1946 Higgins Ultralite
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1946 Higgins Ultralite
frame:
Higgins Path Frame - track, 22.5", 4 lb 9 oz
Fork/Headset:
Higgins
Crankset/Bottom Bracket:
Bayliss Wiley Oil Bath Bottom Bracket
Drivetrain/Cog/Chainring/Chain:
Stronglight Standard No 54 (Single)
Handlebars/Stem:
GB forged hiduminium stem, GB MAES bars
Saddle/Seatpost:
Lycett
Brakes:
GB Hiduminium
Front Wheel/Hub/Tire:
Zues Hub, Akront rim
Rear Wheel/Hub/Tire:
Zeus Hub, unknown rim
Higgins Path Frame - track, 22.5", 4 lb 9 oz
Fork/Headset:
Higgins
Crankset/Bottom Bracket:
Bayliss Wiley Oil Bath Bottom Bracket
Drivetrain/Cog/Chainring/Chain:
Stronglight Standard No 54 (Single)
Handlebars/Stem:
GB forged hiduminium stem, GB MAES bars
Saddle/Seatpost:
Lycett
Brakes:
GB Hiduminium
Front Wheel/Hub/Tire:
Zues Hub, Akront rim
Rear Wheel/Hub/Tire:
Zeus Hub, unknown rim
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#2
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That bike is really neat. I have no idea what the value might be. This is a repaint right? It's hard to believe that a bike this old would have a paint job in that good a shape.
If you decide to post it for sale in the C&V forum, I'll be tempted and I really, really do not need another bike. I do like old British bikes though and this is my size.
If you decide to post it for sale in the C&V forum, I'll be tempted and I really, really do not need another bike. I do like old British bikes though and this is my size.
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#3
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...do you have a question about value, or did you start a thread thinking this was the regular C+V forum ?
...do you have a question about value, or did you start a thread thinking this was the regular C+V forum ?
#4
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#5
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That bike is really neat. I have no idea what the value might be. This is a repaint right? It's hard to believe that a bike this old would have a paint job in that good a shape.
If you decide to post it for sale in the C&V forum, I'll be tempted and I really, really do not need another bike. I do like old British bikes though and this is my size.
If you decide to post it for sale in the C&V forum, I'll be tempted and I really, really do not need another bike. I do like old British bikes though and this is my size.
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thanks so much for sharing this beauty with the forum!
i too have no ideas regarding value.
-----
thanks so much for sharing this beauty with the forum!
i too have no ideas regarding value.
-----
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#7
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...these are general principles. You will have trouble getting full value for something that old and unique in most locations on the local Craigslist.
Were I trying to sell it, I would probably do it on some larger marketing application, like e-bay.
E-bay is a painful thing to deal with, and you need to be prepared to pack and ship it, but the buyer usually pays for this in most transactions.
A local ad on CL might produce an inquiry from someone not in your town, who scans CL nationally for certain things. But then you still have to ship it, and you have little protection from payment fraud.
Some people take a bicycle like that to an event devoted to vintage bikes, like the one we have here in California every year, and sell it there. There are probably such things closer to you.
Finally, you can list it in the C+V sales section, if you pay a small fee for the upgraded membership.
Any guesses on value from me ? If it were my size, and I were interested in acquiring another old '40's or 50's bike, given the condition and level of restoration, I'd probably expect to pay a 800 bucks at least. The issue with something that old is that with a bike like that one, made in another country, there are so few of them left in the US (maybe few left in the UK, too ?), is that there are no comparables. On ebay, I should think you'd start it at at least $1200, to cover their commission and handling fees.
I might be way off, because usually when I buys something that old, it's an unrestored project bike. I'm not sure you could get more than that, because as far as I can see, most of the components are not real period accurate. And drilling it for the front brake to make it street legal probably takes something away from the collector's value, if it's a track frame.
Sorry I'm not more help.
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#9
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I'm looking to trade my 1946 Higgins Ultralite for something newer (seventies plus), Italian (Bianchi, Colnago etc etc), fixed if possible, maybe a track bike (but drilled for front brake).
I will consider frame or full bike with £ adjustment either way - I paid £295 and hope to recover that value.
Higgins only built about 2000 bikes, he mainly made trikes. It was restored 10 years ago and lightly used since. I have the original bill of sale signed by Higgins. It rides beautifully - Reynolds 531 and beautifully bronze welded for lightness. It is British Racing Green. I intended to convert it to fixed, but it hasn't happened.
I will consider frame or full bike with £ adjustment either way - I paid £295 and hope to recover that value.
Higgins only built about 2000 bikes, he mainly made trikes. It was restored 10 years ago and lightly used since. I have the original bill of sale signed by Higgins. It rides beautifully - Reynolds 531 and beautifully bronze welded for lightness. It is British Racing Green. I intended to convert it to fixed, but it hasn't happened.
#10
Fuji Fan
My guess is that this would sell for around $500. Since the frame appears to have been repainted with corrosion underneath, I don't see this going for much higher. It seems these path frames were fairly common in the UK and prices did not look like they were going for too much the last time that I looked at them, which was admittedly a few years ago.
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My guess is that this would sell for around $500. Since the frame appears to have been repainted with corrosion underneath, I don't see this going for much higher. It seems these path frames were fairly common in the UK and prices did not look like they were going for too much the last time that I looked at them, which was admittedly a few years ago.
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#12
Fuji Fan
Yes, it looks to me like this was once a fairly rusty frame, then someone might have cleaned it up and slapped new paint on it. I think that would hold the value down from being more valuable. It would still be a fun bike to ride, but some collectors would turn away from that.
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#13
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#14
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Bikes: '85 Schwinn Madison, '46 Higgins Ultralite, 1950s Wally Green, '85 Trek 660, '82 3Rensho Export, '90 Trek 970, '91 Schwinn Paramount, '78 Dawes, '78 Trek 730
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