Cycling UK Forum

Post photos of the Hetchins. It is highly collectable and highly prized in the US if you don't mind letting it leave the UK. Sadly, though, they don't sell for that much in the UK anymore. That's why vintage bikes like an old Hetchins are so hard to price.
There's a Hetchins website for listings, but not sure how active it is. There's also a chap named David Miller who used to oversee production of the later bikes at Bob Jackson's, but not sure if he's still doing this. If he is, he probably can give you a good estimate of its value.
https://www.hetchins.com/
But post a photo or two here in this thread. There are some Hetchins enthusiasts lurking around here who may give you an idea of its worth. I would have it at a 'sensible price', and ride it, if it was smaller.
Lastly, have you thought about giving it away to a grandchild or younger member in your family? It might worth more to them than any price you might get selling it.

As said above, I too would suggest selling them on this forum. If you posted some photos of the most valuable items in this thread, you may get some ideas about pricing and possibly some offers. There are a few sellers who specialise in vintage bikes and parts, but you will get a lot more for them if you sell them yourself. You could also sell the stuff in small lots as auctions on eBay, possibly restricting sales to UK only and setting a minimum you’d accept.

deliquium wrote: ↑25 Jun 2024, 10:08pm

Jezrant wrote: ↑25 Jun 2024, 9:26pm And who might this neighbour the world renowned alpinist be?

He's retired now and like all of us, does not need to be named - although he was publicly awarded an honour at Buck Palace for his endeavours.

No need to be so coy. If it’s who I think it is, he’s a legend in the climbing community, well respected and well liked by all.

And who might this neighbour the world renowned alpinist be?

Nice one. Your detour was a good idea, with the extra tick for Buttertubs, but Buckden Pike would have been, er, challenging. Someone’s now going to post they did it on their 3-speed Rudge.
For future reference, the road from Muker to Askrigg is another cracker. And keen hill walkers can easily reach the summit of Buckden Pike in around 90 minutes from the YDNP car park in Buckden. Not far from the summit is the moving memorial to some Polish airmen in the RAF who crashed into the hill in the winter of 1942. Carry on down to Starbotton and then follow the Wharfe along the beautiful Dales Way back up to Buckden.

Do you now have three e-bikes -- the old Boardman and two new Cubes?

deliquium wrote: ↑7 Jun 2024, 10:51am

rareposter wrote: ↑7 Jun 2024, 9:47am From a purely practical point of view, I'd consider leaving the bike as is throughout its warranty period. It makes things a lot simpler should there be any reason to return it.

This is a very valid point

You could swap the original fork back in if you had a warranty issue. Speaking of which, what happened to the other Cube e-bike with the dodgy Xfusion fork you had replaced? Is this new Cube e-bike replacing the other one?

Funny, thought I saw Bartali following Coppi.

As I said above, folks have been fitting ISO threaded headsets to vintage Italian framesets for years without any drama. I fitted a Tange on my 1980 Colnago Super. £20 headset. Looks like an old Record. In the real world, it would be unlikely you'd be swapping back and forth between the old Record headsets and ISO headsets. You'd either be fitting an ISO headset to replace an old worn-out Record headset or refitting an old Record headset that's still serviceable.
This thread is like flogging a dead horse.

Don’t forget nailed on metal cleats and Alfredo Binda toe clip straps. Those were the days, eh?

In the Cyclingabout article mentioned above, which is primarily about loaded touring, the author actually lists a few cases where shedding weight on the bike does matter more than you think:

2. To improve bike handling and feel.
Heavy bikes don’t feel as snappy or responsive when accelerating or cornering, making them feel a little less inspiring to ride.

I haven't tried one yet, but I'd expect the latest lightweight carbon fibre road & gravel e-bikes that the OP is referring to handle and feel better than the ones with the bigger and heavier motors and batteries that also require less rider input.

The advantage is that it feels more like riding a conventional road bike. This may appeal to people who are keen cyclists but for whatever reason now need a little help on hills. I like the idea. I presume you’re referring to the new Bosch SX motor? Specialized beat them to it with the Creo 2. Doubt many are sold in the UK though. Way too pricey.

As explained, you can run a die down the steerer threads if you’re worried. Any frame builder can sort this for you if you don’t have the tools and expertise. Many folks don’t even bother and just fit an English threaded alloy headset on an old Italian threaded fork. If you’re careful, and get it right, the headset will work fine. But it’s usually a one-time fit. Depends how fussy you are. Have a go with a cheap Tange or similar. You won’t damage the fork unless you are really ham-fisted, in which case you should let someone who knows what they’re doing fit the headset for you.
That's a Tange headset on a 1980 Colnago frame & fork. The old Campag headsets are virtually the same as ISO. There's a teeny tiny difference in the crown race and threads, but it's so close, it works fine with an alloy headset like this Tange, which at a glance looks identical to an old Record. £20.

Nah, you won’t find a NOS vintage Record headset on eBay anymore. You may find a seller claiming it’s NOS, but it’s a fantasy. You can though find the later Record headsets with an English thread. There are also good similar looking 1” threaded headsets like Tange that will work on an Italian threaded steel fork for a fraction of the cost of an old Record headset. These are interchangeable with old Record headsets (same height).

If you’re worried about fitting a new headset on a vintage Italian steel fork, you can run a die down the steerer threads. It’s commonly done on restorations of vintage Italian road bikes because it’s now virtually impossible to find vintage Record headsets in good condition. I think in practice, the difference doesn’t really matter if you fit the headset properly. It’s only a problem if you mess up fitting the headset or are using a cheap or worn out headset. At least that’s my experience, but I defer to Brucey’s infinitely better judgement.