JIMBO53

Thanks for the kind words, Julius,
In the US these bikes are not sought after very much and many [people just don't take the time to understand how to work on them. I've found all of these locally on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and swap meets. I'm rather relentless in looking for British Roadster bikes so check these sources often. I'm also willing to travel; being retired, so that helps, too. The 56 Gazelle was 3 hours away and needed a bit of work; missing a brake caliper and lever, corroded cables and notably a bent fork and an overall refurbishment. The women's and men's matching 75 Tourists were bought together from the original owner and had been stored for decades in a partially open barn so they needed quite a bit of work, esp the rims that were badly corroded. The like new 71 DL-1 with Prestube rack I found at a local swap meet. No one was interested in it and the seller was ready to put it back on his truck and take home, so I was able to offer a very reasonable price and add it to my collection. All it needed was new tubes and a wipe down. Everything else was as new, even the Dunlop Roadster tires. I had to drive 4 hours one way to get the silver 56 Hercules Churchill DeLuxe, but it was being sold for only $30 so how could I not fill the tank and hit the road? The black mens Hercules I got from a friend in GA that was helping an elderly friend liquidate a bike collection, so got that at a very fair $125. We were both going to attend a swap meet in GA about 4 hours away, so I was able to pick it up without having to deal with expensive shipping. All in all, I have about $420 in these 6 bikes, plus the cost of new tires and tubes, cables, Brooks saddles and odd parts. We have many parks and green ways in Charlotte NC so I enjoy taking these out for a ride often. The ride quality as well as build quality is amazing so I will continue to search out the neglected and forgotten bikes and bring them back to life. I never repaint these bikes, but carefully try to restore the finish as best I can. I enjoy sharing them with friends and take people out for their first introduction to these bikes. My bike hobby also extends to american prewar bikes, which I started collecting back in the 80's so I'm rather hopeless when it comes to old bikes. My wife is supportive of my obsession, which helps a lot. Hope you're enjoying your bikes during this pandemic. Along with my wife's excellent cooking, these old bikes are all that is keeping me sane during this pandemic. They are also one of the few approved methods of exercise, so I'm quite happy wrenching and riding to my hearts content.