Bianchigirll 

They are beautiful. What is on the green one?

rideandgoseek 

Veloce

motogeek 

Wow!!!

tiger1964 

Beautiful bike but WHERE DO YOU GET RED DOWNTUBE LEVER COVERS? I want those!

merziac

So big bump here as I was very interested when it originally came up.

I have a project that needs the HS spacer and want it to be even cleaner than these.

Anybody know of any 1 inch Inside diameter, one piece chrome or stainless tubing, pipe, or purpose made for this?

Also paging rideandgoseek for any followup from Creekside that may help.

repechage

Aluminum can be chrome plated

rhm

And some types take an excellent polish.

But I​​​​​​I really don't get the aesthetic of a Hetchins with anachronistic modern components. The frames are cool in their way, but it's a 1930's style. I know, I know... I'll shut up now.

Nemosengineer 

The modern Hetchins are manufactured by Bob Jackson, in house the model is called a Vulcan.

(link) Vulcan | Bob Jackson Cycles


: Mike

Mr. 66

I used a pipe cutter and made one from some scrap tubing, worked out great.

merziac

That would be fine as long as its beautiful and perfect haven't been able to find any, have some ss coming but really want chrome.

To me it is really this Hetchens level bling.

Got a pic, anymore tubing?

The tubing cutter is a brilliant idea as I was waffling on how to make a good square cut.

Johno59

I assume you don't cut the steerer and stack the extra long so the buyer can thread and cut the steerer once you have found the height that suits your body shape.

merziac

Many scenarios are possible including yours which is probably the most common.

Mine is just going to stay the way it is and be able to raise the bars quite a bit as I get older. Even now I have most of my bars way up with the bars tilted up as well which makes for an odd aesthetic at best.

Here's one example and it has a up rising stem that helps some.

The new project has an extended HT and about 40mm of steerer to spare and will stay that way with hopefully a chrome or very shiny spacer to match the chrome quill stem, the stem for now will be at a somewhat normal height and raised as necessary as time goes on.

Velognome 

Nope. Bob Jackson's are curly stay look alikes. David Miller at Hetchins Hetchins Lightweights, the original curly stays bicycle since 1934 builds the new Hetchins models.

merziac

I thought the BJ didn't look quite right.

Still maybe not a bad thing they too are keeping it going.

Doug Fattic 

Wheels Manufacturing makes a multitude of aluminum headset spacers (among other things) in black and silver lncluding 1" ID models. They come in a wide variety of thicknesses including 10mm. Put between the headset nuts they look like that are just part of the headset. This is a good way of getting the handlebars up without looking stupid. Any bicycle dealer with a QBP account should be able to get them for you.

The silver ones have a finish similar to aluminum anodized headsets. If you were putting these spacers on a chrome headset, the spacer could be polished to look more like chrome.

My original Hetchins I bought from Alf on Seven Sisters Road in 1969 had a steel headset so of course I can't add spacers because the steerer is too short to do that. As a frame builder I could modify the steerer so it was longer but mostly the frame just hangs in my shop as an example to my frame building class students so there is no need.

bertinjim 

Rustines sells them in multiple colours including red: Protecteur de levier Campagnolo - Rustines

merziac

Hi Doug, tx. I have some aluminum spacers in hand and a 30mm coming for fitting and mocking up, I also have some SS tubing coming that may work. Don't plan on using the alloy ones unless I have to.

tiger1964 

Thanks; since then I've seen that - alas, Velo Orange is sold out.

Of course, at $26 for a couple of grams, more expensive than many pharmaceuticals.

bertinjim 

tiger1964-

You can order direct from Rustines and at least there are no unpleasant side effects. Well, other than impoverishment.

desconhecido 

Seems that RJR (Bob Jackson) and Hetchins have a long history including being part of the same company for a while. Before they were merged, Bob Jackson made frames for Hetchins on contract -- maybe as early as the 70s. The lines parted ways sometime around 1993. Both the Jackson site and the Hetchins site have information about their relationship, merger, and separation. There is also a very informative thread here from 2008.

A couple or more years ago a member of the forum, can't remember who, took delivery of one of the BJ Vulcan models and posted pictures. Stunning bike. My recollection is that the color scheme was close to the one pictured on the BJ website. I love that site. Mercian site too. Some of the best bike porn on the internet. Here's my current favorite Jackson color scheme. Bought a World Tour back in 2003 -- had I seen this before ordering, mine would look exactly like it

Nemosengineer 

So, Paul Preston being the builder is a surprise to me as the last time I looked Hetchins was still a Bob Jackson property... the last time I looked was the 1990's so I'm a little behind the times.I must confess I'm quite a Bob Jackson fan, my humble Jackson.



Quote from Hetchins serial numbers

"In the late spring of 1986 Hetchins and Bob Jackson Cycles were officially fused. However, Alf had been subcontracting at least some frames out to Jackson before this. Jackson used a totally different numbering system. The first frame documented to have been built by Jackson bears the number 8601 on the bb shell; Donald Thomas has confirmed by email that this was the first number using Jackson's system (though not necessarily the first frame subcontracted to Jackson). Alf's receipt gives the date of sale as 12 Nov 1984, and the original owner said he waited at least 6 months for it, so it was presumably built in the late summer or autumn. The number 8601 is puzzling, as we had previously assumed that the 86 prefix stood for the year of the official fusion, whereas this frame was built nearly two years before that.
David Miller separated Hetchins from Jackson in the period from about April to July 1993. He has used a 2-digit year prefix plus a 2-digit sequential production suffix (which restarts for each year)."
"In 1993 David Miller left Jackson Cycles taking the Hetchins name with him. Since then David Miller has been responsible for (subcontracting) the construction of Hetchins frames. The current frame builder is Paul Riley of Preston (UK). Production is currently running at about 12 frames per year, all bespoke. (Bob Jackson came out of retirement and bought back Jackson Cycles; since that time it has been run by Donald Thomas.)"

: Mike
.

jetboy 

what say you all about this one: it is interesting to me but too small and not cheap. but still interesting..

---> from ad--->
Nice, mostly original and rare, Jackson-built. Look at that lugwork! Perfect enameled badge, too.

I bought this bike to restore and show, as the frame shows no corrosion or bends. I rode it for two years, sparingly, and then a knee injury curtailed my riding for some time to come.

It's a Magnum Opus, top of the Hetchins line.

It's mostly vintage Campagnolo groupset (see photos), with older Universal brake levers and newer Campy calipers.

DT Swiss rims and handmade FMB Roubaix sewup tires with about 200 miles on them.

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/bik...087442355.html

cb400bill

A rider in our local bike club has a very similar Bob Jackson.

Kilroy1988 

As someone who stares at Hetchins on Ebay and Ebay UK frequently, the price for that is definitely right to be considered a "good deal." The frame could safely sell for $1,000 on its own, and just the adjustable stem is worth a couple hundred bucks. That's not counting all the rest of the stuff there.

desconhecido 

When I ordered mine, I chose garden variety British racing green because it's a color that would be easy to match even for those of us without good color discrimination. Practicality. Oh phooey. I like the bike and I like the color, but that flamboyant Heineken bottle green with the contrasting ivory, that's eye candy.