New To A Greater Extent Than Or Less People Are Really Serious Nearly Bicycles, Together With To A Greater Extent Than Or Less Rare Few Are Extremely Serious, Amongst A Lightheaded Goofy Wonderful Personality. Norman Bought A Truely Incredible Norman Construct Bike Amongst Alone 3800 Miles On It

this bike was listed together with located, so due to the place it was given a manus off assistance (the storey is a hoot!) to become together with larn it, together with it has a marvelous originality that indicates a cracking dear of it past times the master copy possessor who kept it for close lx some years:

27" x 1 1/4" rims
 John Bull Club Grips
 Bluemels pump
 Brook saddle
 original fenders!!!
 original alloy pedals amongst toes clips together with straps
 tool handbag amongst tools
 generator lite amongst light bracket on correct fork blade
 quality tires that expect new
 chrome fork
 even a collapsable drinking cup!

I was contacted past times (the buyer) amongst the universal C together with V (not certain what that is from the context, but it must live a bikers code for I demand some other biker to assist me) SOS signal, which the code dictates I heed. I could feel (the buyer's) excited anticipation. Who wouldn't desire to participate inward the hunt? It's inward the blood!

On initial telephone contact, the seller told me the bike was beingness offered starting fourth dimension come, starting fourth dimension served. Not wanting to drive 100 miles for nothing, I stated my definitive intentions to buy, together with was promised the bike. I headed out into the driving rain, kids inward tow (they demand preparation inward the field, no?), to brand it at that topographic point just when the seller stated he'd live home.

I arrived early, before the seller. The rains had stopped, e'er a promising sign. The seller rolled up, took a expect at me, so headed to the shed without a word. He rolled the Norman out, together with I idea this couldn't live the bike. I was prepared to discovery frame damage, missing parts (he claimed it to live all original) or some other compromises. I looked at the SA hub. '49? It couldn't be, it was pristine! I began to receive got sinister thoughts, thoughts that violate the sacred code. The seller told me it was his father-in-law's, that it could sell for $1000 (well, maybe that's a stretch?). He suggested I tell (the buyer) it was sold. No, banish the thought!

I was a flake nervous close the ride home. The pelting was starting upward again. I had brought a tarp together with plastic roofing for the saddle, equally the bike would past times carried on a raise machine rack, but it could protect alone so much. It's probable that's the alone pelting to ever touching on the bike. At home, the kids together with I spent an lx minutes amongst towels together with a pilus dryer. It was a project of love.

https://www.flickr.com/search/?q=norman+rapide
http://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/548531-1950-norman-rapide-unbelievable-find.html

Now that is pretty cool, but then, he constitute the bike was a flake also minor for him, together with so he passed it on to some other enthusiast


sadly, I receive got sold the Norman Rapide. As I knew all along, the frame was also minor for me, together with since I receive got picked upward a Raleigh Record Ace that fits much better, I wasn't riding the Rapide whatever more. And it is simply correct for the buyer, who appreciates this type of bike fully equally much equally I. So... it seemed the correct matter to do.

I volition right away allow the novel happy possessor gloat...

As amongst other things related to my bicycling hobby, it all started out innocently enough... Back inward Jan after facilitating a bike purchase for fender1, I needed to carry a bike to Philadelphia. Since I was pretty around NJ, it was decided that I'd select handgrip of upward amongst rhm to create a ride amongst him together with a twain other forum members. At some dot inward the solar daytime at that topographic point was a conversation that went something similar this:
rhm: 'I receive got a bike that would live perfect for you.'
me: 'Really, what's that?'
rhm: 'My Norman Rapide.'
me: 'Hmm, sounds intriguing. Is at that topographic point a thread close it on the forums?
rhm: 'Sure.'

Upon my arrival habitation together with taking my Peugeot off the machine together with moving it into the house, I went to my figurer together with proceeded to google the term "norman rapide site:bikeforums.net" together with the starting fourth dimension hitting was this really thread. I was so excited that, piece I didn't larn excited plenty to pee my pants, I was sufficiently excited to telephone weep upward my married adult woman into the room together with demo her the thread together with started smoothing the agency for her credence of some other bike into the house.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 brusque fourth dimension later, inward mid February, rhm mentioned he was going to live inward my area, so I asked him if he mightiness live able to select the bike downward amongst him allow me reckon it together with select it for a ride. He stated that he'd receive got room to select it down, but in all probability wouldn't receive got sufficient room to select it dorsum home. Later that eve nosotros had spoke on the telephone together with somehow I convinced him to select the bike together with larn out it amongst me. Mind you, rhm together with I had alone met a few months before at the Trexlertown swap come across together with so 1 time again at the ride inward Jan where he mentioned the Rapide. Now that's what I'd telephone weep upward trust!

On the solar daytime together with fourth dimension that rhm indicated, I met him at the prescribed place where, upon arrival, the bike was already out of the vehicle leaning against the bumper. I got out of the car, exchanged pleasantries amongst rhm together with he introduced me to his immature lady who, plainly having seem rhm inward bike-geek agency plenty over the years, proceeded to ignore the conversation equally I oohed together with aahed over the bike, together with rhm waxed poetic over the finer points of the bike. Since rhm was inward a hurry to larn to his destination, I loaded the bike on the machine together with headed habitation piece he proceeded on his trip.

Upon my arrival home, I unloaded the bike together with took it for a ride. Frankly, the starting fourth dimension ride was a flake tentative because I was a) worried close crashing the bike together with b) thinking how I hadn't ridden a drib bar bike for several months. I could tell the bike had a lively ride amongst lite responsive treatment but, piece the starting fourth dimension impression was positive, I was reserving concluding judgment after to a greater extent than topographic point time. After my 2nd ride I was all the same getting accustomed to the bicycle, but the 3rd ride which was simply brusque of xxx miles, I decided that I wanted the bike. I was no longer going to hold back for rhm to tell me how much he wanted for the bike. It was fourth dimension for me to select command of the province of affairs together with brand an offering on the bike. After considerable haggling (actually that's a lie), nosotros arrived at a toll that was fair to rhm together with fifty-fifty fairer to me, if you lot tin imagine that!

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