FINDING THE CYCLOPS

Finding the Cyclops, actually the Cyclops frame set, was about as easy as switching on the computer and clicking on Craigslist.  There are several different procedures that I use to find vintage road bicycles, and many of these procedures can be combined, to create new bike acquisition opportunities. 

And that is how I found the Cyclops.  While scanning Toronto's Craigslist, my son noticed a listing for a Cyclops.  The included information indicated that the listing was for a frame and fork set, only.  He was quick to let me know of the frame's availability and I pounced, knowing that my son would act as a facilitator.  Because that frame set was sitting in Toronto, a thousand miles away!

It is easy to buy through an on-line source such as Ebay.  At least, I find it to be pretty easy, simply because I feel protected.  But, what happens if you come across the bicycle of your dreams, on Craigslist, or Kijiji, or some other on-line purchase opportunity but that opportunity is far away?  How do you get the bicycle then?  Sending money to a stranger is risky, to say the least.  At any rate, the two bike finding procedures employed were SEARCH METHOD #10 - WORD OF MOUTH and SEARCH METHOD #6 - ON-LINE OPPORTUNITIES.

But be forewarned!  Even with a facilitator in another city, you can still be in for a surprise or two.  More than one on-line purchase has left me feeling a bit dissatisfied.  My Peugeot PX10 arrived with a bent frame set, as did my forties something AutoMoto Porteur.  In truth, the AutoMoto was preceded by good pictures and I suspected that the frame was bent, but that is another story.

At any rate, my son completed the transaction for me and packed the bike up, in preparation for its bus ride from Toronto to Thunder Bay.  The Cyclops arrived three days later.  I was really impressed with the frame, when I got it, even though some of the paint had failed to properly adhere to the undercoat.

NEXT - TEST BUILDING THE CYCLOPS