Copake Auction 2025 - Bicycle Review

The auction house in Copake, New York has long been known for its bicycle auction, traditionally held in the spring but in recent years held each October. Let's take a look at some of the utility bike and three speed lots from this October's auction.

 

Raleigh Record Ace bicycles have always commanded a premium. This pre-war Record Ace is no exception. At $960, it went for a handsome price, but not one that is totally unreasonable. Record Aces are highly sought-after by Raleigh collectors as a premium offering, especially before WWII. 

 

 

Raleigh X-frame or cross-frame roadsters were never common in the USA. They were a staple of pre-WWII English cycling, but never made the same impact in the USA. The traditional, diamond frame was always more popular here in the USA. This pre-WWII cross-frame roadster sold for $360. It appears to have a damaged top tube and incorrect paint, but still commanded decent money because of how rare these bikes are in the USA.  

 

 

This ladies' Humber Sports sold for $120, not a bad price for a ladies bike. Unfortunately, ladies bikes are parted out, and perhaps that's what drove the value in this case. It's a nice bike for someone who likes a step-over frame.  

 

 

Older Sunbeam bicycles command a premium in the USA. Before being bought-out, Sunbeam was one of the more luxurious brands, competing with the likes of Raleigh. This Sunbeam sold for  $300, a fair price for an unusual bike in the USA, and a decent example of a luxurious three speed.

 

 

 Older BSA bikes from before the buyout also command a premium. BSA was well-known as a maker of quality bicycles in competition with Raleigh, especially prior to WWII. This BSA roadster is very tall, but despite being so tall, still sold for $240. Still.. not a bad price if it fits you. But you'd better be pretty tall.... 

 

 

Two Raleigh Twenty bikes were for sale. Both were coffee colored and both in pretty good shape. One sold for under $100 and other for just over $100. Those are excellent bargains for the buyer (not a great price for the seller). Raleigh Twenty bikes have a cult following and are excellent riders. It seems like common, post-war Raleigh bikes have not had strong values the past few years, while more unusual and earlier bikes haven't quite taken the same value hit.

 

Now let's compare the Raleigh Twenty bikes, which sold for very little money, to the Schwinn Runabout, a less-common small wheel bike in the same class with the Twenty. This Schwinn Runabout sold for $600, way more than the Raleighs. The Schwinn bike is relatively uncommon and enjoys cross-over interest from the Schwinn collector community and the muscle bike collector community. The difference is night-versus-day: the Schwinn sells for many times what the Twenty brings, even if the Twenty is the better-made and better-riding of the small wheel bikes. Condition, age, and rarity are kings as between these bikes.

 

Take-Aways

So what do I think are the take-aways?

• Condition, age, and rarity are still the three kings of pricing a vintage utility bike. Luxury brand bikes from before WWII in good shape still command considerable prices, particularly for top-of-market bikes. The Raleigh Record Ace is a great example of a classic English bike that commands a premium. 
• Mid-market and down, the market is kind of soft right now. Raleigh Twenty bikes are common in the USA, but there was a time when they commanded higher prices. At one point several years ago, I was seeing them sell for $300+ for a good example. In this auction, these examples sold for around $100. Great bargains if you're seeing them for those prices.
• Cross-over interest is important. If your bike, such as the Schwinn Runabout, has cross-over interest from buyers with money: Schwinn collectors, muscle bike collectors, etc., then you see higher prices. The Twenty is an objectively superior bike compared to the Runabout - the frame is lighter, the bike is designed to ride and handle more like a full-sized bike, the Twenty folds, etc. But the Runabout is much more valuable today because of that broader collectors interest.
• Ladies' bikes still take a value hit. Some of the ladies bikes sold for very little money in this auction. The Humber had some good parts on it, so probably sold for parts value. I don't see much increase in value for these ladies' bikes in the near future (except as to parts). 
• Lastly (but not least) - this is still just a hobby. Old utility bikes won't make you rich and you don't earn a living off them. But they are enjoyable and still mostly affordable collectibles that also ride wonderfully. "Keep Calm and Carry On", as the saying goes. 

Autumn Rolls On (Schwinn Content)

 

Autumn rolls on and the leaves keep falling... The weather was warm yesterday, so I had a chance to take out the 1964 Schwinn Traveler. Every nice day is a bonus this time of year. The days are getting shorter and the weather is definitely turning cooler. 

 

 

Autumn Leaves and Late Season Rides

 

Ride season is starting to wind down in this neck of the woods. We still have some decent weather ahead of us, though the days are getting progressively shorter. I am still riding in the later afternoons before it gets dark, at least on the days when the weather permits. 

This autumn, the leaves are kind of a "mixed bag". A powerful rain and wind storm blew away some of the leaves before they could fully gain color. But some leaves still remain, particularly in areas where there is a sunny exposure and other trees protect from the wind. 

 

A stop along a small road shows the brilliant color of the remaining leaves. In this case, a group of maple trees have turned the typical brilliant gold. They blend with the black of this 1970 Raleigh DL-1 pretty well. 

