Bikeville.com - the art of losing customers.

- BIKEVILLE.COM -

- BUYER  BEWARE -

The following is my review of an internet vintage bicycle parts store called Bikeville.com.

It appears that the site is run by "Ralph" from the Via Bicycle shop which is located in South Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

I am going to share with you my personal experience with the Via Bicycle shop and will let you judge for yourself whether or not they deserve your custom. Before I start this post I'll quickly grab a coffee to calm my nerves! 

Coffee to calm the nerves!

I recently acquired a 1972 Raleigh Super Course frame and set about collecting the parts to build the bike. Nice frame, nice bike - great project. I had a look at the original Raleigh specs from the 1972 Raleigh catalogue and tried to collect original parts for the build where I could.

When it came to the braking system I learnt that the original 1972 Super Course was equipped with a set of Weinmann Vainqueur 999 centre-pull brakes....so off I went searching for a set. I could get NOS (new old stock) sets on eBay but generally the sets did not come complete with hangers or original Weinmann brake lever hoods.

So I set about exploring other vintage bike part stores on-line and came across Bikeville.com (Via Bicycle store). I searched their vintage bicycle parts and located the set I was after. The set pictured on the site had the hangers and the brake levers had Weinmann hoods, all was good!

The advertised Weinmann Vainqueur 999 brake set.

The advertised price was US125.00, which was fairly expensive.........but the hoods looked good and all the bits and pieces were there, so I was happy to pay this amount to get all of the items in one package. 

....so on Feb 15, 2012, I emailed Bikeville.com via the link on their web page and asked to purchase the Weinmann brake set and inquired what the cost of shipping to Perth, Western Australia, would be.

On Feb 16, 2012, I received invoice number 201227 from Ralph at Via Bicycle. Great service I thought, very efficient - a reply within 24 hours!

The invoice indicated that they had a set and that shipping would be US25.00, so I paid the invoice for a total of US150.00 by Paypal for the items to be sent to Perth.

Paying by Paypal is great, very easy, very safe, and the merchant does not receive your credit card details, etc, etc......and after any transaction, all involved in the transaction receive an email indicating the transaction is complete, so I was happy that Via Bicycle had received the money and was aware that payment had been made.

On March 6, 2012 (after three weeks of making payment) I had not received advice from Via Bicycle that the item had been posted (shipped) so I emailed them to confirm if they had received my payment of US150.00.

....and so in response, good old Ralph from Via Bicycle replied:

          Hi there,
          I must have missed that it was paid for, sorry. I will get it out today.
          Sorry again for the delay.
          Ralph

No problems, I thought....Ralph was busy doing other bike things, it slipped his mind but he's on to it now.

So I waited for the package to arrive, and waited, and waited!! Nothing received.

On April 19, 2012, (eight weeks after making payment) I emailed Ralph at Via Bicyle to see how things were going. He forgot once, maybe he had forgotten again! It was a polite email asking how the item was sent so I could gauge how much longer it might take to get to Perth.

....but by this stage I was really thinking.......was it posted via airmail, surface mail, via the moon, or squeezed into a bottle and thrown into the nearest ocean! By the way the nearest ocean to Philadelphia is the North Atlantic Ocean which is about a 100km drive, so I quickly discounted this option! 

After emailing Ralph on April 19, 2012, I did not get a response.

....so I emailed a Ralph again on May 2, May 7, May 11, May 14, May 17, and May 23, 2012. All emails were polite as I thought I would give Ralph a fair chance to respond. I could see that the website was still active as there had been products updated on May 3, 2012, however, I did not receive any response.

So there you have it, it's now May 31, 2012, (14 weeks after making payment) and I haven't had any response from Ralph at all, and I certainly haven't received my brakeset!

Firstly, I hope that Ralph and his family are all in good health. If this is the problem I accept the delay and have no complaints. I will also be understanding if Ralph has closed his store or if ownership or management has changed.

So now you've learnt of my experience.....would you purchase vintage bicycle parts from Ralph at Bikeville.com??

This is a typical internet purchase gone wrong. The buyer is genuine, but the seller is not so genuine. The seller knows that the buyer is too far away to take any action and so pockets the cash without fear of reprisal. Emails from the buyer to resolve the issue are ignored and so......the problem goes away.

Thanks for your help Ralph!

Until next time, ride safe.

James

 

UPDATE: February 2013.

On February 15, 2013, I was lucky enough to receive an email from Ralph who apologised for overlooking the sale. Ralph kindly refunded the outstanding amount to my Paypal account. Thanks Ralph, all is forgiven.

Regards,

James.

Rene Herse vintage bicycles.

Rene Herse was a French bicycle builder who was born in Paris in 1913. Herse constructed his own hand-built bicycles in France prior to the second world war and beyond.

Known as "constructeurs", French bicycle manufacturers hand-built their own beautifully crafted frames and bicycle components. Their bicycles were magnificent - each a work of art in itself. Each component was lovingly designed and hand crafted with magnificent French engineering and styling.

Herse was one of the outstanding French "constructeurs" and was always associated with the pinnacle of French cycling from the 1940's until his death in 1976. 

