# Hampsten's bike on eBay



## kjmunc (Sep 19, 2005)

So I'm sure everyone is keeping an eye on the Andy Hampsten bike on eBay right now that is supposedly the bike he used for the Alp d'Huez stage win in '92. 

http://cgi.ebay.com/92-Eddy-Merckx-...ryZ56197QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem 

It's a great looking bike and probably worth the current price as far as team bikes go (only other Moto bikes I can imagine being worth that much are Lance's that have gone for $5k), but here's my question:

If you look at the pics of Andy winning the stage, his bike clearly has a red avocet computer and his left shifter has been replaced in favor of a standard brake lever and down tube shifter. The bike on eBay has a blue computer and both STI shifters, so it's not the EXACT bike he rode up Alp d'Huez, even thought it might have been the frame and some of the components. I contacted the seller and to his credit he responded quickly and said the winner will be provided the contact information of the man in Switzerland who received the bike directly from Hampsten and was a former training partner. He declined to answer my question about how he received the bike and why the components where different than those pictured from Andy's stage win. That being said, I'd be furious if I purchased the bike and found out it wasn't exactly the thing it's purported to be. 

What do you guys think: does it matter or is the fact that some of the parts might have been used that day enough for you? At the current prices I'm not willing to gamble to find out, but would be interested in hearing everyone else's take.


----------



## Jrmccain (Apr 11, 2007)

It's nice for sure, but any serious collector would have an eye like your's and point out the differences. Maybe on a much smaller scale it's like have a car with numbers that don't match - nice ride but not perfect.

Strange that the seller can't address your concerns. I'd want to know the complete history before I bid on it.


----------



## onrhodes (Feb 19, 2004)

I'd bet that for the Alp stage they took off the front STI and put on the DT shifter, then the following day put the STI back on. It says that it is the same bike, not the same setup. Chances are back then when team budgets were not quite what they are now it was his "race" bike and then he had a backup race bike and a training bike.
As for computers, it could have been changed any time during the season. I remember reading that Eddy B. said that most pros back in those days got a race bike that was used through the Spring classics, then got a new race bike in time for the grand tour season.
Just a theory, but seems to make sense to me.


----------

