21 Jan 2011

24" Higgins on eBay:

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24" Restored Higgins Ultralight 531 Tricycle / Trike on eBay (end time 30-Jan-11 20:17:24 GM

Sellers text:

 "I bought this trike as a rusty heap which I stripped and had the frame blasted to remove the rust. It was then repainted in two pack in a British Racing Green. I had three wheels built for it by Trykit, which cost around the initial asking price of this auction i.e £500. I applied a Shimano 10 speed 105 groupset with modern bars and stem on a quill Ahead conversion.

I built the trike with the intention of racing it in Tricycle Association events but due to one thing and another it has never happened and now I need to release some of the cash. I know I will never get my money back for this labour of love. The reality is that I never going to use it. I have ridden it a mile since the restoration. It could do with some transfers which I believe are available from Chris Hewitt. I know it is 531 but the sticker got blasted  and painted over. I think it is quite an early Higgins frame - it had a hand change front deraileur on the wreck."




A 24" restored Higgins Ultralite. Suit riders over 6'.(?) Some tasty kit has been fitted by the seller.


The head badge has lost its colour. Chris Hewitt may be able to help here. Also with the missing transfers. No doubt about the maker though.

The seller has confirmed that a Trykit freehub adaptor kit is fitted. Allowing a free choice of cassettes up to 10 speed. These adaptors ensure the sprockets run true and allow multi-gear, indexed gearing on a Higgins machine of any age. I used one for about a year and highly recommend them over the original adaptors.   


Smart, alloy, front hub brake avoids the usual duplicate brake complications around the head of the forks.


Cockpit with smart, combined gear/brake levers.


Modern  chainset.


Trykit hubs fitted to black, Mavic aero profile rims with stainless spokes. I have the silver version of these rims on Trykit hubs and can confirm they make light and strong trike wheels. My Trykit built wheels have survived a daily pounding on some awful road surfaces for what must be 18 months and over 10k miles by now.

The £500 auction starting price may seem like quite a lot of money but most of the hard work has been done on this machine. The asking price has to be balanced against the cost of new parts.  Putting all this modern kit on a bare Higgins frameset would cost a great deal more. The wheels alone have cost the asking price. 
 
This trike sold for £541 after three bids.



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