False economy ?

[roadrash]

I couldn't afford to spend a grand on a project. But I'm currently spending what I consider to be too much on a Raleigh twenty. I'll have probably spend just over £200 by the time I've finished. Id be lucky to get near half that, more like a third if I sold it. But I'm really enjoying the process. It's great fun potching about, and I've spent many happy hours reading about the little bikes. I have learned so much.

The way I see it, if it gives you enjoyment then go for it. As long as you cut your cloth accordingly and pick a project you can afford then do it. Whether its 200 or 1000, the enjoyment is the same. Its not about the end product, its the process of getting to the end product.

Edit to add: and because you enjoyed it and spwnt time on it, its likely you'll end up with something you'll treasure

sorry to go off topic but, @BSOh have you joined the Raleigh twenty forum , good info and ideas to be found here..

http://raleightwenty.webs.com/

 

[woodbutcher]

The bloke who bought my property and business close to Montignac has a Caterham 7 with a stonking 200+bhp engine and there is no way he would be able to get it onto French plates for type approval reasons so he brings it back to the UK for the MOT and pays the VED and UK insurance................. is that what you do?

I was of the opinion that any vehicle permanently kept in France had to be registered over there within 6 months of importation, correct me if I am wrong. When I imported my beloved LR Defender 90 which I thought was a station wagon, it was only when I went through the damnable red tape processes that it turned out it had started life as a van (camionnette) and the stick in the mud country that it is would only recognise it as such, which didn't bother me too much apart from the fact that I had to have it Controle Technique tested (the French version of the MOT) every single year!!

Im pretty sure that if you permanently import a vehicle into France as l did with my car you have to register it here. ( some don't mind you) and with the car it was a fairly pain free operation. The bike is different since l haven't imported it and it is registered and insured at a uk address.Probably not exactly what the French would like !

 

[buzzy-beans]

The bike is different since l haven't imported it and it is registered and insured at a uk address.Probably not exactly what the French would like !

I was snookered and had to follow the book of rules almost to the letter whilst we lived there (for our beautiful, amazing and profitable 10 years), the reason being was that we were involved with an animal rescue charity where one of our friends turned out to be the regions most senior Gendarme! He was a very nice bloke, but boy oh boy he was a stickler for the book of rules!!
It might be worth your while checking this out, but I believe that any vehicle using the public highways in France has to be registered there within 6 months and that failure to do so can result in the insurance being invalidated. I read about this on one of the ex pat forums.

 

[BSOh]

sorry to go off topic but, @BSOh have you joined the Raleigh twenty forum , good info and ideas to be found here..

http://raleightwenty.webs.com/

Yes I have, after a forum search here I saw some of your raleigh twenty posts, so thank you. I didnt realise they had such a following when I bought it. Or that it was so quirky (aka problematic to upgrade)

Sorry to digress everyone, back to the op

 

[woodbutcher]

I was snookered and had to follow the book of rules almost to the letter whilst we lived there (for our beautiful, amazing and profitable 10 years), the reason being was that we were involved with an animal rescue charity where one of our friends turned out to be the regions most senior Gendarme! He was a very nice bloke, but boy oh boy he was a stickler for the book of rules!!
It might be worth your while checking this out, but I believe that any vehicle using the public highways in France has to be registered there within 6 months and that failure to do so can result in the insurance being invalidated. I read about this on one of the ex pat forums.

Will do, l know that everything is getting tightened up, even if you own a vehicle which is not used on the road it still has to have at least third party insurance. And of course the national speed limit is now 80kph.
One of the reasons l don't use the bike here is that it is just not suited to small country roads and handling at low speed is a nightmare. The other problem is through town or village with the usual 30kph l might as well get off and push. With this bikes gearing and high rev hungry engine it stalls in first gear. I still love it though

 

[woodbutcher]

Im pretty sure the law has very recently been passed and will take effect in July, but l digress and will return to topic (eventually) .
On the other hand when l cycle through a 30 kph zone at 40 plus which l have done on the odd occasion l suppose l could be nicked

 

[wonderdog]

Interessant. Googled.

Et noted pour the next fois je vais to France.

Hitting up the locals with language like that is liable to get you on a tumbrel bound for the next guillotine party. Zut alors!

 

[raleighnut]

I actually speak French passably badly. In France this is considered to be some kind of crime against the state. In Finland, however, where I speak utterly atrocious incompetent Finnish I'm celebrated like a visiting professor of languages.

You can get away with just a few words in Finland,

View: https://youtu.be/-kCQIk5-v1o

EDIT - WARNING NSFW

 

[buzzy-beans]

I actually speak French passably badly. In France this is considered to be some kind of crime against the state.

Having lived there for 10 years and having set up 2 very busy and profitable businesses despite my spoken and written French are poor to say the very least apart from that is when the subject is building materials where I could get by.
From my experience if you make a concerted effort to speak French to the French, most appeared to understand my/our predicament and would either try to speak to me/us in English or at least speak far more slowly.

 

[woodbutcher]

Having lived there for 10 years and having set up 2 very busy and profitable businesses despite my spoken and written French are poor to say the very least apart from that is when the subject is building materials where I could get by.
From my experience if you make a concerted effort to speak French to the French, most appeared to understand my/our predicament and would either try to speak to me/us in English or at least speak far more slowly.

My French friends are very tolerant of my pretty awful French but usually at some point in the conversation they will look at me very seriously and say "you must learn to speak French" despite the fact that l thought l had been doing exactly that !

 

[woodbutcher]

You can get away with just a few words in Finland,

View: https://youtu.be/-kCQIk5-v1o

EDIT - WARNING NSFW

My partner is Swedish so l am accustomed to the Scandinavian few words are more than enough thing ! She says that l talk too much and l say that nature abhors a vacuum....she says see what l mean

 

[byegad]

1. Can you afford it?
2. Would you rather spend the money on something else.

If the answer to 1. is Yes, and to 2. is no then do it.

 

[woodbutcher]

Bit of an update...l decided to take the plunge, spend so far totals including delivery/shipping.
All in Euros, sorry about that :
frame and forks 210
triple chain set 60
bottom br. 24
wheels incl 8spd 220
headset and front derailleur 70
I'm not too unhappy with the cost up to now.

 

[MiK1138]

There are worse things to spend your time and money on, I mean you could be collecting Routemaster Magazine and spending £800 quid building something you could buy at Hamleys for £40. If your enjoying the Build and the scrambling around for best deals on parts,(Ebay Ninja Style) then its money well spent and you have a bike at the end of it

 

[woodbutcher]

There are worse things to spend your time and money on, I mean you could be collecting Routemaster Magazine and spending £800 quid building something you could buy at Hamleys for £40. If your enjoying the Build and the scrambling around for best deals on parts,(Ebay Ninja Style) then its money well spent and you have a bike at the end of it

You are dead right, l now realise that there is always an alternative thingummy whatever round the corner. Now l just message every seller lm interested in and ask for their best price delivered to France and every single one has allowed me a pretty good discount so far.