Hi Tim,
I don't meant to cause undue alarm...all may indeed be well in this case, and I want to make clear I am not slandering the seller, who appears to be honest.
Mostly we're a little on edge because some recently stolen Thorns were offered for sale on eBay, and one was recovered only recently due to the actions of a persistent owner, some thoughtful and observant members on another forum, and the actions of the police. I guess it is making us all look a bit more closely at recent postings.
...could you explain more about why you feel this is not quite right and what makes his an unusual spec...
This is indeed a wonderful-looking bike, with a dream spec of components.
Here is what seemed a little odd to me about it...
1) The seller took the most expensive route in building it up, starting with a bare frame and going for parts at retail, rather than going for the builder's package discount offered by Thorn in the form of a comparatively reduced price. Given that Thorn offers a number of levels of equipage -- all very complete -- it would have been far more cost-effective to have ordered one of those and then changed an item here and there. This bike shows it was a real labor of love and some real care and thought in the process, so the owner must know the bike intimately. Given this, it seems a bit strange he or she was so approximate on listing the sizing of the frame.
2) Having put so much time, effort, and money into a full-custom bike of this class, it is a little strange to sell it after only 200 miles. If it truly didn't fit, then it would make more sense to sell the frame off alone and replace it with another, transferring the parts collected for this one. It is not enough time for the owner to tire of it. Perhaps this was a labor of love that ended in a dream dashed when it didn't ride as the owner/builder expected. Perhaps it was built for a loved one who split, or the owner incurred some sort of injury that prevents riding this bike or at all. Maybe there was a financial reversal. Maybe a planned world tour didn't come off or someone died. The £1,500.00 starting bid would surely mean selling at a loss, but it will weed out the merely curious or hopeful and will result in serious bids.
I am sure an email to the seller would go far toward answering some of these questions. That's what I usually do when I have questions about an item's provenance or history. It is just one more piece of the puzzle for me to weigh.
Taken altogether and in light of the recently attempted turnovers of stolen merchandise, it just seemed a little off. It is unusual for a top-kit, full-custom Nomad Mk2 to be offered so soon after building with no explanation. Evidently others feel a bit hesitant or the starting bid seems high, as it has still received no bids at this time.
Offsetting all this is a stellar record with eBay (100% positive rating), both as a seller and buyer. The seller's ready offer of a viewing and direct pickup are both very encouraging.
Perhaps this would be a good one to get in on after some careful thought.
Best,
Dan.
