So my wife decided she wanted to take up cycling and after a quick search in the bay I found what looked like a very nice ladies Cube Curve. On contacting the owner with an offer he replied with a lower bid and explained that he would be happy to sell it to us for the same money as he had offered it to a friend who had decided not to buy it. We were intrigued and had to go and upon arriving in Oldham we found ourselves in a very pleasant and leafy street (yes I know). I knocked at the door which was opened by a chap very much in his twilight years but with a very kind face. He invited us into his very lovely bungalow and explained that he had bought it for his wife and was doubtful that she had done anymore than 5mls on it.
He opened the door to his garage and my mouth must have dropped open as there before us was a rack full of bikes. Virtually all were mint steel framed classics of various makes & descriptions right down to a Cube touring bike and a carbon beauty with electronic shifting. Also an ex Reg Harris race bike. There were bits of bike and tyres hanging everywhere, cycling nirvana. He told me he had sold part of his collection but was keeping these and with love in his eyes he went on to talk about the detailing and welding on the frames. Sadly his knees were giving in though so he was trying to develop an electric bike.
So the bike we came to look at was mint even had the manual for it. I said to him I was going to haggle but looking at it in the flesh I am more than happy to pay what he was asking which was a bargain anyway. With a twinkle in his eye he knocked another tenner off and said that was the price he was selling it for anyway and would help towards our petrol cost. At this point I want to hug him and call him dad then he says hang on looking at the front tyre which was different to the back. He starts pulling bits of shelves and lifting things and produces a new tyre to match the back (Michelin pilot sport). There you go he says you can have that.
On leaving I shook his hand genuinely feeling like I had just been enriched somehow just by meeting this chap. Yes obviously he gave me an amazing deal but he has to be one of the nicest guys I have met in a long time and he loves bikes. He genuinely made my day.
He opened the door to his garage and my mouth must have dropped open as there before us was a rack full of bikes. Virtually all were mint steel framed classics of various makes & descriptions right down to a Cube touring bike and a carbon beauty with electronic shifting. Also an ex Reg Harris race bike. There were bits of bike and tyres hanging everywhere, cycling nirvana. He told me he had sold part of his collection but was keeping these and with love in his eyes he went on to talk about the detailing and welding on the frames. Sadly his knees were giving in though so he was trying to develop an electric bike.
So the bike we came to look at was mint even had the manual for it. I said to him I was going to haggle but looking at it in the flesh I am more than happy to pay what he was asking which was a bargain anyway. With a twinkle in his eye he knocked another tenner off and said that was the price he was selling it for anyway and would help towards our petrol cost. At this point I want to hug him and call him dad then he says hang on looking at the front tyre which was different to the back. He starts pulling bits of shelves and lifting things and produces a new tyre to match the back (Michelin pilot sport). There you go he says you can have that.
On leaving I shook his hand genuinely feeling like I had just been enriched somehow just by meeting this chap. Yes obviously he gave me an amazing deal but he has to be one of the nicest guys I have met in a long time and he loves bikes. He genuinely made my day.