I recently rode in the Fremantle Tweed Run and spotted a Rene Herse bicycle. Although it wasn't a show piece, the owner was very proud to have such a bicycle. I would have loved to own it too!!

He told me that he had bought the frame in France whilst on holidays some years ago and on his return to Perth, Western Australia, lovingly assembled the bike with Rene Herse and other French components over an extended period of time.

Here is his build:



The Rene Herse bicycle with randonneur touring handlebars.



A beautifully crafted French stem, typical insertion size of 22.0mm.

 



An "Ideale" brand derallium saddle.

  

Beautiful high flange hubs with brass wing nuts.

 

Very neat front derailleur with chain guard.

He has definitely captured the Rene Herse feel!! From my study of the components I think that this bike is possibly from the 1950's - but I'd like to be corrected on this if need be. The bike is fantastic - and even better in the flesh.

Vintage French bicycles are unusual. This is mainly because the many threaded components used to construct the bicycles have different thread ratios (tpi - threads per inch) to those of vintage English bicycles. Some of the French sizings are also awkward. For instance.....the Britsh standard for the diameter of a quilled stem (insertion measurement) is 22.2mm, however the French went with a 22.0mm insertion size as standard. Pedal thread ratios are also quite different. 

Old Australian bicycle components tended to carry British thread ratios, so locating French threaded bicycle components in Australia was, until recently, very difficult. 

Amazingly, vintage French threaded bicycle components are now easily accessible through internet auction sites - eBay, etc, so finding the parts for such a build in Australia is now not so difficult.

Coincidentally, after spying the Rene Herse bike I came across a fantastic book called "The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles". The book is brilliant and records the history of French hand-built bicycles from 1910 to modern times. The photography in this book is amazing and features several outstanding Rene Herse bicycles.

The book is well worth buying if you can get hold of a copy! I've taken the liberty of showing images of the book below....



Magnifique!!



Until next time, safe riding.

James 

Old bicycle bits and pieces

In 2009 my son went on a school camp to Kalgoorlie Western Australia. The group learnt about the Kalgoorlie Gold Rush that commenced in 1893 after Paddy Hannan discovered gold in the region. During the camp his group visited an old public abandoned mine site in the wilderness where prospectors lived and mined in the early 1900's.

Whilst at the site he wandered off and found this old rusty steel frame partially buried in the ground nearby. Recognising it as an old bicycle saddle frame he bought it home for our display shelf. After years of exposure to the elements the patina of this piece is fantastic, the rusted metal has solidified and almost has a permanent shine to it.

Kalgoorlie was a thriving metropolis in the early 1900's due to the gold rush. During this period the town itself had a population of about 30,000 however the total population of the surrounding region was around 200,000 that was mainly comprised of eager prospectors.

At the time Kalgoorlie was a busy town where grand hotels lined the busy streets. Chinese immigrants and other new Australians from the east coast flocked to the area in search of riches. The atmosphere was of the wild west where gold stealing bandits, prostitutes, and gamblers mingled amoung the many prospectors.

Of course many prospectors were poor and lived off their prospecting earnings from week to week. Most of them walked to their mining areas, however, the lucky few were able to afford bicycles for transport.

I've located this image at http://www.oldbike.eu/ of an old Raleigh X frame bicycle circa 1900's and the saddle frame is almost identical to the frame above. I would image, however, that the saddle frame located in Kalgoorlie would have been fitted to a standard roadster type bicycle frame from the period.

http://www.oldbike.eu/ is a fantastic on line bicycle museum that documents the history of bicycles and is well worth a look.



1900 Raleigh X frame.

 .......and from something old to something new.

On the shelf next to the old saddle frame stands a new cycling figure that I bought in Bali in 2010. A nice piece sculpted from brass.

Until next time ride safe.

James

My 1972 Raleigh Super Course - Part 1

I've always liked Raleigh bicycles, more for their link with British cycling history really. It seems that most of the significant events of British cycling history are somehow connected to the Raleigh brand. I derived much pleasure from my 1974 Raleigh Tourist DL-1 featured on an earlier post, and thought I'd like to have a 10 speed from the same era.

A couple of months ago I was lucky enough to come across a 1972 Raleigh Super Course frame. The frame was fitted with the original headset, Brampton bottom bracket and Stronglight cranks. Luckily the coffee coloured paintwork was in very good condition, so after stripping the bike, all I had to do was clean it down, polish the chrome, regrease, and reassemble the parts. Here is the frame as I received it:



1972 Raleigh Super Course frame





Stronglight steel chromed crankset





Coffee coloured paintwork with Nervex lugs.



Raleigh headbadge and chromed fork crown

As you can see it is in a very good condition, and the frame is straight with no dents or cracks. The "Nervex" lugwork is exceptional. The coffee colored paint is good, apart from a few small chips and scrapes, which is fine considering the bike is 40 years old. I don't think that the bike was ridden much at all, as there is no wear on the frame that indicates extended use. 

The decals were good, although I'll need to replace the Reynolds 531 decal that has almost disintegrated. H Lloyd Cycles located at http://www.hlloydcycles.com/ are the official suppliers of Reynolds decals so I'm sure that I won't have a problem sourcing another. 

