What's the rarest or most obscure bike in your collection?

[SPOKE]

Back around 2003/2004 when Ben Serotta decided to move more into the carbon realm he offered 150 Founder's Edition Bicycles. For an up front payment of $6k you could have Serotta build you any bike in their lineup with any standard available build kit including nearly any choice of wheels. This also included a visit to the factory for a custom fitting, Founder's jersey a very nice hotel stay and dinner with a few folks from the factory as well as a couple cycling icons. (I actually sat beside Ron Keifel at dinner one evening). You could also opt to wait on the release of their newest development......Ottrott. Well me and my pal Serotta Pete took this deal! We both waited for the Ottrott's. I got lucky #13 and I think Pete got #3. I requested that everyone that hand in building my frame sign the top tube for quality control😜. Interesting thing about this deal is only 16 Founder's Edition bikes were sold....one customer ordered 2

[ofcounsel]

This is the only "rare" bike I own. It's a 2013 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Evo 29er, Troy Lee Edition. The only thing "rare" about this bike is the paint job. 100 of these frame sets were released. It's hard to tell from this photo, but the metal flake paint is super, super sparkly.

[Grumbs]

Lugged Chris Chance, I think from the late 70s.

[nalax]

OS Black Buck mtb frame designed by Fred Slate of WTB. Only six were made.

[nesteel]

Closest I've got to a "rare" bike:

'80 or early '81 Merckx Professional. New paint, waiting for me to build it.

[Repack Rider]

Originally Posted by msl819

Is this one of the original three that Ritchey welded up for Breeze and Fisher?

Your sequence is off. In 1977 I finally talked Joe Breeze into building me a special bike, a fat-tire frame for off-road, but built to the quality of a European race bike like my Colnago. When word got out that Joe was building a bike for me, others got in line, and he took 8 more orders.

Joe kept the first for himself, Breezer #1, now in the Smithsonian. I took delivery of mine in early 1978. Mine is on display at the Marin Museum of Bicycling, where Joe is the curator.

A year later in the spring of 1979 Tom Ritchey built three bikes at Gary's request. His design was influenced by Joe showing Tom the bikes he had built for me and 8 others. Tom had also taken part in a Repack downhill race in January of 1979, his introduction to this new direction in bicycling.

It's all in my book, see tag line.

[krhea]

Colnago Arabesque, produced in '83-'84 in unknown but very limited numbers







One of two prototype Klein mtb. Not being a mtb guy nor following it closely all I remember is that the rear suspension as well as the internals of the front shock were prototype. I purchased from a guy I hired directly from Trek/Klein way back in the day, maybe 12yrs ago. Each time I've ridden it around mtb geeks they go crazy over the bike and I have absolutely no idea what they're talking about, then they laugh and say, "typical roadie". Oh well. I know it's cool and that's good enough for me.



Original Schwinn Paramount in one of the toughest colors, violet, to find especially in near mint condition.

[ultraman6970]

My rarest was sold a few months ago, is in the east coast right now.

[8aaron8]

This is as close to rare for me, De Rosa pista from the mid 70's

[El Chaba]

Originally Posted by 8aaron8

This is as close to rare for me, De Rosa pista from the mid 70's

DeRosas from anytime before the mid 1980's are fare scarcer than most would assume. DeRosa's fame was on the same level as that of Colnago and Pinarello, but his production was MUCH smaller....and the pistas were just a small part of the total production. I've seen one non investment cast lug pista deRosa in my lifetime....

[blilrat]

50s Bianchi 3 speed - There are probably 1000s of these in Europe, but I've never seen one here in the States. It usually wears a rack and some panniers as my grocery getter.

[azrider]

Originally Posted by krhea

Colnago Arabesque, produced in '83-'84 in unknown but very limited numbers

Originally Posted by krhea

Original Schwinn Paramount in one of the toughest colors, violet, to find especially in near mint condition.

Wow....good stuff

[sloar]

Mid 1890's

[Waldo]

Originally Posted by gone

This is the rarest one I own. Nagasawa doesn't build a whole hell of a lot of road bikes anyway and to find one in 60cm is pretty near impossible:

I just happen to have one in the same size..... :-)

[dolface]

1978 Shimano Team Issue Nagaswa built up with a Shimano 10 pitch group, I think there were only about 10 of these made

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dolfac...ith/212809650/