Gutted. Lost to the EVRI network. Orange Aluminium "O" prototype MIA

[boy"O"boy]

Gutted.

EVRI has lost the Iceman in the bottomless pit known as their national hub.

The story behind this prototype Aluminium "O" can be found here....

The mystery of ICEMANS O. Early Orange Alloy O's!

I wont lie, I am a little obsessed with the Orange Aluminium O, not particularly the most functional bike, heavy, very rigid boxed back end (not to everyone's taste) and disappeared in 3 years (91-93). However, when it arrived in the 1991 season it was seen as a premier bike, with a Suntour XC...

www.retrobike.co.uk

and here.

ORANGE ALUMINIUM PROTOTYPE, ICEMANS O PROJECT..

Having recently been inspired by Sinnerman's Orange Formula, and Regan's Yeti build. I have decided its time to get this Aluminium O project started. Its taken several years to get the required parts for this. Ensuring that I get this build as close as what is pictured below. The Aluminium O...

www.retrobike.co.uk

Calum was kind enough to sell me the Iceman a couple of years back now @Cheshire1980 and Dave @clockwork davo managed to source me the original steel 1 1/4" steel forks.

After much deliberation over keeping the heavily worn Patina versus repaint...I eventually opted for a @KOMRAID repaint.
It's fair to say, I was impressed with the examples of Klein that he'd done. Communication and picture updates have been excellent and when he sent the finished pictures, the excitement was building about getting the frame back.




Nearly 8 weeks has passed since sending and komraid has been exceptional in trying to find out where it actually is in the EVRI (Hermes) system but on Friday he was advised by Parcel2go that this is now officially a lost item.

Gutted doesn't begin to describe my disappointment. I'm gutted for komraid too as the effort he has put into this - colour matching the original unfaded areas, getting the fades right etc. shows the care and attention he puts into his paint jobs. He was excited about the backstory of this prototype as much as I am.

We are going through Channels to recover value, but material costs (which is probably how EVRI will challenge the value of this frame) will never match the fact this is an irreplaceable prototype. To them it's just a bike frame.

So, other than keeping fingers crossed that it will turn up, it's gone.

I'm hoping the RB community can help me keep an eye out on the usual channels eBay/ FB marketplace/ Orange owners FB etc... in case someone decides the frame is theirs and decides to move it on.

I still have the unique bottom bracket and custom stalk that is needed for this build, so I'll be hanging onto this and the XT/ Mavic build kit in the vague hope it turns up.

Thank you all in advance.

boy"O"boy

 

[Tsundere]

F@cking Evri (Formerly Hermes).

You can change the name but that won't turn an incompetent organization into a reliable one. Anyone who knowingly uses these absolute cowboys needs to wake up.

Put them in the corporate cemetery ffs.

 

[d8mok]

Hermes (all parcel carriers) auction their lost items off usually on pallets so assuming it’s in packaging you’ll be able to tell it’s a bike frame.

Probably worth registering and hoping to catch it when that happens. Most are online but some have to be in person.

Once it’s auctioned and sold then it’s no longer your property as you will be paid out at the level of insurance you selected. I hope it was insured correctly.

We have boxes lost via our company and insurance pays out and the items usually end up for sale on a various online formats. The key is to make sure it’s insured for these rare occasions as even if it shows up online the person who has it has no obligation to hand it over.

On a slightly unhelpful note - I wouldn’t send a £5 tyre with Hermes as we all know their reputation. Who’s decision was that?

 

[Magpiegifts]

That's terrible Ben! In the slim chance some clown has stolen it instead of it actually being "lost", and they chance their arm selling it online I'm sure everyone on here will keep an eye or two out for it reappearing.
They are a joke aren't they. Lost one of my bikes year and a half ago. And were so unhelpful.

 

[clockwork davo]

Ben this is truly devastating news heartbreaking pal !!

 

[boy"O"boy]

F@cking Evri (Formerly Hermes).

You can change the name but that won't turn an incompetent organization into a reliable one. Anyone who knowingly uses these absolute cowboys needs to wake up.

Put them in the corporate cemetery ffs.

A mate of mine has a business doing posters/prints. He uses Evri/Hermes as he was attracted by their rates for business users. 9/10 stuff gets delivered without problems but recently he's had an increased number of lost/missing parcels. The excuse he's been given on several occasions is that there isn't enough drivers to clear the backlog. His question to them was 'Why are you continuing to accept parcels to that depot then if you know you have a backlog you can't clear?' - they couldn't answer.

Hermes (all parcel carriers) auction their lost items off usually on pallets so assuming it’s in packaging you’ll be able to tell it’s a bike frame.

Probably worth registering and hoping to catch it when that happens. Most are online but some have to be in person.

Once it’s auctioned and sold then it’s no longer your property as you will be paid out at the level of insurance you selected. I hope it was insured correctly.

We have boxes lost via our company and insurance pays out and the items usually end up for sale on a various online formats. The key is to make sure it’s insured for these rare occasions as even if it shows up online the person who has it has no obligation to hand it over.

On a slightly unhelpful note - I wouldn’t send a £5 tyre with Hermes as we all know their reputation. Who’s decision was that?

Wasn't what I wanted to hear but expected this was probably what happens.
I've voiced here to -

A. Vent my disappointment. I'm accepting it's gone but I feel better for putting it out there.

B. Hope someone recognises it if it surfaces.
If it does, the person who has it will be unlikely to know what they've got...especially when it comes to the bottom bracket. Most likely they will ask through here or another channel about what it needs/ where to get one and I'm hoping the Eagle eyed members of the forum will remember this thread.

You're right though. No obligation to hand it over. Total loss.... but if I have the other part that makes it work properly, there's a small amount of satisfaction that it's useless without it.
It also has a crack in the seatstay joint. My intention was to keep it as a showpiece. Good luck to anyone choosing to ride it!

Was advised that if I was to contest against someone that declares themselves the new owner, having date stamped evidence such as posting here would better my (slim) chances.

Cheers though.

Thought this might be the case.

boy"O"boy

 

[Joe_Rides]

I had some bike bits go missing through hermes last year and went though 'the process', ending in it being officially lost, and I was therefore reimbursed for it.

If nothing else works with your enquiries, I can perhaps offer a small grain of hope in that my parcel turned up back at my house unannounced and with no explanation after nearly 6 months.

 

[d8mok]

It will likely be advertised online at some point assuming it’s been purchased by someone at a Hermes auction as they probably won’t be a collector of retrobikes. If it’s cracked the issue may be it simply being scrapped or passed along so cheap it never makes it online.

Likely just be called orange/white bike frame or similar as they won’t know what it is I’d say too. Facebook or gumtree

You may fall lucky and I hope you do but it may take many hours looking online daily.

 

[Magpiegifts]

Ben is the crack visible now its been resprayed?

 

[dan28]

i sent some wheels with hermes it took 6 weeks until they arrived at the destination
our local courier is good they even let you go to their house to collect your parcel
do you have a tracking number for it