Alex Singer, Rene Herse and Masi

[bedraggled]

All from the same seller.

Alex Singer
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/236285088664?

Rene Herse
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/236285211609?

Masi
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/236285187626?

 

[kermisking]

This seller is offering some excellent bikes . Unfortunately my 173cm size is not suitable and my wallet is empty . The fully French equipped Singer would be my favourite only because I am not keen on the Herse colour scheme . The Masi probably loses originality points for having after market Chronometro stays fitted but as the seller states the frame builder did an excellent job . Eddy Merckx used the Chronometro stayed Masi bikes in time trials , I wonder if the bike whistled ?.

 

[Foreigner]

Nice bikes, but not a the prices stated....they will never be sold for THAT much

 

[Canuk]

Nice bikes, but not a the prices stated....they will never be sold for THAT much

That's cheap for a chrome Alex Singer, they're pretty much the most desirable Singer ever made. Even in France, you'd be doing well to buy one for under 4000 euro.

 

[Canuk]

The Herse is pushing it because it's a 70s build and they're not really the collectable end of RH. It has the distinctive cranks, but the RH stem no, and the quality of the modern parts devalue it. The Singer is a stone cold bargain though. If you have the readies and want an appreciating French classic in chrome, buy it!

 

[Canuk]

Big Rene Herse (bigger than say a 56cm) are very hard to sell because they're too big for the Japanese, who have been traditional the biggest collectors of RH by far. The one here on RB for 10k is one such hard sell. In France that would be lucky to touch 3000 bucks, very lucky. So the only market left is the US. Are there Americans daft enough!? Don't think so. I find it quite funny that a lot of the value in these bikes is in their size in centimetres!

 

[Canuk]

Nice!

 

[Foreigner]

That's cheap for a chrome Alex Singer, they're pretty much the most desirable Singer ever made. Even in France, you'd be doing well to buy one for under 4000 euro.

Your idea of cheap is not same as mine...anyway this lovely example sold for 1,200 US in June this year, stand included. There is plenty of superb lightweights for sale at very low prices, that's the state of the market regardless what seller would want to get. Some are given away for free by people wanting to see them going to enthusiasts instead being re-sold on evilbay.

 

[Canuk]

Your idea of cheap is not same as mine...anyway this lovely example sold for 1,200 US in June this year, stand included. There is plenty of superb lightweights for sale at very low prices, that's the state of the market regardless what seller would want to get. Some are given away for free by people wanting to see them going to enthusiasts instead being re-sold on evilbay.

View attachment 1001212

To be fair, you can see why it went for 1200 bucks: it's too big for the Japanese, still the biggest market by far for RH, and it's missing the three vital parts that add value to a vintage RH: the stem, chainset and cantilever brakes, all hand made by the great man himself in his Levallois-Perret workshop. It's not just the frame set that makes these bikes valuable, it's the bespoke parts. RH also made his own bottom brackets, modified Cyclo derailleurs and even mudguard bolts. That's the difference between a RH that's worth 5k and the above. That and the centimetres...

The Singer is still a stone cold bargain. That would go in 30 seconds in Paris.

 

[Canuk]

Voila