I suspect we have about two to three weeks of ride season left, though the weather can always change that. Once the clocks change in November and the weather turns even cooler, the season will probably come to an end.  

 

"Hub Steps?" - When Bicycle Frames Were Bigger

Today, it is somewhat taken for granted that when a bicycle is fit to the rider, the rider can straddle over the top tube with both feet on the ground. This "stand over" measurement is used so that if the rider needs to panic stop, he or she can hop off the saddle and stand over the bike comfortably. Some vintage bicycles were sold with this particular feature in mind. "Safety roadsters" featured smaller wheels (usually 26 inches instead of 28) and lower bottom brackets.

But in the early years of roadsters, particularly before WWII, it was common that riders would take out the biggest frames they could handle. This meant that many riders were on frames where they could not comfortably stand over the top tube with both feet on the ground. 

To help these riders mount their bikes, manufacturers offered "Hub Steps" - extended axle nuts that incorporated a foot peg. The rider would mount the bike in a single motion, bolstering up into the saddle with a kick, using the peg as a foot hold. This helped the rider to use a frame that used all of his or her (usually "his" because men's bicycles had higher top tubes) leg length right from the saddle. 

Of course if the rider panicked and came off the saddle, this meant the possibility of crashing onto the top tube. It is possible to avoid this if one simply reverses the process of mounting and swings back off of the frame rather than jumping down onto the top tube.

Today personal injury/products liability issues would abound with this frame type, but 90 or 100 years ago, it was common to have a large roadster with a Hub Step. The steps were even offered in various finishes (nickel plated and black painted were popular options), and in different sizes and threadings for the various hubs and axles available at the time. Even the venerable Sturmey Archer three speed hubs would be fitted with a step.

Looks Like Autumn

1958 Raleigh Sports

New England is known for its fall foliage. We get quite a few tourists in these parts, driving around to look at the color leaves. This fall has not been especially colorful so far though. Conditions have been quite warm and dry, producing more brown, dry leaves on the ground than color leaves on the trees. 

1970 Raleigh DL-1 - Seeing Some Yellow in the Trees

In the past week or so that has started to change, at least a little bit. A few of the hardier trees have turned their usual colors rather than just drop their leaves. Sugar Maples turn yellow while the soft maples (also called the "red maples") turn a nice red color. The large, leafy catalpas turn yellow but seem to hold onto their leaves a bit longer than most trees. The oak trees seem to hold their leaves the longest, but those usually turn brown around here.  Burning Bush turns a beautiful, deep and somewhat darker red.  

 Virginia creeper vines turn a beautiful, deep red. The dreaded Poison Ivy vines turn yellow. (Winter is the time to kill Poison Ivy - I wait until the leaves are off and then carefully cut the Poison Ivy vines with snippers or a hatchet). 

Some Color In Those Trees Now... 1958 Raleigh Sports

Colder weather is arriving in the next few days, which means we may see at least some decent colors at the tail end of our leaf season.  

Out on the road this week were a beautiful 1970 Raleigh DL-1 and 1958 Raleigh Sports. I spent much of the summer riding classic Schwinn three speed bikes. This fall, the Raleighs have been getting a little more road time. 

1970 Raleigh DL-1 on a Warm Evening

 

The 1958 Sports has an Alumilites LED tail light, which is very helpful in darker conditions. The Alumilites tail light is part of a triumvirate of affordable but quality retro tail lights. Those three are the Alumilites tail light, the Kiley Eyelights tail light, and the Blue Lug Koma tail light. All three of those lights provide good light, multiple modes (solid and hazard flasher), and are rechargeable with USB cords.  All three feature metal construction and bright LED lighting. As the days get shorter and it gets dark earlier, it becomes all the more important to have a good quality headlight and tail light on your bike (along with reflectors). 

 

The Alumilites LED Tail Light - Metal Construction, Classic Look

 

The riding season is winding down, but there are still some good days ahead before the season ends in November.

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoyable Early Autumn Rides

 

Autumn can be an excellent season for rides, provided the weather stays favorable. Some people actually prefer the cooler air and reduced humidity compared to the summer months. I enjoy each for what they offer. Summer offers warm temperatures and plenty of daylight. Fall offers cooler and more pleasant air, though getting a ride in can be challenging once the daylight starts to shorten. Each has its turn.

 

This week's riders included the bronze green 1974 Raleigh Sports and the black 1964 Schwinn Traveler. I enjoy each of these bikes. The Raleigh is a bit lighter and more responsive while the Schwinn is a more robust and leisurely rider. I've owned the Sports since fall 2003 and the Traveler since late 2021. Both of these bikes are "keepers", in my book.

 The days are getting shorter this time of year, which means lights and reflectors play a more important role in safety. My preference is for retro-styled LED lights, which look proper on the bikes but are brighter and easier to see. As the daylight fades, it is important to be seen easily by motorists. 

The 1974 Sports has a B&M Lumotec Classic headlight, stock tail light, and a front dynohub. The Traveler has Kiley lights front and rear, both LED items.