Since getting the frame I've had a look at the original specs contained in the 1972 Raleigh catalogue and I've been trying to source as many of the original parts and components as possible. Here is the page of the catalogue that displays the bike:



1972 Raleigh catalogue

A great photo from the early 1970's.......nice bike, shame about the dress sense!

I recently acquired a suitable NOS GB stem that was identical to the stem that was originally fitted to the bike. Here it is.....it's amazing what you can find if you look hard enough!

I love the Gerry Burgess (GB) components from the 60's and 70's. It's good to see that they might start manufacturing some new GB components in the near future!!

As per the 1972 Raleigh catatogue, the original bike was fitted with a Simplex gearing system - consisting of Simplex gear levers, front derailleur and rear derailleur. I have not read many positive things about Simplex gearing so I've decided to source a Shimano 600 Arabesque set. This set is circa 1980's, and although not strictly from the correct period, it will definitely suit the build. Here is the set:



Shimano 600 Arabesque components - 6200 series.

Arabesque rear derailleur

So all I need to do now is source some 27 inch wheels, a Weinmann Vainqueur 999 centre-pull brake set, a Brooks saddle, and some suitable handlebars, all of which should be easy to find.

Once I've built the bike I'll post it as Part 2.

Until then, ride safe.

James

My 1980's Repco 10 speed

A couple of years ago I found an old steel 10 speed bike frame at a local rubbich recycling depot. It was in a reasonable condition, although it was without wheels or a handlbar setup. The barely attached deraillleurs were rusted out, and the cranks were badly oxidised. I could just make out the brand "Repco" on the downtube, and the word "Traveller" positioned forward on the top tube.

The paintwork was poor and beyond repair so I had it powder coated French blue. I initially built it up as a freewheel singlespeed and fitted a chromed front fork that I got for $15 from my local bike shop along with:

27 x 1 1/4 Velocity rims,

Miche high flange hubs,

Nitto B123 chrome drop bars,

Campagnolo record headset,

Brooks antique B17 special.

I enjoyed riding it frequently for about 6 months or so, here it is pictured below.

After 6 months of riding the singlespeed I came across two things:

1.   A website called the Old Ten Speed Gallery (OTSG) located at  http://oldtenspeedgallery.com/ 

The OTSG site rekindled my affection for 10 speeds. It's a great site with many ten speed brands represented. 

2.   A near new Shimano 600 Arabesque 10 speed groupset from the early 1980's - Shimano 600 6200 series.

The beautiful Arabesque groupset was exceptional - very retro, it was almost complete....the only parts missing were the headset, and brake levers. Just to remind you of the series here is the Arabesque gear lever:

I was bursting to fit the goupset to a bike......so I dismantled the Repco singlespeed frame.

This frame was ideal for the project....it was from the same era (early 80's) and the specs of the frame suited the groupset perfectly. I had a friend build up some new 27" wheels with the Arabesque hubs and slowly pieced the bike together.

The only disappointment was that I could not get hold of any "Repco Traveller" decals, so I banded the seat tube with white and gold vinyl strips and added a badge of my own.

Here's the finished product:



Drive side view.

 

White / gold banding on seat tube.

 

Brooks leather bar tape

 

Arabesque crankset





Brooks Professional saddle



Campagnolo Record headset - 1980's.



Shimano gum hoods - Shimano 600 (non Arabesque) brake levers

I've been riding this build regularly for about 12 months now, and although there are only 10 gears to chose from it rides and handles beautifully. The gears are smooth, the brakes are reasonably efficient, and the looks are great. The Brooks saddle, as usual, is excellent!

Gotta love those ten speeds.....

Until next time...safe riding.

James

1936 Malvern Star Opperman Special

During the 1930's and beyond, Birmingham Small Arms in the United Kingdom (BSA) supplied Malvern Star in Australia with quality bicycle parts. This association was reflected in Malvern Star's bicycle catalogues of the period. 

The 1937 Malvern Star catalogue.

A popular racing/touring bicycle of it's era,  the Malvern Star Opperman Special featuring BSA parts was produced in large numbers during the mid 1930's. The bicycle also featured a magnificent three speed 'Cyclo' rear derailleur system. Gears were changed by adjusting a lever that sat forward on the top tube of the frame. 

The model was named after Sir Hubert Opperman who was a famous Australian cyclist during the 1920's and 1930's. BSA also produced a similar model for consumption in the United Kingdom.



Sir Hubert Opperman astride his Malvern Star Oppy Special

Here are some catalogue images of the Oppy Special below:



The BSA Opperman edition.



During a recent Tweed Ride in Fremantle I spied a beautifully restored 1930's Malvern Star (BSA) Opperman Special. Enjoy these next images:



Beautiful polished chrome lugwork.



The owner told me that he firstly chromed the frame before sourcing the parts for the build....and what a beautiful build it is!! Although a few of the sourced parts are not originals, the build certainly captures the grandness of the period.

....and here is the lucky owner astride his beloved maching during the Tweed Ride.

 Until next time....safe riding.

James