciates what they are and what went into them. Not that it is the original poster's fault on the CGOAG thread...he is just not familiar with the classic French Constructeurs like Mssrs. Herse and Singer. No reason to be unless he was an enthusiast of classic touring bikes, a pretty small subset of the larger bike-enthusiast community.
- - - -
I found myself on the receiving end thanks to someone who didn't know how to answer those questions above...
A decade ago, I went to put the mail in the box and saw a vintage 50s-style coaster-brake Schwinn cruiser bike left on my front lawn, bearing an unsigned note. The note was addressed to "The Bike Whisperer" (me, apparently), and said the bike had provided many happy days since childhood, and had been so much more than a bicycle -- rocketship, faithful trail pony, whatever the imagination could conjure. The bike had problems and needed an "overhaul" and it was mine to do with as I wished, and was left in the hope I would know what to do with it given its past.
Well.
Looking at the bike, it was well-worn, but nothing like worn out. The chromed-steel chainring and Ashtabula one-piece crank were basically sound, the flash-welded frame was Schwinn Stout, which translated to nearly indestructible. The problem? It had apparently run hard into a curb. While the forged(!) fork blades were okay, the steerer was bent midway through its length, and the upper and lower cup seats/head tube ends matched it, both tweaked at an angle. Even a new fork would not have made it right, and the frame and bike wasn't worth the investment it would have taken to round things out (essentially milling out the flash-welded head tube and brazing in a new one with brass and my oxy-acetyene torch).
I called a friend who retired after 25 years in the used-bike business and who specialized in restoring cruisers. He read the note, we talked, and both came to the conclusion the best way for the bike's spirit to live on was as a component donor. The parts allowed him to complete three separate bicycles, which he then donated to needy students. We hoped our decision would be congruent with the anonymous donor's wishes and the bike's ethos.
I'm occasionally asked by the families of passed friends what to do with their late-beloved's bikes, and how to find "someone who will appreciate them". It is hard, but easier now the Internet has Fora and interest groups for like-minded folks. eBay helps too, as the bidders obviously want and value their acquisitions -- even if they're only motivated to sell-on at a profit. Hopefully the last owner will appreciate what they get.
Strange things happen to old bikes, partly resulting from the sentiment attached to them. More than other pieces of sporting equipment, bicycles offer the opportunity for personalization and to reflect the owner's outlook. Nice to find a like-minded person to pass them to.
All the best,
Dan.
